Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-04-11
THE CHICAGO OF THE EAST.

In respect to population, Wilmington is now,
Elero Chicago was about twenty years ago. In
. lme other respects, we are better situated and
d Ia one or two, not 80 fayorAbly. In the fret
place. having the population, now. that Chicago
had in 1859, we have more accumulated wealth.
Our city is old, and comparatively rich the cap
ital is gathered, already, to afford sound basis
for further enterprises. Chicago, in 1858, was
poor, though ambitious Wilmington is economi-
ical, industrious, and very well-to-do. In this
particular, then, wo are better of than Chicago,
at the time hor population equalled ours, and II
the energy and courage OF our citizens we're as
great, we might expect to grow even more rapid
~ than Chicago did between 1850 and 1860, IN
which period che advanced from about $4,000
people to about 100000.
Our position on the water is like that OF Chi
cago Her river, like ours, comes in from .
great highway OF Commerce, and furnishes, at
the same time, the best and safest harbor Of the
neighborhood. Within the city, it divides into
two branches, and they, widely spread away from
each other, afford abundant and excellent wharf
age, to be measured by miles. Our river, how
ever, is wider and deeper than that of Chicago
It has both tide and current to help keep its
channel open. The OhrisiianA and the Brandy
wine, it's branches, are moving streams, fed by
perennial springs, and not mere lazy lagoon,
lurking in the prairie, and needing to be oontin-
ually dredged. Her river had to be extended by
a canal, to give it a current ours moves by the
command OF Nature.
In the particular OF our situation on the Allan
tic Coast, nearest to the civilization Of Europe,
and in a position to trade with all the older and
richer nations Of the world we are better off
than Chicago while, AZ the centre of a great
iateIior trade, gathered by land and lake, she
has an advantage, which we can never enjoy. 1t
may seem presumptuous even, for Wilmington
to venture the comparisons Of situations, yet we
do not hesltate to make it. Chicago is an inland
city, and her water routes to the seaboard are
long. tortuous, and locked by ice for nearly half
the year, while we sit, close by the Atlantic,
and open to its waters, from years end to year 8
end We may build up commerce in particular
articles of trade, with all our great Coast line,
with the Gulf Of Mexico, with the West Indies
Central and South America, and even Europe
by routes as direct, easy, and cheap, as any 9TH
or American port possesses. Chicago gathers
what wa cannot we can ship and receive goods
to and from the best markets of the World, to
whom Chicago must remain forever unknown.
For purposes Of manufacturing, Wilmington
Ia unequaledin natural advantages. We cam
not enter into minute explanation why-the
facts have often been shown. We have already
established great and prosperous industries OF
advanced grades of skill and ingenuity. We have
ample stores Of raw material, within easy and
cheap reach. I'VE have already thousands OF
workmen gathered here. We have established
habits Of order, economy and perseverance. Our
methods are those Of an industrial community,
We are ready, now, not only to expand the man
ufactures I'VE already have, but to build new
ones, and double, treble, quadruple, in ten years.
oGr population, wealth, and greatness. All the
great cities of the Atlantic Coast are our mar
kets. They are close at hand. Rivers, canals,
railroads, and the Ocean, are our highways
to and from them. No city ever. had better
choice Of transportation.
An Illinois speaker at the Clayton House
banquet said Wilmington reminded him OF Chi
cago. We are winning reputation as one OF the
most enterplising cities of the Country-for our
size, perhaps The most enterprising of all the
cities along the Atlantic seaboard. Within six
years we have grown rapidly, and laid good founr
dations for growth still more rapid and sub
stantial. We shall be the Chicago Of the East