The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-02-23
CHICAGO.
That Wonderful City by the
Lake.
She Not Only Packs Pork, but
Maksth and Selleth
Many Books.
She GroWeth Rich and WaXeth
Strong.
Her Runners are Swift and their
Cheek" Immense.
CHICAGO.
Correspondence OF the HERALD

Correspondence OF the HERALD
CHICAGO, Feb. Is, 1881.
Chicago grows apace. There is a
great deal of elbow" about it; but
more reality than "blow." Every
one that moves through the busy
city day after day feels its constant
growth. The eye-sight cannot de-
ceive an observer. The enormous
activity in building operations; the
lopening of new branches Of trade ;
the constant influx of strangers-all
tell one unvarying tale-Of Chi
cago'S wonderful expansion in all
directions. There is not store-roOm
or house-room for the people who
are crowding into the city, with the
hope of making their fortunes, and
notwithstanding the high price of
building materials the work of
supplying the demand progresses
constantly. The most massive
enterprises are projected in COM
mercial circles-new telegraphs and
railroads are projected, and there
bids fair to be no cessation to our
progress.
But one fails to realize the fast
growth of the commerce of Chicago
until he comes down to details, and
attempts to analyZe one or more of
the special branches that go to make
up the mighty traffic of the lake
metropolis. Take any single trade
and 90 into an investigation of this
kind, and you will begin to cOmpre-
bend the magnitude and rapid pro-
gress that is being made. Within a
few weeks, the writer has had occa-
sion to make some enquiries in ref
erence to the book, stationery and
paper trades of this city and of the
west, and has found an astonishing
growth and prosperity everywhere
manifested. a fair estimate of the
book sales of Chicago, in the year
1880, would be S5,0O0,OO0, of the
business of the paper trade S10,000,-
900, of stationery S2,500,000, of
wall paper 100000. of fancy
81, 10000. The music trade foots up
nearly S5,O0O,OOO, and the class of
goods used by "Sportsmen" would
easily reach half a million dollars.
The trade of Chicago is extending
wherever the "cheek" of Chicago
.drummeTs permits them to travel"
From the Gulf to Oregon and
Alaska, Chicago goods are shipped
everywhere. If the North Pole
shall be discovered our representa-
tives will shortly be found there
with full lines of samples and plenty
of "chin music" No merchant here
waits for trade to come to him. He
reaches out for it, and generally gets
it.
AS a publishing city, Chicago will
soon be entitled to put on airs. Last
year she sold at least one million
of her own bound books,
printed and published here, and
many Of them written in the
west. A good many of these vol
umeS were not high-class literature,
but they were books nevertheless. |
Some of the best selling books are
made here. Hills Manual" an IS |
subscription book, has sold to the |
extent of nearly 10000 copies; "The |
Royal Path of Life" $4,000; and |
many other works have sold from |
10000 to $4,000 copies. The west is
the best book market in the country,
and publishers are flocking to Chi
cagO, where books can be made as
cheaply as in the eastern states |
There are two binderies here which
turned out over a million books last
year. The printing press facilities
of Chicago have more than doubled
within five years. Chicago is now
probably the fourth publishing and
printing city in America, and grow
ing more rapidly than any other.
If no great calamity befalS her she
bids fair TO rank second in these
branches in 1890.
Another thing has become evil
dent. Chicago is becoming a rich
city. She held her own during the
panic; but since that time she has
exceeded all her former strides to-
wards prosperity. What may lie in
the future cannot of course be fore
seen, but to-day it is evident that
this city is rich in every element
that goes to constitute wealth, and
she is drawing to her constantly
leW accessiOns Of capital and brains.
rhe fact established that any city is
destined to be the central CONNER
eial metropolis of the continent will
attract to it all who would
stand at the head of their profess
;ions; as the mountain could not
come to Mahomet, he went to the
and we are not surprised
hat New York and Boston mer-
chants should establish branches of
heir business here. Iffact ii seems
o be a necessity, growing out of the
status that Chicago
hould be the absorbing centre for a
considerable period of time.
E. n. F.