, 1875-09-27

CHICAGO BUILDINGS III 1875,

CHICAGO BUILDINGS III 1876.
The st. Louis PAPERS arc still ut tlteir old
gnnso OF Drag with reference to tho number
Of now building permits in that city during
the yenr ~ compared with Chicago. Tile
Republican says t]lat st. Louis will count
a.ooO now buildings for this year, and cou-
trnsts that with statement Of paper
in this city that only S37 bnilding permits
Ind becn issued in Chicago during the rnst
eight months. but tho Rtut5lctsn olnits to
exllain, or perllnps did not know, that ono
Of dwellings or gsoat block Of haif.s-dozen
stororooms. There have boon erected or aro
in process Of construction in tho West Di-
vision alone moro tl,nn doubh, s37 structures
since last spring. Whom tho yoar expires We
shall count up all the new buildings. For
tho present it is sufficient to say that Ohicaso
is building nll sho deeds, aud sho needs
good many new buildings to accommodate
her over-increasing population. Tho amount
Of money expended this year, from March
to Jan. l, for building, will reach fully $1o,-
Oo0,nOo, paid out in tho construction Of
solid buildings Of brick aud stone. No
franc buildings lavo been orocted, aud hun
drads Of old frames hayo been demolished or
removed outside the city limits, These
3l0,000,000 havo produced results which
could not lavo been accomplished with :s16,-
00D, 900 at my tino before tho panic. Thcro
is mora to show Tor the money expended this
ycar than could hayo been shown for tho
aamo amount at any tiuao during tho pnst
twenty-five years. Our pooplo havo learned
to build not on1y in solid and elegant, hut
very economical, manner. Building materials
layo boco,no q very important branch Of
local Manufacture. Stone Of excellent qttai-
ity is obtained elose by the city, il quarried
rapidly aud cheaply by labor-saving appli-
ances, and is brought to tho city ct very low
cost for transportation. Tho sa,uo general
fact III true of lime, gand md brick, roofing
tnh:eriul, lumber, glass, pnints, and I'm
ishins work 1t only required about
thrco-ifshs as much to put mp tho
buildings Of this year III it would
two years ago. Tho vacant lots Of year
nCo in tho old burnt district ure most of them
filled np with fine blocks. A number Of the
principal streets are completed with consiuu-
ONs 4Oho ~ 0ttRA4I6a 0AAAlHEa 4luul E1fCr 10
lake Scarcely lot is now vacant. 4 1argo
proportion Of the 20 acres in the Second and
Third wards made yaeant by thu fire Of layt
year has bocn recovered with good, Golid
buildings, aud III the suburbs buildings IRE
going ,p literally by tho acrc.
Chicago has built exactly what sho needed !;
If sho has not dono moro, it il because sllo
has not required moro. What she has done
IL TO accommodate the natural oycrcrowtling
OF the city, and our citizens hayo improved
tho opportunities to build, because It was tho
best thing they could do with thoir money.
The improvement Of thousands of vacant
lots was tho best investment they could nla1o
with their money, and In almost every in
stanco tonants haye been secured In advance
Of construction.
Chicago is suffering less ind haA less to
complain Of by reasou Of tho panic Of 1873
than almost any other city in tho United
States. Her prosperity is solid aud per-
naanont Her tralo is healthy and strong,
aud her commerce is flowing securely In ita
old channels. If St Louis wants to- know tho
condition Of Chicago, let her send up an
obsczyant committee Of citizans to look Ut
our new buildings, our busy streets, our
stores and shops crowded with customers,
and tho river with vessels, and the depots
with trains, and the great wheols OF trade re-
yolying with rosistlcss power mud great rapid
ity. There is something moro pMpablo and
real in this than making bogus oonsus re-
ports, duplicate Clearing ruturns, and
boastfu} building permits.