Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-28
The Growth Of Population in Augusta.

men of our city the Importance OF bet
| ter railway connections with outlying
territory. While he presented this
need clearly and forcefully he did not
make it any more emphatic than its
| inheritance deserves. The interests OF
our city, and the security OF It's busi-
ness future. demand that thoughtful
consideration be given to the recon-
| mendations which he made and
which we hope may in the near future,
| lead to definite results. While we
agree most heartily with the important
and timely suggestions made by Mr..
Goddard in this address. we believe
that he was in error in his belief that
the population of the city of Augusta
&c on the decrease He bases this con-
clusion upon the fact that there are
now in our city over two hundred
vacant rents. This was about the
number found last year by the assess
ors in their annual rounds, and recent
Investigations of local insurance men
show that it remains about the same.
ever. that. because of this condition of
affairs. there has been falling off in
The total population of the city, and.
as matter Of fact quite the con-
trary is true. There has been. during
recent years, n steady increase in the
population of Augusta. which is larger
today than at any other period in the
history Of our city. Il was a matter
Of no little surprise to the assessors
large number of vacant tenements
they had seen in their journeys over
the city. the number of polls had in
creased from 2,SS9 in 1898, to 3,10j in
1899. a gain Of PIG for the year.
The census Of 1890 showed the popu
lation of Augusta to be 10.527. ana the
number of polls 10 be 2.+l2. or about A
population to each poll. Upon the
same basis. the return Of polls for 1899
would show 4 population Of 1862. q
gain Of 2.135 for the decade. This GER
tainly does not show that Augusta is
yet on the toboggan, but. on the con-
trary. that it has made a steady and
substantial gain. although by no
means as large as it might have been
had orr citizens been more alert TO Sc
cure such connections with surround
ing territory as would have enlarged
their volume of business and vastly
promoted their prosperity.
How does it happen then that. along
With gain in population. there can 80
an increase in vacant tenements? This
was question that was carefully
looked into by the assessors last
spring Il must be said, at the begin
ming, in considering this question, that
comparatively few of these vacant
tenements are of a really desirable
character. In fact. many of them are
so sadly out of repair that they could
only hope for occupancy i'll the event
Of conEestcd population. 4 part Of
them are located on the outskirts Of
the city, on back streets, and in the
Easements and upper stories of large
buildings already occupied in part. To
a certain extent they were a result
Of the building boom of a few years
ago. which followed a scarcity Of
cheap rents by an reproduction of
them. Under ordinary circumstances
A considerable number of rents must
always, in the nature of things. be
vacant in a city of this size. Families
come and 60. and the tenement that
is occupied today may be vacant to-
morrow, and remain so for weeks or
even months before another occupant
is found for it. Again. it is fact that
in a number Of instances houses that
We're formerly designed for one tenc-
ment have been converted into two,
and. in some instances. three tene-
mentS. The assessors in their travels
stances especially in the French quar-
tars. II is also z fact that a consider
able number of people. who formerly
occupied houses, have given up their
homes and are boarding. The num-
Der of such instances have increased
quite rapidly during the past few
years. Scarcely a year goes by where
more Or less people. who formerly
rented buildings. 10 not build their
pwn. thus tending to increase the num-
Der Of vacant tenements. Let any man
who wants conveniently located,
modern ana comfortable tenement
start out in the city Of Augusta in
search for one and see what success
he will have. He will be surprised TO
al Al C.