Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-08
THE BEAUTIFUL CHI-KANG-ONG
BY FREDERIC J. HASKM

CHICAGO, Ill, June 3.-The rise
of the Chicago river, figuratively
speaking, has been almost as spec
tacular as the rise of some of the
banks. But in all fairness it must
be admitted that it belongs not so
much to the class which has achieved
greatness as to the class which has
had greatness thrust upon it. 1t
has nearly always been in the public
eye, either as a civic problem or an
advantage, and now the attention of
the whole country is turned toward
it again. this time because the two
million-doll Michigan avenue bridge
over it has just been completed.
This bridge is really the greatest
honor that has been paid to the
river so far. 1t is the first double
level bridge for pedestrians as we'll
as traffic to be built in this coun-
try, if not in the world. and marks
gested city traffic in America. The
river may we'll flow more proudly
under such structure, and Chica-
goans walk more proudly over it.
For it is monument to progressive
citizenship as represented by the Chi
cago plan commission.
The Chicago river seems always
to have been somehow involved in
the destinies of men. In fact it is
the reason why there is any Chicago.
as canoe route, as it furnished a
waterway from Lake Michigan which,
with miles easy portage, connect
ed 1t with the Desplaines river, and
thence down the Illinois to the Mis-
sissippi. 1t was called Chi-Kang-
Ong by the Indians, a name which
means River of the Wild Onion.
After it was discovered by Joliet and
Marquette trading post was estab-,
lished at its mouth and that was
the beginning of Chicago.
Was Menace
It had always been a sluggish and
Weak-Willed stream flowing feebly
into Lake Michigan, and before the.
day of the drainage canal it became
goans. For nine or ten months Of
the year it had no current at all,
and, as the drainage of the city was
emptied into 1t, the result was ex-
sanitary. SO after thirty years of
agitation and work the drainage ca
nal was completed, and the obliging
river turned around and flowed back
wards into the Desplaines, carrying
quantities of purifying. lake water
more valuable to commerce.
But it is not its rise as useful
factor in Chicago life that has be&
SO spectacular. 1t is it's rise as an
esthetic influence. 1t is the Cinde-
rella among rivers, and at last it
seems to- be coming into it's own.
Once considered by all to be loathly
stream, to be used for drainage. and
to bear huge unga1nly barges loaded
with coal and iron upon its back, ait
now painted and etched and sung by
almost every artist and poet for
miles around. If you are an advanc-
ed Chicagoan you will no longer blush
and apologize when visitors mention
it. You will rather lead them to it
impressively, and point with pride
to it's sWirling green waters reflect
ing old warehouses, dark red barges,
little white puffs of smoke, from the
tugs, and dipping seagulls. Swar1ns
tue and the Academy of Fine Arts
have been descending upon it of
late and clinging all over it's bridges
and wharves busiy preserving it's
beauty in crayon and paint. Young
poets moon along it's bridges at tWf-
light and watch the first red and
yellow lights pop out on the boats
and send long lines of brightness
down into it's violet waters, the while
their bosoms swell with appropriate
sentiments. 1t is not known exactly
who first discovered the innate love-
liness of this much maligned stream
but it is generally conceded that Carl
Sandburg, unofficial poet laureate OF
chicago, WAS one VI Ille AlSI ~ Aliu
poetry in it. So he was asked to
explain it's sudden charm for the
cultured.
Now inspires Poets
We'll" said Mr.. Sandburg cooking
his stogie at a meditative angle, II
guess you might say that the rea-
SON we are beginning to appreciate
the Chicago River is that we are
just growing an artistic conscious
mes of our own. You see we've been
too busy growing commercially I'M
til just lately to give much time to
beauty, and so we got our art ready
made. F'rinstance, take the lions on
the Art Institute steps-if we'd had
any sense of the relation of art to
life we'd have buffaloes on those
steps and a lot better looking ami
mails they would be too. But we got