The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-27
SECOND CITY OF THE WORLD.
100000 New Workers Now - Perhaps
100000 in 1900.

New York is now beyond question the
second Of the worlds great cities-that is, IL
you count as New York all that is properly
part of it. On, yes, l know all about the
census aud those figures in the big al
manac" and the "Statesman's Year Book"
and so you need not quote them. They
say, 1t is true, that by their last counts
Paris had 2,344. $50 people, and Toxic,
Japan. 1,65G,04S, and Berlin 1915, 287 and
growing fast, while London now has about
100000. BY the Federal census of 1890
New York had but 1,515, 301, while Chicago.
Philadelphia and BROOKLYN follow in the
order named. And we ali see that Chicago
is the great inland city of this continent
and so there need be no more fuss about it.
But these are only superficial figures, says
the Utica Observer What propose is to
take as parts Of the metropolis such sections
as are as close to its center as the outer sec
tions of London are. For instance, one can
reach any part of Brooklyn, Newark, the
Oranges. or several other cities, from the
City Hall in New York, in less time by con-
siderable than he can reach Kensngton,
Kew, Greenwich or Hampstead from Picca-
dllly or the Strand. AS many people of the
former do business in New York as there
are of the latter who do business in central
London, and the general characteristics are
certainly more similar.
The test is pre-elninently fair one. With
the City Hall in New York as a center. de-
scribe circle with a radius of thirty miles,
and all within that circle are New Workers
far more so than the people of hampstead,
Greenwich and Richmond are, Londoners.
And the people within that area are nunl-
bered thus:
New York ......... lhl5 2Oy
Long Island town i3S 051
adjacent
On Jersey S75.Z46
Total metropOlitans. 800
Americans are so accustomed to phenom-
email groNths in their own country, towns
and cities multiplying so fast that the most
versatile inventor OF names is exhausted,
and, sweeping madiy through the geography,
has Tut Warsaw, Carthage and Paradise,
Cairo, Paris and Moscow, SoOnOver and
Winnesheik all in one State, that they take
it for granted that New York's growth is
unprecedented. On that point 1 might
safely assert without argument, but on ex-
animation the case appears quite different.
1t is really question If LOndon's growth is
not more phenomenal than that of New
York.
In Roman times, they say, London once
had 10000 people. Later it had few or
none. In the twelfth century it had about
$4,000, and in the reign of William III about
1900. Then it began to grow, and at the
opening of this century Englishmen exult-
ingly invited all the world 10 come and see
the wonderful metropolis of 958, 900 people
In 1921 there were 1878, 600 and twenty
years later but ,94S, 600 And then nearly
all the statisticians agreed that 1t had got It's
growth, while serious thinkers grieyed and
prophesied disaster if people continued to
crowd the metropolis.
1t is amusing now to read these predc-
tons. for the rapid increase WAS just setting
in. In 1861, there were 2,803, $50 people, in
1871 3, 266,9S7, and in 1881 3,Sl6,4S3. And as
the city grew it unfolded and absorbed
other cities, more of them and bigger ones
every year, until to-day its population Is
certainly over 100000. Apparently, there
fore, London has for thirty years grown
faster than New York proper but Paris
shows strange contrast, thus:
1902 .672, 900 lS56.........l17 TIA S4S
1906 $50 900 1856 ,826,27i
1871 ...........dl3 800 Elss6......."..2,s44.55 $50
lS36...... ....9OJ,l26l
New York City grew in a provokingly
slow and deliberate fashion till the Erie
Canal was completed in 1925; then 1t bega II
to gain by leaps and bounds, thus: 202, $50
in 1880. 515,547 in 1850 and sos. 65S in 1860.
passing the million point in 1871. And now
the census-takers say the rate of increase is
declining-that is. apparently declining, be-
cause the increase has overfiown into
Brooklyn and other annexes. Nevertheless
the cities which are parts of the metropolis,
show decennial increase ranging all the way
from % per cent in the city proper and Il
per cent in Brooklyn. up 10 53112 In Pster-
son and 1914 in Passaic. The average for
the whole metropolis, or metropolitan area,
is within fraction of So per cent. Every
other city first in its nation falls far behind
this rate except London.
II needs but very little study of the sit
uat:on and Of the pending designs for
bridges, tunnels and rapid transit to see that
this metropolis, as a whole must grow very
much faster in the near future. When Louis
XIV placed his grandson on the throne of
Spain he exclaimed, exultingy, "Thsre are
no more Pyrenees," meaning that France
and Spain were substantially one kingdom.
Similarly we of this metropolis may now
say, There is no more East River, no more
Harlem. and soon there will be no more
Hudson" Bridges and tunnels will make
US one. The rivers now separating us will
become, like the Thames and the Seine,
mere conveniences for the great city. This
metropolis had by the late census 3,542, 800
people. BY the most moderate estimate
there will be 100000 in 1900 and $3.50, 009