"It's not so preposterous as all that. By the way, talking of Burr, I hear from Richmond that he'll positively be tried next week. Did you know that young Irving--William's son, the youngest, the lad that writes squibs--has gone to Richmond for the defence?" "William Irving's son might be in better business," grunted Mr. Van Riper, for a moment diverted. "If we'd got at that devil when he murdered poor Hamilton--'fore gad, we'd have saved the trouble of trying him. Do you remember when we was for going to Philadelphia after him, and there the sly scamp was at home all the time up in his fine house, a-sitting in a tub of water, reading French stuff, as cool as a cowcumber, with the whole town hunting for him?" Then he came back. "But that house of yours. You haven't got this crazy notion that New York's going to turn into London while you smoke your pipe, have you? You're keeping some of your seven business senses, ain't you?" "I don't know," Mr. Dolph mildly defended his hobby; "there is a great potentiality of growth in this city. Here's an estimate that John Pintard made the other day----" "John Pintard! He's another like _you_!" said Mr. Van Riper. "Well, look at it for yourself," pleaded the believer in New York's future. Mr. Van Riper took the neatly written paper, and simply snorted and gasped as he read this: _Statistical_. By the numeration of the inhabitants of this city, recently published, the progress of population for the last 5 years appears to be at the rate of 25 per cent. Should our city continue to increase in the same proportion during the present century, the aggregate number at its close will far exceed that of any other city in the Old World, Pekin not excepted, as will appear from the following table. Progress of population in the city of New York, computed at the rate of 25 per cent, every 5 years: 1805 75,770 1855 705,650 1810 95,715 1860 882,062 1815 110,390 1865 1,102,577 1820 147,987 1870 1,378,221 1825 184,923 1875 1,722,776 1830 231,228 1880 2,153,470 1835 289,035 1885 2,691,837 1840 361,293 1890 3,364,796 1845 451,616 1895 4,205,995 1850 564,520 1900 5,257,493 When he had read it through he was a-quivering, crimson with that rage of Conservative indignation which is even more fervent than the flames of Radical enthusiasm.