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324: NEW ORLEANS compare favorably with those of any other community in respect of health or longevity. Yellow fever prevailed with some severity in 1799, and has repeatedly ravaged the city du- ring the present century. Some of the most memorable epidemics were those of 1819, '22, '29, '33, '35, '37, '39, '41, '43, '47, '53, '58, and '67. Even in the most fatal seasons the na- tives and older residents have been to a great extent exempted, most of the mortality oc- curring among strangers and foreigners. The population of New Orleans has increased with great rapidity. In 1769 it was 3,190; in 1785, 4,980; in 1788, 5,331; and in 1797, 8,056. According to the federal censuses it has been as follows: 1810,17,243; 1820,27,176; 1830, 46,310; 1840, 102,193; 1850, 116,375; 1860, 168,675; 1870, 191,418, of whom 50,456 were colored and 48,475 foreigners. In 1875 the number of inhabitants was estimated by local authorities at more than 210,000. Of the total inhabitants in 1870, 90,279 were males and 101,139 females; there were 25,941 males and 28,657 females between the ages of 5 and 18, and 47,737 males 21 years old and upward, of whom 38,586 were citizens. Of the foreign- ers, 17,361 were born in Great Britain (of whom 14,693 were natives of Ireland), 15,239 in Germany, 8,845 in France, 1,571 in Italy, 960 in Spain, 936 in Cuba, 668 in Switzer- land, and 593 in the West Indies, exclusive of Cuba. There were 39,139 families and 33,656 dwellings. Of the total population, 28,063 attended school, of whom 945 were foreign born and 5,025 were colored. There were 28,109 persons 10 years old and upward who could not read, and 31,826 who could not write, of whom 5,450 were foreigners, 6,915 white, and 24,884 colored. Of 66,092 persons 10 years old and upward engaged in all occupations, 31,235 were employed in per- sonal and professional pursuits, 17,404 in trade and transportation, 16,074 in manufactures, mechanical and mining industries, and 1,319 in agriculture. Since 1870 the births have av- eraged about 4,480 per annum, and the mar- riages about 1,860. The deaths in 1867 num- bered 9,580; in 1868,4,838; in 1869,5,593; in 1870, 6,943 ; in 1871, 5,595 ; in 1872, 6,122; in 1873, 7,505 ; in 1874, 6,798. There are three railroads connecting with northern, eastern, and western roads, running from New Orleans : the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern, by Jackson and Canton, Miss., Grand Junction, Tenn., and Cairo, 111. ; the New Orleans and Mobile, by Les Petites Coquilles, a bridge over the Rigolets, the watering places on Lake Borgne, and Mississippi sound, Mobile, and roads running thence ; and Morgan's Louisiana and Texas (formerly the Opelousas), crossing by ferry to Algiers, and running thence to Brashear, on the Atchafalaya. There are also a railroad to Donaldsonville, crossing the river by ferry and running up the left bank; and the Pontchartrain railroad, running to the lake and connecting by a boat with Madisonville, Mandeville, Covington, and adjacent points on the lake. There are steamship lines running to Havana by Florida ports, to Baltimore via Havana and Key West, to Philadelphia via Havana, to Florida, to New York (several lines), to Boston, to Texas ports, to Vera Cruz, to Liverpool (several lines), to Havre, and to Bremen ; and others, including one to Rio de Janeiro, are about being established. Inclu- ding those of the railroads and that of the " Slaughter-house Company," seven ferry boats cross the river at short intervals to and from various points on the respective banks of the river. Among late improvements on the levee is a line of sugar sheds, affording protection to dealers in that staple. These, with 26 cotton presses, 20 cotton pickeries, 40 cotton brokers, 20 cotton buyers, and over 100 cotton factors, with their various employees and servitors, suggest the origin and ramifications of the chief industries of New Orleans. The customs district, of which New Orleans is the port of entry, embraces nearly the entire valley of the Mississippi, with ports of delivery at various Eoints. The direct foreign commerce of a irge extent of country accordingly is trans- acted through this port. In the value of its exports and of its entire foreign commerce it ranks next to New York, though several ports surpass it in the value of imports. The entire sugar and rice crops of the state are brought here for shipment, while the cotton crop of Louisiana, most of that of Mississippi, and much from Arkansas and Texas, are like- wise brought here, making New Orleans the first cotton market in the country. The num- ber of entrances in the foreign trade for the year ending June 30, 1874, was 840, of 630,- 940 tons; clearances, 855, of 658,513 tons; belonging to the port, 574 vessels, of 91,768 tons, of which 30, of 19,824 tons, were sea- going, and 150, of 37,201 tons, river steamers; entrances in the coastwise trade the previous year, 472, of 300,879 tons; clearances, 533, of 300,104 tons. The value of imports and exports from and to foreign countries for the eight years ending June 30, 1874, has been as follows: YEARS. Imports. Exports. 1866-'67. . . $11 142 249 $35426851 1867-'68 11 386 858 60 175 896 1868-'69 11 414 893 75 890 224 1869-'70 14,993 754 108'l47'847 1870-71 19 427 238 95 246 791 1871-'72 .. 18 542 188 90 802 849 1872-' > 73 19933844 104 898 732 1873-'74 14,533,864 98,716,110 The sugar product from 1870 shows an annual decrease in quantity and value, but more serious decrease has been felt at other periods. Be- tween 1834 and 1861 the yield varied from 30,000,000 Ibs., valued at $2,700,000, in 1835, to 528,321,500 Ibs., valued at $25,095,271, in 1861 ; during the civil war it fell to 10,780,000 Ibs., valued at $1,994,300. The product and value for four years have been as follows: