Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-16
NEW YORK IN 1904
What It's Young Mayor
Thinks of the Town.
IT'S RAPID GROWTH
HE SAYS IT'S A PRETTY GOOD
SORT OF A TOWN.
How It Compares With London and
Chicago-What It Costs
to Run It.
Copyright. 1904. by Frank G. Carpenter,

| Copyright, 1904, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
NEW YORK CITY,
/ give you today an interview with man
| who represents the biggest city-combna-
| ton of capital and labor on this hemis-
| phere. 1t is hardly talk on capital and
| labor, but rather on the product thereof.
New York grows in spite of capital COM
,binations and labor organizations. 1t grows
so fast it has not time to theorize why it
grows. 1t is like a great green boy who
plunges along doing what is before him,
and only stopping now and then to double
up his arms for look at his muscle and to
show his fellows how big it is. 1t was to
inspect the great muscle of New York that
l came here, and to get its accurate dimen-
sions called upon the mayor in his office at
the city hall.
Gen. George B. Mcclellan was lovingly
called Little Mac" Still he was big
| enough to be one of the great generals of
our civil war and a candidate for Presi-
dent of the United States. The mayor of
New York is the son of that Little Mac"
and in many respects he resembles his
father. He looks like boy, and he is still
In his thirties, although he has been an ed
itor, business man and a representative
in Congress. He is now mature enough
and strong enough to act as the ruler of
the second city of the world, and there are
those who say he yet may be the demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency of the
United States.
About two years ago met the lord mayor
of London in his palace across the way
from the Bank of England. 1t took letters
of introduction, much preliminary CORE
spondence and interviews with funkies in
livery before l came into his presence. l
got to the mayor of New York with my
visiting card, which was taken in by
policeman with brass badge on his BOSOM
His honor received me without ostentation,
and like most of the big business men
have met he seemed to have leisure to talk
The conversation was rapid. The young
mayor knows his own mind and there is no
one better posted upon the great city of
which he is ruler.
New York in 1904.
II have come from Washington said l,
"for a talk about New York What is the
condition of the town. and how is it get
ting along in it's struggles with capital and
labor?"
New York is having no struggles just
now replied Mayor Mcclellan. 1--WE had
some trouble with the building trades last
year, but today our condition is thoroughly
healthy, and, barring some temporary an
noyances as to our theaters. we are at
peace with ourselves and all the world.
Our labor is in good condition, and it
promises to remain So"
rs the city growing?"
Yes replied the mayor. cit grows so
fast that We must be always on the alert
or 1t oversteDs u.s. Our chief trouble now
is as to the schools. We have not enough
buildings to accommodate all the children,
and at present there are $4,000 who can go
to school only half the time. We have al
ready about 100000 children in the schools;
and the natural increase for the next year
will be something like $4,000, and for the
year following $4,000, so you see we have
| to build far ahead"
How many people has New York;"
'Just about 100000" replied the mayor
How does that compare with the other
cities of the worl1?"
1T is exceeded only by London" was the
reply New York is now more than
million in advance of Paris. it is twice as
big as Chicago, Berlin or any city in Asia,
and three times as big St. Petersburg.
There are only four states in the Union
which exceed us in population, and we
have one-twentieth of all the people in the
United States.
New York Versus London.
''Will New York ever equal London?"
II think there is no doubt of it." an
| swered Mayor Mcclellan London is al
| most full grown and New York is just be-
! ginning it's youth We are increasing faster
| now in proportion to our population than
| London, and London is gray-haired COM
| pared with New York 1t was a city in
| the days of the Romans, although later on
| its population dropped. New York is only
] 2SO years old. When New York is as old az,
London. what may it not be-"
'But has New York room for growth, Mr..
| Mayor, l asked. Have you available
| space here for many more people?'
| Yes, indeed" replied the mayor. I'VE
can accommodate five times as many peo-
| pie as are in the New York of TODAY We
can house fifteen millions and give them
plenty of room. The Island of Manhattan
| is pretty we'll covered, but we have Brook
lyn, Long Island, Staten Island and pos
| sble suburbs in every direction We are
| now making rand ferry Or TATE
| Island 1t will be owned by the city and
| 1t will cause that region to grow There are
only seventy thousand people there now.
| but there is room for millions. The Will
famsburg bridge gives US another outlet to
Brooklyn, and the tunnels which the Penn
sylvania company Is to dig under the North
ana East rivers will furnish rapid transit
to suburbs whose capacity is enormous.
Yes, we have room here for fifteen millions,
| and when they come we will accommodate
them"
Not Worried About Chicago.
But, Mr.. Mayor, have recently been in
| Chicago. The people there think they are
| the real hub Of the United States, and say
their city will eventually surpass yours"
1--WE have not begun to worry about Chi
cago yet" replied Mr.. Mcclellan I'VE
| think this is the natural gate to the United
| States, and that 1t will always be so. New
| York is already the chief port Of the world,
| and 1t is increasing it's shipping every
year"
| But, your honor" said I, Suppose a ship
| canal should be built in connection with the
great lakes, SO that ocean steamers could
| go right into Chicago"
THAT possibly Is far in the future" re-
piled the mayor of New York. 1--WE pro-
| pose to have a little canal ourselves from
| here to Buffalo, which will largely increase
our business AT any rate we are not
afraid of Chicago at this present time. New
York is Uncle Sans chief gateway"
uhera Noru vorlr GrorpS