, 1873-01-02
The OLD WATER TOWER.
How 1t was Bnilt, and Scenes at lis
Inauguration.
What the People saw---How Nc
Alpine 0amo to Grief,
A Commentary on Human Pride and
Expectations.

Twonty yoara ago, tho City Of Chicago, having !
only nowly replaced tho log oonduits Of tho CHI
cago Hydraulic Company by tho iron mains OF |
tho Chicago Wator Works. began tho reservoir |
system. Up to short timo previous tho aBth-
matte pumps In tho old rod wooden mill on
Michigan avenue, lator the alto Of tho Adams |
House, had carried forward tho work begun by |
Anton Borg In 1884 for tho water Bnpply ct tho |
community. Anton used ono horse md u |
pnuchoon mounted on two whenls, aud WAS au |
institution outgrown when tho old rod mill bo- |
gan Its functions. 80 tho timo camo
for q reservoir to moot tho third ora OF
tho water supply Of Chicago. @. J. McAlpino,
City Engineer, WAS Het at work on tho plant,
and vigorous hunt commenced for slto. 1t
nuBt be little suburban, for tho town might
grow. Among other loealitioa suggested, a alice
from tho property OF tho lnto P. T. ". Peck, on
Adams street, west OF Clark, was discussed. It
waa not cornor 1ot for Lasa1lo street ondoa At
Madison, though tho project WAS ovon then in
its first stages to open 1t to Van Buron. It took
ton yenra to accomplish this stroot opening,-a
feat TINT nearly drove tho agaossors distractod
and laid tho foundation Of flo,lrsling practice for
several lawyers, who always grow we'll IN
these vol watered croviccn in tho lodge
OF human society. Tlloro being no LaSallo
stroot Mt that point, tho Watorlrowor, whom built
from Clark IN vo,to atroot a,n,,o Tift1, ovonuc'
soyeral faets helpaa tn n, thu a; In. IT, waa ru
ral troo.omho,vored. with prosa n !, about IT, nnd
thu v]ite.fenco1 onc1oaurea ~ c,t,zcna and
1ntohas of .,tchon cerf1on md oFtorothor auoh n
amt na Won mnv frfvn n1ca ovav from thu nros
ont pnhlio Iihrarv in oit1,or III, octon north,
aout, nnd ,voet hefor, vo,, find ;tu natch In.
Inv
1,er,r atroot aorfb ~ w,ah,,, rsor xrhoao
two cornora wnro ho15 hv tho ao,-
ID hr;ch .cbnrcboa and +oli an;raa of
t1,o Erat proshvtor;o1 +to .,o,t1 n r,rrI;u par
tor md tho f,la,1. stroot nfotEodiat ,~oa aonth
~ th.t mint atroot ~ +,,,iot nna .cav ,,onoa
with uoatlyhont front Yards. and all tho yil]nve
aa,notn ftlarL o+root Voc h,,.v onl ,,ud +bo
e .s;,s., "t.s p"oy - tna -se w
OMNIBUS uno OF d. u q H. - walker connect
ing tho centre or b'lslnos8 With tho new MlcA1-
gan Southern Depot, ono milo nouth, ut Twelfth
stroot Clark stroot was nlankod algo, and was
bocoro;,c no,.v ora ,on,o ns its s.do,4a 1,aa,r
ooeos no's5' "u.i ao,u VI ~ ipa.uon t posan
70 mourn LOT tho quiet Old days. but thoro Eoro
beautiful homesteads In largo 1ots. Tho late
Starr Foot occupied with his cottage d quarter
hoc1f nt t1,o co,nor ~ Monr,o Two
oro.,7-oo1,roa ,ottarsan 49, o,rx, -
o,'ANAIo'ui.u soteAsos, 'no on's "
Clark street below Adams, on tho 'Captain
Bigolov proporty." among ereat beda of yor-
t.,oa a,,d ,,etnnoa MI e1un,n ~ 1;,,n hnd
aAa posa', .' "s:a " ;, ,n,o ~
Thcso last-nau1ed buildings, after tho sad vicis-
Bitudes OF sbabbiness TINT wore tho later dostiny
of tim vholo neichborhood warn removod in
o,earinr tho alta Of tho rrat pacifc Hoto1> MIR.
4.'Hl''e suo o''u - tto neo' "oio .Ao1''' ui1
rccS hau boon tho original o"nor OF tho present
ontiro block now bounded by La sallo, Adams,
Clark, and Jackson streets, which he purchased
At ~ arlx so1o ~ Cano1 1,nda tn toa ,nodo
~ W oa.ly aalo " o",al ~, 'a'us, no nau n1a1o
largo purchases OF "oal-selccteo real estate, 1or
Mr. Peck saw, with clear eye, the future OF tho
city. Ho rarely sold real estato, and only for
some special reason, like that which induced hin,
~ 1,at ,r;t,, +,o o;,caa, a,,arara -. ~ h1oolc
-. ",.' 'To an. aa.ei sole " sao p.o."
IN question: Ao On" Ill those transfers features
permanent beauty and value. One of these pur-
chases was 1nntlo by tho North wostorn IJniyor-
aity. Just thon in suadd]ing clothes, in tho
hands Of Or. John Evans aud othor prominent
the Pacific Hotel ssto, thoy wore to plant IN
elegant quiot suburban Institution Of learning.
With ground enough to give II the sur7ounllpga
Of treoB and bowera. Such a neighbor afr.
Peck Vas willing to eutortain,
Then MoAlpine showed Mr. Peck his plans for
tho Water Towor. It was to bo marvel OF CON
struction, and tho local editors Of tho day wont
into ecBtscics over itB merits, It wee to bo a
Trimmings on tic ton or wch %li was to atonl the
tnuk (tho prosont Library roomA yl,ilo thu Two
stories below woro to be tho ollicos of the
Chicago City Water Works Board, lookinc out
upon groom lawn and gravel walks. a tlliHc Of
beauty and a low foroyor. pronertv af1rancod
two dollars pcr front foot in that vicinity at tic
remote prosnoot Of auch consumn,ntion,
Mr.. Peck sold Tho nronorfy. kTr. McA1 nino
rms ng bnsy a. bee n + h1nnet for nn lho lilio
structures Of such clesa wore T. 1,oyclty in our
cty. Ground vas brokon. Tl,o stroct mn ina
wcro laid The walls erew anaco. ho
onponents to tho oneninr of Iasalie ntrcat hrx5
tough t;mo Of Il: ana wcro rorn,I1oa M nuhlin
enemies, Int thoy stood thoir sroun1, and their
moral onidormis bnjnr 1nndo irnn-oInd with tia |
lawyora' parchment. tRey fought tho thinr in iii
the courts. md leld tlo laat hen.house to ita
nto until yoars nftol tho patagtroplo of tho |
W.tcr Townr