Halifax may be described as a city of solid prosperity and steady progress; and the Irish not only share in its prosperity but assist in its progress. Thus, for instance, a large proportion of the houses of business, several of which would be worthy of the proudest capitals of Europe, have been established by Irish enterprise. One, the most conspicuous for its appearance and extent, is the property of perhaps the most eminent and honoured Irishman in the colony, who bringing with him from his native country, as his only capital, character, intelligence, and industry, has not only realised a splendid fortune, but enjoys a reputation for worth and probity which is the pride of his country men. In the rapid conversion of Halifax from a city of timber to a city of brick and stone, the Irish have their full share. Splendid 'stores'—'shops' in the old country—and handsome mansions have been erected by Irishmen; and where the Irish trader adheres to the old place of business or the modest dwelling, it is not because he wants the means of erecting something striking or costly, but that he lacks the inclination to do so, and prefers the simplicity which he associates with his success, and deems in dispensable to his comfort.
In Halifax, as throughout America, the Irish necessarily form the large proportion of the working population; and when these men landed on the wharf, they had nothing save the implements of their craft, or the capacity and willingness for labour. But whether skilled mechanics, or mere day-labourers, their condition is, on the whole, admirable; and the best proof of their good conduct is the possession by a considerable number of them of that which, throughout the British Provinces and the States, is the first step in advance—a lot—meaning thereby a piece of ground on which a house is, or is to be, erected.
There is a kind of magic influence in the possession of this first bit of 'real estate.' An evidence of frugality and self-denial, it is an incentive to the continued practice of
