THE RAIL-ROADS, HISTORY AND COMMERCE C H I C A G O. COOK COCSTT COCR SKl'OM) KMTION OF fc.OOd THREE ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY DEMOCRATIC PRESS. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: DEMOCRATIC PRESS JOB AND HOOK STEAM PRINTING OFFICE, 4,') CLARK ST. 1854. EEES & KERFOOT, LAND mm, REAL ESTATE AND STOCK BROKERS, lark Street, Chicago, JUinois. Make all their deposits with, and effect their exchanges through TT us* JL Jtf And through him have made arrangements for the REM1TANCE of FUNDS to and from ALL PARTS OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONS, CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES. Remittances may be made through him and his several Correspondents as published iu his card, (page 73,) and thus REKS & KERFOOT offer their services 10 PERSONS OF ALL LAS- SES AND i OUNTRIES, pledsrinc themselves to a faithful discharge of thtir duties in making INVESTMENTS IN OR SALES OF REAL ESTATE. *** For the benefit of non-residents of the United States, R. & K. beg to saj, that, by the laws of Illinois, Foreigners can hold Real Estate, and dispose of the same. Lands as beautiful as the grass lawns of England, or the cultivated fields of the continent of Europe, can be pur- chased contiguous to Chicago and on the lines of her numerous Railways, at prices, per acre, ranging from five shillings to four pounds sterling. In order that the public may fully understand the confidence that is entertained in the permanent and increasing value of Real Estate in Chica- go and vicinity, R. & K. will undertake to guarantee a rise of from six to ten per cent per an- num, (which from experience they know to be a safe estimate,) dependent upon the rate of com- mission given and received for such insurance this guarantee to hold only where expressly stipu- lated, and to stand only for such length of time as may be agreed upon by them. unniTinm TD ruin/inn AIM HUM IU UnlUAuU. Rees & Kerfoot beg leave to call particular attention to this Property lying wholly within the lim- its of the city, and having upwards of 5.000 feet of River front, and which has lately been sub- divided and placed in Market. It offers to persons desiring to establish MANUFACTURES opportunities which can be enjoyed in no other part of the city. Situated, as its title indicates, on the South Bianch of the Chicago River, it lies immediately between the heart and center of business, and the point of the City at which the Illinois and Michigan Canal connects with the Chicago River. It is thus evidently the site of the MANUFACTURING DISTRICT ..f the city. Lumber, Coal, Iron, and all materials, with manufactured ai tides can be most conveniently received at and discharged from this point by Lake, Canal, Railroad and Teams. Property for ACTUAL USE will be sold at reasonable prices and on terms to suit the means and convenience of purchasers for such purpose. (SEE PAGES 72 AND 73.) THE I HISTORY AND COMMERCE CHICAGO coo*; oouswr COOST House, SECOND EDIHOK. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: PRESS JOB A^ BOOK STEAM PRINTING OFFICE, 45 CLARKE ST. 1354:. MILWAUKEE AND FOND DU LAC R. R. A road is chartered, and, if we mistake not, it is under contract from Milwaukee to Fond du Lac, a distance of about sixty miles. It runs through a fine portion of Wisconsin, and while it will mainly benefit Milwaukee, it will be of great advantage also to Chicago, as it will place us in direct railroad communication with Lake Winnebago, and will doubtless bring a large trade to this city. RACINE AND BELOIT RAILROAD. The city of Racine is mainly interested in the construction of this road ; but it will act as an important feeder to the Chicago and Milwaukee Road, and open to this city the trade of some of the finest counties in the State of Wisconsin. It has been surveyed, and, we believe, is under contract. The distances from Racine to Beloit is about sixty-five miles. The next trunk road west of the Milwaukee, or Lake shore line, is the ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN R. R. Hon. WM. B. OGDEN, President. HENRY SMITH, Vice President. A. S. DOWNS, Secretary. W. S. GURNEE, Treasurer. S. F. JOHNSON, Superintendent. This is one of the most important roads lead- log into the city. It is of the broad, or six feet guage. It is now finished and cars running upon it, thirty-two miles to Deer Grove. The grading is nearly done to Janesville, Wisconsin, eighty eight and a half miles, and it is to be completed to that city by the first of July next. It is to run on nearly an air line, and passes through one of the richest agricultural portions of Illinois and Wisconsin. Without speaking of its branches and continuations, it is safe to say, that the busi- ness of the country through which it passes would furnish a fair dividend to the stockholders. The section of country in the vicinity of the road is well worthy the attention tof settlers, as unoccu- pied lands of excellent quality can be had at from two to ten dollars per acre, according to the dis- ! tance they are from a town or station, and im- ' proved lands at from fire to twenty dollars. On j this road there will be, on the first day of May next, two passenger trains and one freight train, per day. The road has two, and virtually three branches, although one of them is to be built under a separate charter. FOND DU LAC BRANCH. This road is to extend from Janesville to Fond du Lac, about seventy-eight miles. It is under contract, and will probably be completed in alJ during the year 1855. It passes throngh the counties of Rock, Jeffci-son, Dodge and Fond du Lac, and will bring us the trade and travel of the very heart of Wisconsin. The section is rich in agricultural resources, and its trade is a prize well worthy of the attention it has received from our enterprising merchants and business men. MADISON BRANCH. The distance from Janesville to Madison is thirty-five miles. This branch is also under con- tract, and is to be completed within the present year. At Madison the road will meet two other roads ; but it does not become us to say in thia article whether they should be spoken of as ex- tensions of this road, or of the Beloit and Madi- son extension of the Galena Road T soon to be noticed. We presume the guage has not yet been fully determined. But before speaking of the roads running northwest of Madison, we no- tice the road running from Janesville to Dubuque, Iowa. It is called the SOUTHERN WISCONSIN RAILROAD. This road is to be of the six feet guage, and is in fact, we believe, pait and parcel of the Illinois and Wisconsin. It passes through the counties of Rock, Green, Lafayette and Grant the very heart of the lead region. It is universally con- ceded that there is not in the wide world a sec- tion of country so rich in this mineral ; and none that yields so cheaply its treasures to the labors of the miner. This road will at once make Chi- cago as much, if not more, of a mart for the purchase of lead than our sister city of Galena, thus adding another important element to the sources of our wealth and prosperity. But this is not all. We have never seen better land, or a section more admirably adapted to agricultural pursuits, than that through which this road passes. Moat of it is high rolling prai- rie ; but occasionally you find vallies of surpass- ing richness and beauty. Mining seems to absorb the attention of the people ; and hence, if we consider the quality of the soil, farming has been sadly neglected. We know of no section of Wisconsin that holds out greater inducements to the hardy, enterprising emigrant. Excellent farming lands can be had along the route at from one and one fourth to five dollars per acre. The length of the road is about ninety-eight miles. The next trunk road that we notice iu order, is the GALENA & CHICAGO UfflON R. R. J. B. TCEXER, Esq., President and Superin- tendent. P. A. HALL, Assistant Superintendent. WM. M. LARRABEE, Secretary. N. H. TOWNER, Secretary of the Operating Department. WM. II. BROWN, Esq., Treasurer. J. VAN NORTWICK, Chief Engineer. This road is the parent of the Railroad system of Illinois. After surmounting the most formi- dable obstacles, it demonstrated beyond the pos- sibility of a doubt that, owing to the cheapness with which railroads could be built across our rich and beautiful prairies, they would pay a large dividend to the stockholders. This import- ant fact once established, it was not difficult to induce capitalists, both at home and in the East- ern States, to iavest their money in Illinois rail- roads, and hence, at the present time, if we mis- take not, no State in the Union has so many miles of railroad under contract and rapidly ap- proaching completion; and perhaps no other, save New York and Massachusetts, has so many trunk lines, of equal length, that contribute di- rectly to their wealth and prosperity. Compari- sons in reference to the cost of the Galena show that it was built at a very large per centage less than roads of equal length in the Eastern States, and that it can be operated at a much less aver- age expense per mile. Hence the large divi- dends it has distributed amomg the stockholders ; that on the first of August last was eleven per cent ; and that payable on the first of February prox. is ten per cent. A very fair business that for a road that less than four years ago was obliged to borrow money on th individual credit of its President and Directors! As this article will be read by thousands who never eaw the beautiful country through which it runs, it will not be superfluous to add, that it passes through a rich and most beautiful portion of our State. "We hazard nothing in saying that the soil for twenty miles on each side of the road, throughout its whole length, is, on an average, better than that of the gardens in any of the New England or Middle States. Certainly, with proper Yankee cultivation, it could be made to produce more abundantly. The same remark will apply, with equal truth, to all the remainder of the list, round to the great Illinois Central. Need it be wondered at that the (jalena road pays? And with equal certainty may it be expected, if managed with prudence and econ- omy, that nearly all our other roads will pay equally well. The Galena road was opened to Freeport, one hundred and twenty-one miles west of Chicago, on the fourth of September last. Here the road terminates, and reaches Galena by the Illinois Central. Twenty-six miles of the latter road be- yond Freeport was opened on the ninth of Jan- uary, and it is to be completed to Galena, about twenty-five miles farther, by the first of Septem- ber next. This will at once open up to us the trade of the Upper Mississippi. The value of that trade to our city we should not dare to esti- mate, as any figures drawn from its amount last year, and its prospective growth, would appear wild and chimerical. The number of trains that it is expected will be on the road on the first of May next, is at least two passenger trains west and three freight trains. The first branch road to the Galena west of this city, is the FOX RIVER VALLEY RAILROAD. B. W. RAYMOND, Esq., President. A. J. WALDRON, Elgin, Secretary. M. C. TOWN, " Treasurer. MILO SMITH, " Chief Engineer. This road commences at Elgin, and runs up Fox River through the towns of Dundee, Algon- quin, Crystal Lake and Ringwood, to Richmond, on the Wisconsin State line. The length of the road is thirty-four miles. Three fourths of the grading is already completed, and the Company will commence laying iron the last of May. As an extension of this road, though under a com- pany in Winconsin, we notice the , iW *: A . ' WISCONSIN CENTRAL R. R. LE GRAND ROCKWELL, Elkhorn, President. EDWIN HODGES, " Secretary. MILO SMITH, Elgin, Chief Engineer. This road is intended to run on nearly an air line through the very heart of Wisconsin. Com- mencing at Richmond in Illinois on the State line, it passes through Walworth, Jefferson, Dodge and Columbia coumties to Portage, on the Wis- consin river, and it is intended to extend it to Stevens 1 Point the very heart of the best pine region in the State. The length of the road to the latter point is about one hundred and fifty miles. The country along the line of the road is remarkably fine, abounding in untold agricultural riches. It would also do an immense lumber business. Seventeen miles of the road to Elk- horn, the county seat of Walworth county, is 6 located and in process of construction. Sufficient stock is taken to extend it to Burlington, where it meets the Racine and Beloit Eailroad. It is in the hands of experienced men, who have both the means and the energy to push it forward successfully. The directors are ambitious to extend it to Lake Superior. There is also a charter for a road from Richmond, the northern terminus of the Fox River Valley Road, for one direct to Milwaukee. The road, we believe, is not yet located, and therefore we pass it by for the present. Next we notice the BELOIT BRANCH OF THE GALENA R. R. This road leaves the main line at Belyidere, eighty miles west of Chicago, and runs to Beloit in Wisconsin, twenty-one miles. It was finished a few months since, and is an important feeder to the main road. All the winter travel between this city and Milwaukee passes through Beloit, and reaches Janesville by stage, fourteen miles. From Janesville passengers take the Milwaukee and Mississippi road, arriving in Milwaukee the same evening. As an extension of the Beloit Branch, we have the BELOIT AND MADISON R. R. J. B. TURNER, Esq., President. B. DURHAM, Secretary. E. I. TINKHAM, Treasurer. The distance from Beloit to Madison is forty- seven and a half miles. Of this distance seven- teen miles are already graded, and will be put in operation as soon as the iron can be brought on and laid down after navigation opens. It is to be completed in all by the first of July, 1855. We did not speak of the lines projected west and northwest of Madison, when treating of the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad, for the reason that they may be regarded as extensions of that road, and also of the Beloit and Madisoni There are at least three or four main lines beyond Madi- son that will be completed in a very few years. They are, first, the western division of the MILWAUKEE AND MISSISSIPPI R. R. This division extends from Madison to Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi, ninety miles above Galena. The distance is ninety-six miles, thirty- six of which, from Madison to Arena, on the Wisconsin river, are already under contract, and are to be completed at an early day. The coun- try about Prairie du Chien, and in that part of Iowa opposite to it that wonld naturally find an outlet over the road, is excellent, and is filling up very rapidly with an inteliigent, industrious and enterprising population. This road will make a large addition to the business of our city, and our merchants can well afford, if necessary, to furnish a portion of the capital required for its construction. There are, we believe, two or three charters for roads to Minnesota ; but, in order to be de- finite, we will consider them as but one, and call it the MADISON AND ST. PAUL RAILROAD. There can be little doubt that there will be a railroad completed between these two points, perhaps in five, and at most, in eight years. The distance is about three hundred mile* ; and the country through which it would pass, we learned from Dr. Otis Hoyt, Receiver of the Land Office at Willow River, is excellent, and very favorable for the location of a i-ailroad. Dr. Hoyt has traversed the entire route, and was very much pleased with its agricultural and other resources. The western portion of the MILWAUKEE AND LA CROSSE R. R. May also be regarded as a part of the system of Railroads centering in Chicago. La Crosse is ninety miles above Prairie du Chien, on the Mis- sissippi. It is the centre of a very fine region of country, whose resources are being rapidly de- veloped. An enterprising company have a char- ter for the construction of