The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-11-22

latiOr-- churches - business anu rapln
growth-its institutions, benevolent and
cducational-Wo God stock -railroads-poli |
tics, &C.,
WOODSTOCK, Ill, Nov, 1854.
If the reader will imagine himself in
the midst of a cleared plot of land as
fiat and level as the bottom lands Of OF
ter Creek, and equal in extent TO four
counties the size of Addison, Vermont,
without tree or shrub on tho whole
area, he will have tolcrable idea Of the
prairie Of Chicago 1t is equal in terri
tory to SO townships of the size of Mid.
dlebury or New Haven, and contains
9 100000 acres. Through this large
meadow, winds a sluggish stream Of the
size Of Otter Creek, known by the name
of Chicago River, and empties its waters
into Lake Michigan. 20 years since its
waters were only disturbed by the red
mans canoe and paddle, and the waters
Of the river and the lake, met and en-
braced each other, undsturbed by the
kccls of merchantmen and palace steam
ers. At that time the gorden-city was
uubult. The site of Chicago city could
have been bought for song. The deer
aud the wild fowl had possession, and the
prairie bloomed and blossomed annually
only to
"Waste its sweetness on tho desert air"
About that time few settlers made q
rude beginning which has since rapidly
grown into the present proud and -four
ishing city of Chicago
We have just spent day and night
in this place it has very many beautiful
gardens in its midst, on whose rich soil
trees, vegetables and flowers grow lux.
uriantly Hence the name of Garden
City 1t was incorporated in 1887. and
has had an unparalleled growth AT tina,
time it numbered population Of lit
tic over 1000. In June 1854, its pop
ulation was IS s72. Its location is such
tha. it must inevitably be very large
city at no distant day. At the present
time, the valuation Of the city real estate
is sl3,l30,677-personal property val.
ucd at S3,7li.l54-iu all Sl6.S4l ,S3l
1t has one street, which strongly re.
minds one Of Wall Street, New York.
OF brokers aud bankers we counted 40
The city contains s. churches. g of
which are Roman Catholics, 6 Protestant
Episcopal, 6 Prcsby terian, 6 Congrcga
tional, 9 Methodist, s Baptist. 3 Luth
Gran, Swcdcnborsiau, Unitarian,
Upivorsalist, and | Jewish 1t tconiain:
80 hotels, besides 20 boarding houses
and % saloons. 1t has % forwarding
merchants, AZ dry good merchants, and
!. 1903 grocery dealers Of the 10000
physician and $4,000 lawyers in tho
United States, Chicago supports III oI
the former and 10 of the latter class
The lumber yards are extensive, no less
than 60 are dealers in lumber. There
are II iron foundcries, g car works,
piano forte manufactures. IL carriag'
shops, 3 Touring mills, II livery stables
wool dealers, and i3 agents for th'
sale of real estate When We come tt
know, that of the population of this city
4.3l6 are marines. 3j, $40 are foreigners
leaving only Il little over 2j 900 Ameri
cans. we can form some idea Of the cn
: tcrprise they possess to build up such I
city, and carry on such business as il
, being done hero.
There are now within the limits Q
) the city, six spacious cdiiccs, erected a
a cost of about s37 600, IN which gra
tuitous instruction is offered to every
child, between the ages Of ) and 81
years, in the city There are attending
, at present. in these schools, some 26OC
J scholars. To teach this number, thore
are over so teachers employed. They
are paid from the interest Of the town
ship school fund, which amounts to
Sl42.S70. The school edifices are built
and the incidental expenses betrayed by
a general tax upon the property of the
city There is here Medical College
organized in ls4S. 1t is called the Rush
Medical College, and the students at
tendant at the annual course of lee.
lures, varies from 100 10 li0 There
is university now in process of cree
ton, situated some few miles from the
city to be called tho Northwestern
University. This institution is under
the management of the Iowa, Wisconsin,
Michigan, and Rock River Conferences
of the NJ + Church, There is located
here a Marine Hospital, for the relief
aud maintenance of sick and disabled
scamcn. 1t was built by the U. S. Gov,
crnment in ls50-'5l, at an expense Of
10000 exclusive of the lands which be-
long to the Government. There are a
dozen or moro societies, having for their
object the relief or elevation of the
needy. The Young Mems Association
was organized the 9th Of February,lsil,
and was incorporated by an act Of the
legisialure in January, 1851 The as.
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