Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-01
Letter from Chicago.


POPULATION.
CHoA0o, July -, ISIS.
Editor o. the Pre- Press and 7 .uils
Possibly many Of your numerous readers
may have lost that interest in the rebuild
ing of this city. which was developed at the
time Immediately following the greatest
conAagration the world has ever known
yet. 50 long as people retain their love for
the marvellous, and manifest a pride in the
achievements Of human enterprise. the Won
derful restoration Of Chicago viii serve As q
theme for wonder and praise. A. ages
pass, and with the tendency TO exagsera-
tion which always comes with the lapse Of
time, when correct, data are lost in OBJ
security and only hish-slunding generalities
remain. Chicago's resurrection viii more
and more become a wonder. until the mar
vellous fact itself viii pale before the
cool assertions Of bomhaStic legend.
This result the present generation
ought 70 provide against. 50 far as
possible. and preserve the unyarnishel
truth for rising generations. Since It is a
great fact it should bewell attested 1t would
be easy, even natural. to write OF it in
glittering terms, and when speaking Of this
wonderful uprising Of brick, stone and /
mortar. to compare it to the magic of I
Aladdin or the tree which the Indian magic /
ian calls into existence between two winks 1
ofan eye All this might be pretty, but cal
culated to destroy confidence in the
plain story There has been no magic
in this business at all every stone, brick
and plank can be accounted for. 1t has
taken vast amount of money and labor to
do this. and the footing Of the bill of costs
is simply astounding. Eighteen thousand
dwellings, and stores were destroyed in the
FIRE OF October 9, ISL, yet to-day Chicago
las more money invested in standing
than she had October :,
ISL. The question Of the stranger
standing to-day where eighteen months ago
here was not left one stone upon another.
:. "Where can we find the burnt district p
And when the proud citizen tells him that
lie is now standing therein, and that all Of
he immense blocks stretching for miles be
ore his gaze have been built since the FIRE,
he strangers incredulOus stare seems TO in
icate that his next question would be,
When did you escape from the asylum
Chicago has nearly doubled the number OF
: business houses within the last two years,
nd the increase Of tie number Of residences /
as been still greater. Since 1880 every ten
ears has more than doubled her population.
he census of 1850 fixed her inhabitants at
- than 81. 900. the census Of 1850 gave the !
umber a. IL, 900, 1870 it was less than J
No. 900 and the recent canvass for the city /
Irectory for 1873 estimates the present t
,pulation at about $50 900. At the same C
tie of increase 1873 will double 1870, not l
outstanding Chicago has, within that 4
alf decade. suffered from an nnprecedent- =
conAagration. The rise in value OF real t
tate has been proportionate with this IN o
ease in population, and no man who has Il
NIGHT and held property in or about Chr
90 has lost money, while thousands have
ereby become enriched. Chieago's present s
lildings surpass anything contemplated CT
fore the fire. Her numberless hotels ana n,
,mense blocks are known TO most OF your
aders 50 are her tunnels; yet the latest W
We Of this kind NAV not be known to them d
ot content with a water tunnel unaernealh
. lake for three miles, her citizens are
,v constructing another, extending miles rd
,der the CITY from point three miles out m
the lake. in order to supply the fast OF
owing west side I" with water. u
CHICAGO must needs have her . industrial BY
position. as well as her jubilee, and c.
w. on the lake shore, just south of the
ichiran Central depots, the walls Of -
ilding covering two entire blocks and the 4
Ieryening street, may DO seen rislpg IN