Year: 1872

From the Paris American Register, Sept l4.l


In our last number we devoted an article to the
progress made by the city OF Boston, showing the
efforts that are being made to increase the impor-
tance Of that city, and 1t is evident that hundred
similar articles could be written upon the leading
cities of our country Chief among them Is New
York, which always has been and always will be,
probably, the metropolis and the leading maritime
city of the United States. Its natural advantages
are unrivaled. Its magnificent port is one of the
finest in the world. Its broad land-locked
bay offers safe retreat and room enough
for the combined fleets of the world, and its two
large rivers deep enough to float the largest sized
vessels, are SO situated as to concentrate vast
amount Of shipping within very small space.
While other ports have to stretch their wharves
out for miles New York can offer the best moorings
to thousands of vessels without Obliglng them TO
sides this she receives enormous amount OF busl-
ness by the two rivers between which she lies, and
cultural produce and to give constant and profit
able employment to her numerous lines OF railway.
No city can hope to be great without rich and
York has scarcely rival. She has, too, almost
monopoly OF the European trade, although Pha
delphia disputes Of it with her and Boston is
trying to get share Yet both of these cities labor
under natural disadvantages which nothing but
great enterprise can overcome; The former Is too
%nlls steamers ind their savoy" voyages pro-
Spring. Neither city can hope to rival New
YORK; but each can get share OF the carrying
unitedy. Baltimore will also have her portion
when It's new lines Of railway completed; Nor
folk, va.,. will become busy port when 1t is d.
rectly linked with the Ohio and the Mississippi:
and Darien and Brunswick, in Georgia, yet
destined to be very important ports or the trade
or the Southern interior. But however great and
DrOSOerOuS become.
none of them can hope to rival New York or to
take away from It the pre.eminence accorded to it
merce, and every step taken for its extension ADDS
to the wealth and prosperity OF the city, New
animated by the true kind OF public spirit, and
anxious TO enrich themselves by making others
roads add to the wealth of the city and increase
the prosperity OF its population, and hence they
direction Ths spirit has brought capital to a't the
5 G@ pqss M Of the GaaS s p
attained by the combined wealth OF the citizens
alone. So great has been the enterprise OF the
New Workers and SO uniformly successful have been
their gigantic plans, that the very rumor of their
connection with any public work Is sufficient in.
sure Its success. Investors everywhere are ready
to entrust their money to the business men of New
York; and it is very rarely that we ever hear OF
who has reason to regret it, AS numerous as are
the great public enterprises of New York, ali OF.
many being able to stand years Of organized plum
dering without ceasing to pay their regular semi





1t is but just to state that De Witt Cnton's canal
uniting the tide waters Of the Hudson with the
long chain of navigabe interior lakes, is entitled to
the first place among the great enterprises of the
city OF New York. The project proposed by that
sagacious Governor was readily adopted by its
merchants and business men, anu ever since It has
proved mine of wealth to the public. Rich and
populous cities have sprung into existence along
e Wcn WAS oa VIA wa waste e lore STe IN
was first surveyed. Now it shows cultivated and
well populated country, as beautiful as any coun-
an hAnof nf mo nrrnf Of
grain OF all sorts sent to the city by this canal
paid for In goods or in gold is something fabulous.
enterprise pushes westward in search of new
sources of wealth. Vessels now run regularly to
Green Bay on Lake Superior, for grain and lumber,
while from those shores come large quantities OF
iron and copper ore. When once this Sec
tion was IN Its flood tide Of prosperity,
mere wilderness a quarter Of century ago, the
lines OF communication were pushed still farther
Chicago and st. Louis grew to be cities les" of great
magnitude and of frst-cass Importance, While


close after them came Galena, st. Paul, Omaha,
cannot now mention, but each of which deserves
an article when we have the materials at
projects; the railway lines from New YORK YORK
fSs 9e as city sn ss
New York enterprise pushed westward and
started line Of steamers to. connect with the
New York train, to Japan calling at Hong Kong.
1t is needless to deny that the majority Of these
gigantic works have been due to the enterprise OF
the citizens Of New York, and that that city will
gain largely by them. The profits of this vast
Western trade are so apparent that our British
cousins are trying to use their position in Canada


in order to get share Of it. They are now show.
ing an amount of energy there which does them
credit quite enough to prove to the New Workers
that they cannot hope to slumber on their laures
even II so disposed. But there is no disposition OF
the kind apparent. The present generation OF New
Workers seem to be following the example set by
their pr0gentOrs. While few-a dozen at most
young men owning the good old names and the for
tunes made under them are now living upon their
incomes, without troubling themselves with
public affairs, the great majority have fol
lowed in the footsteps OF their fathers,
and are continuing the business and the
responsibilities confded to them. They have
seen that there no snob equal to the idle son of
industrious and public-spiried father, and that
true nobility consists In doing well and honor
ably something for oneself, ones children and for
the world. Our ideas upon this subject have greatly
changed, and there Is no telling the amount Of
good done by the Duke of Argyle and his by
the example they have set. The world prospers by
commerce, civilization advances by its aid, and
hence 1t should be regarded as an honorable pro-
fession. Since we have the assurance that the
young men Of New York are alive to this fact, we
may rest confident that their city will continue to
Ynat tuip ito caufIrp rpriy Had oitin