The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-12
Chicago In 1864.


history, and is really quite funny as a
piece of unconscious humor, Superla-
lively unconscious, II one may say so,
for the writer evidently meant to be inn
pressively serious, but he ventures on
prophecy and points out some evils
which may become serious If allowed to
go unchecked.
He is astounded that city of 10000
people should have sprung up there in
one generations; he ventures 10 guess
that the newly discovered stone ''on the
line of the canal" Joliet marble) will
prove of great advantage if the city con-
tinues to grow, and assures his readers
that there really are in the city 0 omni-
bus routes, 10 newspapers, 60 clergymen
and 2s0 lawyers! He then warns the
people Of certain dangerous tendencies,
winding up with these words:
Speculation and too great eagerness TO get
rich, with a lack Of those healthful restraints
which exist in an older community, have COM
bined to weaken the moral sense of the people
In regard to business transactions There is a
leniency exhibited toward sharp bargains, un-
due coloring and actual Misrepresentation
which, il allowed to go unchecked, will by de-
grees destroy that vital morality which Is in
dispensable to the prosperity of commercial
state
Even then thirteen lines Of railroad
might be said to center In the young
city, though not nearly so msny entered
it. In 1850 it had population of 80, 96s,
and that of 10000 for the winter of
1866 (when the writer in Putnam was
there) is only an enthusiastically cor
rect, probably, for in 1860 it was 49,
172 and in 1910 it had been but 4, ITO.
Even in 1856 Chicago claimed to be "the
first grain market in the world, the first
lumber market in the world and the
third city in the Union in postofice rev.
enues."
Probably the claim was correct, for in
the calendar year 1855 Chicago received
90,367, 702 bushels of grain, packed So
$50 hogs and received 306,54740 feet
of lumber and los, 647, $50 shingles. In
its first tax year the city's valuation was
but 81 ,G67, AS, and our author was very
properly astonished to learn that in 1855
it was $oG ,992, S93-possibly the valua-
ton of one of the leading wards of to-
day. 1t is scarcely necessary to add
that he found the going very bad, even
on the principal streets, and discovered
that the city was built ON peculiar
sort of black, fat mud" which, he added,
sit is hard to describe for English read
ers." He was sure, however, that there
was nothing like it in London Verify,
there was not.
He ventures to predict that tunnels
will be put under the Chicago river, but
the place must ever remain the city of
bridges" If it continues to grow it will
'some day rival Venice in this particu-
lar" "Stone is as yet too expensive for
pavements, and SO the sidewalks and
carriageways are planked the planks
actually float and the carriages send up
jets of muddy water In the line of
eating, at the Briggs House he found
"prairie chicken, whitefsh, venison and
wild goose so common that they scarce
ly deserve notice." He also tried the
amusements, and was highly entertained
by 'sNorth's circus and Mr.. Neaie's ap-
pearance in Jack Cade.'"
Such was Chicago in 1866. Today
the city has at least 100000 inhabit-
ants. The story of its growthin other
lines need not be repeated. Rhetoric is
badly out of place. The plain figures
are more eloquent than the most impas-
stoned eulogy. Chicago is indeed the
wonder of the modern world. No other
city ever grew SO rapidly for so many
years, and SO far as human eye can see
it must continue to grow at nearly the
same rate through its second half CEN
fury, for the country naturally tribu-
tary to it has but begun to develop.