alone, in the year 1791, were stated at 19502070 dollars, (chiefly of
_manufactured articles_) and have been considerably increasing every
year since.

By a slight inspection of the plan, you will perceive the great regularity
observed in laying out this city; the streets intersect each other at
right angles, the centre street, north and south, is 113 feet wide; that
east and west 100 feet; and the other principal streets 50 feet wide. Had
equal care been taken to build the houses uniformly, and their height in
proportion to the width of the streets, this city would have been
uncommonly beautiful; but except that the fronts of the buildings were not
permitted to extend beyond the line laid down in the plan, every man built
his house (to use the language of the first settlers,) "as it seemed good
in his own eyes."

The first object of an industrious emigrant, who means to settle in
Philadelphia, is to purchase a lot of ground in one of the vacant streets.
He erects a small building forty or fifty feet from the line laid out for
him by the city surveyor, and lives there till he can afford to build a
house; when his former habitation serves him for a kitchen and wash-house.
I have observed buildings in this state in the heart of the city; but they
are more common in the outskirts. Our friend Wright is exactly in this
situation; but I am afraid it will be many years before he will be able to
build in _front_.

The buildings in this city are about two thirds of brick, and the rest of
wood. The foundations of the former are in general of a species of marble;
the bricks are uncommonly well manufactured; and these buildings are more
firmly constructed than in Europe. Those of wood are the reverse, which
you will easily credit, when I inform you, that when a house of this