The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-12
WORLDS FAIR CITY.
Entertaining Gossip About Chi
cago's Growing Population.
Increasing at the Rate of One Hundred
Thousand a Year-EGect of the Expo
sition-ProbabilitIes of Employ
ment-PecuIiar Contrasts.
Especial Chicago Correspondence


| the school census have both been fin
ished and this result established. 1t is
time for congratulations or commisera-
| ton, according to the view one may
take of the matter. Some people look
upon an increase of population as an
unalloyed blessing, others think it
| brings more evil than good.
am about in the position of the pro-
fessor who was asked what he thought
of smoking. Il look upon the use of
| tobacco said he. about the same as
upon the use of hay. Some creatures
like it, but | don't" This is not in
tended to compare those who think
population is good thing under all
circumstances and at all times to the
creatures which like hay, but if anyone
can congratulate Chicago upon an in
crease of 200, 600 inhabitants in two
years he certainly possesses the cour-
age of his convictions. For il is only
two years since the government census
showed population of about !, 200, 600
There is thus an increase of 100, 900
year, or twice as large as that which
prevailed before the worlds fair was
located in Chicago.
Is this all due to the worlds fair? 1t
would seem that about 100000 people
were attracted TO this city by that en-
terprIse, placing the other 100000 to
the account of the normal increase of
the city.
The question arises: What are these
people going to do when the worlds
fair is over?
There may be work for them or for
the So eco or more among them who are
their breadwinners. But after the fair?
VIII they remain in Chicago and help
swell the army of the unemployed?
This is quite Il serious problem. Old
er cities have long had large perma-
nent population of unemployed. Chi
cago has been happily free from this
evil to great extent up to the present
time, owing to its growth and the de-
velopment of its enterprises and of the
country which is tributary to it. Is the
worlds fair, with all its blessings, GO
ing to leave us this legacy of a huge
army of hungry worknen whose pres
ence will depress wages and disturb
business?
If this were an older city which had
reached about the measure of its devel-
opment, | should be constrained to
think that such would be the case. But,
happily for Chicago, the power of di-
costing and assirnilating large numbers
of people is by no means exhausted.
To this faculty must be added the slim
ulating effect which the worlds fair
viii necessarily have upon our indus
trial life. 1t is not only the large
amounts of money that will be put into
circulation right here that will help us
to get over this extraordinary influx of
people, which will probably so on till
the fair is over and add another 100, 900
by that time. In addition bust
ness all over the country will
pick up after the fair. was talking
with very clear-headed financier the
other day. He argued that the worlds
fair was having depressing influence
upon business all over the country, in
asmuch as people everywhere were
saving money in order to come to Chi
cago i'll 1898. These amounts might be
small, but if several million people |
each boarded 500 or SO it would seri- |
ously impair the currency of the coun-
try. Now, when the fair comes all
this money will be released and bust
ness will be better. Furthermore,
there is hardly a doubt that as a result |
of the fair numerous big enterprises |
w u be established in Chicago or this |
country around it, and thus employ |
ment will be furnished to many of the |
surplus population and part of it will |
depart for the new enterprises outside, |
for which capital and men will be got
ten together in Chicago.
For such reasons it would seem that |
the dangerous effects of having so |
large surplus population on hand will |
not be seriously felt, as there will |
come, at the same time, u large perma-
nent increase in the business of this |
city and its territory.
There will be iibes without number |
at the census of the city directory COM
pany and its enumerators. There will |
be cries of stuffed returns and elbow
ing" But there seems to be no good rea
son to question the accuracy of the
nor to doubt the destiny |
of this city to reap permanent benefits
from the fair.
1t is true at the same time, that the
child is outgrowing its clothes. You |
can see its wrists and arms sticking out |
from its sleeves, and its ankles are Wis
IDLE below its trousers. That is to
say, public improvements do not and
cannot keep step with the growth of
the city.
Provisions made a few years ago
with view of accommodating rapidly
increasing population are beginning to
prove inadequate. The authorities are
making every possible effort to keep
pace with our growth. At a recent
meeting of the city council ordi-
rances were passed TO- paving over
fifty streets. But cveI SO, the city
grows TOO fast, and the means at its
are not sufficient to carry out
all necessary improvements. Herein,
however. lies another safety valve, so
to speak, for the public improvements
which are proceeding on 4 grand scale
will give employment to large numbers
Of people who would otherwise be idle.
For once Chicago's climate did not
come up to its reputation this season.
After two months OF foods came hot
spell that was little better than in
cities having no great lake to temper
their climate. But there is this COM
fort about Chicago's climate, that the
nights at least are cool and pleasant,
and there are a few hours after sunset
and about sunrise where one can have
daylight and at the same time a tenn