New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02
CITY.BUUDIN6.

The probable addition Of 200, 900 10 the pop
ulatiop Of Chicago is al event Of interest in this
era Of city-bulding. Next month the towns Of
Lake, Hyde Park aud Lake View will vote upon
annexation. and are expected to decide In itS
favor. They are in fact, annexed already
inasmuch as the growth Of population has swept
over the dividing lines, but the political change
will be Of interest II is in the line OF that con
centration Of the great cities which is one OF
the striking phenomena OF this age Every
great city has grown in this way. London hhs
swallowed up in the slow course OF centuries
more than fifty towns and villages. The same
story may be read in the successive strata OF
Paris. Many Newly Workers now living remem-
her Chelsea and Greenwich as distinct villages,
and il is only few years since the name Of
Yorkvlle was rubbed out from our map. Peo-
pie still talk OF Harlem but that name too will
eventually be merged in the greater one
This addition to Chicago will have lively
interest for the people Of that enterprising
town, because they believe that il will result
In making il before long the second city in
population in the United States. According to
the census Of $50 il stood fourth New ork
coming first with l,2O6,299, Philadelphia SEC
ond with 47l7O, Brooklyn third with $780,
500, and Chicago fourth with 5O3,lo0. With
tho actual growth in population, which has Teen
large and the increase by annexation. Chicago
claims to push by Brooklyn, and to be giving
philadelphia a close race for the second place.
The census Of next year will tell the tale. 1t
is not likely that either in Philadelphia or
Brooklyn this claim will be conceded until it
=. II ,,k la Fn
futed, but il may be readily conceived that
Chicago may outstrip Brooklyn. Brooklyn had
only moderate lead nine years ago, and had
no outlying villages Of nearly 100000 pop
ulation TO tack on 10 It's skirts. But with Phila-
delphia the race will not be 30 easy The old
city was ahead Of the new when the last census
was taken by majority Of 100000, and, while
it grows in quiet, dignified way IL grows all
the same Nothing, however, can disturb the
jaunty confidence Of the people OF the Western
metropolis that their city will come out next
TO New-York in the footngs Of next year y
enumentions. That il should reach even tho
third place is wonder enough. Chicago is, in
fact, the greatest miracle in city-building that
the world has ever seen. II is practically only
half century old, and its population is already
approaching a million OF souls. There seems
TO be no limit to it's capacity for growth. Stand
ing at the head Of great system Of inland seas,
il can have direct water communication with
the ports of Europe West Of II stretches the
great empire whose development is only just
begun, and to large part Of which IL must al
WAYS be the eastern gateway. Holding this
position, II IL impossible to say what population
may not be gathered In the future on the Lake
Michigan shore where fifty years ago there was
only q shabby village. Chicago announces
that unless New-York checkmates 1t by annex
ing Brooklyn, II means TO hold the first place
in the list Of American cities IN the census OF
1900. The Newly orker will smile at this, re-
Aecting that he has the Wbple United States for