The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-10-19
CHECAGO.
A Brief Sketch Of fits Rapid Rise
And Progress

A Brief Sketch Of fits Rapid ERIse
And PrOGr~ss-
/ The disaster that has befaIIen the City OF
/ Chicago brings that city more prominently
before the public than ever before. and ia
this, the hour of her distress, it might not
be Inappropriate to give the following his
tory from the New Orleans Times, of her
past prosperity, and TO briefly sketch the
giant strides by which that devoted city. in
lees than third of century, moved from
comparative insignifcance TO her place
among the wealthiest, most energetic and
public spirited communities in the land.
A writer dating his description in $40.
speaks of Chicago as containing a cotirt-
house, Jail, United States land office, six
churches, one Presbyterian, one Methodist,
one Baptist, one Episcopal, one Roman
Catholic, an academy. a fire and~marine
insurance company, fire companies, and 3
company for suppIyin the city with water
from the lake. Thirty-one years ago its
trade was limited to four foreign commission
houses, with capital of S35, 800, ninety seven
retail stores of 100000 capital; eleven lum-
Der yards with $685. 800 capital; one furnace
with $4,000 capital, two Touring mills, one
distillery, bindery, two daily aud two
weekly newspapers.
The advancement Of the city even at that
time was considered unparalleled, as seven
teen years before-in 1S23-the entire set
Element possessed but ten or twelve houses
and between sixty and seventy inhabitants.
Ia 1882 five small stores were added and its
census showed AN increase of one hundred
and ninety Inhabitants.
From this small beginning-orignally
Fort Dearborn. and surrendered by Gen.
Hull, in lSl2--the city has risen to be one of
the chief centres oftrade in the entire coun
try. and certainly the most important mart
ia the Northwest.
Chicago, as all are aware, is situated on
the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan,
and along the banks of the Chicago River
and its two branches. One of the latter runs
north and the other south, and the city
limits stretch out to the westward a distance
OF five miles. The river originally was but
a small creek emptying into the lake, but
it has been widened by artificial means, and
rendered navigable to vessels of six hundred
tons burden. Skirting its banks are i'm
mense grain elevators and warehouses, many
of the latter being of one million and half
bushels capacity, and at these, vessels can be
laden or unloaded in but few hours. The
city is laid out in rectangular blocks, and the
streets are nearly all eighty feet wide.
From the lake il extends to the Westward
five miles and north and south eight miles,
covering an area of about forty square
miles.
Apparently this area is level, but gradual
rise TO the westward is quite sufficient to
drain it thoroughly. The principal thorough
fares are paved with square blocks of wood
closely driven down and coated with tar, and
to this is attributed the rapid spread of the
devouring element.
During the past eight years the entire city,
at cost of millions of dollars was raised
from four to eight feet, and the throughfales
and foundations ofbuildings were filed with
material brought from other places. The
buildings of the business portion of the city
are composed chiefly OF brick, but many of
the habit:tions are constructed of Athens
marble, stone found sixteen miles to the
southwest of the city, and highly priced in
in the West.
Prominent among the public buildings are
the Courthouse, which is constructed of stone
brought from LOckpOrt, New York, the
Chamber of Commercs, built of Athens stone
at a cost of nearly 100000; the Second
Presbyterian Church, constructed of an oily
stone dug from prairie west of the city,
the First Presbyterian church Trinity
church, ST. James Church, Church of the
Redeemer, First Unitarian Church. the
Church of the Holy Family, and the Sher-
man House.
The latter are nearly all of Athens stone
and exhibit in their design, great architec-
tural ability. The city is cOnfessedly the
commercial metropolis of the Northwest
Here about twenty distinct lines of
railroads. all leading to different sections
of the country centre, and depart daily.
The Illinois and Michigan canal one
the Illinois river and the Mississippi. As
an evidence of its Importance as grain
market, it might be stated that since 1885,
when the first shipment (seventy-eight
bushels) arrived, the increase a year or two
ago reached the enormous amount of
As, 203,312 bushels, including cereals ofevery
class.
During the same year it received
sol, 592 4O6 feet of lnmber, $50, 169.75O shing-
les, and IS, 953, 900 laths.
In that year also it received 336,627 head
of cattle. packed 92459 head of beef, and
76O,5l4 head of hogs.
AS whisky market. Chicago ranked
higher than any other in the West, and its
average annual receipts reached 102032
barrels.
The tunnel under the lake, completed
year or two ago is already well known to
the public. 1t is five feet in diameter, and
cut thirty-five feet below the lake, with
dip landward of four feet. A shaft eighty
seven feet deep is sunk on shore and another
nine feet in diameter has been placed at the
extreme end of the tunnel, 1.-TWO miles from
shore.)
Another tunnel has recently been cut I'M
der the river at Washington street.
If the telegraphic reports are not exag-
gerated, and il is greatly to be feared that
they are but too reliable, this is undoubtedly
the most extensive and disastrous fire on
record. That of London. which commenced
in Pudding Lane on the I'd. of Septem Der.
1866, and continued until the 5th, swept the
buildings from 1876 acres, consuming 1920
habitations and ninety churches. The
property destroyed was estimated at flO,-
COO 600.
The fire in New York on on the 10th of
December, 1885, consumed 648 houses in the
central portion of the city, involving a loss
of twenty millions of dollars.
The fire in Pittsburg, on the 10th of April,
lS45, consumed large portion of that city,
destroying property to the value of $9.O00,-
600. These two, and that of the former
especially, have heretofore been regarded as
unparalleled cases; but it has been left to
Chicago the melancholy privilege of eclips-
ing all competitor even in her downfall.