THE CITY OF HOMES.

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THE CONTRASTS OF A CENTURY. THE astonishing increase of the city of Philadelphia in houses, inhabitants, industry, manufactures, trade and commerce, in the course of a century, may be learned by the contrast of facts. In 1770 the number of houses in the city and suburbs was ascertained to be 4474, within the city bounds 3318, within the Northern Liberties 553, within Southwark 603. It was estimated that in those dwellings there lived from 25,000 to 30,000 persons. The number of dwelling-houses in other parts of the county was not ascertained. return of assessments in the city and county for several years previous to the Revolution showed that the taxables in the county exceeded the taxables in the city about two to one. In 1760 there were 3624 in the city and 5687 in the county. In 1771 the county had increased upon the ratio, the city showing 3751 taxables, while the county had 6704. It is therefore probable that the dwellinghouses were within the same ratio, and that the city contained about one-third of the whole number of buildings in the city and county. In 1777, whilst the British army was in possession of the city, it was found that there were within the lines 3508 dwelling-houses in the city, 781 in Southwark and 1170 in the Northern Liberties. Excluding the latter two districts as belonging to the county, it may be estimated that the whole number of dwellings in the city and county was from 10,000 to 11,000, and that the population was from 60,000 to 70,000 persons. Joseph Galloway, who superintended the census taken by the royal army in 1777, reported that in the city, Northern Liberties and Southwark there were all together 5395 buildings, in which resided 5335 males under eighteen years, 4996 males above eighteen and under sixty, and 13,403 females generally, so that in a total of 22,734 about one-fourth only were men, the great preponderance being made up of women and children. It is probable that at that time 6000 men were absent, being adherents to the patriot cause, so that the real population of the city proper, Southwark and Northern Liberties was about 30,000. Joseph Galloway estimated that about one-eleventh of the population had fled, making the number of absent Whigs to be from 2500 to 3000-entirely too small an estimate. We then come to the deduction that the number of dwelling-houses in the city and county, now comprised in the city of Philadelphia, was from 10,000 to 11,000, and the population from 60,000 to 70,000. It must not be forgotten that the present area of Philadelphia city is smaller than the city and county in 1777, in consequence of the creation of Montgomery county in 1784, which took off several townships and considerably reduced the population in Philadelphia county. To make the contrast proper, it would be correct to include in this connection the present population of Montgomery county to show the increase in the whole territory. Such exactness is not needed for our purpose, which is to give a general idea of the growth of the city. In contrast with the statistics of 1776-7 are those of 1876 in several remarkable particulars. A city census was taken by authority of councils in April last, which shows that there were 143,936 dwelling-houses in the city, in which resided 817,448 persons, of whom 472,704 were above the age of twenty-one years and 344,744 under that age. The

total number of males was 398,068, and of females 419,380. The increase of the population since the United States census of 1870 was 143,426, the inhabitants then being 674,022. No return was made of the number of stores, shops, manufactories, mills, stables and buildings, public and private, for other uses than residences. It may be estimated that the entire number of buildings in the city of Philadelphia is at least 155,000. Within a hundred years the population has increased more than eleven times, whilst the houses and dwellings are fourteen times greater in number than they were at the commencement of the Revolution.

Much greater is the change in the methods of living. When the Revolutionary war was opened, the built-up parts of the city were not much farther west than Fourth street. Upon Market and Chestnut streets there were houses sparsely built as far west as Seventh street. Jefferson says that when he wrote the Declaration of Independence at Graff's house, Market and Seventh streets, it was the only house in the square. The dwellinghouses of the time were of moderate size. Low ceilings and small windows prevailed even in mansions of the best character, and this might have been a necessity in consequence of the difficulty of warming the apartments. The open fireplace or the jamb stove-a contrivance fixed alongside of a chimney, which consisted of an iron box extending from one room to another, and which, by means of coals placed in it, was expected to warm both apartments-was the principal means_of rendering houses comfortable in winter. Dr. Franklin's Pennsylvanian fireplace, invented in 1742, was used in the dwellings of the rich, but for ordinary persons the wood burned in the chimney fireplace was the general means of warming rooms. The Philadelphians of that day obtained their water for culinary and drinking purposes either from wells on their premises or from pumps in the public streets, which were generally erected by private citizens, who were allowed certain privileges in aid of taxation. At night their houses were lighted by the feeble glimmer of home-made candles, lamps in which whale oil was used not having come into fashion except among the wealthiest persons. The greater proportion of the streets were unpaved except at the sidewalks, which were irregular in the method and style of paving, dependent upon the means or fancy of the owner of property in front of which the bricks were laid. Passage along the highway by vehicles was difficult except in very dry weather, in consequence of the mire and obstructions which were allowed to accumulate daily. Drainage might be said to be unknown, from the want of regulation of gutters and the entire absence of sewers and culverts. The streets were lighted at night by public lamps few and far apart, the oil being contained in hanging-dishes, from which protruded a sort of spout, which held the wick, which was thick and coarse, and in combustion gave out a great deal of smoke, so that the effect of those beacons was truly to make darkness visible. The police guardianship was in the hands of a very few watchmen for night-service, and a small body of constables attendant upon the aldermen and justices in the daytime. The city was a strange mixture of town and country, many village peculiarities and habits being joined with those of urban character. In a hundred years an entire change has been made in municipal management.