Towns > Glasgow > 1787 - Reprint of Jones's directory; or, Useful pocket companion for the year 1787

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number of deaths within the city boundaries amounted
to 1,759, or one in every 28 of the population; whereas,
in 1866, the proportion was exactly one in every 34. In
those days small-pox was one of the most deadly scourges
that afflicted humanity; and accordingly we find that out
of 1,759 deaths, during the year above named, 383 resulted
from small-pox alone, or nearly a fourth part of the aggre-
gate mortality. In 1866, out of 12,826 deaths, not more
than 10 1 were the effect of small-pox, or one in every 127.
The general result shows, that in 1787 one person out of
every 130 died from this terrible disease; while in 1866
the proportion of deaths had declined to one in every
4,336. Eighty years ago the General Post-Office was in
a small shop in Gibson's Wynd, or Prince's Street, and
the business was conducted by one master, two clerks,
and two letter-carriers; while the number of the latter
at the present time is at least forty times more. The
Custom House was managed by two men, and the Tol-
booth by the same number; and, to crown all, the street
Directory has swelled from 84 pages to 850, and has
increased in weight from a little over one ounce to nearly
two pounds and a quarter! It would be quite super-
fluous to go more particularly into the contents of
^'Jones's Directory," as it is now before the reader, and
he may prefer to make his own comparisons. It may
not be out of place, at the same time, to add a few notes
regarding some of the names to be found in the pages of
Jones, and to mention the simple fact that my information
has been chiefly drawn from the works on Glasgow
written by M'Ure, Cleland, Reid (Senex), Pagan, and
Dr. Strang.