this road, and are pushing it forward with commendable energy. The length of the road beyond Madison would be about one hundred and eighty miles. There is another road soon to be built from Madison or Fond du Lac to Lake Superior, of great importance to this city. Both the Illinois and Wisconsin and the Galena company are anxious to secure the prize. We will call the road the MADISON AND LAKE SUPERIOR R. R. We believe charters already exist in the State of Wisconsin for such a road. 1 he mines of Lake Superior are being extensively worked, and are yielding a large return to their proprietors. So important and extensive has become the business of that rich mineral region, that a road must soon be built to accommodate it. There are also im- mense groves of pine along the route, which alone would furnish nearly business enough to warrant the building of the road. Chicago has a deep interest in its construction. The length of the road would be about two hundred and seventy-five miles. The next trunk road south of the main line of the Galena and Chicago, is the GALENA AIR LINE RAILROAD. [Same officers aa the Galena and Chicago The Galena and Chicago road, as now in oper- ation, doee not run by the shortest route to the Mississippi. When the road was built it was ab- solutely necessary to procure all the aid possible to construct it. Hence the nourishing towns and cities along the route Elgin, Belvidere, Rock- ford and Freeport subscribed liberally to the eteck, in order that the road might be brought to their own doors. At the time it was argued, correctly, that they could afford to take stock if they never received a dollar in dividends, and yet be amply paid in the increased value of real estate, and the impetus it would give to busi- ness. When only forty miles of the road was completed, the stock was some ten per cent, above par. It was well the main line of the road was built where it is, as the towns and cities along its route will furnish it with a large and lucrative business. The through trade to Galena must also be very extensive. But this is the day of " air lines" and "short- cuts," and the Galena Company have thought best to build another road to the "Father of Wa- ters." The ears run on the same track to the Junction, thirty miles from the eity. The road is now completed, and the cars are running upon it to the village of Lane, in Ogle county, seventy- five miles west of the eity. It crosses the Fox River at Geneva, the county seat of Kane oo., and runs a few miles south of Sycamore, De Kalb co., by Franklin Grove, to Dixon, Lee county ; thence through Stirling, Whitesides co., to Ful- ton City, on the Mississippi. The whole of the road is under contract, and is to be completed to the Mississippi by the first of August next. At Dixon it crosses the main line of the Illinois Central, and will furnish the people living on the line of that road, for many miles north and south of that point, direct railroad communication with our city. The extension of the Galena Air Line west- ward is called the LYONS IOWA CENTRAL RAILROAD. SILAS SETMOOR, Esq., St. Louis, President. JAS. McCoT, Fulton City, Secretary. H. P. ADAMS, " Treasurer. ALLEN SLACK, " Chief Engineer. The report of the consulting Engineer of this road, Wm. C. Young, Esq., is before us. He says: "The site of the proposed bridge" at Ful- on City, to connect this road with the Galena Air Line, "is peculiarly favorable. The rocky bluffs on the banks of the river, exceeding one hundred feet in height, bold and precipitous on the east side, and more sloping on the west, ap- proach each other more cloself at this point than at any ather locality available for a railroad cross- ing. The superstructure of an arch and pier bridge may be built ninety feet above the river, so as to place it entirely above any danger of interfering with steamboat navigation." He also suggests the propriety of building a suspension bridge, if experience shall prove them suitable for railroad purposes. The length of the bridge would be about two thousand feet. Council Bluffs, on the Mississippi, is the point to which several of the extensions of the roads from this city are aiming, and that is to be the western terminus of this road. It is under con- tract, and the money is provided to build it to Iowa City, seventy-three miles. The distance from Lyons to Council Bluffs is three hundred and eight miles. It is to be completed to Tipton, fifty miles west of the Mississippi, by the first of October next. This part of the road is to be nearly an air line. Five hundred men are now at work upon the road. The country through which it passes is as fine as any portion of the Mississippi Valley, and it may therefore be ex- pected to add very much to the business and general prosperity of the city. It is to be com- pleted to Iowa City by the first of April, 1865. The road entering the city next south of the Galena, is the CHICAGO, ST. CHARLES AND MIS- SISSIPPI AIR LINE. IRA MINARD, Esq., St. Charles, President. G. S. HUCBARD, Vice President. S. S. JONES, St. Charles, Seeretary. G. W. WAITK, " Chief Engineer. ALT AH HUNT, New York, Treasurer. G. S. HUBBARD, Assistant Treasurer. The depot of this road is to be directly north of North street, on the West side, opposite the old depot of the Michigan Southern, a1, Twelfth street. From the western limits of the city it runs on an air line to St. Charles on Fox river, about forty miles. The road is finished ten miles to the Aux Plaines river, and will be completed to St. Charles as soon as possible after the frost is out of the ground in the Spring. The mason work for the bridge at St. Charles is finished, and the whole line is to be completed to Oregon, on Hock river, about ninety-five miles, by the first of October next. About twenty miles west of Chicago it crosses the Galena Air line, and runs between that and the main trunk- of the Galena, all the way to the Mississippi. The whole line is to be completed to Savanna, a distance of 1 30 miles, on the Mississippi, with a branch to Galena,, thirty miles, by the first of January, 1856. The road is in the hands of a wealthy and enterprising company, and no doubt exists as to 'its prompt completion by the time specified in the- contract. The country through which it passes is- unsur- passed in richness and beauty,, and the projectors of the road are also determined to share with the Galena and the Illinois Central the rich trade of Iowa and the Upper Mississippi. An important extension of the roads centering at Galena is one projected to run up the valley of the Tete des Mortes river to the aouth bend of the Minnesota. W-e shall call it the GALENA AND MINNESOTA RAILCOAD, There is much interest felt in the construction of this road at Galena, and ere many years it will no doubt be among the things that Wester* energy has accomplished. The country along the line is said to be remarkably fine, and a glance at the map will show that it is the short- est route by which we could secure the trade of the Minnesota Valley. It will probably be one of the lines by which we shall connect with the Pacific Railroad', should it be built on Gbv. Stevens' route, from Lak Superior to Puget's Sound. The length of the road would be about 260 miles. As an extension of the Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air Line, the next in our list is the IOWA CENTRAL AIR LINE. Hon. GECX. GREE.V,. Cedar Rapids (Iowa),. Pre- sident. S. S. JONESJ St. Charles (111.),. Vice President. E. A. WOOD, Sabula (Iowa), Treasurer. G. W. WAITE,. St. Charles, Chief Engineer. This road is to run from Sabula, nearly oppo- site Savanna, following very nearly the 42d par- allel of latitude to a point on the Missouri river, from 123 to 150 miles above Council Bluffs. The friends of the road claim that from this point there is a shorter and better route for a railroad to the South Pass, up tfie valley of tfie EehaiV Paha river, than that which has usually been traveled, up the valley of the Pktte. And be- sides,, the road would have the best opportunity to secure the rich trade of the Upper Missouri,. as it would reach that magnificent stream higher up than any other road. A glance at Colton's latest map of the U. S. will show that the Kebab Paha river lies due west from Chicago, and that its valley stretches away in almost a direct west line to the South Pass. We need not enlarge upon the character of the country through which the road is expected to- pass. Iowa is one of the finest States in the Mis- sissippi Valley, and roads built across the State from east to west cannot fail to yield at once fail- dividends, and in a very few years, as the coun- try fills up with population,, will be among the best-paying roads in the Union. Eighty-five miles of the road, directly west of the Mississidpi, has been let to Messrs.. Serrill, BagLey & Co.,,. of New York, and is to be done by the first of January,. 1856,. at the same time that the St. Charles Air Line reaches the Mississippi.. The contractors- are said to be gentlemen of great energy, and. abundant means to fulfil all their obligations. The distance to the Missouri is about 325 miles. The next trunk road south of the St. Charlee- Air Lino, is the CHICAGO AND ATTROKA R. E. JAS> F. JOT, Esq., Detroit, President. ALLAN ROBBINS, Secretary.. I.. H. BURCH, Treasurer. WALTER S. JOHNSON,. Superintendent.. This road at present enters the city on the track of the Galena Railroad. As a line is sooa to be built from Aurora to Chicago, it may very properly be regarded as a distinct road. The cars of the Aurora road leave the Galena at Junction, thirty miles west of the city, and follow down the beautiful valley of Fox river, through the flourishing viHage of Batavia to Aurora, thir- teen mite? ; thence to JMcndota, at the Junction of the Illinois Central, sixteen miles northwest of Lasalte. The distance is forty-six miles. The road was afl completed early last fall, and with the sixteen miles of the Illinois Central, also, completed, form? a direct railroad communication with Lasalle. The road is built in the most sub- stantial manner, and opens one of the richest portions of this State to the trade of Chicago. On the first of May next there will be two pas- senger trains out of the city on this road, and one accommodation and freight and one freight. 9 train. It is already doing a large business. When its connections and extensions south and west are completed, its trade will astonish its most sanguine friends. The first of these is the CENTRAL MILITARY TRACT RAILROAD. J. W. BROOKS, Esq., Detroit, President. D. SANBORN, Galesburgh, Secretary. JAMES PEARSOX, Princeton, Treasurer. COL. J. M. BERRIEN, Chief Engineer. This road extends from Mendota, the south- western terminus of the Aurora Railroad, to Galesburgh, Knox county. Its length is eighty- four miles. The road is all graded, and the iron will be put down as soon as it can be, after the frost is out of the ground. The iron is all pur- chased, and the road is to be finished and in complete running order on or before the first of Jnly next. This road runs through the centre cf what is generally known as the Military Tract, lying between the Illinois and the Mississippi rivers, and if there is any finer country on the face of the earth, it has not been our good for- tune to see it. From Galesburgh passengers will reach the Mississippi at Burlington, a distance of forty miles, by the PEORIA AND OQFAWKA RAILROAD. R. ROUSE, Peoria, President. WASHINGTON COCKLE, Peoria, Secretary. J. H. HOTCHKISS, Peona, Treasurer. This part of the road is all graded, and several miles of the iron are already laid. All the iron is purchased, and most of it, we believe, is at Burlington, ready to be laid down as soon as the weather wiil permit The road is to be com- pleted by the first of June next. This will open to us the rich trade of Southern Iowa, causing such an increase to our business as few would have the courage to state, even were the exact figures in their possession. But this is by no means the limit to the aspira- tions of the friends of tin's road. They, too, not having the fear of our St. Louis neighbors before their eyes, are reaching forward to the trade of the Missouri. Surveys are now being made through Southern Iowa for a road to the mouth of the Platte river. It is called the BURLINGTON AND MISSOURI RAILROAD. The distance across the State is about 220 miles. When it is remembered that roads built anywhere in the West forty miles from each other, will find ample business to make them pay, it must not be wondered at if this road is completed in three, or at most four years. To complete our list of connections with the Aurora Road, we must go back to Galesburgh, and notice the NORTHERN CROSS RAILROAD 1 . N. BUSHJWXL, Esq., Quincy, President. JOHN FIELD, Quincy, Secretary-, CHAS. A. SAVAGE, Treasurer. WM. H. SIDKLL, Chief Engineer. This road is to run from Galesburgh to Quincy r 120 miles. It is all under contract, the iron is purchased, and the money is all provided to com- plete it. It is to be finished and in running or- der by the first of January, 1855. At Quincy it will need but a few miles of road to connect with the HANNIBAL AND ST. JOSEPHS' R. R. R. M. STEWART, Esq., St. Josephs, Mo-., Presi- dent. Z G. DRAPBR, Hannibal, Mo., Vice President. J. E. DOWLIKG, " Treasurer. R. BFCKLAND, " Chief Engineer. Since the first edition of this article was pub- lished, we have had a full conversation with W. J. McAlpine, Esq., who had just returned from a tour over the entire line of this road. From him we obtained the following facts in reference to its prospects, and to the country through which it passes. The company is composed of some of the largest capitalists and most energetic railroad men in the country. The State of Missouri has loaned its credit to the amount of one million and a half of dollars ; the counties along the line have taken about half a million of the stock, and the Eastern capitalists to whom we referred have taken one and a half millions more. Congress has also granted eight hundred thousand acres of land to the Company to aid in the construc- tion of the road. The distance from Hannibal, on the Mississippi, to Saint Joseph, on the Missouri, is 205 miles. Mr. McAlpine describes the country through which it passes as surpassingly rich and beau- tiful. Though there is nothing like a mountain in the whole distance, there is scarcely level ground enough for the stations along the road. So " rolling" is the country, that for one fourth of the distance the grade of the road is fifty feet per mile. This is,, we bolieve, the maximum grade. 