The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-01-29
The Belle City of the West.

| RACINE REVISITED. THE CHANGES OF TIME.
| A PROSPEROUS CITY. WHAT MIGHT HAVE
| BEEN. PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES. THE OWN
ER OF JAY EYE SEE. BELFAST PEOPLE IN
| CHICAGO. THE MURRAY HILL HOTEL, NEW
YORK.
Correspondence of the Journal
RACINE, Wis, Jan. 10Th 1885, Twenty-one
| years ago | left this city, where | had resided
| for several years. to again take up my abode
| in the Pine Tree State. Two years afterwards
| | made brief visit here. And pow, once more
returning after this long interval of time. am
| astonished at the changes that appear-changes
| in the faces and forms of Old friends and ac-
quaintance>, changes in the residents and busi-
ness men, changes in the population. the bu>i-
ness and the wealth of the city. The old Latin
proverb-"The times are changed ana we are
changed with them"-comes forcibIy to mind
The change see in others, they see in me. But
still the general change is far greater here than
at home during this period of time. There is
| scarcely store or office now occupied by the
same persons and for the same purposes as
then. The names upon the signs are almost
| universally new names. The banks are not only
changed in name, but in location. There Is but
one member of the bar left of the old time
members. Among the changes in the members
of the bar would note the following: VIM. P.
Lyon, who, the second year after came to Ra-
cine, was elected County Attorney by the Free
Soil party over myself, the candidate of the
Whig party, is now the Chief Justice of the Su-
preme Court of Wisconsin. Chas. f. Dyer, who
| commenced practice later, is Judge of the IT, S.
Circuit Court. Joel d. Harvey, who studied
law and boarded where | did, is now L. S. Col
lector at Chicago. VIM. f. Strong, who also
| read law there then, went into the war and
came out a Brigadier General. and is now in
business in Chicago. | had the pleasure of
meeting all these old acquantances, except
Judge Lyon, who is at Madison,
The population has increased from 5000 to
10000. The business and the wealth of the city
have increased in larger ratio. In fact Racine
to-day is a growing and prosperous city; then
it was dwindling in population and business and
loaded down with a burden of railroad indebt-
ednc>s greater than it could bear. And as
note these advances in population, business and
of foresight rs to the future of the city. Before
left disposed of various properics-and
found it difficult to do so-whch if possessed
them now, would make me a large TAXPAYER in
that city, and would also furnish net income
that would be very pleasant to have in this
time Of depression. A tract of land OF nearly
eighty acres adjoining The settled part of the
.ity in i,.b I baII
covered with manufactures, houses and build
nss OF various kinds. Once we thought that
would be valuable, and we divided it up into
two or three hundred lots. and had the plat duly
recorded. But wnen Racine began to wilt uu-
der the shadow of milwaukee, and Chicago, the
prospect changed, and | considered the tract
only valuable for farming purposes, and traded
1t otf for what | could get. Then owned a
piece Of business property--a wagon manu-
factory-Whch had come to me on foreclosure
Of mortgage; hut this goy rid of in the best
way could. This wagon shop was the nucleus
OF immense wagon works from V hich L. many
as 10000 have been turned out in one Year
rms nanufactorN has the capacity Of making
elghty-nNe wagons a day. Nearly All The wood
Work i done By machinery, and yet 800 men
are employed Nntn the business is good. These
""5"A7 al" 'H7 A'o''' ueaN!' l"o-hoIHe wagons
uNc" aIi over me west by farmers 10 take their
gram TO market They We're formerly sold at
about \ 20, huJ are now bringing lower figures
me Seh'ITihah 10 "hom sold started the bus
lH'sH VIM i'tt OF hothlh@' Dat now Is one 0I
tu' "''''hS iheh ol the clty. Ana his partners
also have become rich.
Another piece Of property sold tl,t before
leaving is now occupied by the Racine Wooden
Mills. which have become known all over the
west for their make of fine shawls and wooden
goods. The proprietors or purchasers of this
property also have large balance Sheet in their
favor. ana TINS sale proved TO be 10 their ad-
vantage.
There are various other industries bera
that give employment TO hundred, of men and
bring prosperity % Racine. The j, |, Ca>e
Thrtshing Machine Manufacturing co. i, an
old establishment which ha> been increasing
it business vastly for the last twenty wears.
When first came to Racine a building had Just
been erected for this business, ana in this
building before the machinery was put in a
S''' @'>'' '''h ti''N', az hhl'i loi lte HlSl
time saw the beauty and grace Of Racine
tadles ana recognized the truth Of the claim
mate by II 10 The title OF the BtH' City. Just
before lelt Mr. Case had taken unto himself
three partners, Young men who had been iii
ms ctnl 10y and were his ctlet assistants in the
carrying on of his business. They brought no
capital to thc concern and Mr. case simply re-
| ctlNtd Their hoies for the interests they ac-
i 4ulfcd. lie wished to be relieved from the
| severe STRAIN Of conducting the business alone,
| and the articles Of c0-partner>hp exempted
him from personal supervision. Fortunate
/ has 1t been for these partners. One of them
! dltd not long ago IcaFing IN estate OF Oyer
/ S90o,Wo. lhe two others are now still more
| wealthy. Mr. Case himself Is 4 millionaire,
| yet, IN spite OF tn" heavy losses lncurredh him
| within few years. the largest being for 100000
made lately by the failure of the j. /. Case
| iloW 20. But ne gets consolation IN The fact
| lhat ne owns the second fastest trottlng horse
| IN the Worid-Jav Eye See-and IN the well
| founded hope that before this year is past he
Will have The first q might here speak Of my
| VISIT With MN to his stock farm and the eAhi-
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