The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-13

where religious le4or@t1on was first
taught, and Of Plymouth. where the
first Puritan colony landed, that one
which did not hang Quakers or burn
witches, and on this line is Kingston,
N. r, where John Jay and others
formed the original constitution Of
New York state. in the west. or beyond
the Allegheny mountains, which con-
stitution lasted almost down to the
time of the Erie canal.
Chicago is on the longitude of old
Pensacola, where Andrew jackson did
his hacking and hanging. In spite Of
ell that, Pensacola cuts no figure
among the ports of the country. while
the unknown Chicago, which wss
marked in Jackson's presidency by
only flag on the maps, showing that
it was block house. has become the
second port in the United States.
When the Illinois Central railroad
was endowed by congress with three
million acres of land, the Mobile g. Ohio
railroad was similarly endowed, from
Cairo, Ill, to Mobile. Mobile, few
years prior to the civil war; filed as
much of the news, commerce and mag
nation of the country as Chicago, but
the civil war, which was capitalized in
Alabama into a government, divided
the body of this giant into half, unless
it is to be forged together again by the
coal and iron of northern Alabama.
Eastern people suppose that Chicago
stands alone on the west shore of Lake
Michigan, but going north from Chica-
go you come to these respectable
ports, all thriving: Waukegan, Keno
sha, Racine, Milwaukee, Sheboygan,
Manitowoc, Kewaunee and so on, to
the straits of Mackinaw, which are
about three hundred and twenty-five
miles from Chicago. These straits are
at the top OF a Beautiful Moorish arcn,
of which one end is at Chicago and the
other in the archipelago of Lake Erie.
The length of this arch is about six
hundred and fifty miles, and the east
ern foot of it is some two hundred
miles from Buffalo.
If you glance at the great lakes as
they stand pictorially on the map they
look like a megatherium or pregeolog-
ical animal, its head in western Lake
Superior, it's feet Michigan and Huron
and it's tail the Georgian bay.
In these days most people forget
that Chicago, like New York, was
make by canal, and in each case it
was q canal to the lakes. The year the
Erie canal was opened by Dewitt Gin
ton. 1895, canal was surveyed and de-
vised to run from Chicago across to tbs
Illinois river and down that river to
the Mississippi. The principal agent
to secure this canal and land to endow
it was Daniel, P. Cook, whose name
ends obscurefy immortal in the metro
politan county of Illinois, for Chicago
is in Cook county. They supposed the
canal wouAd cost six hundred and
forty Thousand dollars, but it cost
twelve million dollars, and 1t was
endowed with 2o5, 600 acres of land.
When it was commenced there were
only three families in Chicago living
outside of the bloclxhouse of the fort,
In 1880. The commencement of this
canal caused Chicago to be laid out,
and at sale Of lots 10 that place, In
1sa6, it was thongat to be stnpendops
that the waacae parcel realized 81, 5O3.
Ground was not broken for this canal
until 1888, when pork was from $40 to
$50 a barrea on the spot -four from SO
to $ta, salt :$1a to SIS, and labor $40 TO
$50 month,ana board. The next year,
1897, the great panic broke the state,
but the caaaa kept enough people at
Chicago to2snep 1T FROM relapsing to
| stagnation and marsh. Interest ceased
on the state debt, which was s14,0Qo,-
600, in 1s42, when all the banks broke,
/ apd a republication Like thai Of Missis-
| sipp was feebly agiteted The next
years 1aa3, there were but 1850 people
b Chapsge, largely canal laborers.
The sentHe property of Chicago WAS as
sessed, In 1885, at $9A, 600. Reducing
the canal JOS shellow cut, 1t. was final
" npsnssa5n 1s4s, and by 1ssethe canal
TOLLS had heeR sss0oes eoe, and the canal
lands had btoaga4neaf 81, 5oo, 900, but
there was % canal debit Of 8, 100000.
The year the3anaa was opened, 1913,
tire population ofrGhicago was less
than Cd ,00o. By: 1871 the honest COM
| missioners turned the canal over to
the state with surplus of 1872 900, and
when the greatafse opened that year,
Enthusiastically fesup It's lien of 81, ooo,-
900 on the canal, which they had
started to deepen, at much more than
| that cost. GATH.
squaw's Face Carved by Nature.
Curious growths on trees are often
found by explorers in passing through
| the woods. but seldom has a greater