Feliciana sentinel., 1892-08-20
WORLDS FAIR CITY.
Ente rtaining Gossip About CHI
Gag o's Growing Population.
Inereasinx at the Rate OF Ono Hundred
Thousand 4 Year--E6ect Of the Expo
sition-ProbabiIitIes Of Employ.
asnt-Peculiar Contrasts.
ispecial Chicago Correspondence.i

the school census have both been I'm.
ished and this result established. 1t is
time for congratulations or commisera-
tion, according to the vie" 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-
fcssor 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 I don't" This is not in
tended to compare those who think
population is Il 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, 900 inha btants in two
years he centainly possesses the coar-
age of his convictions. For IL is only
two years since the government census
showed Il population of about 1000 o0o
There is thus an increase of 100000 a
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-
terprsc, placing the other 100000 to
the account of the normal increase of
the city.
The question arises: What arc these
people going to do when the worlds
fair is over"
There may be work for them or for
the 30, 900 or more among them who are
their breadwinncrs. But after the fair?
Will they remain in Chicago and help
swell the army of the unemployed?
This is quite serious problem. Old
err cities have long had large Perma-
nent population of unemployed. Chi
cago has been happily free from this
evil to a great extent up to the present
time, owing to it's growth and the de-
velopment Of its enterprises and Of the
country which is tributary to it. lsthe
worlds fair. with all it's blessings, go
| ing to leave us this legacy of huge
army of hungry worknen whose pres
cnce will depress wages and disturb
business?
| If this were an older city which had
| reached about the measure of its devel-
opment l should be constrained to
| think that such would be the case. But,
| happily for Chicago. the power of di-
| gcstipg and assinilating large numbers
of people is by no means exhausted.
To this faculty must be added the slim
ulatins effect which the worlds fair
will 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 go on till
the fair is over and add another 100, 900
| by that time. In addition busi-
ness all over the country will
! t,,ly l,e IA; fa4 ff
| with a very clcar-headed tinancier the
| other day. He argued that the worlds
| fair was having Il depressing influence
| upon business all over the country. in
| asmuch as people everywhere were
| saving money in order to come to Chi
| cago in 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 busi-
! ness will be better. Furthermore,
there is hardly a doubt that as a result
of the fair numerous big enterprises
will 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 a surplus population on hand will
not be seriously felt, as there will
come. at the same time. n large perma-
| ncnt increase in the business of this
| city and its territory.
| There will be iibeS without mum Der
at the census OF the city directory com
pany and its cnumerators. There will
I be cries of stuffed returns and "blow-
| ing" hut there seems to 6c no good rea-
| son to question the accuracy of the
enumeration, 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 it's wrists and arms sticking out
from its sleeves, and its ankles are Wis
ibtc below its trousers. That is to
say. public improvements do not and
cannot keep step with the growth of
| the city.
! Provisions made few years ago
with view of accommod ating rapidly
| ncreasing 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-
nances were passed for paving over
| fifty streets. But even so. the city
! grows too fast and the means at its
disposal 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 grand scale
will give employment to large mum bers
of people who would otherwise be idle.
For once Chicagos climate did not
come up to its reputation this season.
After two months of foods came a hot
spell that was little better than in
cities having no great lake to temper