146 NEW YORK. 



1840, the population was 312,000 



1850 515.000 



1860 ,, 813,000 



1870 942,000 



l88o ,, ,, 1,200,000 



1890 ,, ,, 1,500,000 



Very likely it will be over 2,000,000 in 1900, and there are 

 no reasons why it should not continue to accrue in the same 

 proportions, during the Twentieth Century. With Brooklyn, 

 Jersey City, and Hoboken, which can be considered as parts 

 of New York, the population exceeds 3,000,000. New York 

 at first spread its streets and avenues in any direction that 

 seemed most convenient, and the result was that the lower 

 and older part of the city is more or less irregular. But 

 when the City began to increase considerably, new streets 

 and avenues were laid at right angles, and improved greatly 

 the appearance of the City. North and South of the Island, 

 there exist twelve fine and long avenues extending its entire 

 length. Many others, although smaller, extend from West 

 to East. Magnificent buildings have been erected along 

 these avenues, and present a very imposing appearance 

 which is not surpassed by the finest Boulevards of the princi 

 pal Capitals in Europe. 



The oldest and the most important one is the well-known 

 Broadway, one of the finest thoroughfares in the world. It 

 runs from the Battery to the Eighth Avenue and the 59th 

 Street West. It ends at the Circle and at the Boulevard. Here 

 is one of the entrances to Central Park. For nearly its whole 

 length it is filled up with magnificent buildings and retail or 

 wholesale shops, some of which are splendidly got up, and 

 can compete with those of the Boulevards and Rivoli Street 

 of Paris. In fact, Broadway is the centre of everything, 

 Banks, Theatres, Hotels, Churches, are to be seen all along the 

 route. Omnibuses, tramways, and vehicles of all descriptions 

 are constantly passing by, and the animation which it gives 

 to that fine thoroughfare is equal at least to that of Piccadilly,. 

 Strand, Holborn, and City in London ; but the aspect of 

 Broadway is infinitely better than that of these London 

 thoroughfares in consequence of its width, which nearly equals 

 that of the Paris Boulevards. The footpaths, which are wide r 

 are crowded with people, day and night. The shops are very 

 iine, the goods well exhibited, and thronged with lookers-on. 



Among the many fine buildings fronting Broadway, I 

 shall mention the Post Office, a magnificent building, the 



