The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-05-19
MUNICIPAL PROGRESS.
Will New York or Chicago Be
the Greater in 1903?
SOMR PERTINENT PREDICTIONS.

John McGovern and Andrew II. Green
Write Of Great Cities-Bev. Thomas
Dixon, Jr., and Moncure ID. Conway Dis
cuss Theology and Other Interesting
Ouestions--A Woman's View.
copyright, 1903, by American Press Associa-
tion.
What will be the size and status of Chi
cago in a century, Well, let us suppose we
have no war, pestilence or earthquake, and
that the Mississippi valley has counted 100
more harvests, has garnered fifty billion
bushels of wheat, one hundred and fifty
billion bushels OF corn, and so on, and this
quantity of fuel has been turned into hui
man energy, and men have all worked like
slaves, as they now work, with almost
magical power of product by use Of ma
chinery, and Chicago is in the center of it,
the largest city of the valley-is it not a
stupendous thought
1t will depopulate London, and as men
have always migrated when necessary,
either by war or friendly reception, such a
history might find Chicago with 10000, 900
people, extending from Wisconsin to Indi-
ana. Six hundred Thousand people came
here to stay between Jan. 1, 1889, and Jan.
1, 1892 If you knew every one three years
ago, there are today six that you do not
recognize to eight that you do. With
blocks Of 16-story buildings rising In every
direction. with 72, 900 persons riding in the
elevators Of one structure in one day, what
shall the prophet do but spread the pinions
of his imagination and soar to empyreal
heights2
This think know Of Chicago-that it
is the cheapest place to live if one will
work. But perhaps the reason for the in.
expensiveness Of life here is the low state OF
municipal cleanliness. Purity is never a
bargain. Filthy streets, black buildings,
unswept cutters and walks, careless raj
ment-these matters PROFESSIONALLY make
life easier, just as a soiled child in an alley
has much happier life than little Lord
Fauntleroy-and lives longer. With level
site and Lake Michigan to drink from,
with all railroad trains and all lake craft
due here at any time within week always,
I should think Chicago would support
5000, 900 souls at least within 100 years.
Yet if the wage system shall remain to be
the only one that human nature will toll
crate it appears probable that the town will
be Birmingham and not Florence. The
black pail of smoke that lowers upon Chi
cago annually after the sun crosses Madison
street going south must increase, for each
new tall building of which we hear empties
its additional tons upon tons into the skies.
We ought to like the age Of progress, and
we do. Nearly everybody in America has
sat in velvet chair, if only in railroad
car. There are getting to be so many fine
things the kings cannot use them all. A
Chicagoan of modest means was awakened
the other night at IL o'clock by telegraph
boy, who delivered an electric message fol
the hired girl from another hired girl con.
corning an engagement to meet the next
Thursday out. He was forced to awaken
the girl and convey the tidings orally, as
she could not herself read the plainest
print. This episode bcspeaks the democ
racy of the times far louder than con.
CHEESEMAN'S grafton.
JOHN MGOVERN.