Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-24
From Chicago.


Special Correspondence PUBLIC LEDGER
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, August II. 1858.
There is perhaps no other city in the
Union at the present time doing so large
and extensive an amount of business as
the Garden City of the West, while BUSH
ness is exceedingly dull in other large
and commercial cities Almost every
department of trade here is doing brisk
and lively business, considering the sea-
son Of the year. Merchants are already
in the markets purchasing for the fall and
winter. There are signs Of heavy fall
business, and most of the leading firms
are quite satisfied with the present and
prospective condition Of things.
Everywhere throughout this State the
crops look healthy and luxuriant, so that
an abundant harvest may be expected.
In financial circles, the demand from the
country has never been more active for
currency than now, and nearly every bank
here has ordered currency from New
York. This is said to be the case also at
Cincinnati and St. Louis. If this be
true, we may expect much greater aetiv-
ity in the Eastern money markets within
a few days.
This being the season when mercantile
matters generally vibrate between the
summer and fall trade, or in other words,
the dividing line, as it were, between
closing up of the springs business and
the opening Of the fall trade, it is extra
ordinary the amount of business that has
been transacted during the past week.
Chicago is by nature destined to be the
great leading commercial and manufac-
turing city of the West The increase
in population and material prosperity
will rank her as the third great city in
the Union. From hundred inhabitants
in 1892, she has now grown to 100000.
In order to accommodate this vast influx
of people, it is enormous the number of
dwellings, business houses, hotels, school
houses, churches, ETC., being erected, and
greater in outlay than all these are her
railroads. This last is the secret of Chi
cago's success.
Building is going on briskly in all
parts of the city and country. There
never was time when so many houses
were being built, or such proportion OF
good ones. Even the fluctuations in
gold do not seem to effect this branch of
industry. 1t is said that the present year
will introduce the erection of twelve
thousand dwellings in the city of Chicago.
Many of the buildings that are now being
erected are costing enormous sums
churches costing from $4,000 to
100000. The leading hotels are not
surpassed for elegance and comfort, with
their tables covered with the richest
Injuries of the season. Her railroad
depots are the finest on the continent;
and now are being erected business
houses and blocks not surpassed in any
Eastern city. One cannot take walk IN
any direction in Chicago without being
surprised at the numerous fine resi-.
dences, business houses, etc., now in pro-
cess of construction.
Chicago, politically, during the past
week, has had lively time. The Rad
ical pow-wow held in this city, on
Wednesday evening last, was miserable
failure-two of their great guns, Z. NJ.
Stanton and Gen. John A. Logan, who
had promised to address the people,
failed to make their appearance. The
crowd, numbering, perhaps, twenty-five
thousand, was composed to large ex-
tent of Democrats. This was evident
from the cheers that assembled for Sey-
mour and Blair, aud the shouts OF
"Down with negro supremacy, No
military governments in the South
Greenbscks for the bondholjers as well
as for the soldier" In fact, the people
here are thoroughly aroused. and are
vehement in their demand for change
of government. They are proclaiming
against excessive taxation and the man.
ner in which Congress is stealing and
squandering the peoples money. The
army in the South is costing three hun
dred millions Of money, aud leading
Radicals affirm that this army is sus-
,aiucd not for protection, but for the pur-
pose of supporting the Radical party.
The Freedmen's Bureau is costing twen-
iy Eve millions per year, and this insti-
.niion is sustained in order TO secure
negro suffrage TO the Radical party. Aud
last, though not least, to carry out the in
fernal reconstruction policy Of Thad-
Stevens 4 Co. il has cost the country
over eight hundred and ten millions Of
money, and Jet moderate Radicals say