Evening star., 1901-06-15
Striking Changes Brought About in a
Hundred Years.
BOSTON BIGGEST A.. CENTURY AGO
Statistics Showing the Advance of
Urban Gregariousness.
INTE R ESTING OLD BOOK


Written for The Evening Star
Inat great change has gone on in this
country in the relative proportions of the
rural and the urban population since the
government went into operation, about
1'Ss. is well understood The first per-
manent British settlement in North Amer
lea was made in Virginia, in 1907. Settle
ments in other states and localities speed
lily followed. SO that by the year 1890, de-
spite the Indian and other wars, including
that of the revolution, the total population
had increased to nearly four million souls.
Inc colonies had then nearly, If not quite,
recovered from the terrible waste and
naVoc OF the seven years struggle for in
dependence They had had time to plant,
sow. reap and build, to attract immigration
and capital and to lay broad the founda-
tions Of future empire. One would natu-
rally suppose that the century and more OF
trial and the insecurity Of domestic life on
the farm and plantation incident to the
work of subduing the savage and the will
oerness. would have stimulated the growth
cI ne cues and towns rather than coun-
try life Such, however, was not the fact.
The cities and towns were small consider
ing the aggregate amount of the whole
population. It is interesting to consider
Wnat would have been the effect If in 1890
there had been in our land a single large.
prosperous city, with the comfort refine
ment. social attractions and improvements
even OF that day, such existed in many
second-rate European centers. 1t is true
that in the breasts Of some eminent Amer
clans there was idea that liberty and
large cities did not go well together and
there was a fear that If the seat of the
national government was located in a great
city 1t would be liable to be dominated by
the mob: but after allowing for all this APP
prehenslon 1t is hardly to be believed that
congress would have been SO far Impress
ed by an imaginary danger as to abandon
the comforts and facilities of a luxurious
city already developed for the slow and
unpieasant expedient of building up a
capital on half dozen oldfashioned Mary
land plantations with hardly even a de-
cent road Like St. Petersburg and Berlin,
the city of Washington may be said to have
ment; but like these cities, by reason of
being the capital of great nation, it bids
fair In the future to become wealthy and
populous to degree which we can hardly
now compute
Conditions Contrastevi.
1t is difficult for any one familiar with
the growth and equipment of such cities
as Boston. New York, Philadelphia Balti-
more, Washington and ST. Louis to realize
their condition at the beginning of the
last century. / am, however. able to
give passing glimpse Of the early
days OF these proud capitals by turn
Ing over the leaves of an old book now be-
tionary of the United States of North
American. containing a general descrip-
tion of each state, &C." published by Mr.
Joseph Scott and printed at Philadelphia
by one Archibald Bartram in 1905"
1t is rare and quaint old volume, writ
ten apparently to build up new theories
and without prejudice. Boston is de-
scribed as the most considerable and
hourshing town Of the eastern states"
The proof is direct and imposing There
were 'ninety-seven streets, thirty-six lanes
tWenty-six alleys, besides several squares
and courts" On these were erected nearly
2, 400 dwellings, which. except those in the
center OF the town, were mostly of wood
These structures were estimated to cover
nearly 800 acres of land. One Of the prin-
cipal articles manufactured in Boston was
rum. There were thirty distilleries. There
was an extensive commerce with Europe
and Asia, but the exports reported for 1894
were only s., 7sl, 7os. This was Boston's en-
tire growth in about one hundred and sew
enty-five years. True, Boston had had its
setbacks. including war, fires and an earth
quake. The population is not stated, but.
allowing six inhabitants to each house,
there would be about 1900 souls. Such
was Boston hardly a hundred years ago.
New York Was Smaller.
The author describes New York as the
second of our cities in population. We are
informed that the principal part of the
city stood on East river. Its greatest
breadth about a mile and it's circun1-
ference is reckoned at six miles. Broadway
was then the most agreeable and pleasant
part of the city" Wall street stood ele-
waited, and was generally fifty feet wide"
and regularly built with elegant dwell
ings." In 1890 the population of the city
and county was: OF free persons. 57,621,
and slaves. 2.S6S total, 80, 4S9. The exports
in 1871 We're s2,505, ,465, but by 1901 had
risen to $40, SOL 1856.
Brooklyn, which now forms pretty big
fraction of Greater New York with it's
fTI m n nd I ha-
lieve covers a greater area than New York,
had in the year 1900 some 1888 iphab-
itants and 445 slaves. two churches and
powder magazine. The compact part of
the town. consisted of ''one principal
street"
On Philadelphia our author dwells with
great enthusiasm and does not spare de-
tails. think he had an eye to the home
market for his book Philadelphia had
profited by being the seat of the federal
government for some eight or ten years.
Its population had increased from $3.50
of whom 273 were slaves, in 1890 to $1,000
in 1902. 1t is curious to learn that the
first public building there in which any
thing beyond plain brick work was at
tempted was the United States Bank. be-
CUR In 1875 and opened in 1885, The old
Phiiadelphian had some slight taste for
rum and sugar. About six million pounds
of sugar were annually imported and
f2OOO 600 worth of spirituous liquors. Mrs.
Carrie Nations temperance notions had not
become a cult or shibboleth in these
primitive days. Even without a river and
harbor bill the river was deep enough to
admit a sixty-fOur-gun ship. The COM
merce was fairly large and the manufac-
lures considerable. though hardly fore
shadowng the number and great variety
which have made that city populous and
opulent in later days. In public institu-
tions and municipal enterprise it is clear
that Philadelphia led the procession of all
the American cities. The water works
were asserted to be the greatest work
ever attempted in the United States and
to be on a more liberal scale than those OF
ancient Rome. Unlike London, Paris New
York and other cities, they were the prop
erty Of the city and not of private cor
porations Yet when I was in London a
few years ago that great city still depend
ed on private corporations for Its water
supply. If
baltimore and Richmond.
Baltimore. even at this early period.
ranked as the third commercial port Of the
Union and had a population Of about &c.
800 1t possessed good manufacturing
industry and was a rapidly growing town.
But there was fly in this pleasant oint-
ment 1t seems that some other gazetteer
had audaciously reflected on Baltimore by