New-York tribune., 1903-05-27
A TALE OF TWO CITIES.

The story of New-York is before US, con-
crete and resplendent. We see the greatness
to which the city has grown in two hundred
and fifty years a greatness winch lie" olnei
cities In the world are above the Temptation
10 envy. Founded on a site discovered by an
Englishman under the Dutch flag deVelopeo
by Dutchmen, partly under their own anu
partly under the English flag, and for SIX
score years magnified and aggrandlzed by men
Of all nations under the Stars and Stripes, New
York stands to-day the largest American clty'
the largest Irish city. the largest Jewish city
one of the largest German cities. and the most
cosmopolitan city in the world.
Bv striking coincidence another great city Is
a+ exactlv this ssme time celebrating its two
bundredth anniversary. ST Petersburg is thus
seen IN he Younger than New-York, though as
3 matter Of fact the merchants Of Novgorod
had important settlements on the NeFa long
before Peter the Great founded the present
city and. Of course, Alexander Yaroslavskt
made the place famous and won his name OF
Nevski more than two centuries before Henry
Hudson discovered Manhattan, or, indeed, be-
fore Columbus discovered America. we may
therefore bracket together on fairly even terms
in noint of age the Russian and American CAPT
tsls. the metropolis of the largest country OF
Furone and the metropolis Of the largest coun-
try of America.
In the building up Of the two, however, vast
contrast was to be perceived. New-Amsterdam
-New-York-was settled and built by free men,
coming hither through their own choice be-
cans, Of, the advantages and attractions Of the
nlace: and indeed, the only governmental ac-
tion needed has been in the way OF excluding
many wouId-be settlers of unfit character. 81
Petersburg, on the contrary, was settled under
commission. hy men driven thither from ali
psrts of the empire before the lances and
knouts Of Cossacks and forced TO remain there
under penalty of fine and imprisonment Not
only in Peters own time, but in later years
also. was it necessary by such strenuous meas
ures to replenish and to retain the population
of the 1Iuscovite capital
To-day. in simple numbers Of population,
New-Iork is three times as great as 81 refers
burg. In manufactures, commerce and WeaIth
the American metropolis more than ten tunes
surDasses the Russian. In the somewhat IaW-
drv splendor of the imperial court and IN the
size and value of its art museums St Peters
burg outranks New-York. But In the general
| architee, are Of its buildings and the appear
| ance of its streets it is poor indeed compared
with the American capital The Nevsky- Pros
pect, guide books and encyclopedias declare
| is zone of the finest streets in the world" not
for its architecture but for its immense width
| and length" Yet it is many feet narrower
| than our great avenues on Manhattan Island,
| and IF laid beside Broadway it would reach
only from Bowling Green to Madison Square.
Other comparisons, or contrasts, might De
| instituted between the two cities were II just
| or courteous or desirable From none OF them
would New-York have cause to shrink Indeed,
one might name offhand a dozen American
cities fit to be matched against that founded
bv Peter the Great, while with all its faults
| Nev-York need dread comparison with fewer
| cities in all Europe. London is more vast
| Paris and Vienna are in some respects more
| splendid, and others, too, may surpass New
| York in certain features. But all in all, COM
PARSONS are more largely gratifying than hu-
! initiating, and more and more impress upon
| the New Yorker the realization that he IS
| citizen Of no mean city.