PROVIDENCE, R. I., the county-seat of the county of the same name and the capital and largest city of the State, is situated at the head of Providence River, a tidal arm of Nar ragansett Bay. It is 30 miles north from the open ocean, about 20 west from Fall River, 40 southwest of Boston and 188 northeast of New York. It is the Atlantic terminal of the Grand Trunk Railway system and is also served by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and by several coast lines of steam ships and by one transoceanic line. It covers an area of 18.29 square miles. The early set tlement was on the river at the mouth of two small streams, and for nearly 200 years it grew in an easterly direction, many of its finest resi dences being erected on the high hill overlooking the Providence River, this hill or ridge about 200 feet high dividing the valley of the two streams from that of the Blackstone or See konk, a river of some size. Later on the settle ments began to extend in a westerly direction over low and rolling ground, and to-day the West Side, as it is called, is the most densely populated section of the city; though within the past few years a movement has again set in toward the east, a large area having been built up in that part of the city adjacent to and run ning west from the Seekonk. Situated near the sea the city has a rather humid climate with a considerable range of temperature, but the weather is neither as hot in summer nor as cold in winter as in places farther inland. The suburban seashore resorts are famous, and in the inland surrounding scenery is no less at tractive to thousands of annual summer visitors. The prevailing winds in summer are from the southwest and in winter from the northeast or northwest. The city is more healthful than many large manufacturing cities and has been noticeably free from epidemics of serious dis eases. The death rate is 14.71 per 1,000 and the birth rate 23.43 per 1,000. The centre of the city is given over to the business district. There are 25321 miles of streets, curbed, graded and paved. There are 47 city parks with a combined area of 650 acres, the chief of which is Roger Williams Park. The chief monuments are those of Roger Williams, Thomas A. Doyle, for many year mayor of the city, the Soldiers and Sailors' monument and that of Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Providence possesses a civic centre which rivals anything of the kind in America. The principal buildings are the city hall, State house, State Normal School, public library, Roman Catholic cathedral, Rhode Island School of Design, buildings of Brown University, Prov idence College, Roman Catholic, and the State armory. Among its charitable institutions are the Rhode Island Hospital, Rhode Island Homeopathic Hospital Butler Hospital for the Insane, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Dexter Asylum and the State Institute for the Deaf. There are 160,000 volumes in the public library, while there are also the Law Library, that of the Providence Athenaeum, the Rhode Island His torical Society and the Rhode Island Medical Society.
Commerce and In 1681 Providence was the most compact settlement of the colony of which it was a recognized centre; but its commercial growth for the ensuing hundred years was not as rapid as that of New port, which on account of its geographical posi tion was better adapted for the maritime trade of the East Indies, China and the western coast of Africa. Providence, however, eventu ally became considerable of a seaport town, and for many years the wealth of the city was mainly derived from its commerce of the seas. With the growth in size of the freighters of the coastwise and trans-Atlantic trade and a pro portionate lack of increased facilities for ac commodating these larger vessels, Providence began about 1840 to lose its prestige in the ship ping world, until finally its foreign maritime trade entirely disappeared. It can hardly look
for its return, until the city, State or private owners of water front privileges provide suit able accommodations for the handling of that trade, which by reason of the natural advan tages of a magnificent habor, easily entered, it should enjoy. It has a city quay 3,000 feet long, and State Pier No. 1, equipped to handle trans Atlantic freight and passengers. Chief among the advantages of Providence as a centre of industry, commerce and trade are those per taining to its geographical position, it being the natural outlet of southern New England, and the sources of supply and distribution which are the natural outcome thereof. For this reason it is designated as the southern gateway of New England. Though its reputation as a shipping port has gone, to-day Providence is one of the great industrial centres of the United States, noted for the variety of its manufactured prod ucts, the greatness of its industries, the skilled workmanship of its artisans and for the inven tion of those numberless ingenious accessories of modern life which have become necessities in this age of luxury. Pre-eminent among the varied industries of the city is the manufacture of jewelry with its allied interests, such as chasers, electroplaters, gilders, engravers, color ers, enamelers, die-sinkers etc ti , approximating a total of over 1,000 establishments, engaged in a manufacturing industry whose products are distributed alike among the civilized and un civilized nations of the earth. Providence is the first city in the country in the manufacture of many things, including jewelry and silver ware, these producing $35,000,000 worth of goods annually and employing 12,000 people. Providence has the largest mechanical tool fac tory, file factory, engine factory, screw factory and silverware factory in the world, and al most a dozen other establishments deserving of similar distinction. According to the recent census it had 1,080 large manufactories, employ ing 46,349 operatives with an annual production worth $120,380,000. Besides there were from 1,500 to 2,000 smaller industrial establishments. In addition to the metal-working establishments there are textile mills, with an annual output valued at $523,000,000, dye-works, packing houses, rubber and elastic works and other establishments. The city ranks tenth among the seaports of the United States in bulk of tonnage and value of cargoes. The general coastwise trade is very extensive. It is the leading oil port of New England. There are 18 banks with combined capital, surplus and un divided profits of $27,607,322. The assets of national and State banks and trust companies amount to $203,063,356; savings banks, $57,659, 673, making a total of $260,723,029. Individual deposits amount to $218,554,406, to which must be added $3,964,552 deposited in loan associa tions. The assessed valuation in June 1917 was $388,715,600, including real estate $231,838,840; tangible personal property, $64,651,900; intangi ble property, $92,194,860. The city's annual budget exceeds $7,000,000. Its gross debt amounts to $24,276,830.28; net debt, $15,014, 646.56, including water bonds of $2,069,856.44. The net debt per capita is $58.87. The tax-rate is $18.50 per $1,000 on real estate and tangible personal property and $4 per $100 on gible personal property. About $600,000 is ex pended annually on the fire department and about the same amount on the police depart ment. There are 418.18 miles of low-pressure water-pipes laid in the city streets and 12.46 miles of high-pressure fire service pipes in the central district. There is also an excellent sewerage system.