The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-08-03


Notes of Travel.
CHICAGO 20 YEARS AGo-cuIcAGO NOW
CHICAGO FIFTY YEARS HRNCR-CHICAGo
COMPARRD--THE GRAIN TRADE OF CHI
CAGo-CApACITY OF HER ELEyAToRs-
SYSTEM OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARKS
Chicago, derived from the Potowato-
ME tongue, signifies either a skunk or II
wild onion and either of these significa-
tions have occasionally been given to it,.
Mention is made of the place as having
been visited in 1871, by Perot, who found
Chicago" to be the abode Of powerful
chief Of the Miamis.
The number of trails, all centering at
this point, and their apparant antiquity,
indicate that it was for long period the
site of a large Indian village.
Our first visit to Chicago was twenty
years ago. Then there was not paved
street in the city--no system ofsewerage,
and instead of a tunnel two miles under
the lake and splendid water works, large
majority of the inhabitants were supplied
with water purchased from water carts,
which, at regular intervals, perambulated
the streets. The city was low and muddy,
aud as merchants clerks had nothing to
do, they would nail a couple of barrels
crosswise, put on an old coat stuffed with
straw, and hat upon the top, and set it in
the street, exercising their wit with sun
dry inscriptions, such as "Thc last man
went down here-on his way to China"
"No bottom here" &c. Now the build
ings have been raised, the streets filed
and paved, and miles Of broad avenues,
lined with marble fronts, give it claims to
the title of Queen of the West"
She controls the trade upon the great
lake on which she is situated, and, in fact,
all the trade which seeks the great lakes
as an outlet.
There is no city on the globe that can
boast of more natural advantages hence,
her rapid growth, almost magical as it is
The Illinois and Michigan Canal winds
through an extensive and fertile country
and brings all of its trade to her market
Then her great rail roads and their numer-
Gus branches running through the most
favored localities, are veins through which
flow life and prosperity, and have mate
rally aided in giving, within few years,
to Chicago, its Titan growth. Such in a
few words, is Chicago city which for
its rapid increase of population, wealth
and business, has no parallel in the world
Great as it is at present, it has not reached
the meridian of its splendor. The great
tide of emigration is rolling its floods to.
wards the northwestern states and terri.
tories-to those new countries where flow
the Yellow Stone, the Kansas and the
Platte, through valleys whose virgin sol
is yet unstired by the ploughshare.-
When these become teeming with fruit.
full crops through the exertions Of an en-.
terprising population, with all their trade
pouring into the lap of Chicago, even n
York will have to look to it, lest she
cease to be the metropolis of the Union,
The census returns show the average
period of duplication to be fifteen year.
for New York, and less than four for Chi
cago. With this ratio of increase, o,
supposing New York to double her popn
lation once in sixteen years, and Chicago
once in eight years, it is more than pro.
bable that this leading interior city will
be greater than New York, fifty year,
from this time. New York, Chicago and
San Francisco are destined to attain 4
growth unequaled by any other city OF
the continent, and no reasons occur tol
rejecting the conclusion that they will b,
second to any cities in the world.
Marseilles is the third city in France
ranking next to Paris and Lyons. Ac
cording to the most recent accounts il,
population is, even now, but about thirty
thousand more than that of Chicago
though Marseiles existed six hundred
years before the Christian era, and was
free commercial city in the year 1906
The tonnage of French vessels now engaged
in its foreign trade, appears from oul
latest consular returns, to be but $50, ,00(
tons; while that of Chicago amounts tC
255, 900. SO too of Genoa, the proud
the great port of Italy.
This city, old and beautifully pictur
esque though it be, has not as many in
habitants as Chicago, and no such com
mercial activity. The operations of .
single hour in the latter, would in Genoa
appear like an insurrection. And so W,
might proceed to contrast every Other
city on the hores of the Mediterranean
all old and aourishing, perhaps, in the
European sense, but none of them resem
bling the busy, growing, hourishing, and
commanding city of Chicago. Nowhere
can be found more of the comforts and
elegancies of life, nowhere a greater lib.
erality of bestowment for any good and
patriotic purpose. Chicago may be sci
up as a standard American city, for tn,
admiration Of the world.
The grain trade Of Chicago which, il
1888, was only 7S bushels, has developed
with such rapidity, and has already
reached proportions so gigantic, as 4
stamp il as one Of tho chief marvels Of
the history of modern commerce. Over,
hanging the river, on either side, are tC
be seen large, sombre, gloomy .lookinI