New-York tribune., 1871-10-12
THE RUINED OITY.
SKETCH OF CHICAGO BY JAMES PARTON
Ttom Tzs Aaanth Monthly, MarcA 1897

In 1880 Chicago was what il had been for q
quarter OF centnrye military post and luf os sttpp s
M garrison Of two cOmpanies Of United states troop
There was the fur agency There were three 'rrs
brought furs and remained to drink up the proceeds
There were two stores supplied with such goods as IN
dians buy. There baGksmith's shop, house Tor
the Interpreter OF the station and occupied by Indian
chiefs All that part Of Illinois swarned WIN INDIANS
centrstcd at the Agency az there are railroads
now terminating in the CITY Of Chicago; Tor ls ths
the Msisspp as we'll from the great praires OF the
North and South. Once year John Jacob hsOr sent
% TO sne P%ss no OF @ oco week in sum
mcr twice month in Winter, mail rider brought news
the lakes In 1890 there resided In Chicago beside the
garrison and the fur agent four white families In 1891
on the troops having withdrawn the white pOpua-
tOn moved Into the fort and had pleasant time OF H.
ws ,hs,f % neary ia Of Which were expended in
the erection Of Chicagos first public building-a pound
for stray cattle. -
But In 1888 the rush began Before that year cio'rn
there 80 families founderlng In Chicago nnn IN
there were as appears nearly 700 lhnaDaHcs 10
the town. and in 1895 more than 5000 ChlcasO, lor 10
years after 1t commenced It's rapid increase was per
haps OF all prairie towns the most repulsve 10 ever
human sense. The place was in vile odor, even among
the Indians. since the name they gave
does not skunk, some old hunters aver sghnes
nothing OF sweeter OdOr than wild onion The prairie on
that part Of the shore OF Lake Michigan % 70 ee
the lake is about ak feet. gentiehnan IN oTaI %a1
visited Chicago in 1888 reports Una. srn nD ons ~
three feet deepa sheet Of water extending ~ ia az io
eye could reach over what ls now t"e srh"rhs An
other Traveller that in 1884, in riding about wt
Is the very center and heart sns through his
stirrups. Even in dry Summer weather, t1a SEASONS
the prairie was yef %s and drns foo a wouldn't
have given sixpence acre for the whole OF H. su h
gentleman spelkng OF land, much OF which IL now htI
st ssco a foot n looked so unprOmising to farmers
eyes that Chicago imported considerable p9ron oi S
provisions from the eastern shores OF Lake McGa, aS
late as 1853 Chicago that did this only % years ago.
now feeds States and kingdoms. -, A.. ,.,,.ouo,,on,
Chicago cannot claim the credit or the Improvement
of the harbor in 1893 and 1884, which first called the at
tentiOn Of the country to that frontier posi- Tue He
River and in the Spring of 1884, amost timely ircsnet
swept away the bar at the mouth OF me river ~
an important lake post at The town hal taken s
first stride toward greatness In 1886 'hc popuia'o"
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
1t in April 1872 eighteen years ago; tnt .hc
west Of Chicago and this locomotive drew tram 10
distance Of ten miles from the city, amid the cheers OF
most OF those who had much The railroad system OF
which Chicago s a center now include 5000 miles OF
center embraces nearly 5000 miles OF track Not less
than 300 trains arrive and depart IN DAY ana night
There are l6 points on the Mississippi which have
railroad communication with Chicago. The Illinois Cen
trail with its roo miles Of road lays open the central part
Of the long State OF Illinois, and has brought into culture
nearly 200 900 acres Of the land in the world The
straight road st. Louis renders accessible another ne
the Nj Soi River at Alton and that OF the Lower Mis-
sssipp at ST. Louis Other roads stretch out long arms
Missouri and extend far toward the mining region 9i
Lake supcor and on wanyc ines falroIns are p to Se
ready with facilities for reapng her natural share OF the
advantages resulting from their completion 49,,
During the last three years the number or cattle re-
ceived in Chicago the praircs and sent away IN va
op TO he Gs Resths last yer Of the
those cattle killed. salted and barreleu III
Chicago Nevertheless person might reside there for
years and suspect that siness was done III
cattle, drove never hear the below OF an OK
STOCK AND LUMBER.
At the stock-yard, few steps from the hotel s the
Cattle Exchange spacious and elegant edfce OF yellow
stone wherein there 'a great room for the caerng or
bank cattle mems use, with daily business ranging
from 100000 s5OOCOO also, atelegraph office which
REPORTS from time to time the price of beef pork, aud
mutton two hemspheres and sends back to the cattle
markets mankind the condition Of affairs in this the
in which Chicago deals that makes si1OS shO%
red and fourteen millions feet Of lumber equal
sold year be hidden in The praiTes
which nature has been yariously bounfu do lack
sends up the Lake for it and supplies it to the pHries
Miles OF timber yards extend along one OF the forks OF
sels timber trains shoot the prairPs in every drc
ton To economic transportation they are now begin
houses.
While this great business has been forming, Chicago it.
aelf has undergone many and strange transformations
The population which numbered 10 in 1880, was 4S53 in
S S Dprns the .;6 nv five GT E reSGd being
opened to Egin the population had mounted to 20 1853,
iiO95 persons lived in Chicago In 1855 after fonr years
OF war the population was Ss0O In the Spring OF 1851
cago as Harlem is New-Y 9rk we may safely put down
the population at 10000
APPEARANCE OF THE CITY
Chca already handsome town. II going to be one
the beautiful cities in the world. Twenty years
ago, when the present Court House, or City Hall, was
built the corporation sent all the way 10 Lockp0r in the
State OF NewYork for the stone. dark granite. Long
before the people had done bOastng OF this grand and
pln nI fha IN wi "A
Athens, IA miles from the city, struck deposit of SOFT
cream-coored stone, which proved to he an inexhaust
ble quarry. For time this stone supposed to
be useless and II was regarded only in the light OF an
obstruction to the excavation OF the canal 1t vas as
stone which had been exposed to the air for few
truth dawned upon few Interested minds that Chicago
had stumbled upon treasure IL was nevertheless with
much difficulty that builders were induced to give trial
to what is recognized the very best and most
elegant building material In the country. The general
Use use in Chicago Of t9ls @ stone ana OF tne
pal streets cheerful, elegant airy aspect which is en-
pleasing eccs in Street architecture are introduced
We do not hesitate to that the best houses in the lead
than those Of FifI-ave. in New,Y6rk. and that the
general effect Of the best streets !. finer OF course,
along the lake about eight miles, but does
not reach back into the prairie more than two In the
Solid lofty and in the recent taste, hotels of great
magnitude, and public buildings that would be credit
vehicles and people as any in New-York. and there is
nothing exhibited in the windows OF New-York which
may not be seen in those Of Chicago. AS the visitor
along he at moment evidence
that he has arrived at rich metropolis New 1t Is
gorgeous and carpet house that mis-
attention, huge dry goods store or vast
depot OF groceries The next moment he finds
himself peerng into restaurant splendid as a steam
boat and larger than Tayos where In addition other
decaces OF the season. there is spacious cake OF Ice
covered with naked frogs reposing picturesQuey In
parsley. Further on he pauses before jewelers. bril-
liant with gold silver, diamonds, and pictures where
single item Of last years business the sale OF $500
watches, OF which 1000 were American. The number
and extent OF the bookstores is another striking feature
and IL Is imnOSshl fn hnin0