The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-10
THE GROWTH OF CHICAGO
A POPULATION OF SEVEN Hun
DRIED THOUSAND.
Its Importance as a Grain and Pro-
duce Market-The Close Rivalry
In Business.
looAnEsroEpErcr or rnr lrrEAL. /

CHICAGO, Ill, March S.-Thinking
few lines in reference 10 this great
and growing Garden City would be
appreciated by your readers, beg t.
present some current points aud ideas.
Chicago at present is estimated at
100000 population. 1t is the most i'm
porfant grain aud provision market in
the United States, the psckiDg-hous
the present winter employing 10000
men (no boys).
The Chicago river, which twenty
tive years ago was regarded as a great
advantage 10 the lumber interests aud
caused but slight inconvenience TO the
travel across the bridgeR, is now, how
ever, regarded as indirectly hostile TO
the moving masses, who seem to be
ever on the rush, business and wealth
being the guiding stars. II is there
fore contemplated to close the river as
far as Sixteenth street. and from that
point cut ship canal to the lake. By
this the city would be released from
the bad consequences OF a very filthy
river and tedious drawbridges.
Within the past four years Chicago
has built = new Board OF Trade build
ing, which In magnitude commands
attention, its large room being a mar
vel OF elegance AZ artistic effort
There are several large office build
inRs erected within the past two or
three years-six / know of that re ach
an altitude of ten stories. The Home
Insurance Company of New York
have Just completed one of those ten
story.high buildings. Its rotunda is
marble, floor, walls aud ceilings, onyx.
faced columns. The ballways and
wainsCo,ing on each floor are marble.
There are four elevators. The ca
pacity Of this building is 800 office
rooms. The cost OF the building, aside
from the ground. is over 100000;
the rent roll is $3.50, 900 per annum-a
good investment, by the way.
Chicsgo's hotel accommodations are
fully equal to New York.
The Palmer has $50 rooms, and is
said to be the beet paying hotel prop
erty, except the Fifth Avenue Ho-
tel, New York, in the country. Mr.
Palmer owns the ground, building and
furniture, which cost $500, 900, and
also runs the house, which has be-
come famous in its popularity. Potter
Palmer has always demonstrated his
friendship to Memphis. He contribut.
ed freely to the sufferers by the cpl
denies, and when dozen or
more OF your well-to-do citizens,
deeming prudence the better part of
valor, got here they were offered ac-
commodations at the Palmer at halt
fare. Among them was yonr ex.chief
OF police and ex sherf q, now a magis-
trate and atorney-st-law, who is pop
ularly known as "The Liberator."
will dismiss the Palmer House for
the present II you will allow me to re-
fer to the barber shop. II is forty by |
100 feet, furnished with mirrors on ali |
sides, with Lneslive broDzs ceiling
decorations and beveled plate mirrors
alternating with the bronze, The
d lor is Of marble, on which there are |
set a. equi- 1ista-ce 800 silver collars
no doubt as an advertisement; the
coin is genuine. There are thirty. five
chairs The fitting up OF the SHOP" cost
$4,000. The basement is devct d
to bathing purposes, end cost $4,000
The lessee Of this unrivalled tonsorial
palace pays an annual rent OF SIS, 000
There is, Mr.. Editor, a close riyslry
in business here. Nothing will pass
the storm line but enterprise, pluck
and courage-even 10 newspapers, for
in this intellectual branch Of business
the city supports thirteen dailies, six
morning and four evening in Euglisb,
two German and one Scandinavian.
Four Of the English dailies are sold
for one cent each. Yes, and they are
Rood newspapers with abundant home
and foreign news.
Our courts OF justice are looked
after by 1926 licensed attorneys and
counseibrs at law. While the death
roll may suggest there is no eFct With.
out cause, there are teveral eminent |
physicians who are more than local in
reputation.
Garter Harrison continues mayor,
wading through his fourth term un-
broken-somew mixed in politics,
but like Goldsmith's schoolmsster,
leans to the Democracy. Our worthy
mayor gets his guns spiked sometimes
Some OF our numerous papers are I'M
happy except when on the war-path
reaching f)r soaps.
The "evaneelists," Messrs. Jones
and Small, are here, and are holding
big revival meetings. They are South
ern gentlemen.
have seen and heard both. Thirty
Ave TO forty years of age, young, active
men. II pleases nature sometimes to
make exceptions to general laws, for,
though tn )se gentlemen are engsged |
in most worthy cause, they would |
be the last persons one would select
az giving shelter to piety. Mr.. Small
6ghting the devil with crude elo-
quence and negro minstrel stories,
and defes public opinion. A Mem
phis an some years ago made $780, |
600 by ditching and building levees.
He could read print, but there the |
Inns was drawn. One day he says to !
this writer for lived several years /
in your city: Education is ruin
ing the country; nothing but for
Geriss and counteifsiIing going o."
Nothing illustrates the potency OF |
the press so much as the boom" aud |
momentum given these two gentle |
men, who dress faahionably and who, |
as an auxiliary TO reformation, state
they were very bad aud degraded in
their habits.
The painful echo OF strikes is heard |
from many points, There are those
who believe legislation should promp'-
ly arrest this growing and dangerous
evil-fiity, forty years ago the United
States was the poor man's country
now it is the property Of the rich
man. Thousands Of men out of en-
plyomeDt in all our large cities, with
Institution in their wake.
We are slowly moving toward the
springtime. Business prospects are
not Encouraging.
Our Irish fellow-citiz ems in Chicago
are patiently awaiting the unfolding
of the great document created by the
grand old wan that promises an Irish
PaIlisment in College Green-"A
nonaumnn afion davoutlv RI ha vviahad - |