Natchitoches populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899, 1899-02-10
THE CHICAGO RIVER,
An Open Sewer Navlgahle for Vessels for Ito
Sixteen Miles LeHght.

the world, Where do you think 1t Isl
Theodore Dresser locates it in Chicago
and has this to say about if: The first
popularity of this little stream is that
1t is the smaller river doing the larg.
est business in the world, or in other
words, the busiest river in the world.
In the next place, 1t has the greatest
depth for the narrOWest width Of any
known river. In the third place, 1t has
the largest number of bridges span
ming it Of any river or equal length o.
greater length, barring the Mississippi
"a total Of fifty-two bridges. All these
are draw or swinging bridges and car
ry a traffic of their own overhead al
most as important as that which pass
es below. Next, this river has little or
no current to speak Of, and flows up
ward instead of down. 1t is the only
known river whose current has been
turned round and made, as it were, to
flow the other way, Lastly, is is a
sort of an orphan river, for whereas nil
rivers and harbors are owned and
cared for by the United States govern
ment, the Secretary of War. whose
province it is to care for these things,
will have nothing to do with it, and
Chicago repairs it only sufficient for
its now needs, but lays no claim to the
right Of way.
In this strange predicamentthis little
stream flows wretchedly backward,
loaded with the largest and most val.
liable collection of vessels that ever
crowded an inland sea. Ii is one tn.
multuous highway, far more exciting
than Broadway and somewhat less
charming than the Hudson. The city
uses it as an emptying place for its
sewers and the Street Cleaning De.
partment as a dumping ground for it's
waste, and yet it is the most valuable
factor in the life of Chicago, and the
one more than all else that has made
the city what it is to-day. No other
river in the wide world possesses or
pretends to the appearance of this De.
euliar stream. In its busiest hours il
is sight for gods and men A mere
creek, 1t struggles with the burden of
an ocean. The great deep-draught
propellerS tear the water into splatter,
ing fragments. Their huge stacks
often hide the entire stream from view
with great clouds of smoke. The in.
going and outgoing vessels quarrel for
the right oil way with all the vehe.
mence Inherent in gongs and whistles.
Tug pilots handle their craft with q
skill that would put to shame the
manners of the heavy teamsters In a
New York lane.
The longest branch of the river to-
DAY Is more than ten miles in length.
and the total length of all branches Is
sixteen. AT its mouth it is no more
than 200 feet wide, and the fact that
1t is the same width a mile or two up.
stream Is due to tie fact that 1t was
made so by excavation and dredging.
At one time 1860 it was 200 feet wide
at Lake street, 175 feet wide at Ran.
1olph. a block further on; 1855 feet ut
175 feet at Madison-ail
these but single blocks apart-and SO
On until it became unnavigable by
boats drawing ten feet Of water. In |
hat year, however, it was dredged
Ind made a uniform width of 200 feet
D the south branch, and it is kept
hat width hy the walls Of the i'm.
nense buildings which have now en-
'roaehed to the very Writer'S edge, and
which in most cases form the only
ranks visible.
1t is interesting 10 note the peculiar.
ties OF this poor little stream. No
where along Its shores within the
sreat city limits is there foog of TN
coupled ground where tree may find
DOT. No branch or blade of green
races its shores. No bountifuI springs
Use from point to point and feed II
is tributaries are dark, stonesarched
ewers which empty their suoterran.
an blackness into it In continuous
tream. It's banks are for tho ,nasr
art sheer walls of red brick. Where
n open space occurs railroad tracks
KIT the waters edge 80 closely as to
tir fear for the safety Of the csvs
men nne Them. Lumber yards make
D otner portlons, and groups of belch-
10 smokestacks, sooty black, rise in
orest-llRe numbers at regular inter.
ais. NO single space but has some
'harf or freight shed, factory or
arehouse, filling up thu last available
lch' STOCK yards, lumber yards, rail-
lad yards, Stone yards, coal yards
lese interspersed with docks. eleya.
RS, manufactures and brewerias
AXE its banks interesting If nor
sautiful