Daily Republican., 1883-08-08
ChacsxO's Semi .Cen ten Mai.

1t seems almost incredible ami yet IT
il q fact that Chicago will celebrate the
semi-centennial of her incorporation as
. village next Friday. Chicago will
only be fifty years old on that day.
Thousands of business men now living
were in business when Chicago now
striving with Brooklyn for the third
place in the list of cities of the Union,
was but village. We doubt if there
10 any other city that can show such re.
markable growth. This great modern
trade metropolis, the most wonderful
city in America in many respects, has
grown during the last forty years from
, small Indian trading village to city
that in 1880 had a population of over
So, 900 inhabitants. A great par: OF
Chicago may be said to have been tv ice
built in its short life, for not many
years ago fire occurred that destroyed
twenty thousand buildings and de
strOyed two hundred million dollars
worth of property. 1t would have
taken two cities the size of Will
mington to have replaced the loss by
this great fire. We may expect to hear
of the celebration being carried on in Il
scale of magniticence that only Chica-
goan's know how to provide. Chicago
does an annual business in pork, beet
and other trading commodities amount.
ing to over $500, OOO,O 900. Its manufac'
turing establishments employ over 49,
600 hands with an interest capital Of
over $50, OOO,O 600. Though amongst the
youngest of the large cities of the Union
it is one of the most prosperous, with a
future still more brilliant with promise.
The first embryo settlement of Chicago
gave no very bright promises of future
greatness and is perfect illustration
of what great affairs spring from small
beginnings. Contrary to the usual
course of western cities Chicago was
first settled by immigrants from the
southern states. The place was 80 in
tested by wolves that the first settlers,
some of whom are still living, have re-
markable stories to tell of exciting
wolf hunts. The first settle. of Chicago
is said to have been negro French
man named Jean Baptis,e Point au
Sable. He built a cabin on the north
hank of what was called the main
river. Major Long, government,
agent fifty-six years ago, four years
before it was incorporated, spoke Of Chi
cago as containing but few huts, in
habited by miserable race Of mel
scarcely equal to the Indians from
whom they had descended. Thei
houses he said were low, filthy and dis
gushing. He furthermore sta'ed that i
held forth no inducements to would
be settler, the whole amount OF trade on
the lake not exceeding the cargoes OF
five or six schooners. SiS years after
that. however, Chicago became village
:1s,d t~a AZ. ~,
o.. =. Al years Afterwards was incori"'
rated as a city. What would Major
Long say now were he permitted to rise
up from his dusty bed and see the halt
million people busily engaged in manu-
features and trade, on the very spot thai
presented such dreary and uninvitint
aspect as he pictured in 1927? Chicago
is going on increasing in such mos
remarkable manner that the younge
generation of business men now en-
gagged in trade may expect it not onl.
TO catch up with, but to excel New
York city in both population and trade