10 The whole country between the two rivers is not only all susceptible of cultivation, but a large portion of it is too rich to grow wheat success- fully. Corn, hemp and tobacco are the principal staples. Mr. McAlpine says it is one of the best timbered portions of the Mississippi Valley. At no place is the road more than four miles from fine groves, which, with the fertile lands and delightful climate, make it peculiarly inviting to .settlers. The soil is a rich loam, resting on a substratum of clay. The prevailing rock is lime- stone. The road is all under contract, and is to be finished by two years from the first of May. Messrs. Duff & Larned are the contractors. They .are gentlemen of large experience, and are in all respects able to fill their contracts by the time specified. Twenty-five miles at each end of the road is to be completed and in operation during the present season; and the entire line is to be completed by the first of July, 1865. Chicago has a large interest in the construc- tion of this road. We shall have two lines con- necting with it either at Hannibal or Quincy, and perhaps at both of these points. The Aurora and Central Military Tract, and the Peoria and Hannibal Railroads will both be finished by the tune the Hannibal and St. Joseph's road is in operation. We shall receive a large trade from Northern Missouri as soon as we have a direct railroad connection with that fertile region. Al- though this road lies at a considerable distance south of this city, the result will show that it may justly be regarded as a part of that great system which has its centre here. Again we return to Chicago, and commence with one of her most important main lines the CHICAGO AND ROCK ISLAND E. R. J. B. JERVIS, Esq., New York, President. N. D. ELWOOD, Joliet, Secretary. Hon. A. C. FLAGG, New York, Treasurer. JNO. E. HENRY. Superintendent. WILLIAM JERVIS, Chief Engineer. No better example can be given of the rapidity and energy with which great enterprises are pushed forward to completion at the West, than the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Its pro gress seems more like the wonders of magic than a plain matter of fact reality. It was commencet on the 10th of April, 1852, and opened to Joliet forty miles, on the 18th of October, in the sam year; to Morris, sixty-one miles, Jan. 5th, 1853 to Ottawa, eighty-three miles, Feb. 14th ; to La Salle, ninety-eight miles, March 10th; to Peru u'nety-nine miles, March 21st ; to Tiskilwa, one .undred and twenty-two miles, Sept. 12th; to Sheffield, one hundred and thirty-six miles, Oct. ,2th; to Geneseo, one hundred and fifty-eight miles, Dec. 19th ah 1 during the last year. It was completed and opened to Rock Island, one lundred and eighty-one miles, on the 22d of February, 1854; being the first continuous line of railroad to reach the Mississippi from Lake Michigan. The city of Alton was reached about the first of October last ; but three different roads had to DC passed over in order that the iron horse might renew his strength from the great artery of the Western Continent. Think of this, ye ancient worthies, who, some fifteen years ago, would bave required as many years to build the same number of miles of railroad ! One hundred miles of the line was built, stocked, and in running order in less than a year ; and the whole distance to the Mississippi, one hundred and eighty-one miles, was finished, and the road was in opera- tion, in twenty-two and a half months! This simple statement speaks volumes for the intelli- gence, energy and business capacity of the con- tractors, Messrs. SHEFFIELD & FARNAM. It is one of the proudest monuments they could possibly have to their memory ; and it will confer bless- ings innumerable upon the people of this city and those whose fertile fields lie along the line of the road for all time to come. We almost envy them the satisfaction which the accomplishment of so great a work in so short a period must afford them. The location of the road is peculiarly favorable for business. For the first hundred miles, it fol- lows down the valley of the Illinois and its tribu- taries, through the flourishing towns and cities of Joliet, Morris and Ottawa, drawing the trade of a rich and very fertile region. At Lasalle it is at the head of ordinary steamboat navigation on the Illinois, and of course will always secure a large and lucrative trade from that artery of commerce. From Peru to Rock Island it crosses the Military Tract, of whose agricultural capacities we gave our views when speaking of the Aurora Railroad. A section richer in all the elements of wealth and prosperity cannot be found anywhere upon the Western Continent. Added to this, it crosses an immense coal field, and will furnish to our city without stint an abundant supply of the best of fuel. We might here speak of the importance of this fact in reference to the iron and other manufactories that will be established here as soon as the Saut Ste Marie Canal is opened, and we have a direct steamboat connection with the 11 iron and copper mines of Lake Superior; but it does not fall within the proper design of this article. The receipts of the road are already very satisfactory. In October last they amounted to $67, 097.77 ; and they would have averaged more than $60,000 through the Whiter had the con- tractors been able to procure locomotives and cars fast enough to do the business. For the month of April, 1854, the receipts were: From passengers, From freight and mails, Total, . Total in March, $57,9tl 98 29,000 00 $86,941 98 74,684 70 Increase, , . . $12,257 28 Number of passengers carried in April, 22,449. The contractors now have all the revenues of the road ; but they are to deh'ver it over to the Company on the 10th of July next one year and a half before the time specified in the con- tract. On the first of May there were three pas- senger and two freight trams leaving the city every day. The western extension of this road in Iowa is called the MISSISSIPPI AND MISSOURI R. R. Hon. JOHN A. Dix, New York, President. J. E. HENRY. Secretary. Hon. A. C. F'-iGG, New York, Treasurer. HENRY FARNAM, Esq., Chief Engineer. It is proper here to speak of the bridge which is to connect this road with the Rock Island Rail- road. It is to be one of the finest structures in the country. We believe it is owned equally by these Companies. Rock Island for a time was thought to be the only place where the Missis- sippi could be bridged; but it is now claimed that it can be done at Fulton City, Savanna, or any other place where the wants of 'commerce require it. Such of course would be the opinion of any one who had witnessed the wonderful triumphs of modern engineering. It cannot be doubted, however, that a variety of circumstances conspire to render Rock Island one of the most favorable locations for a bridge between St. Paul and St. Louis. The bridge is under contract, and is to be com- pleted by the first of December next. The east- ern end of it over the slough, between the main shore and the Island, has three spans of 150 feet each in the clear The total length of this part of it is 4Y4 feet The foundation of one of the piers is already in, and this part of the work will be finished by the first of June. The main stream west of the Island is crossed by five spans, each 250 feet in the clear, and the total length of this part of the bridge is 1,582 feet making, in ah 1 , 2,056 feet. The draw is to turn upon the cen- tral pier, and is always to stand open, free for the passage of boats on each side of the pier, except when a tram is passing. All trains on each side of the river are to come to a full stop, and to remain till a signal is given that the bridge ia ready. Of course the draw, or if you please, "turn table," will not be closed if there is a steamer near at hand likely to pass up or down the river. It is to be twenty-one feet above high- water mark, and will be a substantial and elegant structure. The bridge is to be built with Howe's truss, with the addition of arch beams. J. War- ner & Co. have the contract for the stone work, and Messrs. Stone & Boomer that for the super- structure. The total cost of both divisons of the bridge will be $250,000. The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad haa three divisions ; amounting, in fact, to three dis- tinct yoads. The first division extends from Davenport, opposite Rock Island, one of the most beautiful and enterprising towns on the Mississippi, by the way of Iowa City and Fort Des Moines, to Council Bluffs. The distance is three hundred miles. The road is under con- tract fifty -seven miles to Iowa City, and is to be completed to that point by the first of December next. At that time the bridge over the Missis- sippi is to be finished, and we shall be in un- broken railroad connection with the capital of Iowa. The entire line is to be finished to Council Bluffs by the first of January, 1857. It needs but to be added that Messrs. Sheffield & Farnam have the contract, to assure the public that the work will be done at the time specified. The country through which it passes is remark- ably fine, and we look forward to the time when we shall have a direct railroad communication with the Missouri river as one of the most im- portant events in the history of Chicago. The second division of the road extends from Davenport, by the way of Muscatine, Washington and Oskaloosa, to the mouth of the Platte river. The length of the road will be three hundred miles. Thirty miles of the road to Muscatine is to be finished by the first of December next, giv- ing us the trade of another large and flourishing city in Iowa, and the region to which it owes its growth and importance. Ninety miles more of the road to Oskaloosa will be put under contract 12 in the Spring, and will be probably completed within the next year or eighteen months. The third division of the road is to rnn in a northwestern direction from Muscatine to Cedar Rapids a distance of fifty miles. It is the in- tention of the Company to put it under contract early in the Spring, and the entire line is to be finished by the first of April, 1855. This road may be ultimately extended to Minnesota as fast as the settling of the countiy along the route will require. That will be at no distant day. We now have done with railroad extensions in Iowa. It will be noticed that we have traced five different lines across the State to the Mis- souri river. The facts have been stated just as we received them from the agents of the different Companies and railroad men in this city. This was the task we imposed upon ourselves, and we do not propose to go beyond the record, and give an opinion as to the merits of this or that route. The western portions of Iowa are sparsely populated, and the through travel is at present almost the only prize at stake, for the last hun- dred miles on either of the lines. That is a prize worth having ; and after canvassing the facts we have stated, the public and ourselves also would be safe in waiting to see which great interest will secure it. We now return to Illinois, to trace the connec- tions and extensions of the Rock Island Railroad in our own State. We begin with the PEORIA AND BUREAU VALLEY R. R. ISAAC UNDERBILL, Esq., Peoria, President. WASHINGTON COCKLK, " Secretary. N. B. CCRTIS, " Treasurer. WM. JERVIS, Chief Engineer. This road branches from the Rock Island, four- teen miles west ef Peru. The distance thence to Peoria is forty-seven miles. Sheffield & Farnam have the contract for building the road, and it is to be finished and in operation by the first of June next. In only four months we shall join hands with our beautiful sister, Peoria; and, though oppressed with the cares and covered with the dust of business, Chicago will find time to take her by the hand and give her a right ; hearty welcome. Arrangements have been made to run, in con- nection with this road, two daily lines of steam- j ers between Peoria and St. Louis, and as most of I the obstructions to ravigation on the Illinois lie I above Peoria, this will be a comfortable and popular route to that city. Beyond Peoria there are three roads proposed to be built one through Canton to Warsaw, nearly opposite Keokuk, on the Mississippi. Westward from Keokuk, an important city in the southeastern corner of Iowa, several roads are projected, all of which would swell the busi- ness of this line. The distance is some eighty or ninety miles. The second road, which has been fujly organ- ized since the first edition of this article, is the PEORIA AND HANNIBAL RAILROAD. MYRON PIIELPS, Lewiston, Presf.dent. L. D. ERWIN, Rushville, Vice President. THOS. HANNA, Vermont, Secretary. GEORGE PHELPS, Lewiston, Treasurer. There is much interest felt along the line of this road, and the right feeling exists among the people in that part of th State with reference to it Schuyler county has recently voted, by a large majority, to take $75,000 of the stock, and the citizens have subscribed $25,000 more. Other counties will assist, to the extent of their means. It passes through a magnificent country, and will be an important road to this city and the country through which it passes. It will of course furnish a second outlet to the Hannibal and St. Joseph's Railroad, described above, in connec- tion with the Aarora Road. It will doubtless be finished by the time the Hannibal Road is com- pleted. Its length will be about one hundred and twenty miles. The third proposed route runs south from Peoria, and crosses the Illinois river at Pekin, thence in nearly a direct line to Illinoistown, op- posite St. Louis. We must not forget to mention, as a feeder of the Peoria and Rock Island Railroads, a part of the PEORIA AND OQUAWKA RAILROAD. The western division of this road, from Gales- burgh to Burlington, has already been noticed in speaking of the connections of the Aurora Rail- road. The distance from Peoria to Galesburgh is about fifty miles. Seven miles of the road west of Peoria are nearly completed, and the remainder will be finished as fast as the business along the route will warrant. The next main line that our order requires us to notice, fe the 13 CHICAGO AND MISSISSIPPI RAILROAD- GEO. BLISS, Springfieid (Mass:), President. E. KEATING, Alton, Superintendent. H. A. GARDNER, Joliet, Chief Engineer. This should have been called the Alton and Chicago Railroad, and then its name would have conveyed a definite idea of its location. It would now have been finished, or nearly so, had not the contractor, Henry Dwight, jr., become in- volved in financial difficulties last summer. Ho was finally forced to suspend, and the road has now passed into other hands. Those who have it in charge have abundant means to complete it as fast as money can do it. The road is now finished, and in operation from Alton to Bloomington, and with the Rock Island and Aurora Railroad to Lasalla, and the Illinois Central thence to Bloomington, enables us to reach the city of Alton, twenty-five miles above St. Louis, by railroad. At Joliet, forty miles from this city, this road unites with the Rock Island, and will run its cars into the city ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD. WM. P. BURRALL, Esq , New York, President. D. A. NEAL, " Vice Preset. M. B. EDGAR, " Treasurer. R. B. MASON, Chief Engineer and Superin- tendent. J. B. WYMAN, Assistant Superintendent. This is one of the most magnificent public im- provements of its kind, in this or any other country. The connecting of the great Lakes with the Mississippi at Cairo, where steamers of the largest class can always come up from the Gulf of Mexico, was a sublime idea, and all the arrangements for carrying it out have been on a scale equally grand and extensive. On the 20th of September, 1850, an act was passed by Con- gress granting to the State of Illinois every alter- nate section of land for six miles on each side of the road, to aid in its construction. At the same time the minimum price of the lauds within the same distance of the road was fixed at $2.50 per acre. By this arrangement the Government lost on that track, till a separate road can be con- structed. That, perhaps, will be deferred for a few years. The line between Joliet and Bloomington, ninety-three miles, is nearly all graded, and the iron is laid some fourteen miles south to Wil- mington. The remainder of the iron is in this city and Buffalo, and it is intended to have the whole road completed and in operation by the first of June next. At that time there will be two passenger and two freight trains leaving daily. The total length of the road from this city to Alton is 265 miles. Chicago is mainly indebted, to. the enterprise and energy of the cities of Alton and Springfield | for the building of this road ; but there can be no doubt that it will add immensely to our business and commercial resources. It passes through a rich and most beautiful country, and will bring us into direct communication with the cities of Bloomington, Springfield and Alton, and a host of nourishing towns with which we have hitherto had very little business acquaintance. This road proposes also to furnish an outlet to the Lower Mississippi, and thence to the Gulf of Mexico, through the Alton and Ulinoistown, Belleville and Murphysboro', and the Illinois Central to Cairo. The next road in order is. the. not a shilling on the price of the land, and at the same time secured the advantage of bringing it almost immediately into the market. On the 10th of February, 1851, the