The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-18
CHICAGO'S WATERWAY.
The Smallest River Doing the Lar
Ueat Business In the World,

The Smallest Rfvcr Doing the Lar
gent Business In the World.
The smallest and busiest river in the
world. Where do you think it is? Theo-
1ore Dresser locates it in Chicago, and
has this to gay about it: The first pecui-
iarity of this little stream is that it is
the smaller river doing the largest busi-
nesa in tho world, or, in other words,
the busiest river in the world. In the
next place, it has the greatest depth for
the narrowest width of any known riv-
or. In the third place, it has the largest
number Of bridges spanning it of any
river Of equal or greater length, barring
the Mississippi-ora total of % bridges.
All these are draw or swinging bridges
and carry traffic of their own over
head almost as important as that which
passes below. Nett, this river has little
or no current to speak of, and flows up
ward instead Of down 1t is the only
known river waoso current has been
turned round and made. as it were. to
flow the other way. Lastly, it is sort
of an orphan river, for, whereas all
rivers and harbors are owned and cared
for by the United States govelsment,
the secretary of war, whose province it
is to care for these things, will have
nothing to do with it. and Chicago re-
pairs it only sufficient for its now needs.
but lays no claim to the right Of way.
In this strange predicament the littlo
stream flows wretchedly backward,
loaded with the largest and most valua-
BILE collection of vessels that ever crowd
ed au inland sea 1t is one tumultuous
highway, far more exciting than Broad
way and somewhat less charming than
the Hudson. The city uses it as an
emptying place for its sewers and the
street cleaning department. as dump
ing ground for its waste, and yet it is
the most valuable factor in the life OF
Chicago, and the one moro than all else
that has made the city what it is today
No other river in the wide world pos
sesses or pretends to tho appearance Of
this peculiar stream. In its busiest
hours it is sight for gods and men. A
mere creek. it struggles with the burden
of an ocean. The great deep draft pro-
pellers tear the water into splattering
fragments. Their huge stacks often hide
the entire stream from view with great
clouds of smoke. The ineoing and out
going vessels quarrel for tho right of
way with all tho vehemence inherent
in gongs and whistles Tug pilots han
lie their craft with a skill that would
put to shame the manners Of tho heavy
! teamsters in i crowded New York lane
The longest branch Of the river today
is more than ten miles in length, and
the total length of all branches is l6.
At it's mouth it is no moro than 200 feet
wide, and tue fact that it is the same
width mile or two up stream IS due to
the fact tina, il was made sc by cxcava-
tion and dredging. At one time (iS6H
it was 200 feet wide az Lake street, l75
feet wide at Randolph, block further
on; 1865 feet at Washington, l75 feet at
Madison-all these but single blocks
apart-and so on until it became so
small as to be unnavigable by boats
drawing ten feet OF water. In that year,
however, it was dredged and made
uniform width Of goo feet in the south
branch, and it is kept that width by
the walls Of the immense buildings
which have now encroached to the very
waters edge, and which in most cases
form tho only banks visible.
| 1t is interesting to note the peculiar
tiles of this poor little stream. Nowhere
along its shores within the great city
limits is there a foot Of unoccupied
ground where tree may find root. No
branch or blade Of green graces its
shores. No bountiful springs rise from
point to point and feed it. It's tribu-
taries are dark, stone arched sewers
which empty their subterranean black
ness into it in continuous stream. Its
banks are for tho most part sheer walls
of red brick. Where an open space oc-
ours railroad tracks skirt the waters
edge so closely rs 70 stir q fear for the
safety Of the cars which line them.
Lumber yards make up ether portions,
and groups Of belching smokestacks,
sootv black. rise in forestlike numbers
at regular intervals. No single space
but has some wharf or freight shed,
factory or warehouse filling up the last
ayailable inch, stockyards, lumber
yards, railroad yards, stoneyards, coal
yards-theso interspersed with docks,
elevators, manufactures and broweries
make its banks interesting. If not beau
tiful metropolitan.
When Minds Are Brizhtest.
Swift was 80 when his brain gave
birth to "Gulliver's Travels.
Sir Walter Scott was Al when his
"Waverley" made its appearance, and
nearly all those stories which have con-
ferrctl lasting fame upon him were com-