The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-10
CITY FULFILS
 PIT. BARNUM'S
 EXPECTATIONS
Great Snowman Foresaw Great Growth and De-
 clared Belief in Public.

out Bridgeport and Stratford. Docks
 line the shores of the Pequonnock
 river and Black Rock harbor at their entrances to the Sound. Palatia1 vtI-
 las line the fringe of Seaside park. The big Remington Aims Go. plant 5 rears, it's monster buildings near Toil- Esome hill. Three lines of railroads sconsoli- | dated into one, enter Bridgeport and \ are studded with factories, while the + fare to New York by communication is
 short resorts at Fairfield Beach and aLordship Manor have drawn thou
 sands to the beaches during the sum
 nler months. At present there is a
 scheme on foot to utilize the salt
 meadows East of Bridgeport for fac s, tory purposes.
 Et P. T. Barnurn, ex-mayor of Bridge k port and one of its foremost citizens half a century ago, did much towards
 the growth of the Park City. He was
 known as a. shrewd and wise man. United energy, nberality, and
 faith in the future." was his motto in
 civic affairs.
 At the present time when Bridge port is booming, prediction and pre- caution made beneath the shadow of f Soldiers monument as Barnum ad- 1 dressed the assembled crowd upon the celebration of the Centennial anni- Iversary, July 4, 1876. nearly two score =l years ago, may be timely.
 fl Ex-Mayor Barnum made this pre- ! dietion with it's warning:
 .e*** Usually. on celebrating a holi- f day, we anticipate the pleasure of be- ! ing present at the next anniversary. j But Centennial holidays are an sex- I ception to this rule. None of us will be here at the second Centennial cele- lbration of our nations birth. But lsreasoning from the past, and con I sidering the future possibilities, easily Ito be developed from the energies of l position. we can with the eye of faith
 see that a hundred hence. Bridgeport twill be the largest and most beau
 tfful city in Connecticut.
 sVe can imagine that one hundred years from this day our posterity, a
 gathered in this beautiful Seaside park. The beautiful monument that has just been greeted here wtlA be sup
 plemented by others. and let us hope they will commemorate the, trtumphs of peace instead of war. .s*s*
 "One can easily imagine that at an early day Bridgeport will be a popular watering-place, and that scores of summer hotels will line our shores from Fairfield Beach to Mills kc1am- baking mansion and eventually Ito Stratford, for long before the next Centennial, the Stratford salt meadows
 will be thoroughly. diked, drained an1 Efilled up, rendering osquitoes great curiosities in these parts. "%% Golden 1 Hill, Park and Fairfield avenues, tWest-State. South Broad, South Main, and Lafayette streets will be studded
 with palatial villas; Seaside park will Il be enyironed by mansions and sum j Tner cottages while, setting back to flowing the lines of at least three. rail- q roads as far east as Stratford and
 west to Southport will be hundreds tof huge factories which contribute so I largely to the, growth and wealth of q hlarges city.
 j Railroads will take the people to
 New York in an hour for dollar,
 with return ticket for $1.25. Rail-
 roads, express, telegraph, steamboat l and gas monopolies with watered stock will. cease their extortion- Our
 wharyes will extend west to Black Rock, and that noble harbor will ac-' Ecommodate most of the largest ship Eping. But the prosperity of Bridge
 port can only be accomplished by unit ed energy, nberality and faith in the
 future. Away with the money men. who dane not invest a six-pence un : less principle and interest are return led to his pocket before he goes to t3bed ss* Pull together with a will, and
 Bridgeport, which is already the most pleasant, healthy and prosperous. city l in the state, will at the next Centen- tniaI, eclipse all others to such de-, Egree as shall astonish and delight the inhabitants thereof, and reflect credit
 on those who now in this day and generation put their hands manfully to the blow without dreaming of look
 ing back
 At the time P. T. Barnum spoke 1 Bridgeport had population of but F18,96 inhabitants. Seaside park ex- l tended. only to Park avenue. Black fRock, and it's tributary harbor was un5 1 built upon. There were few resi- ! dences between Park avenue and l Black Rock Main street between | Fairfield fvenue and Bulls Head had | small business activity, and beyond I Pembroke Lake. z.on Barnum avenue
 was known as West Stratford. Strat- ford meadows were waste or farI1lng land and Fairfield beach was a stretch I of sand and salt. marsh untenated ex- 1 cept by hunters and squatters. The t population today is seven fold or ap-
 prommateIy zone-eight of million people in less than 50 years, half or Et the number predicted in half the
 length of time allotted. Il state street, Lafayette and Broad streets at the time mentioned were lined with massive elm trees ana cut
 away by the ruthless hand of corpor- Il ate greed which he so severely con
 demns and were the prime residential I sections of the city. Barnum's Judg- ment has erred here but once Tn rem arkably fulfilled preolctloh. ii
 It will be- observed that the tend < ency towards reduction of watereo Isstock-in corporate matters has aIreaoy
 begun under governmental supervisor l land it is likely that his other predics- : htion. will soon be fulfilled by the hands of the Interstate Commerce lCommission and the Public Utlht1es EComnission of this State before many
 years have elapsed;
 Two Ships Sunk;