NEW BEDFORD (ante), a city in e. Massachusetts, set off from Dartmouth, 1787, incorporated 1847, on the w. bank of Acnshnet river, near its mouth; pop. '80, 20,875. It is one of the capita:s of Bristol co., and has become a manufacturing city of con siderable importance. Besides its reciprocal trade with other ports, it is a shipping place for coal consigned to the south. It is connected with Boston by two railroad routes owned by the Old Colony railroad, the road 'across the river affording a route to cape Cod, through Fairhaven, and the other, through Taunton direct, to BoSton. Propellers run from this port to New York, and steamers to Martha's Vineyard. It has public schools, a high-school building erected at a cost of $126,1100, all actideinv under direction of the society of Friends, and 27 churches. The public library was opened to the public by the city in 1832, and was one of the first free public libraries in the United States. In 1857 it was placed in a commodious and convenient building, costing $45,000. A fund of was bequeathed to the city by the late Sylvia A. Howland for the pro motion of liberal education, and for the introduction of water into the city. Among its institutions is the union for good works, a worthy charity accomplishing much toward the relief of the suffering poor. It also contains St. Joseph's hospital (Catholic), an orphan asylum, a well-organized fire department with 5 steam fire-engines, an electric tire-alarm telegraph, and a horse railroad constructed iu 1872. It is well supplied with water from Acushuet pond, the works having been erected in 1867-69 at a cost of $1,000,000, the reservoir having a capacity of 400,000,000 gallons. The water is carried ti in. and raised 100 feet. It is lighted by gas. Among its industries are the manufac ture of Prussian blue, paratline candles, cordage, shoes, etc., and it has oil and paint
works, two manufacturing photographic establishments, and tanneries. It contains seven banks, five of them national, tire and marine insurance companies, daily and weekly newspapers, and a weekly shipping list. The Clarke's Cove fertilizing company has been lately established, its buildings covering 40,000 sq.ft. of land. Among some of the more recently built a re the Wamsutta mills, making superior cotton cloth, and having a capital of $2,500,000; the Potomska mills, making print cloths, with a capital of $000,000; the Morse twist drill factory; and the Gosnold iron mill, natnedin honor of Bartholomew Gosnold, an English mariner, who attempted to colonize New England in 1602, and named cape Cod. It is 11 m. in length and 2 m. in width, and is regularly laid out, with streets at right angles, shaded by maples and ancient elms that, on some streets, almost meet and form an arch over the wide thoroughfares. The land slopes toward the water, and the elevated portion offers fine sites for the erection of the ele gant private residences for which the city is noted. The river is crossed by a bridge 4,000 ft. long connecting the city with Fairhaven. It has an elegant drive 44 m. in extent around Clarke's point, commanding an unobstructed view of the harbor and far out to sea. A granite fort, situated on the extremity of the point, commands the entrance to the harbor, which is convenient and easily approached. Its is larger than any other city of its size in the United States in proportion to its population. In 1877 the valuation for real estate was $12,609,200; personal, $10,854,900.