CITIES,. AMERICAN. (NORTHAMPTON, OMAHA, OSWEGO, PEOEIA.) 



179 



eludes Portsmouth, for 1874-75 was $5,243,- 

 986; for 1884-'85 it was $10,341,408. The 

 shipments of cotton during the latter year 

 amounted to 552,806 bales. This port is also 

 the largest pea-nut market in America ; nearly 

 1,500,000 bushels are handled in a year. 



Northampton, a city, and the shire town of 

 Hamphire County, Mass., on the west bank of 

 Connecticut river, 80 miles west of Boston, 

 and 17 miles by rail north of Springfield ; lati- 

 tude 42 19' north, longitude 72 38' west. 

 The population in 1875 was 11,108; in 1886, 

 13,680. It was incorporated as a city in 1882. 

 Smith College, an institution for the higher 

 education of women, is located here. The 

 John Clarke Library contains 20,000 volumes, 

 and will soon be greatly increased by the be- 

 quest of Judge Forbes. Three railroads pass 

 through, and the city has a street-railway and 

 electric lights. A stream passing through af- 

 fords good water-power, which is utilized for 

 manufacturing purposes, chiefly of silk and 

 cotton goods. 



Omaha, the largest city of Nebraska, a port 

 of entry and the capital of Douglas County, on 

 the Missouri river, opposite Council Bluffs, la., 

 with which it is connected by an iron bridge, 

 and 490 miles by rail west by south of Chicago. 

 The population in 1870 was 16,083 ; in 1875 it 

 was about 20,000; in 1880, 30,518; in 1886, 

 about 72,000. It was laid out in 1854, and in- 

 corporated in 1857. The highest of the bluffs, 

 once occupied by the Capitol of the State, is 

 now crowned by the high-school building, one 

 of the finest in the West. The Court-House is 

 a handsome building of sandstone. A system 

 of water-works distributes water from the Mis- 

 souri river over the whole city. The Waring 

 system of sewerage has been introduced into 

 the more thickly settled parts. The streets are 

 lighted by gas and electricity. The headquar- 

 ters of the Department of the Platte are here, 

 and 4 miles northwest is Fort Omaha, where a 

 regiment of troops is stationed. Omaha is the 

 eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railway, 

 and is also a terminus of five other railways. 

 A new bridge over the Missouri river is in pro- 

 cess of construction, and when it is completed 

 several other railroads will enter the city and 

 find station- room in a union depot now build- 

 ing. The Union Pacific shops cover a large 

 area, and give employment to more than 1,300 

 men. The largest smelter in the country is 

 here, and employs 450 men. The Willow 

 Springs Distillery is the fourth in size of its 

 kind in the United States, employing 125 men. 

 Among other manufacturing establishments 

 are nail- works, linseed-oil works, lead-works, 

 foundries, packing-houses, and breweries. Ad- 

 joining the city proper is South Omaha, where 

 are large stock-yards and the packing-houses 

 of a number of Eastern and European firms. A 

 large wholesale trade is done here in dry-goods, 

 boots and shoes, groceries, and drugs, Omaha 

 being the chief market for the Territories west 

 of Nebraska. 



Oswego, a city, port of entry, and one of the 

 capitals of Oswego County, N. Y., on the south- 

 east shore of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of 

 the Oswego river, 305 miles by rail northwest 

 of New York, and 170 miles west of Albany; 

 latitude 43 28' north, longitude 76 30' west. 

 The population in 1870 was 20,910; in 1880 it 

 was 21,116; and in 1885, about 25,000. The 

 city has communication by four railroads. 

 Large quantities of coal are brought from the 

 coal-fields of Pennsylvania and shipped to 

 Canada and the West. For many years the 

 business of the city was mainly confined to 

 shipping, forwarding, and the manufacture of 

 flour. Since 1865 these industries have de- 

 clined, owing to the increase of railroad facili- 

 ties and the manufacture of flour in the West. 

 Other manufactures, meantime, have largely 

 increased. The Oswego Starch-Factory, with 

 a capacity of 35 tons a day, is the largest in the 

 world. There are four flouring-mills, iron- 

 works where portable steam-engines, agricult- 

 ural implements, steam shovels and dredges, 

 stationary and marine engines and boilers, 

 steam-pumps, land-excavators, water-wheels, 

 mill-machinery, brass and iron castings, and 

 other products are made; ship and boat yards, 

 malt-houses, planing-mills, and other manu- 

 facturing establishments. The flour- and grist- 

 mill products for 1880 amounted to $1,591,759 ; 

 the foundry and machine-shop products to 

 $552,780; and the planed lumber to $238,932. 

 The whole amount of capital invested in manu- 

 factures was $2,611,238, and the entire value 

 of products was $5,619,944. The total value 

 of imports was $5,403,710, and of exports, 

 foreign and domestic, $997,872. In the foreign 

 trade there were 2,264 entrances with a ton- 

 nage of 374,216, and 2,256 clearances with a 

 tonnage of 370,088. In the coast trade and 

 fisheries the entrances were 411, with 80,030 

 tonnage, and the clearances 465, with 72,584 

 tonnage. The number of vessels registered, 

 enrolled, and licensed in the district was 130, 

 with tonnage of 22,219. During the year four 

 vessels, with 724 tonnage, were built. 



Peoria, a city, capital of Peoria County, 111., 

 on the Illinois river, at the foot of an expan- 

 sion called Peoria Lake, 160 miles by rail south- 

 west of Chicago. The population in 1875 was 

 22,849 ; in 1886, 40.000. It has unusual trans- 

 portation facilities twelve railroads, besides 

 the river and a canal. Street improvements 

 are rapidly carried on and many fine build- 

 ings have been recently erected, notably a 

 court-house, completed in 1879 at a cost of 

 $300,000 ; a Board of Trade building, finished 

 in 1877 ; a new hotel, in 1885, at a cost of 

 $245,000; a union depot, and a workhouse. 

 Others in process of erection are a post-office 

 and United States court-house, to cost about 

 $250,000; a high-school building, $75,000; a 

 cathedral, $225,000; and a Congregational 

 church, $100,000. Among the leading manu- 

 factures are distilled spirits the total capaci- 

 ty of the 13 distilleries being 44,510 bushels 



