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comparison with any inland city of the Union ; whUe it has, boyond 

 and around it, a country of unsurpassed fertility and productiveness. 



Again ; it is the commercial metropolis of a State which has, within 

 itself, sources of wealth in its forests of majestic pines, and in its de- 

 posits of those valuable metals, iron and copj>er, unequalled by any in 

 the world, which by the enterprise of our people should be entirely 

 manufactured within our oflii borders, and tend to the building up of 

 the State, and em-iching of those who have chosen it for a home. 

 Whether this shall be so done depends upon our citizens, and time 

 alone will give the answer. 



We propose to give a few statements and figures, showing the pro- 

 gress and business of our city for the past year in some departments of 

 trade and industry, not, however, dignifying them with the character of 

 a complete view of the transactions of that period, but more to inform 

 and stimulate our citizens by showing what has been, and may be done, 

 with so little apparent effort. 



A few figures will show the rate of increase in population to the 

 present time : 



The population in 1810 1l0 



do 1820 2,442 



do 1830 2,222 



do 1840 9,193 



do 1844 10,939 



do 1845 13,065 



do 1850 21,057 



do 1852 26,648 



As taken in the summer of 1853, 34,439 



This, however, includes only those strictly within the corporate limits, 

 •while there is both above and below the present boundaries a space quite 

 equal to either of the city Ward*, built up and inhabited by people 

 whose entire occupation and interests are in the city, and who should 

 therefore properly be enumerated with it. Adding these to the num- 

 ber stated above, and we have a population of nearly or quite 40,000. 

 The increase for the year 1853 was about 35 per cent., and from the 

 many large enterprises now setting forward, and the extensive prepara- 

 tions for building, we cannot anticipate at the close of the cun-eut year a 