Illinois Legislature chartered the present company, and transferred the lands to them on condition that the road should be built within a specified tune, and that after it was finished seven per cent, of its gross receipts should annually be paid into the treasury of the State. By this grant the com- pany became possessed of about 2,650,000 acres of land, which the building of the road will very soon bring up to an average value of at least ten dollars per acre making the snug little sum of $26,500,000. The estimated cost of the road is $16,000,000; thus giving to about a baker's dozen of fortunate capitalists $10,500,000, and one of the best railroads, in the Union, 704: miles long, and running through one of the richest and most beautiful valleys in the worli. "We envy them not, and the people should not envy them their good fortune. It is due to their forecast and enterprise that they should enjoy the rich prize they have secured In noticing this road, it will be best understood if we speak of it as starting from Chicago, al- though the line from Cairo to Lasalle is cajled the main trunk ; and the section between this city and Centralja, in Marion county, 112 mile* north of Cairo, is called the Chicago Branch. From Chicago the road runs nearly direct to Cairo, varying only a few miles at any point from a direct line. The road is now finished south from Chicago, and the cars are running upon it eighty-seven miles, to Spring Creek, Iroquois county. The track is finished fourteen miles farther, and will be opened to Urbana, in Cham- paign county, on or before the first of May next. On the first of May there will be two passenger, one freight and one construction train leaving the city daily. The entire line will be finished to Cairo, and from Cairo to Dubuque, on or before the first of January, 1855. The distance from Chicago to Cairo is 362 miles ; from Centralia to Dubuque, 342 making the total length of the road 704 miles. Although the line between this city and Cairo will not be finished till the first of February, 1855, we shall be in direct railroad connection with that city by the first of August next. The route will then be by St. Louis. Reaching that city by the same means we now do, we can take the Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad to Centralia, and thence to Cairo, 112 mites, by the Illinois Central, which is to be finished by that time. But by the first of Oc- tober next the line will be still more direct, as the road will be completed by that time from Lasalle to Cairo. This will give us nearly as di- rect a communication with the south as we shall have after the Chicago Branch is finished. That portion north of Bloomington, with the exception of the bridge over the Illinois, is also finished, and the cars have been running upon it for sev- eral months past. It will be opened north to Dixon by the first of August next. The road will be finished thence to Galena on the first of September following. The bridge t ver the Illi- nois river at Lasalle is to be a splendid structure. It is 2,990 feet long, and is to be built in all re- spects in the best possible manner. The breakwater opposite this city is a very expensive and difficult work. It extends nearly two miles, and will cost, when completed, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For a mile it is built in the lake, the inside line being four hundred feet from the east side of Michigan Ave- nue. The Michigan Central enters the city upon the same track. The rolh'ng stock now on the road cost six hundred thousand dollars. It is composed of twenty-five locomotives, nineteen -of which are new and elegant machines. The company have six others beyond Erie. The locomotives cost $10,000 each. There are also twenty-four first class passenger cars, each costing $2,285 ; one hundred and fifty-eight covered freight cars, cost- ing .$685 ; three hundred and fifty-seven platform cars, costing $585 ; eight baggage cars, costing $1,258 ; and thirty-four gravel cars, costing $358. When the road is completed, it will require at least one hundred locomotives ; one hundred first class passenger cars ; five hundred plat- form, and one thousand covered freight cars. This amount of stock is already under contract, and is to be finished as fast as the wants of the road require. The active force now engaged in the construc- tion of the work consists of seven thousand men and two thousand teams ; and four hundred men are employed in engineering, and on the two hundred and forty-five miles of the road which are now done and in operation. The grading, including the portions of the road on which the cars are running, is completed on five hundred and seventy-two miles of the line ; and we might as well here repeat, that the entire work is to be finished and in operation on or before the first of Frbruary, 1855. The road will steadily em- ploy more than five thousand men in its several departments, when it is completed. In order that persons at a distance may be able to trace out this splendid road upon the map for it is not laid down on those in ordinary use we mention several of the principal towns and cities through which it passes. Siarting from Chicago, it runs in nearly a direct line to Urbana, in Champaign county ; thence on a pretty direct line to a point a few miles southeast of Salem, in Marion county ; thence it runs south within a few miles of the third principal meridian, to Cairo. Starting from Cairo and coming north to Centralia, the new town above referred to a few miles southeast of Salem, in Marion county, the main trunk runs thence north to Vandalia; thence to Decatur, in Macon county ; thence to Clinton, in Dewitfc county; thence to Bloomington, in McLean county ; thence through Lasalle, Dixon, Freeport and Galena, to a point opposite to Dubuque, in the State of Iowa. By following the line indicated on the map, strangers will be en- abled to form some definite idea of the magni- tude of this splendid work. It is by far the longest line of railroad owned by any one com- pany in the Union. The country is settling very rapidly along the whole line of the road. Great numbers of villages are constantly springing up, and when completed there will be some seventy stations along the line. We look for an immense emigration to the region bordering upon the road during the next Summer. The finest of land, in any quantity, can be purchased at from three to 15 ten dollars per acre, in its vicinity. Jfo better opportunity will ever be offered to the enter- prising young men of New England and the Middle States, who wish to escape from the barren hilla and rugged mountains among which they were reared, to find a home upon the mag- nificent and fertile prairies of Illinois. The road runs through thirty-two counties, and of the quality of the soil and its agricultural re- sources it is scarcely necessary to speak. We should only repeat what we have said so often in reference to other roads. The mineral resources of this section of the State shonld not be for- gotten in making an estimate of its business, and the benefits it is to confer upon our citizens. It runs directly across the largest coal field in the world, and with our magnificent canal and the other roads we have mentioned running south- west, will furnish us fuel not only for domestic purposes, but for the immense manufactures which will be located in every part of the city. It will bring us the products of the sanny South in a few hours ; and its construction will be worth a dozen compromise measures in binding together the North and the South in bonds of friendship and mutual interest for all time to come. Another road, highly important to the interests of Chicago, has been projected, and will doubt- less be constructed. We will call it the WABASH VALLEY RAILROAD. This road will connect at Joliet with the Rock Island Road. From thence it is proposed to con- tinue it through Paris, Edgar county, Marshall, Clark county, to Vincennes, where it will connect with the Vincennes and Paducah Road. The trade of the Wabash Valley formerly centered in Chicago. Of late years, however, other channels have absorbed it almost entirely. The Illinois Central, the New Albany and Salem, and the Cincinnati Roads, will each restore a portion of this trade. But no one of them is so essentially a Wabash Valley Road as the one we are consid- ering ; and its construction would bring back to us a thousand fold more trade from that valley than we have lost. The Vincennes and Paducah Road was chartered at the last session of the Legislature, and the company is organized; the Northern portion of what we style the Wabash Valley Road is also in charge of an organized company. Considering the many inducements which there will be to connect the two together, the opening up of another route to the South, and furnishing a market to the Wabash Valley country, we think we hazar Beloit and Madison (about), 30 Chicago and Galena Air Line, 135 Lyons Iowa Central, to Tipton, 50 Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air-Line, to. Oregon, 95 Chicago and Aurora, 89 Cen tral Mil! tary Tract, 84 Peoria and Oquawka, Galeshvrgh to Burling- ton, 40 Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, 181 Mississippi and Missouri, to Iowa City, 1st di- vision, 47 Mississippi and Missouri, 2d division, to Mus- catine, 80 Peoria and Bureau Valley, 47 Chicago and Mississibpi Railroad, 285 Great Western, Naples to Springfield, 68 18 Illinois Central Railroad (about), Mich. South, and North. Indiana, to Toledo, Michigan Central, New Albany and Salem, MILES. b50 242 282 284 Total.. 11 Trunk and 11 Branch and Exten- sion Lines, 2.P79K But we may be permitted to look forward a year and five months. The following is the list of the roads that now are, or will be, in operation on the first of July, 1855 : MILES, Chicago and Milwaukee, 90 Illinois, and Wisconsin, to JanesTiHe, 88X Madisn Branch, 35 Galena and Chicago Union, Chicago to Freeport, 121 Fox River Valley Railroad, 34 Beloit Branch of the Galena, 20 Beloit and Madison, 47X Chicago and Galena Air-Line, 135 Lyons Iowa Central to Iowa City, 73 Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air-Line, to Oregon, P5 Chicago and Aurora, 89 Central Military Tract, 84 Peoria and Oquawka, Galesburgh to Burling- ton, 40 Northern Cross, Galesburgh to Quincy, 120 Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, 205 Peoria and Hannibal, 120 Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, 181 Mississippi and Missouri, 1st division, to Iowa City, 57 Mississippi and Missouri, 2d division, to Mus- catine, 30 Mississippi and Missouri, 3d division, Musca- tine to Cedar Rapids, 50 Peria and Bureau Valley, 47 Chicago and Mississippi Railroad. 285 Great Western, Naples to Springfield, 65 Illinois Central, 764 Fort Wayne and Chicago, 145 Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana, to To- ledo, 242 Cincinnati, Peru and Chicago Railroad, 70 Michigan Central Railroad, 283 New Albany and Salem Railroad, 284 Total. .12 Trunk and 16 Branch and Exten- sion Lines, 3,839 But lest any venerable "croaker" "with spectacles on nose," should still be in doubt as to our commercial facilities, we submit one more list The following table exhibits the number of railroads that are now in operation, leading into this city, with the number of miles that are now completed : MILES. Illinois and Wisconsin, to Deer Grove, 32 Galena and Chicago Union, to Freeport, 121 Beloit Branch of the Galena, 29 Galena Air-Line, to Lane, Ogle co., 75 Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air Line. 10 Chicago and Aurora, 89 Chicago and Rock Island, 181 Chicago and Mississippi, Alton to Bloomington, 132 Great Western, Naples to Springneld, 65 pCUB Illinois Central, 253 Mieh. South, and North. Indiana, to Toledo, 242 Michigan Central, 282 New Albany and Salem, 2S<* Total.. 10 Trunk and 3 Branch and Exten- sion Lines, 1.735 On these roads there will be daily leaving and entering the city on the first of May next forty- six trains, making in all ninety-two trains per day over the roads, to accommodate oar travel and commerce. Here is a fact which, had we time, it would be worth while to atop and contemplate. A fact of still greater significance is, that less than two years ago we had only one railroad entering the city the Galena and Chicago Union and that was finished only a few miles. Now we have 1,785 miles, counting only two States from our own, and by the first of December we shall have 2,979^ miles. GJUI it be wondered at that our city has doubled its population within the same time, and that the price of real estate and busi- ness of all kinds have increased in a correspond- ing ratio. Splendid fortunes have been made in two years. Men who were trading m small seven-by-nine wooden tenements, now find a splendid brick store too small to accommodate their customers. Real estate in the suburbs of the city that could be bought five years ago for fifty dollars per acre, is now worth five thousand, and many fortunate speculators have realized splendid fortunes. The rise in real estate is by no means confined to a few shrewd operators. From the first our citizens generally have been determined to have a home of their own. Gen- erally they would purchase a lot eighty feet front, and often four or even ten times that amount. The rise hi the value of their homes, so much larger than was necessary in a city, has placed many a family in easy circumstances. But will some cautious wiseacre ask, Are these things to continue ? We will not stop to answer the question, but will simply say, on the first of January next we shall have 3,000 miles of rail- road leading into the city, and by a year from that tune it will be entirely safe to add another thousand. How much it will augment the busi- ness of the city, and appreciate the value of real estate to double the miles of railroad centering here, and to double the population of the city, and also of the magnificent country which is tri- butary to it, we shall leave the ultra cautious to estimate. The railroads will certainly be finished, but we shall not hazard an opinion as to the population of the city or the price of real estate on the first of January, 1856. We hope to be then, and we know our readers will, if we aad they live to see that "happy new year." Time will show. There is another most important fact that should be considered, iti speaking of Chicago, as a great railroad centre. She has not, in her cor- porate capacity, invested a single dollar in any >f them. While the bonds of other cities ai-e hawked about in Wall street to build railroads t'.iat in turn are expected to build the cities in which they terminate, Chicago has prudently kept aloof from all such dangerous speculations. All our roads have been projected and will be built by private enterprise. This shows that capitalists have placed abundant confidence in our commer- cial position, and the result is demonstrating most dearly that they have judged correctly. We refer to this matter with peculiar satisfaction, and we are sure it will have -an important bearing in shaping the future destiny of the city. It may be answered, that the city would have made large sums by foresting her credit in rail- road stocks. It is true that Galena stock and that of several -of our other roads sell at prices that astonish Eastern capitalists, who are igno- rant of the resources of the Central States, and the cheapness with which our roads are built. The stock, however, sells for no more than it is really worth ; and we should not be surprised to see it attain a much higher figure. But expe- rience has shown that, where cities become in- volved in extensive schemes of internal improve- me"t, corrupt demagogues generally find means to fatten upon the public treasury, and in the end bring ruin and disgrace upon the community whose confidence they had managed to secure. From all such dangers Chicago is entirely free. She ha?, it is true, issued her bonds to construct the water works, and she has, in addition, a small floating