COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. Boston is the ter minus of the Boston and Albany. the Boston and Maine, the Fitchburg. and the New England rail roads, the Old Colony System of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and the Bos ton, Revere Peach and Lynn (narrow-gauge) Itailroad. There are two large union stations on the water-fronts and on opposite sides of the business district: the northern used by the Bos ton and Maine and the Fitchburg railroads, and the southern. one of the largest stations in the world, over sOu feet long by 700 feet wide, used by Boston and Albany and the New York. Now Haven and Hartford railroads. There are several regular steamship lines to Europe. The harbor is spacious and safe. It is about 8 miles wide and more than twice as long, with a min imum depth in the main channel of 23 feet at low tide. There are several lights and beacons, and numerous islands, upon certain of which are sitllated the old Fort Independenee and Forts Warren and Winthrop, besides the charitable and reformatory institutions already mentioned.
Boston's interests are commercial rather than industrial, the factories owned by Boston capi tal being mostly out town ; the manufactures, however, are extensive and varied. According to the census of 1900, a total of nearly $143. 000.000 was invested in the various manufac turing industries, which had a production tied at over S205.000,000. The city is the second wool market in the world, ranking next to London, and is second to New York only among American ports in the value of its foreign trade. which amounts to about $200,000,000 an
nually. The exports, which represent five-eighths of the total, comprise provisions I including ani mals), breadstuff:, cotton and its manufactures, leather and its manufactures, iron and steel man ufactures (the above-named classes constituting DO per cent. of the whole amount) , wood awl its manufactures, and distilled spirits. The princi pal imports are wool and woolen manufaetures, fibres. sugar, hides and skins, cotton and cotton manufactures, chemicals, manufactures of iron and steel, leather and manufactures of leather, wood and wooden products, fruits, fish, and paper-stock. The facilities for handling this great traffic are excellent: a system of freight terminals brings together the railroads and ships, deep-water terminals making accessible docking facilities for the largest vessels. In 1900 the internal revenue collections at Boston were about $8,000,000, and the post-office re ceipts $3.200,000. The fishing industry, which formerly was one of the chief sources of Boston's prosperity, is still of importance, the value of its products amounting annually to more than $500,000. Boston is the centre of immense min ing. railroad, and insurance interests, which are operated all over the country, particularly in the West.