CITIES, AMERICAN. (PITTSFIELD, PLAINFIELD.) 



141 



icilities. No tax for city purposes has been 

 vied since 1883, the heavy license fees exacted 

 E saloon keepers paying all expenses. There is 

 court house and a miners' hospital. Ouray is 

 so a resort for invalids. The hot springs from 

 hich the river is named unca (hot) pah (wa- 

 r) qre (springs) have a temperature in various 

 aces of 140. In winter the heat of the water 

 id its abundant flow prevent the river from 

 eezing, the rising steam giving it the appear- 

 ice of boiling. The scenery is grand, and fine 

 ime abounds. The population in 1880 was 

 }4; in 1885, 1,103. 



Pittsfleld, a city and the county seat of Berk- 

 lire County, Mass., 150 miles from Boston, 50 

 iles from Albany, and 156 miles from New 

 ork city. A beautiful valley stretches north 

 id south through the county, bounded by the 

 oosac mountains on the east, and the Taconics 

 i the west, and through this flow the Housa- 

 inic and Hoosac rivers, the former southward 

 id the latter northward, from a common wa- 

 rshed. On these rivers and their tributary 

 reams are the largest towns, deriving their 

 I'osperity chiefly from manufactures, while the 

 |ll towns on either hand are agricultural. The 

 ilh'.y towns are from 500 to 1,200 feet above sea 

 ;vel|' and the hill towns, from 1,200 to 1,800 

 et. The altitude of Pittsfield is 1,100 feet. It 

 [ in the valley that pierces the center of the 

 erkshire hills from north to south, the valley 

 !;ing both widest and highest at the plateau 

 ijon which the city is built. The valley nar- 

 iws both to the north and to the south, so that 

 jie city appears to be surrounded by hills about 

 10 feet higher than the plateau. The city is a 

 iercantile center for 2,500 square miles of coun- 

 jy filled with manufacturing villages and farms, 

 e whole not very densely populated in com- 

 urison with other parts of Massachusetts. Pitts- 

 |;ld is on the Boston and Albany Railroad, and 

 | also the southern terminus of the Pittsfield 

 ! id North Adams Railroad and the northern 

 rminus of 'the Housatonic Railroad. The site 

 the early settlement was granted to Boston in 

 '35, and it was known as the Boston plantation 

 til it was incorporated as a village in 1761, 

 len it received its present name in honor of the 

 arl of Chatham. Pittsfield became a city on 

 in. 1, 1891. The population in 1880 was 13,- 

 14; in 1890 it was 17,263. The area of the city 

 6 square miles. It lies between two branches 

 the Housatonic river. The streets are broad, 

 e lined with elms and maples on either side, 

 e macadamized, and are lighted with elec- 

 city. Electricity also furnishes the motive 

 wer for a street railroad 2- miles long. There 

 a small park in the center of the city, and a 

 "ger one in the suburbs, while two beautiful 

 <es are in the immediate vicinity. The as- 

 ssed valuation of the city is $10,500,000, of 

 lich $7,232,000 is in real estate. The actual 

 luation is $18,000,000. The debt is $422,800. 

 he county property in the city, consisting of 

 e court house, the house of correction, and the 

 1, is valued at $300,000. The property of the 

 y in parks and public commons, school-houses, 

 a,ter works, sewers, city hall, engine houses, po- 

 ie station, alms house, and cemetery aggregates 

 sarly $900,000. The water supply comes a 

 ort distance from Ashley Lake, and there is a 



fire department well equipped with steamers. 

 The water power in Pittsfield and its vicinity 

 makes the city a large manufacturing center. It 

 has 41 manufactories, with a capital of $2,000,- 

 000 and an annual product of $5,250,000; em- 

 ploying 3,000 persons, and turning out a great 

 variety of articles. There are 15 mills for the 

 manufacture of woolen and cotton goods, 1 

 paper mill, 3 shoe factoriee, and 2 works for 

 the manufacture of machinery. There are 10 

 churches, with a total valuation of $360,000. In 

 the 53 schools, including the high school, there 

 was an enrollment of 3,305 in 1890, and an aver- 

 age attendance of 2,366. The expenditure was 

 $45,000, There are also excellent private schools. 

 The Athenaeum, valued at -$175,000, has an art 

 gallery, a museum, and a free library of 17,000 

 volumes. There is a large opera house, and sev- 

 eral smaller public halls. One daily and 4 

 weekly papers are published, besides several local 

 monthly periodicals. The residences are for the 

 most part of wood, but they are well built and 

 attractive. The business blocks are of brick and 

 stone. The court house is of white marble from 

 Sheffield. The Hospital of the House of Mercy, 

 the Training School for Nurses, and the Old 

 Women's Home occupy substantial buildings. 

 The city has 3 national banks, with a total capi- 

 tal and surplus of $1,500,000 and deposits of 

 $1,000,000. It also has a co-operative bank, and 

 a savings bank with deposits of $2,400,000. The 

 oldest agricultural society in the country is the 

 Berkshire, incorporated in 1810, which has ample 

 grounds for exhibitions. 



Plainfleld, a city of Union County, N. J. It 

 is 25 miles from the city of New York and is 

 largely composed of homes of business men of 

 that city. On the east are Nether wood Heights, 

 and on the west successive' ranges of the Blue 

 mountains, while beyond stretches a rolling 

 country. Plainfleld is on the New Jersey Central 

 Railroad, and there are 30 trains a day to and 

 from New York, -in addition to two expresses 

 and private club cars. There are 5 or 6 mails 

 a day, and all trains on the Baltimore and Ohio 

 route for Washington, the West, and the South 

 stop at the main depot. Near connection is also 

 had with the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and 

 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad systems. 

 The population in 1880 was 8,125; in 1890 it 

 was 11,250, an increase of 3,125 (38-46 per cent.). 

 The taxable property of the city in 1888 was $5,- 

 200,000, the real value being $9,250,000. There 

 is no city debt. The streets are wide and mac- 

 adamized, with miles of shade trees. There are 

 numerous beautiful residences and many private 

 parks and gardens. High license prevails. Wa- 

 ter works are in process of construction, with 

 25 miles of pipe to be laid, and 250 hydrants 

 located. The supply is from an underground 

 spring, flowing from northwest to southeast. 

 Incandescent electric lights are in use, extend- 

 ing to the suburbs of Nethervrood and Evona. 

 Two daily newspapers are published. In addi- 

 to 4 public-school buildings valued at $131,025, 

 in which 35 teachers are employed, there are 

 private institutions, kindergartens, etc. There 

 is also a public library and art gallery (the gift 

 of the mayor), and 13 churches. A new church 

 is being erected by the Seventh-Day Baptists, to 

 cost $35,000. Mu'hlenberg Hospital is support- 



