Feliciana sentinel., 1892-10-22
BUSINESS IN CHICAGO.
The Great Provision Mart OF the
Worlds Fair City.
South Water street and IT'S Associations
Fast and I'resent-The Lumber In-
tercsty - sad Fate OC nn
Historic Weasel.
Especial Chicago Correspondence,

Especial Chicago Corrcspondence.I
At the fal! season Of the year South
Water street in Chicago presents PEE
culiarly animated appearance. 1t is
the time when the fresh vegetables
- nd fruit arrive from the country, and
somehow it seems that fowl and game
arc more frequent than during the sum-
mcr months. After all the game laws
may possibly have something to do with
the markets. at least in the manner of
displaying things.
South Water street in Chicago is one
of those places which acquire interest
from sentimental as well as a practi-
cal point of view. While you are there.
the practical is uppermost. In fact,
sentiment has no chance at all until
you get home and think about IL. 1t
is a most intensely practical. you might
say grossly material, impression that
you get from Il walk rather |
u struggle through this street. I
South Water street runs along |
the Chicago river from its mouth to the
bend at Randolph street. There is
North Water street, too, SO the charts
and the city directory say. But no one
has yet been able to find it anywhere
else. If you try to find it you Will
stumble upon thc Northwestern rail-
road tracks some grain elevators, mar
BILE works. coal docks and similar
things. Eut anyone who looks for that
which civilization calls Il street will be
sadly disappointed.
South Water street. however, is
street. that :, at night.
In the daytime it seems to- be one
huge store in which there is Il bcwildcr-
ing confusion of oranges and melons,
pears, apples. greens and vegetables,
game and fowl geese and chickens
poor things-alivc in their coops and
ready for the murderer 5 knife AS for
wagon getting through the street
well, il is tried at times, but everyone
Who tries il. unless driven by that
modern necessity which we call ousl'
ness, will regret il.
1t is without question the most dense
~ packed par, of Chicago during busi
ness hours 1t shows more direct cvi.
denc.s of business the old -faS hloHcG
style when yon had Your goods rlEh'
where YOU sold them ana did not pm
Yourself in an elegant Office down to"r
and your goods in some out-oi-tnc-WaN
place in a factory or storage room. IL
short, it is one OF those relics OF the
time when Chicago WA, IL little village
which is within the memory of many
man now living. 1t is one Of the old
along a narrow street instead OF tctht
spread over IL large square.
As Chicago Increased lit size, "ealt
and refine mcnt many of its institution
kept pace with its development and be
came thoroughly modern. But tn
Sonfh Water street market increase
in size and density only. Otherwise
is AS primitive as the o!d-fashlone
village market Tou have to pus
your way through barrels of apple
and egg plant, checses and melon
dodge the carcasscs of deer ana duck
dangling from the awnings, watch tt
sidewalk 50 that you do not slip up c
patch of blood or Il stray pear {
plum, keep your dresses or yo'
trousers legs from ont Of the bills
the geese that dwell in coops piled
high as your head about you. l'
barely have room to step aside TO l
the men pass with their trucks VIII,
they are conveying goods to or fro
those parts of the stores which
within the buildings. Occasionally y
see some diversion.
1t IS interesting at times to see wh
excitement a poor frightened roos'
can create when he escapes. from
coon and runs out in the street, p'
sued hy Il half dozen men in their sh
sleeves lie will run under wagons II
elu,le the pursuers- "A crowd VIII c
lcrt, everybody tries to catch MIN, n
after half an hours chase often
poor fowl frightened to death,
caught and returned to his coop.
South Water street is one OF the
rortant parts of Chicago's business IL
Most of its business is wholesale.
supplies the groceries and meat IN
kets. restaurants and boarding hois
q ,.il *
ly to this business excepting
branch. the lumber business. VIII
ffourishcs in its rear. To use an
bcruianism. the rear fronts on the
CIR. and here some of the marine IN
c.,s arc housed, mainly the lum
trade, but also such supplement
trades rs ship chandlcries, sail 10
tug offices, etc.
The large open water at
iunction Of the north and so
branches of the Chicago river. wi
lies back of South Water street
known as the lumber market. Dun
tho season of navigation dozens OF
soils loaded with lumber can bc $
fled up along the docks there, wal
+o sell their loads. They go there
iii this is done, then they tow up TO
1umber yards belonging to the o.
and unload. All these lumber y
are along the river or the rake II
for obvious reasons. The lun Der
ness of Chicago is immense. hgures
up into the bilious, the men ,,. eng
in il would make an army. About
miles of duckage is devoted 10
business. Untold millions ot ca
are invested in it, 1t mas heFtl
d;s,inct trades. The lumber sh'
bavc a trades union OF ther
,,d are under the strlctes1
L.. No one can work at that I
rpless he belongs to the union.
are big. strong, daredevil kind OF
The lum bermeu also have ass
+ions of their own, the Lum oerr
~ ,b;c,C, Ium ber ffef