The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-08-09

Chtcsgo--Its Population. Railroads, &c.

Chicago-Its Population. Railroads, &c.
Correspondence Of Plain Ds4lsrl
CHICAGO, August /, 1853.
EpIroRs PLAIN DEALER. While other and more favor
ed dweiles in famous city upo the lake shore
upon i6s wo' the wsp angel. pleasure, at Newport
aud Saratoga seasbly among The cool shades
and cooler breexes OF Lake Superior, have been
PEELED for nearly Two weeks 10 dance attendance
s will olhe. wisp OF quite another description this
great Prairie City, the pride OF the Prairie State " and
having exhausted all the usual aud ordinary methods OF
killing The monoonous hours, have now placed myself
Vt the table, seated in easy chair. with the DELHI
crate determination not to rise therefrom I'LL have writ
ten letter OF al eas, four pages long, wheewh to bore
Chicago is great ciy-tbere be doubt of that
IL there 10 any unceIany 10 tue mind OF the strange
he will lind any such uncsrtaaly most efecually diss
pated by the hst hall hours intercourse with s bag
gng nhabi,ansfor lei premise that although Cleye
land has attained 10 most envabe pre- eninence as
light be hid under bushel. for wan, Of tongues in
form all the world that such light exists in the most
shining degree OF btixhtness--yet. | am convinced,
tkough somewhat reluctantly, that Tor regular thor
ough, universal, uatrnx system of salt EloJihcaOn,
she must give nr ths palm TO Chicago. whose citizens
never grow weary in descaninE 10 the wondering san
ger Of lis unsurpassed location, its rapidly increasing
business aud population, its numerous railroads,
slrucied and projected ills wealthy men, immensely valu
able lots. and lis general greatness, past present.
II must be confessed however, that if the people Of
Chicago do maniies, somewhat stronger pocvily for
boasng than those oi some other cities is without
excuse. From population Of l0,oSS in 1Si3, it had
to contain population OF 1888 on the rst day OF
Jane, 1885 and for the last year it's increase has been
without parallel in the annals Of our western
towns II IS estimated BY those best npe,en, ,ulge
that the increase o population since the date oi the last
1881 cannot be less than 10000, 30 that
the actual population oi the city at the present time is in
the immediate vicinity Of so 900, about one-hird more
than Buffalo, which eight Years ago had population
more than double that OF Chicago. I'LL
Nts~rn susfpo has
been accompanied by an increase OF business equally, il
not more. striking. In 1850 railroad opened to
the CITY, with the exception OF lew miles q the Gaena
road. In 1862 the Michigan Central and Northern In
dana roads opened The Rock Island and illinois
Central roads were also commenced. and have been
pushed forward with great energy The Rock island
road is now opened 10 La Sale and Peru al the head OF
navigation on the Illinois nver, and two trains
day each way and doing very prosperous business
also dong 6ne business. The Chicago and Gaena
road runs three daily trains and from Rockford,
distant about ninety miles IT will be completed to Ca
lena next year, Tins making uninterrupted railroad
Communication from Boston 10 the upper Mississippi
Another railroad is being built furnished with six feet
gauge from this city to Janesve, Wisconsin. and thence
Fon du Lac. At Janesvilles inersects with the
Mwaukie and Mississippi road, which strikes the Mis
sssipli At Pnsirie du Chen There several other
projected leading from this city all sorts Of places.
Of which had heard Of before; but have
yet learned the OF all these roads, OF the
towns 10 which they lead, will not attempt 10 describe
them. believe every road opened is doing good
and psyrag business and II cannot well be Otherwise,
when take into their of construction
over level prairie, and The remarkable producveness
of the county through which they all lead.
The almost opening OF 30 many railroads
into city that had before o course could no, have
otherwise than most powerful and saalsry influence
upon the business and prosperity OF such city and the
truth has bern most abnndsny vetihed in the case OF
Chicago Numerous orkshsPs ard railroads. and
engine manufacturing establishments, AT sprang into
existence, and hundreds OF mechanics found immediate
and prhtable employment, and business generally
ceved impetus that has been unchecked TO the present
time.
The effect Of all this has been The most rapid rise in the
value of real estae that has under my obser
vaiioa am told that nearly all the property in the city
has gone up hundred per within the last twelve
monhs and much OF il has gone up and three hun
dred per cent in the time This las, has been more
particularly the with lots lying out of the business
part OF The city, and still within The city limits. My al
ten,ion called particularly lots situated miles
from the centre of BUSINESS and which now held al
about hity dollars ooi-a stale OF things, think,
one shade more ridiculous and extravagsn II possibr,
than have in Cleveland The best business lots
held prices hat above those OF The most vaua
BILE city, and think intrinsically worth more.
and always will be- But il the ou-lou oil Chicago are
not bought and sold Thin the FIVE years at prices
much below the present. shall be badly disappointed.
Before they be ipsrntoay ve present prices the
CITY must contain population OF two hundred thousand
people--a proposition about likely TO be realized ~
that Cleveland will, al some future day. become the
largest inland town in America as I heard a saDsuine
rese operator predict II would be, lew weeks
since.
leland railroad 10 Lasae and back The road pasees
through fiat. uninvng prairie, Tor the first twenty-five
miles, and for the remaining distance. about seventy
miles, through delightful rolling prairie, well settled
and productive The principal towns along the line
Jolieu Ouewa. Morris, LasalIe and Peru, all pleasant
and thriving vsgee.
The road has been dong large business in the pas
senger line, until the recent low wafer IN The Illinois
river has partially snspenced navigation, and hence Gu,
of much OF the Illinois travel This periodical inter-
rupton Of business and travel in consequences Of low
water in The will be obviated BY the compile
year OF the Rock Island railroad to Rock Island
on The Mssisspp, when this must speedily become, and
always continue TO be, fAvoe route between ST. Lous
and the East.
The lumber trade OF Chicago is immense. bad pre-
vously adequate idea OF the vast quantity brought
here from the regions be east shore Of Lake Mchi
gan, and from Green bay and Saginaw and reahpped TO
all points the deren, railroads leading from The city,
and IN fact to every part OF Illinois 10 81 Louis. and TO
other points on the Missouri river.
Oiten. when the wind fair for vessels coming from
be counted coming into the harbor in q single day,
fregh'ed with lumber, ath, and SHINGLES Both branches
o the nver back OF the city are lined with planning ma
ch'nes and arge quantity Of lumber. paned aud ready
Tor use, ia daily shipped TO The interior.
The lumber busIness is by lar the most Important
branch OF trade carried here, and il constantly in
crea.nx ne markets opened by the construction
OF new railroads in various directions have no
sistscs OF the quantity OF lumber sold here annually
but my impression il that sold nj this point than
At any other in the couary with the exception, per-
bape, of Albany
That most welcome OF all musical instruments. the
dinner gong, has just sounded; and ~ this moss wear
epsts has already extended itself considerably be-
yond the threatening four pages. will trouble you no