debt. But the water works will, in a few V'. ara, liquidate the debt contracted for their con- struction, and she can, without serious inconve- nience, pay all her other liabilities in, at most, three or five years. The important fact is worth repeating, that Chicago, a city that will have three thousand mi'es of railroad in operation centering iu it, on the first of January next, i'OES SOT OWE A 6IXOLK DOLLAR FOE THE1F. COX- 8TKUCTIO9. Our task is accomplished. We ask our citizens to contemplate the magnificent system of public works that have been completed in two short years. The past is certain. To the future let ue look, and gird ourselves for the work that is before us. From almost every place in the Union, aod from across the wide Atlantic, the industrious and the enterprising are seeking a home in the "Garden City." Let us give them a warm- hearted, generous welcome. Along our broad streets, or upon our wide-spread, beautiful prai- ' ries, we have ample room for them all. Let them come, and identify themselves with tbe ' great central commercial city of the Central j States ! From Daily Press of Jan. 81. Other Advantages and Facilities. Casual readers may, perhaps, inquire what i other facilities and advantages Chicago possesses j beside her railroads. We answer, in the first place, that her bills of mortality show her to be one of the very healthiest of American cities. During the year 1853, the ratio of mortality in five of the leading cities was as follows : New York 1 to S7K Philadelphia Ito45 Baltimore lto9 Boston 1 toSC*' Chicago ! to MX In the second place, our city is situated at the i terminus of the great chain of Northwestern i lakes, giving us, during the season of navigation, access to the New York canals and the St. Law- rence river. Chicago must therefore be, for all i time, the great collecting and distributing point for the vast region of country brought into com- mercial relation with her by means of her ex- tended system of railroads, Prospectively, we might speak of the ultimate freo navigation of the St. Lawrence, by which means vessels loaded at our docks will be able to make their way to the ocean, and thence direct to the docks of Liv- erpool or any other trans- Atlantic mart. 1 hen again, Southward, the Illinois and Michi- gan Canal gives us water communication with the Mississippi and its various tributaries ; and- much of the increase of the business of our city, for the past five years, has come from this source. Some sixty miles south of the city we touch the northern rim of the great Illinois coal-field, over which passes a number of our railroads, and which is also traversed by the Illinois and Michi- gan Canal and the Illinois river. From this source an endless supply of fuel for domestic and manufacturing purposes is insured. Westward are the lead mines, and northward the iron and copper mines of Lake Superior. These facts point to Chicago as the ultimate seat of extensive manufactures. 20 Lastly, our city w situated in a genial climate, and in the heart of a district that is unsurpassed in its agricultural resources. The country is rapidly filling up with an enterprising and indus- trious population, arid on every hand, both in country and city, are to be seen the evidences of general thrift and prosperity. From Daily Press of Jafluary 81. The Population of Chicago. As this number of our paper will be read by many persona who do not see the Democratic Press regularly, we subjoin the population of Chicago at various periods : 140, 1843, 184-, 1846, 1847, 4.4t9'184, 7.3 1849, 12.i8 e l?oil, 14.1i9 1853. 60,652 This table will prove that the commercial and manufacturing facilities of Chicago are being ap- preciated. There is no other city east of the Rocky Mountains that can show a ratio of in- crease at all corresponding with the above. When to this we add that, with all our popula- tion and capital, we have not half the money nor half the laborers that the commerce, manufac- tures and general improvement of the city re- quire, some faint conception may be formed of the strong inducements which are held out her?' to bring both capital and industry among as There is not an idle dollar nor an idle arm o* head in Chicago, unless it be from choice, HISTORY OF CHICAGO. JLFTS& we published oar article on "CHICAGO VND HER RAILROADS," January 31st, it occurred to us that a short sketch of the history of Chicago vould not prove unacceptable to our readers. At first we intended merely a brief notice, to show her rapid growth, in connection with our Annual Review of the business of the city. The more we studied the subject, and consulted those who have been here since the wolves were accus- tomed to visit every part of the city in the night, .aud the wigwam of the painted savage dotted the prairie on every side, the more have facts accu- mulated upon our hands, till now our only diffi- culty is to know what to reject. The rapid growth of the city within the last eight years her immense increase in wealth and population the proud position she has assumed among the commercial cities of the Unic n, and the certainty that her march will be OXWARB, till she yields in importance only to New York, have created a very general desire among a portion of our own -citizens, and especially in the Eastern States, to know more of her past history as well as her present resources and future prospects. "The history of Chicago is intimately connected with the settlement and growth of the other parts of the State, and it will be equally interesting to notice in a few paragraphs some facts In relation to the settlement of this part of the Mississippi Valley. The origin of the term Illinois is given in the " "Western Annals," edited by Rev. J. M. Peck, as follows : "The name Illinois is derived from Leno, ' man. 1 The Delaware Indians call them- selves Lenno-Lenapo, which means ' original, or unmixed men.' The term manly men, to dis- tinguish themselves from mean, trifling men, would r\d warnings of Sha bo-nee, an Ottawa chief, who, till within a few years, lived at Shabbona's Grove, many of the people must have been massacred. Some barely escaped, being sufficiently near to witness the smoke ascending from their burning houses what few inhabitants were in the surrounding country made their way to Chicago to seek ^safety in Fort Dearborn, and by the 1 Oth 'of May the Fort contained a population of neair seven hun- dred sul?, two-thirds of whom were women and children. This great disproportion of wo- men and children was occased by the male heads of families taking their provisions and watever else they could muster to drive their stock into the settled parts of the country, mostly OTI the Wabash. Col. Owen, the Gov- ernment agent, was'thtn in charge of the Fort, aud no < ffr.rt on his part was spared to accom- modate all iV.at came. He had himself a large family and occupied the commander's quarters, but he confined himself to a sing]^ room, and gave up the ro-.-t to those who came in from the country. Gholson Kcrcheval and Col. Hamil- ton were appointed quartermasters to arrange quarters equitably amn the Dupage river, and so on to the west line >f the county, and that Elijah Wentworth, R. E, Heacock and Timothy B. Clark be the viewers." 'he other is a road from the town of Chicago, the nearest and beat way to the house of the w.dovv Blown, on 'Hycory creek, 1 and that James Kiuzie, Archibald Clybource and R. E. Ee.icock be the viewers."' What would widow BJOWII now say were the to count from the cu- pola of the Tremont House the eighty trains of cars that daily an ive and depart fi om this city. And for aught we know she may have done so, for it is only twenty-three yeais since her house waa made ihe terminus of ths "onginal survey" of one of the first avenues fi Gin Chicago. The vexed question, whether our present splendid Court House, with all its rccmy and convenient public offices, stands on a " square" or a " skew," is resolved into a matter of insig- nificance, when it is remembered at how recei t a date, as the ai chives ii.fonn us, the Sheriff was authorized "to piovide, on the best tetras in his power, to secure a piieon sufficient to hold prifi- oners for the time being," or when, as in the present instance, the "court adjourned until 'court in course, to the house of William See." The affairs of the ounty appear to have bern managed during these primeval times with com- mendable prudence, economy and good faith, for we find subsequently that Jas. Kin/Je, having, in ^his official capacity, disposed of the lands given to the county by the ("anz.1 Commissioners, was allowed a county order for $14 53|, being at the rue of 21 per cent, for the first $2"0, and one per cent, for all over that sum, for his services .as "auxineer" we use the sjelling of the record * in the sail of lots" elsewhere men- 'tioned. The mercantile corps of Cook county waa meanwhile increased by the addition of four new firms, viz: Brewster, Began & Co., Peck, Walker & Co., Joseph Naper and Nicholas Boil- vin. It, perhaps, ought not to be omitted that Mark Beanbien, who from all accounts was not an unworthy pioneer to Chicago enterprise and ambition, not satisfied with being already chief ferryman, as well as a merchant, or with having experienced the clemency of the Court in the ehape of a remittance of a fine of ten dollars, " assessed to him for a fracas" with John G. Hall, also applied for and received a license to "keep a tavern," being charged therefor the moderate sum of six dollars. As an offset to these various evidences of favor, he well nigh met with a worse fate than old Charon, for he was "ordered" to ferry the citizens of Cook county "from daylight in the morning until dark, without stopping.'" The reason for this stringent order, as given by Dr. Kimberiy, was, that Mark at the time kepttwo racs horses, and he had euch fo.- the sports of the turf that he wo^ld, every day, if possible, get up a race with somu of the Indian "bloodd," and sadly neglect his duty to lorry the good citizens of Cook county free, according to tiie law in such cass made and pro vidod. An mcideai in the history of the Baaubier family should be didy recorded. The military cuimnandant of the State gave orders in 1835 that the militia of Cook comity should b<> duh organized and officers elected. Like the im- mortal Falstaff, there were some gentlemen who did not fancy that kind of company. As usual, there were eeveiul aspirants who, if elected, would carry out the law ; but over all these it was determined to elect John B. Colonel. The ^lection was to be held in ths house of a Mr Laughton, who kept tavern near where Lyons- ville now stands on the southwestern plauk road. The town turned out en tuassf, taking with then: a keg of brandy, four packages of loaf sugar ai;d six dozen of lemons. John was elected over all opposition, and it was determined, of course, to have " a time " At the base of the bluff, near the house, is a fine spiing. A dam waa made across the outlet, and the brandy, lemons and sugar were all emptied into it, and being dulv stirred up, each one drank till he could drink no more from this novel " PCNCH BOWL." Colonel Beaubien was entirely satisfied with " Ike Jwnof" conferred upon him, and never called out hi,-* forces. Ho is the fiist, and still is the highest officer of the Cook county militia. The first mention we find of the Circuit Cou;t is contained in the minuter, of Sept. tith, J8S1, providing that it be held 5r " Fort Dearborn, in th'i brfck house, and iu the iewer room of stM house." It IB worthv of remark, that notwithstandir^ O the low state of the county finances during th's period, the nick or disabled strangers arid t:.i- vellers, or unfortunate reoideats, wen? uniform),- provided with proper nourishment, medicine, ai:d careful attendance at the public expense. Sev- eral instances are on record of appropriation.* from the treasury for these and lika purposes. It is equally in evidence, that amid all the imposi- tions and irregularities attending the first years of a new settlement, the administration of public affairs rested in the hands of coo! and impartial officers, who were not to be easily deceived or imposed r.pon, and who had a single eye to Use general good. As an instance, we notice that when the first road was located from the Public SquEU-e to the weet county line, it appeara that 34 swine or all of the viewers were influenced by some selfish purpose, and hence we find that their " report is rejected, and the viewers shall have no pay for their services." The population and business of the town stea- dily increased from month to month, and with it many changes occurred which it is beyond our limits to notice. Richard J. Hamilton was appointed Clerk of the Court in place of William See, resigned, and entered upon the duties of his office on the second day of April, 1832. Much business of more or less importance was transacted at this special term. More roads and streets were authorized, and Commissioners appointed to de- cide their location ; election precincts and magis- trate districts were set apart, described and named ; judges of elections appointed, etc., etc. From a statement returned by the Sheriff of Cook county, April 4th, 1832, it is shown that the amount of the tax list on real and personal property for the year ending March Is', 1832, was $148.29, and that the non-resident delin- quent tax list amounted to $10.50. Of this amount there had been paid into the treasury 142 28. The Treasurer's report for the same period shows that the amount received from li- censes " to keep taveran," sell goods, etc., was $225 50 ; taxes paid in, as per Sheriff's report, was $132.28 total, $357.78. To balance this amount, the Treasurer reports, license tax delin- quencies to the amount of $83.50. Paid out for County Orders, $252.35 leaving balance in the treasury of $15.93. Thus stands the account current of Cook county in the spring of 1832, only twenty-two years ago ! The total receipts of taxes and moneys from all other sources, is the enormous sum of $357.78 ! How stands the account now ? The total amount of moneys collected by the City Treasurer for the year 1S53, is $135,752. 