Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-10
A WONDERFUL CITY.
The Pittsburg of To-Day a Revelation
to 0bserVant Visitors.
WEALTH, HAPPINESS AND YIGoR
Evidenced in Our Massive Buildings, Solid
Banks and Pretty Suburbs.
PROGRESS THAT CANNOT BE CHECKED

PROGRESS THAT CANNOT BE CHECKED
The comforts and facilities for travel are
so great these latter days that it is real
pleasure to break away from the cares OF
business once in while, and take short
trip from home. The railroads of to-day are
SO solidly and smoothly built, and the
coaches are so elegant and commodious, that
person feels no discomfort whatever IN be-
ing whirled over the country at rate OF 30
or 40 miles an hour. while at every turn of
the road new and attractive scenes are pre-
sented to please the eye and make the hours
pass delightfully."- away. So writes Editor
L. Harper in his paper, The Banner. pub
lished at Mount Vernon, O., in an intro
ductory paragraph to lengthy article
which will be keenly relished by Pitts
burgers, the main portions of which are ap-
pended:
After briefly describing the journey from
Mt. Vernon to Washington, Pa, he says:
1.-THE shades of night are falling FAST as
you enter Washington county. Here a
grand sight is presented to the eye. The
hills and the valleys for about 20 miles are
illuminated with the burning gas. which es-
capes through pipes from hundreds OF gas
wells that line the road on either side. The
old town of Washington, famous for its edu-
cational institutions, looks like it was on
fire as you approach it, but when the cars
pass along its southern border you will dis
cover that the burning gas comes from iron
posts planted at every street corner and the
flame never ceases night or day. A stranger
thinks this is "terrible waste of gas" but
it has to be kept burning to avoid accidents.
OUR NATURAL FUEL IMMENSE.
The principal portion of the gas consumed
in Pittsburg comes FROM the Washington
comfy wells, although there are many other
sources of supply, in Allegheny, West
moreland, Butler, Beaver and other counties.
Not only are nearly all the large manu-
featuring establishments in Pittsburg and
vicinity run by gas power, but ilon, steel,
glass and castings are made by gas, and
houses are heated, and cooking, washing
and many domestic industries are carried on
bv the use of gas. This greatly lessons the
burdens of labor, as there is no coal to be
carried into a house or ashes to be taken out,
no fires to be started in the morning, to
boil the kettle" or broil the breakfast beef
steak. Indeed, it has become customary,
when a servant is looking for ''a new home"
to inquire if there is natural gas in the
house-if not, she doesn't want to live there.
The price of gas to private consumers is
about the same as coal, with these advant-
ages in its favor-saving of labor, comfort
and cleanliness How long the supply of
gas will last is a conuDdrum that no person
can answer; for. while many old wells are
being exhausted, new fields and new wells
are constantly being discovered, more pro-
ductive and profitable than the old ones.
For the present, at least, it seems that ma
lures hidden reservoirs and laboratories are
inexhaustible.
PITTSBURG PAST AND PRESENT.
Pitttsburg of the past and Pittsburg of
the present are so vastly different that it is
almost impossible; after an absence of few
years, to realize that it is the same place.
My acquaintance began with the city in
1882, when. as a boy, set type on the first
daily paper published in the city, called
The Pennsylvania Aduocdte. The city then
had four wards, on the low ground between
the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers
Atterward Bayardstown was added to the
corporation, making the Fifth ward. Since
then the growth OF the city has been rapid
and wonderful, and at present it has Sc
wards, extending over what was once culti-
waited fields, six or eight miles east of the
old city.
Allegheny City on the north side of the
Allegheny river, has grown to be a large
and beautiful place, with 13 wards, and a
constantly increasing population. Then
there are many neighboring towns and bor-
oughs, such as Manchester, Birmingham,
McKeesport, Braddock, Homestead, Mill
vile, Mansfield, Sewickley, Sharpsburg,
Tarentum, Williamsburg, etc., all having
compact populations and supporting many
industries, and all, in a great measure
! identified with and dependent upon Pitts
burg. The census returns show that Pitts
burg falls behind Cleveland and Detroit in
population, and this is owing to the fact
that Allegheny and the adjacent towns and
! boroughs have named have independent
municipal governments and their popula-
tions are separately enumerated; while, in
point of fact the men who control the in
dustrles that have built those suburban
places, are known and recognized as Pitts
burgers.
PROSPEROUS IN SPITE OF REvERSES.
Pittsburg has had many reversals and
misfortunes but has survived them all, and
has had fewer failures than any city of Its
size in the country. The first and greatest
calamity that befel the city was the great
fire of 1S45, which swept everything before
it, from Ferry street on the north and Fourth
street on the east clear down to the Monon-
gahela river, wiping out of existence in a
few hours the principal business part of the
city, including the large Monongahela
House and the Monongahela bridge. But
the "burnt district" was soon rebuilt with
plain, substantial, inexpensive business
houses, which have nearly all disappeared,
magnificent iron and stone front buildings
taking their places.
The next greatest calamity that overlook
Pittsburg was the great railroad strike and
riot of 1877, which destroyed railroad and
other property to the value of $3, ,000, 900,
which the innocent taxpayers of Pittsburg
were compelled to pay under decision OF
court, as a result of the unwise and wholly
inexcusable bullheadedness of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company, in attempting to
enforce its demands by powder and ball.
shall never forget that fearful Saturday
night, as it was my privilege to witness the
tragic drama, being then here on visit
Pittsburg paid that tax, under protest,
''like little man," and went on prospering
and uncomplaining.
BIG BUILDINGS AND SOLID BANKS.
Just now Pittsburg can boast of the
largest. most substantial and elegant bust
ness edifces to be found on this planet.
Chicago and New York have doubtless
buildings that ascend higher into the clouds,
but they look insecure as compared with
some of tine large, massive, solid buildings
&c D;t,shrr1 Tho costliesf huildinos IN tho