The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-13
THE NEW CHICAGO.

g. Stock yards. o. South park. TO- oakwoods
cemetery.
THE NEW CHICAGO.
As Chicago previously covered 42l6 square
miles and had they claim $500 people, it
follows that the present city covers lI4E
square miles and has / 100000 people. Such
is the conservative estimate" of The Chicago
Tribune, but more aggressive local papers
put the total at 100000. They at the same
time estimate the population of Philadelphia
at something less than million, while the
papers of the latter city raise this estimate 10
per cent and lower that of Chicago. As to
Brooklyn all admit that its total does not
greatly, If at all, exceed 100000.
But in tho matter Of rapid growth, long
sustained, Chicago so far exceeds all other
cities, ancient or MODERN that there is scarce
ly basis for comparison. San Francisco
grew much more rapidly for a short time,
New York has maintained a steady growth
for much longer time, New Orleans had its
great boom much earlier, and Philadelphia
was much more solidly built from the start,
but Chicago is the only city which has en-
joyed phenomenal growth, right straight
along for third Of a century. Not only did
il increase every year. but since 1876 there
has been rapid increase in the percentage of
increase-a constantly greater ratio on a
constantly greater base. 1t was probably
the only city in America which was proved
by the exact Federal census to have more
people in 1880 than its own sanguine boomers
had claimed.
And yet it was long while getting start
ed on this phenomenal growth; there was a
time when Calumet was its rival and Alton
its superior, while Nauvoo laughed at the
pretensons of all three Of them The first
mention of the place was rs Fort Checagou,"
in 1883, and it remained French trading
post about ninety years In 1904 the United
States built Fort Dearborn there, and on
Aug Is, 1919, the garrison was massacred by
the Pottawattomies. In 1916 the fort was re-
built, and remained a post till 1887, and this
fort created the germ village Of the present
Chicago. The town was organized Aug. 10,
1888, covering 500 acres and having $50 in
habtants and property valued at $4,000
March 4, 1887, the place was Incorporated
as city, having 4,l7O people, and William
b. Ogden as first mayor In 1910 the federal
census gave the city 1853 people; 29,963 in
1850: ll2,l72 in 1860; 29S,917 in 1870, and
nearly twice as many In 1880 Nor is it easy
to disprove the claim Of the more enthusiastic
that the per cent. Of increase has been greater
since the last census than ever before, for all
the industries Of the city indicate it. Though
vast army of builders push construction
with Aladdin like rapdity, aided by the best
appliances of modern engineering, they never
succeed in outrunning the demand for stores
and residences, and if there is a strike in
the building trades even for fortnight,
there is a loud cutlery that the existing ac-
commodatious arc overcrowded, that the
strike must be settled in some way and build
ing resumed.
At each successive review of the city's
growth since the revival Of lS7S-S0 many of
the cautious have said: THE maximum is
reached; Chicago's day of rapid growth is
over" yet the succeeding growth has been
still more rapid. A few facts explain it.
Take a radius of 500 miles and describe a
semicircle from n point that far north Of the
city westward, southwark and eastward
again, and there will be an area Of nearly
a million square miles containing more
raw material for the comfort and sustenance
of man than any other equal area on the
globe or over half this area Chicago is the
natural gateway and entrepot; add its rail-
way extensions into still more distant terri
tory, and it does not seem unreasonable that
the city should maintain its present rate OF
growth till the close of this century.
Most of the great cities of the country,
however, cannot initiate Chicago's method of
adding suddenly some DO, 900 to their popu-
lation. Natural boundaries forbid New York
city may grow little more till she covers the
remnant at the north end of Manhattan island,
then she must stop-or grow up in the air, or
dig deeper into the rock. Little by little,
however, East river is being reduced from a
combined obstruction and convenience to a
convenience only, and when two additional
bridges are built and tunnel constructed,
Brooklyn will I've socially and commercially
annexed. and the political tie will soon follow.
The growth of cities is the great latter day
problem The founders of the republic never
imagined such aggregations as those already
seen, and he would be bold man who should
say that either New York or Chicago with
annexed suburbsl would stop snort of five or
ten millions each, with ST. Lo.is, Philadel
phia and u few others lingering at from one
TO three millions each.