03 ; and by the County Treasurer $245,057.07 making the total amount of taxes collected last year in Cook county, $380.809.10. Those who have leisure may " cypher up" the ratio of in- crease in the short spaqe of twenty-two years. The whole assessed value of the personal pro- perty of the city for the past year is $2,711,154 ; real estate, $13,841,831 total, $16,841,831. The entire valuation for Cook county is, personal property, $4,450,630; real estate, $18,487,627 total, $22,937,657. Every one knows that the assessed does not represent one fourth of the real value of the properly in the county. It ia entirely safe to set down the value of the personal and real property of Cook county at the lowest estimate at O.NK HUNDRED MILLIONS o? DOLLARS. It will be noticed by the above that several oi the tavern keepers or merchants failed to pay for their licenses, and it was accordingly ordered by the Court that hereafter all taxes for liceniw " shall be paid before the issuing thereof." The tax of one half per cent, was extended to include all personal property of whatever kind or de- scription, and other measures suggested by time and experience were adopted. Archibald Cly- bourn was reappointed Treasurer for the ensuing year. The Sheriff was authorized to procure a room or rooms for the i.pril term of the Circuit Court at the house of James Kinzie, provided it can be done at a cost of not more than ten dollars. We find several " items" upon the record, among which we notice that John R. Clark was the first Coroner. The first inquest was held " over the body of a dead Indian." The second was on " William Jewett, a passenger who was found dead." The first stre'et leading to Lake Michigan was laid out April 25th, 1832. This street com- menced at what was then called the east end of Water street, and ia described by Jedediah Wooley, the surveyor, as follows: "from tbe east end of Water street, in the town of Chicago, to Lake Michigan. Direction of said road ia south 88^ degrees east from the street to the Lake, 18 chains, 50 links " Said street was laid out fifty feet wide. The viewers on this occa- sion " also believe that said road is of public utility and a convenient passage from the town to the Lake." The first public building of which any mention is made, was an " Estray Pec," erected on the southwestern corner of the public square. The lowest bid for the contract $20 was put in by Samuel Miller, but upon the completion of the edifice, the Treasurer was directed to pay there- for but $12, on account of its not being finished " according to contract." At the March term, 1833, the Road Commis- sioners reported their survey of a State road leading from Chicago to the left bank of the Wabash river, opposite Vincennes. Various other roads in different directions were surveyed and laid out during the spring and summer of 1833. The next public building erected after the " Estray Pen," was the Jail. The first contract- ors failed to fulfil their contract, and a suit for damages was instituted against them. The Jai! was finally built in the fall of 1833, " of logs wels bolted together," on the northwest comer of the public square It stood there till last year, when the new Court House and Jail having been completed, it was torn down, and no vestige re- mains to tell where once stood " this terror of evil doers." The minutes of the first meeting of the citi- y.ens of Chicago, without date upon the rccoitls, are as follows : " At a meeting of the citizens of Chicago, con- vened pursuant to public notice given according to the statute for incorporating Towns, T. J. V. Owen was chosen President, and E. S. Kimberly was chosen Clerk. The oaths were then admin- istered by Russell E. Heacock, a Justice of the 1'eace for Cook county, when the following vote was taken on the propriety of incorporating the town of Chicago, County of Cook, State of 1115- For Incorporation John S. C. Hogan, C. A. BaSlard, G. W. Snow, R. J. Hamilton, J. T. Tem- ple, John Wright, G. W. Dole, Hiram Pearsons, Alanaon Sweet, E. S. Kimberly, T. J. V. Owen, Mark Beaubien 12. Against Incorporation Russell E. Heac-ock I. We certify tl.e above poll to be correct. [Signed] T. J. V. OWEN, President. ED. S. KIMBKRLY, Clerk. Dr. Kimberly informs us that the meeting was held some twenty days before the election which followed. The first election for five Trustees of the town of Chicago was held at the house of Mark Beau- bien, on the 10th of August, 1833, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, and the polls were closed at 1 -"'clock. The following are the names of the voters, and those elected on that occasion : Voters E. S. Kimberly, J. B. Beaubien, Mark JJ-js.uV'ien, T. J. V. Owen, William Ninson, Hi- ram Pearsons, Philo Carpenter, George Chap- man, John Wright, John T. Temple, Matthias Smith, David Carver, James Kinzie, Charles Taylor, John S. C. Hogan, Eli A. Rider, Dexter I. H;ipgood, George W. Snow, Madore Beau- bien, Gholson Kercheval, Geo W. Dole, R. J. Ilamiliqn, Stephen F. Gale, Enoch Darling, W. II. Adams, C. A. Ballard, John Watkins, James Gilbert T. J. V. Owen received 26 votes. Geo. W. Dole " 26 " Madore Beaubien " 23 " John Miller " 20 " E. S. Kimberly " 20 " And so were elected Trustees of the town o Chicago. At this election there were in all twenty-eight voters in the "TOWN or CHICAGO" on the 10th day of August, 1833. "Canvassing" at elec- tions did not require quite so much labor, and there was far less money spent then than tberf- is now. Two of the first Trustees, Dr. Kimberly and G. W. Dole, Esq., are still residents of the city. The "town of Chicago" has not, there- fore, arrived at the lull age of twenty-one years. To those who have not become familiar with such facts, they are more wonderful than the wildest dreams of a " poetic fancy." They are, however, plain sober history such history, how- ever, as can only be found in the annals of the American people. The Trustees held their first meeting at the Clerk's office on the 12th day of August, 1833. The limits of the corporation were defined as follows : Beginning at the intersection of Jack- son and Jefferson streets, thence north to Cook street, and through that street to its eastern ex- tremity in Wabansia, thence on a direct line to Ohio street in Kinzie's addition, thence east- wardly to the Lake shore, thence south with the line of beach to the northern TJ. S. pier, thence northwardly along said pier to its termination, thence to the channel of the Chicago river, thence along said channel until it intersects the eastern boundary line of the Town of Chicago, as laid out by the Canal Commissioners, thence southwardly with said line until it meets Jackson street, thence westwardly along Jackson street until it reaches the place of beginning. The 26th of September, 1833, is a memorable day in the history of Chicago. The Pottawot- amie Indians, to the number of 7,000, had been gathered here for the purpose of making a treaty with the United States. On that day the treaty was signed on the part of the United States by T. J. V. Owen, G. B. Porter and Wm. Weather- ford, and by a la^ge number of Indian chiefs, by which the Indians ceded to the United States all their territory in Northern Illinois and Wiscon- sin, amounting to about twenty million acres. The treaty was made in a large tent on the north side, a little north of the Lake House. The largest part of the Indians were encamped in th<- woods on the north side. Two bands from Cold- water, Mich., encamped under a large cotton- wood tree, which then stood in the rear of I. Speer's Jewelry store, near the corner of Lake and State streets. There were a large number of speculators and others present, and there were scenes enacted which it would be no credh 36 to humanity to narrate. Quite a large number of our present citizens were here at the time of the treaty. On the 26th of November, 1833, the first newspaper ever printed in Chicago, or Northern Illinois, was published by our friend, John Cai- houii, Esq The bound volumes of that paper for t-vo years are before us. The perusal of its pages has filled up some of the moat interesting hours in our study of the *' ancient history" of Chicago. It has since fallen into other hand*, and merit* no notice from us. In this first num- ber, Mr. Caihoun stiongly urges "the com- mencement and completion of the long-contem- plated canal to connect the watej^ of Lake Mi- chigan with the Illinois river," and adds, that "even with the present limited facilities of navi- gation, goods have been Uaimpoited from New Yoi k to St. Louis in the ahoi t space of twKity- three days!" Thanks to our railroads, goods can now be sent through by express in three .days ! The second number cf Mr. Ca'honn's paper, issued on the 3d of December, 1833, contains ihi 1 names of the following peiuons as advertisers, who are still residents of Chicago: S. B. Cobb, John S. Wright, Walter Kimball, Philo Carpen- ter, P. F. W. Peek, R. M Sweet, A. Clybourne, John Bates, jr., G. W. Dole, B. Jones, SUr Footo, C. Harmon, E. S. Kiniberly, John H. Kin- zie, S. D. Pierce end II. J. Hamilton. We think this fact is n or thy of notice by those v. ho have been led to believe that Chicago is an unhealthy city. Never was there a more gratuitous or uu- founded assertion. During the summer of 1833, Chicago, as has already been intimated, grew rapidly. Attention had been called to the place by an appropriation of $00,000, made in the spying of. that year by Congress, to build a harbor here to accommodate the commerce of Lake Michigan. The harbor was pushed forward rapidly during the sumn.er, and in the following spring there was a great freshet, which carried out the san'J f.-om between the piera, ai.d opened the harbor to the Lake commerce. So late as 1884, only twenty years ago, there was but one mail per week frora Niles, Michigan, to Chicago, and that was carried on koraebaclc. On the llth of January of that year, & large public meeting of the citizens of Chicago was fceld at the house of Mark Eeaubien, at which, of course, " speeches were made," and a memorial was drawn up and sent to the Postmaster Gen era], stating the grievances under which the citizens labored, and the pree&ng necewuty there was for increased mail facilities. The contiast presented by the present post ollice business is truly astonishing. The Chicago post oilice u now seniiiiig out and receiving fourteen daily mails, besides aevejal weekly aud tri-weeKly. Tiie receipt of the ofiice for the quarter ending Jan. !bt, 1854, were over $130,000. The number of letters passing- through the office averages over 3n,000 daily, and there are 76 bags containing 4-">,000 newspapers. The average number of lettei s received by our citi- zens, and sent out from this office, is about 5,000 per day. We gather the following items from our friend ("alhoun's paper. On the ICih of April, 1834. there was still but one mail per week, and he ives as an excuse for not having more news, that for that week it did not arrive. The same week he commences a marine list, noticing the a'-rival of one schooner from St. Joseph's, and the departure of two fir the same port. On the 3'lth of the same month he says that emigration had faiily commenced, as more than '' a, hundred had arrived by boats and otherwise within tlw last (en days.* Astonishing! an average of tan persons per day! What would cr two great Ka.*ter railroad* pay to such an amount of travel? On the 4th of June Sir. CVlhoun announces with groat satisfaction ''that arrangements have been made by the piopiietors of tbe steamboats on Lake Erie, r.horeby Chicago 13 to be visited by a steamboat ttnre a toetk till the 25lh of August." This was certainly an era in the history of the "town of Chicago." On Saturday, July llth, 1834, the schooner Illinois entered vbe harbor t and nailed up the river amid the acclamations of the citizens. She was the Srst larg;- vessel that ever e?itered the Chicago river. The bar be- tween the piera was worn out by c great freshet the spring previous. Before this, vessels wer* obliged to anchor outside the bar, .vad received and discharged their cargoes by n:cjr,s of scow? and lighters. The Illinois was the pioneer of the immense commerce which now finds its centro in Chicago. In the same paper, of the 6th of August, we find the whole numbar.of votes polled in Cook county, which then embraced th<> present counties of Will and Dupage, was 528. During the summer of 18S4 Chicago grew very rapidly, for we find Mr. Caihoun stating, on the 3d of September, " that one hundred and fifty vessels had discharged their cargoes since tha 20th of April previous." We musi not suppose, however, that Chicago was "out of the woods," for there w:>8 a fin grove of tJrolxw along the river on the east side, 37 extending south from Ifadison street. Some of these trees are still standing, and we present a pi-, a in ihcir behalf, that the." n>ay IHJ spared ihf "lemo.seless axe." On Monday morning, Oct. th, the citizens of this quiet town were staitled by the announcement that >\ large black bear was gaf ly domiciled in this "xtiip of tiniler" All the town of cuiee turned out to give Bmin anything but a generous welcome. He was soon found, and following \.'u ancient custom, "took to a tree" This was" of comae no secmity, and he was shot near the corner of Market and .Juek- isoii streets. In these woods multitudes of pi-aiiio wolves were accustomed to harbor, and in the night they would visit all parts of the town. Excited by their success against poor Bruin, the citizens manfully detei mined to give the wolves no quai ter. They therefore formed several par- ties, and at iiijrht it was found that they had dispatched forty of these midnight marauders. We simply make a note, that on the spot where Chicago now stands, less than twenty years ago, a " great hunt" was gotten up, and one bear j>r ; d proliably within the present city limits forty wolves were killed in a single day. Mr. Calhoan was present at the Indian pay- ment in 1834, and has handed us the following account of it. lie says : "On the '28th of October the first annuity was paid to the Pottawatomio and other Indians un- der the treaty which was made the year pre- vious for the purchase of their lands in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, About $30,000 worth of goods were to be distributed. They assem- bled to the number of about 4,000. The distri- bution took place by piling the whole quantity in a heap upon the prairie on the west side of die river, near the corner of Randolph and Canal irtreets The Indians were made to sit down upon the gra=s in a circle around the pile of goods their squnws sitting behind them. The half breeds and traders were appointed to dis- tribute the goods, and they leisurely walked to the pile and taking in their arms an armfull of good-j, proceeded to throw to one and another of those sitting on the giaps, and to whom they were appointed to distribute such articles as they iww fit, and then returned to the pile to replen- ish. Shortly the Indians began to show an anx- iety not to be overlooked in the distribution, and at first got on their kn e on one foot, and soon all were stand- ing, and then they began to contract the cii-cle, until they finally made a i u^h for t'-e pile. I saw then a manner cf di-pi-rsing a mob that I never saw exemplified before nor since. The crowd was so great around the pile of goods that those that were back fiom them could not get to them, and the "outsideis" at once commenced hurling into the air whatever missiles they could get hold of, literally filling the ai:-, and causing them to fall in the centre where the crowd was the most dense. These, to save a broken head, rushed away, leaving a space for those who had hurled the missiles to rush in for a share of the spoils. The Indians were paid their annuities for two years after the treaty, before they were removed west of the Mississippi. These Indians were a degraded set, and did not inspire a person with any respect for the prowess and savage character which our forefathers had to encounter. A num- ber were killed here at every payment in their drunken brawls." On the 9th of September, 1833, our fellow citizen, Col. J B. F. Russell, advertises for forty ox teams, t-ach team to be composed of two yoke of oxen, to remove the Indians to the country " allotted to them West." On the first of Octo- ber Colonel Russt-11 started with the " forty ox teams," containing the children and baggage ot the last remaining remnant of the Red Men, about 1,500 in all, and was twenty days in reach- ing the Mississippi. 'I hey were twenty days more in reaching the land allotted to them west of Missouri. It is not, therefore, nineteen years since Chicago was surrounded by Pottawatomie Indians. In Mr Calhoun's paper of November 25th, 1835, we find the first census of the town ot Chicago and the county of Cook. The town, then contained 3,265, and the county 9,77 8 in- habitants Mr. Calhoun speaks of this as a very encouraging increase, as the county contained only a very few inhabitants when it was organ- ized in 1830. As late as the '2oth of January, 1836, he regrets to learn that Will county is to be set oflffiom Cook, as it will probably "lessen our politicnl influence in the Sti.te." On Thurs- day, May 18, 1830, the sloop Clarissa, the first vessel ever built in Chicago, was launched. It was an occasion of much* interest. The Fire Department was organized on the 19th of September, 183/>, as appears by the fol- lowing resolution passed by the Board of Trustees on that day : " Rexnlvfd, That the President order two en gines for the use of the Corporation, of suck description an he shall deem necessary, and also 1,000 feet of hose, on the credit of the Corpo- ration." 