The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-02-22
Western Correspondence.


DEAR DIR
1t is not perhaps very presump-
tuous in a Yankee to guess that you
have never been in this garden city,"
as the good people here are pleased to
call it: and if you have, some of your
readers have not. If they had, mas
much as they have not been here with
in a week or two, they cannot know
how much it has grown, within that
time. l shall not pretend to describe
the city. I only propose to give You
a glimpse of her appearance and ap-
parent progress-situatcd in a vast
prairie, that seemsa perfect plain, (but
which is slightly inclined towards Lake
Michigan). There is no bar to her
extension, North, South or West. ex-
cept the banks Of Lake Michigan /; the
soil is a deep black mould, underlined
with clay, and offering no resistance
in wet weather, to men and teams 90.
ing down, but giving little hope of
their getting forward. There are no
stone near the city, and hence the in
habltants have resorted to plank as a
substitute. The streets and side walks
are made of plank, and beautiful they
are to drive or walk on.
The only natural advantages which
Chicago has owe any other place, on
the western shore of the lake. is a
small creek which falls into the lake
here. AS large steamers can enter
this creek at all times, it becomes q
matter of the greatest Importance on
the shores of a lake so destitute of
harbors as Lake Michigan. This no
bic lake so quiet and peaceful when at
rest, when reused by a orth-easter,
can send tremendous rollers against the
shore, putting in the most imminent
danger any vessel that is exposed to
its prey. Hence the importance of
this creek. Wharves are cheaply
made and easily maintained, on the
banks of the creek while on the shore
of the lake they are costly and difficult
to maintain.
To a stranger, it would seem the
city must be unhealthy and yet it is
not so, or at least the diseases of the
west do not prevail here so much as in
many other localities. The pure and
healthful breczes of Lake Michigan are
the cause. For some distance above
and below the city, there are no marsh.
es on the shore of the lake, but a dry,
sandy, or gravelly beach. l have seen
many men who were here at the first,
and few if any had very high cxpecta-
tons of the future. Some men of in
telligence and enterprise with whom l
have conyersed, examined it and left
it, who are now eminent merchants in
the city. They begun in other'rlaces,
and came to Chicago, when it began
to be evident that she would grow.
Her growth for some time was slow.
The Black Hawk war gave her the
first great start. 1t began to be seen
that no point on the west side of the
lake could be made above her, and that
all the country west and north Of her,
for at least six months in the year,
must pass through her. But it was
not until railroads unlocked the into
rior to her trade, that her great ad-
vantages were fully realized.
Chicago has a greater infusion Of
Yankee blood in her population, than
any western city | have seen. Unit
ring industry, energy and a bold go
ahead spirit, worthy of Young Ameri-
ca, marks all her movements. With a
population of $4,000. all of which is
at work, and with a large accumula-
ton of wealth, not a dollar of which
is idle I; with a crowd of people rush
ing through her, and filling all her
great hotels to their utmost limit with
a great, growing and profitable trade f;
with large manufacturing establish
ments springing up, guided by eastern
skill /; she may well indulge the fon6est
hopes for the future. Her citizens,
true to their eastern origin, have made
a noble provision for schools. The
buildings are excellent, and they are
supported literally.
Her taxes are large, amounting, as
/ am told, the present year, to three
hundred thousand dollars. The taxes,
and literally laid on themselves. /