Commencing then with the year 1840, and keeping in view the fact that the effects of the disastrous crisis of 1837 were not yet passed away, the first thing claiming notice, is some account of the state of the city as it then was. The census of the United States for this year assigns to Louisville: 1 commercial, and 11 commission houses, [a somewhat indefinite phraseology,] in foreign trade, with a capital of $191,800; 270 retail stores, with a capital of $2,128,400; 3 lumber yards, with a capital of $52,000; 2 flouring mills; 2 tanneries; 2 breweries; 1 glass cutting works; 1 pottery; 2 ropewalks; 7 printing offices; 2 binderies; 5 daily, 7 weekly, and 3 semi-weekly newspapers; and 1 periodical; total capital employed in manufactures, $713,675. One college, 80 students; 10 academies, 269 students; 14 schools, 388 scholars. The aggregate of population by this census was 21,210; of which 9,282 white males, 7,889 white females; 609 free colored persons, and 3,420 slaves. This census is not considered authentic, as many transparent errors were found in various parts of it. Other computations made from reliable data at the same period, give to the city 23,000 to 24,000 inhabitants. As the former number, however, has received official sanction, it would be idle to dispute its correctness. Two events belong also to this year which were of vital importance. Of these, the first was the lighting of the city with gas. This was done by a corporate company, established by charter in 1839, having a capital of $1,200,000, with power also to erect water-works and with banking privileges, except the issue of bills. The city is better supplied with gas, and better lighted than any in the United States, if not in the world; most of the wealthier citizens use it in their dwellings, and all the shops are lighted with gas. The perspective view of the miles of brilliant lamps stretching away in the distance is very beautiful, and very attractive to strangers. Before the introduction of this sort of light, the city had been for two or three years greatly infested by robbers, who favored by the darkness, made nightly attacks upon passengers through the streets, striking and disabling them with colts, and in no few instances murdering them outright. Residents were seldom attacked by these banditti, but the streets were considered unsafe for strangers. Finding it impossible to pursue their avocation where every street was brilliantly illuminated, these gentry changed their place of operations immediately on the lighting of the town, much to the relief of the citizens as well as the re-establishment of the fair fame of the city.