38 The first lawyer's bill we find on the records was paid to James H. Collins, Esq., on the 16th day of August, 1834. Some differences had arisen in reference to the right of the city to lease certain water lots. Mr. Collins was applied to for an opinion, for which he charged and re- ceived $5. On the 7th of October, 1835, John Dean Caton's bill against the Corporation for counsel fees and services rendered during the years 1833-'4 was paid. The amount of the bill was $75. Our friends, the lawyers, manage at present to get a much larger slice from the public loaf. On the 13th of February, 1836, notice was given that the " Trustees of the Town of Chi- cago will not hold themselves accountable for any damages which may arise to any person by reason of crossing the bridges over the Chicago river, or over the north and south branches thereof, the said bridges being considered dan- gerous, and the said Trustees not having funds out of which to repair the said bridges." Rather a sad state of affairs that. On the 26th day of October, 1836, initiatory steps were taken towards obtaining a City Char- ter. The town being then in three districts, the President of the Board of Trustees invited the inhabitants of each district to select three per- sons to meet with the Board, and consult upon the expediency of applying to the Legislature for a City Charter, and to adopt a draft to ac- company such application. The district meeting was held, and the following delegates chosen : From 1st District Ebenezer Peck, William Stuart, E. W. Casey. From 2d District J. D. Caton, Chad- wick, W. Forsyth. From 3d District John H. Kinzie, W. L. Newberry, T. W. Smith. The above delegates met with the Board on Friday evening, November 25th, at the Trustees' room, opposite the Mansion House, and it was resolved " that it is expedient for the citizens of Chicago to petition the Legislature for a City Charter. Also, that a committee of five, con- sisting of one delegate from each district, and two members of the Board, be appointed by the chair to prepare a draft of a City Charter, -to be submitted to this convention. Whereupon the chair (E. B. Williams) appointed Messrs. E. Peck, District No. 1, J. D. Caton, District No. 2, and T. W. Smith, District No. 3, and from the Trustees, Messrs. Bolles and Ogden. The committee met again Dec. 9th, and through E. Peck, Esq., presented their draft of a City Char- ter. After some discussion and amendment, it was adopted for presentation to the citizens, and 500 copies were ordered to be printed. The charter was parsed by the Legislature, and approved March 4th, 1837. The city ol Chicago is therefore not " out of her teens." She is a buxom maiden of only SEVENTEEN sum- mers, and what she is destined to be when sin- becomes a matron of sixty, we dare not veututv to predict. The first election for city officers was held on the 1st Tuesday of May, 1837. It resulted a.* follows : Wm. B. Ogden, Mayor. J. C. Goodhue, Alderman 1st Ward. J. S. C. Hogan, J. D. Caton, A. Pierce, B. Ward, S. Jackson, id 3d 4th 5th 6th John Shrigley was elected High Constable and at the first meeting of the Council, May 3d. 1837, N. B. Judd, Esq., was elected City At- torney. The total number of votes, as appears from the canvas for Mayor, then in the city, was 703. The first census of Chicago was taken July 1st, 1837. Under 5 Y'rs of A*e Male. Fern. Over 5. un- der 21 Y'rs. Male Pern. 21 and over. Male. Fern. Persons of Oolor. Male. Fern. 1st Ward. 57 9 2d Ward. 76 77 3d Ward. 11 16 4th Ward. 15 15 5th Ward. 32 87 6th Ward. 53 65 109 135 1?0 148 33 13 31 27 2fi 20 72 lul 444 218 6'W 26-3 70 46 101 42 185 70 120 207 10 7 13 18 '5 "2 is ' 244 2fi9 244 Totals 513 31 450 81 in 1^0'J 845 1800 2d45 831 41 3* 41 77 Total white ...... 513 . . . .3,980 " black.. . ...... 77 Total . . .4.0i!.i Sailors belonging to vessels owned Grand Total.... ....4.170 The census shows that there were 4 Warehouses. 89S Dwelling. 29 Dry Goods Stores. B Hardware Stores, 3 Drug Stores. 19 Grocery KSI& Froritioc. Stores, 10 Taverns., 2- Groceries, 17 Lawyers' oSr-i-s. L.it the topography of Chicago, only a few of which we have space to give. On the south side of the river there were two sloughs between the Garrison and " the point" The first emptied into the river at the foot of State street. It ran a little north of the Sherman House, crossing Clark street near the Post Office, thence crossing Lake street nearly in front of the Tremont House. The " old Tremont House" was on the northwest corner of Lake aud Dearborn streets, and as late ;is 1 831 sportsmen would sit in the door of the ' TRKMONT" and shoot ducks in the slough. The other slough entered the river at the foot of La- aalle street. The store built ia 183l-'2 by P. F. W. Peck, Esq., at the southeast corner of La- salle and Water streets, was situated on a " high point of laud," formed by a bend in this slough. Poles were luid across these sloughs, on which the people going east and west crossed for want of a better badge. The dwelling uow occupied by Mrs. Wright, ;it the comer of Michigan Avenue and Madison street, was built by John Wright, Esq., in 1839. Then it was ' way cut of town in the prairie." Randolph and Washington streets were not even " turnpiked," and there was nothing to indicate their " local habitation" save only here and there ;; few stake- driven eight years previous by Sur- veyor Thompson and his assistants. There were a few scattered houses along Lake and South Water streets. The first, deed on record is made by Governor Reynolds, in behalf of the State, to Robert Kii.- zie, assignee of B. B. Kercheval, and conveys lots 5 and ti, block 29, Original Town, for the sum of $l<)9. It is recorded December 2, 1831, i.y K. J. Hamilton, Recorder. The first will on record is that of Alexander Wolcott, filed April.' :!7, 183!, before R. J- Hamilton, Judge of Pro- bate. It is a feature of our city, more noticed by strai ger- than by ourselves, who are accustomed to it, that we are a community of workers. Every man apparently has his head and hands full, aiid seems to be hurried along by an irre- sistiUe impulse that allows him neither rest nor leisu'e An abusing evidence of this charac- teristic of Chicago occurs in connection with the firss census of the city, taken July 1st, 1837, when the occupation, as well as names and resi- dence of every citizen were duly entered. In the record of the population of four thousand one hundred and seventy, among the names of professors mechanics, artisans and laborers, ap pears, in unenviable singularity, the entry, " Richard Harper, loafer," the oniy representa- tive of the class at that time in the city. From this feeble ancestry the descendants have been few and unimjiortiint; and we believe there is not a city in the Union where the proportion of vagabonds and loafers is so small as in Chi- cago. We mi^ht extend our sketches at pleasure, but we have already greatly exceeded the limits we at first assigned them. It ia not yet quite seventeen years since the city government was first organized. Then it contained only four thousand one hundred and seventy inhabitants ; now it has over sixty thousand. Then there was not a canal, railroad or plank road leading out of the city, and only three years previous there was but one mail from the East per week, and that was brought from Niles on horseback. The changes which have been wrought in seventeea years are truly amazing . The question naturally arises, What will the next seventeen years accomplish? With less than the ratio of her past increase of populatioa from the time she first became a city, she will, in 1871, contain more than half a Million of people, Few, perhaps, would dare to predict such a re suit; but let us look at a few facts, and leava each one to draw his own conclusion. We are now in direct railroad connection with all the Atlantic cities from -Portland to Baltimore. Five,, and at most eight years, will extend the circle to New Orleans By that time also we shall shake hands with the rich copper and iron mines of Lake Superior, both by canal and railroad ; and long ere another seventeen years have passed away, we shall have a great National Railroad from Chicago to Puget's Sound, with a branch to San Francisco. Situated ia the cei.tre of one 41 ol ihc most extensive and the ii. hest agricultuial regions in the woild; at the head of our magnifi- cent inland sea?, mid holding the key to their romiiieice oil each side for fifteen hundred miles ; with the ccitainty that she must become the great central city of the Continent, where the productions of Asia, Ku r ope and America must concentrate for exchange and distribution throughout the Mississippi Valley, with unri- valled facilities for manufi'Ctoi ies of all kinds; md with i ail toads centeiing here fioai every principal city upon the Continent, he must be dull indeed who can predict anything but a glo- rious future for the Garden City. We have given but the outlines of the picture : time, we ate satisfied, will fill it up with colois more vivid and glorious than the most sanguine imagination would dare now to contemplate. The results of the past seventeen years are now matters of his- tory, and we leave the editors of the Democratic PTCXK in 187 I to prepare the reco-d may we be spared to do it of what the next seventeen yeais shall accomplish. MANUFACTURES, BANKING, ETC. THE River and Harbor Convention, which com- menced its sessions in this city on the 5th of July, 1847, gave the second great and perma- nent impulse to Chicago. After the disastrous speculating mania of 1836-'7, the city gradually sank in public favor till 1842, when the lowest point was reached, and business began to revive. The progress of the city, however, was slow, till ita advantages were in some measure appreciated and made known by the intelligent statesmen and business men from every part of the Union, who were present at that Convention. To the edi- tors who were present is Chicago specially in- debted for extending a knowledge of her com- mercial position. The opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, in the spring of 1848, gave a marked impetus to our trade, and tended still farther to attract the attention of the country to the Garden City. On the 22d of January, 1850, the Galena Rai'.road was opened forty two and a half miles to Elgin, and in a very few mouths demonstrated the important fact, that, owing to the cheapness with which railroads could be constructed in Illinois, they would pay a large dividend to the stockholders. Eastern capitalists paw that the Mississippi Valley was the place to make profitable investments, and in 1851 the charter of the Illinois Central Railroad turned the attention of the whole Union to Chicago, and made her future pre-eminence no longer doubt- ful. The completion of the Michigan Southern and the Michigan Central Railroads in 1852, added much to the prosperity of the city; and the commencement of the Rock Island Railroad 'oi the spring of the same year, its rapid progress and immense business, and the fact that Chieigo ia one of the greatest railroad centres in tVm country, have all tended to increase our popula tion at the rate of fifty-scuen per cent, during the past year a ratio never before witnessed in the United States, except in California. With these improvements there has been a corresponding change in the business of the city. In the fall of 1847, when we first saw Chicago, the business of our merchants was confined mainly to the retail trade. The produce that was shipped from this port was all brought to the city by teams. Some of them would come a hundred and fifty miles. Farmers would bring in a load of grain, and take back supplies for themselves and their neighbors. Often has it happened that they would get "sloughed," or break their wagons ; and between the expense of repairs and hotel chargas, they would find themselves in debt when they got home. Dur ing the "business season" the city would b> crowded with teams. We have seen Water and Lake streets almost impassable for hours to- gether. The opening of the canal in 1848 made considerable change in the appearance of the city, and when the Galena Railroad was finished to Elgin, tho difference was very striking. The most of those old familiar teams ceased to visit us, and we heard some few merchants gravolj? express the opinion that the canal and railroads would ruin the city. The difference they have mado is simply that between a small and a large business ; between a retail and a wholesale trade. One of the principal Jewelry and Gold and Silver establishments in the citv in 1845 did a busino.s of f 3,000 ; last year the same house sold goods to the amount of $120,000. Drug stores, whose sales eight years ago were from five to six thou- sand dollars, now do a business of from fifty to a hundred thousand. The Hardware, Dry Goods tad Grocery business will show similar, and some of them still more remarkable results. We have made repeated cliorts to get at the exact figures in each departs icnt of trade, that we might make comparison between the last and pre- ceding years, but we are sorry to say that many of our merchants are very reluctant to give us any figures, lest the extent of the commerce of Chicago should become known, and merchants from other cities should come here and divide their profits. A more narrow-minded, injurious policy, in our judgment, could not be adopted. The transactions in produce, since the open- ing of the canal and railroads, make but little show in the streets, but they are immense. We can name five houses, each of whose business foots up to from eight hundred thousand to a million and a half of dollars per year. To see these gentlemen in the evening, quietly chatting on the state of the markets, at the Tremont, one would hardly suspect that their purchases for the day had amounted to five or ten, and sometimes perhaps to fifty thousand dollars. We have some interesting facts and figures to present, and commence with REAL ESTATE. The appreciation in the value of Real Estate in Chicago is truly amazing. To those who have always lived in towns and cities on the seaboard, that were "finished" before they were born, the facts we are about to give will be scarcely cred- ible. They are, however, plain, sober truths, which, if any one doubts, he can verify at his leisure. Real Estate in Chicago now has a posi- tive business value, below which it will never be likely to sink, unless some great calamity should hofall the whole country. Like all Western cities, Chicago has bad her reverses. In 1835-'6 Real Estate had a fictitious value. The whole country was mad with the spirit of speculation. When the crash came, in the latter part of '37, hundreds in this city found themselves bankrupt Real Estate went down to a very low figure, reaching " bottom" in 1842. Since then, it has been steadily rising with the increasing prosperity of the country, and if the judgment of oiu- mout cautious, far-peeing busi- ness men can be trusted, it will never be any less. That judgment is b;ised upon an array of facts, the accuracy and influence of which, upon tho growth of Chicago, cannot be doubted. In only one year from the first of January next, we shall have four thousand miles of railroad centering in this city, counting in most cases their extension only in a single State beyond our own ; and what is of more importance, they penetrate one of the finest agricultural regions that can be found in any country. By that time the Sault Ste. Marie caual will be done opening to our commerce the rich mines of Lake Superior. The iron and the copper of that region will here meet the coal from our State, and build up the most extensive manufactories upon the Continent One of the finest canals in the world connects us with the Illinois and Mississippi rivers ; and in addition to all this, Chicago holds the key to the commerce of our magnificent lakes, giving us a coasting trade, when Lake Superior is opened to us by the Ste. Marie Canal, of three thousand mile?. The most sagacious statesmen, and the ablest commercial men in this country and in Europe have, therefore, a broad basis for the opinion that Chicago is soon to take rank among the three largest cities, and ere long as the second city upon the American Continent The rise in Real Estate, ami the prices at which it is now sold in view of such facts, are easily explained. The following table, made up from the records of the original sales in this city, will be found very interesting. The last column, showing the present value of property, is the average of the prices at which they would now sell, as given us by three of our oldest and most reliable real estate houses in this city. Many of the owners, we presume, would not sell at these figures, and we have no doubt should any of this property be put in the market, it would readily command at least the estimated value given in the table. The price of " the lands' 1 may appear enotmous, but four of the parcel* are now in the thickly inhabited parts of the city, and the valuation is probably below rather than above the mark. FIRST PURCHASER. DESCRIPTION OF LOTS. BLK ORIOIS'L PKirc. PRMfcNT VALCH. Srp*. 37. 18tt: B B. Keiclifval Nos.fi and 6 9 *1f.9 OP $2 '.SCO Mark Be:-ubifn. 3 and 4 3i llfl.U 1C 8.00* Thomas Hartzell do do 1 2 I 29 i .115.00 63.7&0 do do 2H 35.(0 li'.CO Edmund p obertB& Peter Men;ird. 4 y* 10 .00 U.00 Mivund Rohertu 9 '8 4*.< 40. W "William Jrwett 5 :in 1 6 28 21.00 17,0vi James Klntif.. 57K ") ilo do 83578 2 ( 418.00 1SUC9 do rio 8 ami 5 40 J. B. Heaubien 7 |h l do 1278 17 do V~.'i 18 r 346.0 400.0.'* rto | 35 do 3 and 4 3*j John Kinzie 1201 i'lo 6 and 8 2 * 1 9.0 1 1630(0 978 , Alex'iW WVc'Vu! 12.i43678 J ( R-. < II trs.'H) 1 TIL. ,;.., Ky .11 .... 2 4-i.O ' 3..0 u Srpt : 18 ii : Sttuiitui \l ,:k.... 7 and 6 43 S3.00 o7.(Klil A.,ri, :t 18 2: Tli.M. .). V. 0*en. 6 9 39." 41 ' Oliver XcariiiM-ry. 4 '.i 78.U >, Oil d. 4 17 4i. -0 Jes*e It lir.inrne.. 3 i' id' (I >. James Kinzie H I) 94.'" 18 " P. K \V I'.-o* 4 18 SMI April . I8r2: 1 T. J.V. Ow^nan.l 5 0( ) K. J. Hamilton.. 8 II 1 7U.'l JOHN \uble I Mi fi .(1 ig,U U do i ,1 8:.-' 10 .'Ml Huzh Walker '.'.'.'. 6 31 61.11- .. o Sept. 3. 16-ii: O.Goss, W.nh.co.. Vi 2 5d 70.00 1 ' ( *y u D^o 4. 18 !i: Ci.ivm It twlcv,... 4 38 3.0 50,00 S p i . 18 0: so. ACRRS. Thos. H .rtull. W hf, N. K. qr. Sec. 9. Town 89 X.. an*e 14 E 8 121.' 80 ,0'Xi IdjttUll 1 i.b--rts iiivl Hfiiiiiina It K.-rclieval W. l.f. N. W. qr. .-ec. 9. T.39 It 14 K .. 80 100 00 4 0,0 Sept. 28. '8i : Jiimes Kinzie, E. hf. N. W qr. Sec. 9. T 39. N. K 14 81 14)09 6uO, CO Sept.. 29. 18< . J. n. H;->iubi?n. N hf. N. E. qr. *?c. 9. T. 9V.. .14E 84 98- 00 424.9' K5.0P.O J. B. Beiiuhi^n. M. \V frao'l N. W. qr Sec. 9, T. 39 N,. R. 14 E....1.7 w>- 63 '.3 > 132 0"0 Total 4.-H 2 3 77 .Wtl Tliere is, we believe, but one of the above lot?, and only a fraction of that, which is now in the hands of the original pm chaser. That is the lot owned by P. F, W. Peck, Esq., and in reality he was not the first purchaser, for it is the same lot bought by Mr. Peck of Mr. Walker the receipt for which was quoted in the " His- tory of Chicago." That receipt was recognized by the Comrhissioner, and the deed was made directly to Mr. Peck. Our citizens have all noticed the splendid drug store of J. H. Reed & Co., No. 144 Lake street. The day it was opened, October 2^, 1851, we stood in front of the store, conversing with the owner of the building, Jeremiah Price, Ksq Pointing to one of the elegant windows, said Mr. Price: "I gave $1<)0 in N'ew York for that centre pane of French plate glass. That is ex- actly what I paid Mr. J. Noble for this lot, eighty feet front, on a part of which the store stands, when I purchased it in 1838." That lot cannot now be bought for $54,000. Wolcott's Addition, on the North side, was bought in 1830 for $130. It is now worth considerably over one and a million of dollars. Walter L. New berry, Esq., bought, the forty acres which forms his addition to Chicago, of Thomas Havtzcll, ,0 ID. They arc now worth, at a lo* csti- nate, $3. noo.oiid. Any number of similar iu- lances might be giv<-n of the iutuieiisu apprecia- iou of Rciil testate iii Chicago. From the g/eat app eciatioa which the-e iguies show, many may be led to suppose that more money can be made oa Heal EdUte in ica-io. Exactly the reverse is true. As corn- ered with their original co^t, lots near the ceii- re of the city cannot be expected to appreciate rapidly as in years past; but that they will teadily advance, there can scarcely be a doubt jet any business man etudy carefully the facta contained ia these articles ; let him remember hat within the lifetime of thousands who read these pages Chicago will contain her hundreds of thousands of people ; and then let him calculate, f he has the courage, what Real Estate will then >e worth in the commercial centre of the Missis- sippi Valley. The following table exhibits the total valua- tion of real and personal property ia Chicago, as taken from the Assessor's books, for a t-e:iea of years. It must be remembered, however, that property ia assessed at far balow its real value : 183'.), 1,829,420 1S16, 5,071,40-2 '40, I,8ii4,205 '47, 6,l8s,335 '-11, 1,888,100 '48, 9,086,000 '42, 2,325,240 '49, 7,617,102 '43, 2,250,735 '50, 8,liH,000 '44, 3,16H,94> '51, 9,431,828 '45, 3,669,124 '52, 12,035,037 1853, 22,929,637 The following shows the assessed value of the different kin'is of property for the la-4. I he following ere CLe iLoi . , " JOHN WEIGHT, PHILO CAKPKvr Kufus Browa, Mi. Elizabeth Brown, John 8. Wright, .Mary Taylor, J. H. Poor, E. Clark, Mrs. Cynthia Brown. Ten churches have since been organized in whole or in part from this church. It is new in a very flourishing condition under the pastora care of Rev. II. Curtis. The first Catholic church in Chicago WB.R but! by Rev. Mr. Schofter, in the yeaw 1883-'4. I was located somewhere in State street It now stands in the rear of St. Mary's Cathedra], ar.d i used by the Sisters of Mercy as a school room St. Mary's is the oldest Catholic church in th city. It was opened for divine service on th 26th of December, 1843. Its pastors then wer Rev'da Fischer and Saint Pailate, now Bishop o Tincennea. The house was completed by th Peter Johnson, Mrs. P. Johimo'i, Mia, Juliette A. Kiuzie (wife of J. II. Kinric, :sq), Airs. Francis W. llagill, H:B. Nancy Hall am, Mrs. Maigaret iielui. The first Baptist church was organized by Rev. A. B. Freeman, on the 19th of October, 1833- 'he following were its first meuabeis: Rev. A. B. Freeman, S. T. Jackson, Martin D. Harmon, Peter Moore, Nath'l Carpenter, John K. Sargrnta, Peter Waiden, Willard Jones, Ebon Ci-ane, Bamantha Harmon, Lucinda Jackson, Betsey Crar.e, Hannah C. Fieeman, Susannah liice. The first church erected by this society wa ilt on ^>orth Water street tho preciee limo we cannot give. In 1843-'4 the society built a arge brick house on the lot now owned by then) on the south side of the public square. It was burnt down in October, 185'2. A new church is now in process of erection, whic:'u will codt at least $25,000. h- first Sunday School in Chicago was estab- I'mhed by Philo Carpenter, Eeq , ar.d Capt John- son, in August, 1832. Mr. Carpenter, in CO:E' pany with G. W. Snow, Esq., arrived here on tho 30th of July, 1832. The school was first held in a frame, not then enclosed, which stood on ground a short dibtance northeast of the pre- ser.t residence of Mrs. John Wright, on Michigan Avenue. It is now washed away. Ihe nchooi consisted of thirteen children. It was held dar- ing the fall of that year and the next season above the store of P. F. W. Peck, Esq., at the southeast corner of Lasalle and Water streets. Rev. Mr. Porter also preached in the same place. In the fall of 1832 Charles Butler, Esq., of New York, presented the Sunday School with a libiary, and it soon increased to forty or fifty members. The first Congregational cburcii was organized on the 22d of May, 1851, on the weet side of the river. The following is the present list of Churches and Ministc-rs In Chicago. PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL. TRISITY CHURCH Madison, near Clark street; Rev W. A. Small wood, D. D., rector. ST. JAMES' CHURCH corner of Cass and Illinois streets R. H. Clarkson, rector. CHURCH OK THE ATONKMCNT corner of Washington an< Green streets, west side ; Dudley Chase, rector. ST. PAUL'S FRER CHAPEL Sherman, near Harrison st. J. McNamara, rector. GRACB CHURCH corner of Dearborn and Madison sts. C. B. Swope, rector. ST. ANSQARIUS CHURCH corner of Indiana and Frank lin streets; Guatavus Unonius, rector. PRESBYTERIAN. FIRST PRBSBYTKRIAN CHURCH corner Clark and Wash ington streets; Harvey Curtis, pastor. SSCOND PRSSBYTERIAN CHURCH corner of Wabash Avenue and Washington streets; R. W. Patterson pastor. THIRD PRBSBYTBRIAK CHURCH Union street, between Randolph and Washington streets. West Bide; E. W. Moore, pastor. NORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH corner of Illinois and Wolcott streets. North side; R. H Richardson, pastor. REFORMED PREsnYrRRUx CHURCH Fulton street, cor- ner Clinton street. West side ; A. M. Stewart, pastor. CONGREGATION' AL. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH -Washington street, between Halsted and Union streets. West Bide. PLYMOUTH COSGRKOATIONAL CHORCH corner Dearborn and Madison streets ; N. H. Eisgleston, pastor. NBW ENGLAND CUOKCH corner Wolcctt and Indiana streets; J. C. Holbrook, pastor. SOUTH CONGKKO.VTIOSAL CHURCH There is preaching regularly by Key. E. P. Dickenson, at the church near American Car Company's Works, at half past 10 o'clock, A. M., every Sabbath. Alto at 3. P. M.. at the New Con- gregational Meeting House, corner of Clark and Taylor streets, sear the S 'Uthern Michigan Railroad Depot. LUTHERAN. NOTWKGHN CnuRcn-Superior. between Wells and La- salle streets; Paul Andersen, pastor, GBRMAN CHURCH-Lasalle, between Indiana an* Ohio streets; J. A. Fisher, pastor. GKRMAN CHURCH Indiana street, near Weils; Augus- tus Selle, pastor. FIRST CHURCH Rnrned down, now worshipping in the old Presbyterian Churoh, on Clark, near Madison street ; avenue. North Hide ; Anthony Kopp, pastor. ST. LoDii (French) -Clavk, between Adiims and Jack- son streets; I. A. Lebsl, pastor. ST. MICHAEL'S corner North arenue and New Church street; E. Kaiser, pastor. ST. FHAMCIS ASBISICM West side; J. B. Weicamp, pastor. NEW JERUSALEM SWKDENBOHGIAN. PLACK OF WoRsruv corner of Dearborn and Randoipti streets; J. E. Uibbard, pastor. UNITARIAN. UNITARIAN CHUECH --North side of Waslviagton gtrn*, betweea Clark und Dearborn streets; K. 11. Shipp-iiv. pastor. UNIVER8ALIST. Usm.MALi8T CBI.-RCH South side of street, between Clark and Dearborn streets; I/. B. Mi son, pastor.) 'JEWISH. SYSAOOOPB Olark street, between Adams and Quiac streets; G. Schneldacher, pastor. SCHOOLS, etc. The common Schools of Chicago are the pride 5 , and the glory of the city. The school fund is ample, and every child in the city can obtain the elements of a good English education free of charge. We have now six large Public School idifices, two in each division of the city. Froai three to seven hundred children are daily ga- hered in each. Besides these, we have a large number of pri- ratc schools and seminaries, where those who ish can educate their children. We have an excellent Commercial College, at he head of which is Judge Bell. The Catholics lave a College, and the Methodists are also about o establish and endow a University. We have also a most excellent Medical College. The educational facilities of Chicago may there- fore be regarded as of a very high order. BASKS, BANKING, etc. Had we space to write out the history of Bulking in Illinois, and especially in Chicago, it v-ould present some interesting topics for the contemplation of the financier. We Lave had t wo State Banks. The first was established early in the history of the State, and though the most extravagant expectations were entertained of its influence for good, its bills soon depreciated very rapidly, and for the want of silver change, they were torn in several fragments and passed for fractions of a dollar. It soon became entirely worthless. The second State Bank was char- tered by the session of the Legislature in the winter of '34-'5. In July of '35, it was deter- mined to establish a branch here ; but it was not opened till December of that year. In the finan- cial embarrassments of '37, the bank stopped specie payment, but continued business till '41, when it finally suspended. For the ten succeed- ing years we had no banks of any kind in the State. These were dark days for Illinoia She annually paid banking institutions of other States immense sums of money in the shape of interest for all the currency she used. Tired tf this system, a general banking law, modeled after that of New York, was passed, and on the 3d of January, '53, the Marine Bank in this city commenced business. The law is re- garded as rather too stringent by our bankers, and hence they do not procure bills for a tithe of the capital they employ. The following table .''hows the number of banks in this city, and the amount of bills they have in circulation : BAKKS. .BILLS IN CIRC'H. Exchange Bank of H. A. Tucker & Co $50,009 Marine Bank JW.OOO Bank of America 50,000 Chicaxo Bank 150,000 Commercial Bank 56.00'J Fanners' Bank 60.000 Union B nk ; 75.'00 Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank 54,700 Ci ty B ank 60,000 The capital of these banks is, in some instances, half a dozen times the amount of their circula- tion. The banking capital actually employed to do the business of the city must amount to sev- eral millions, and yet so rapid is the increase of trade, that money within the last six years has never borne less than ten per cent, interest. This is the legal rate established by the laws of Illinois. Most of the time money can be louieri from one to two per cent, per month, by those who are willing to take advantage of the oppor- tunities which are constantly offering. We pre- sume that hundreds of thousands of dollars could be safely invested at any time within a week or two, at the legal rate of interest. We have never seen the money market of Chicago fully supplied at the regular legal rate, viz ; ten per cent, per annum. The following is a list of the private bankers and brokers doing business in Chicago : R. K. SWIFT, J. M. ADSIT, JONES & PATRICK, F. G. ADAMS & Co., SHELDON & Co. N. C. HOE & Co., DAVISSON, McCjU.LA l.JNi2.> iO'.tl "H 1.1) ::>.0 1.2 ai. i 1 ; e.d.O UhfatiMp &U 8 9a 8 H.i * ISsi.O Dt.y Laborers 1 W.%1.50 l.-'5,il.75 Manias M ikergantl 6aUaierd ftlAstmduml l'i*-lerer 1 Suai OD 1.7 .- 0.) l. ;. o tidila vilis lidis fi'al 1 ? 81 5 7a 1 lOalti !U13 M.ili Primerd..cmp. .11 c % uu luV 167 1.0 1 60*2 35 . 5ii:.s'- Liteui Ship Oarpkiucvra ainl Jcrflter*. Snip Caulkers fitoue inters Tanners 1.0u* .2) Wire Work 1-3 ami WV*v rs.. WiiKon and Oarriaue M ker<. I'Hiaun l.O dl.oii '.2

the well, whence it is drawn by thu pumping en- gine and forced into the mams, aatl tiience into Uie iiuiwrvoir intiie aouth Division, from which it is distributed into the distribution pipes i:i the various parts of uie city. ENGINE. The .Engine is located in the main building. It was built at the Alorgan iron Works, in ^ew YorK, ana us u tinst ciass engine, low pres- sure, of two hundred horse power, its cylinder s forty-four inches in diameter, and has a pib- tou with a n,ue feet stroke. The Uy wheel is an immense casting of iron, twenty-lour feet in diameter, and weighing twenty-four thousand pounds. The working beam is of cast iron, tiurty feet long and four feet duep. It is sup- ported by a hollow iron column instead of tht- usual gallows fiaiiie, four feet iu diameter, and forming also au air vessel for the condenser. Tiiere are two wattr pumps, one on each isitk of this centre column, of thirty-four inches bore, six lest stroke. Tiiese pumps are furnisLe-d \vith composition valves. The boiler, which ie located in the north wing of the building, is a marine bo.ler of the largest sise, being thirty feet long aud nine feet in diameter, furnished with an admirable arrangement of rlues, and possessing an extraordinary strength of draught I he consumption of coal by the boiler iis very small, and it proves very economical. Th,e engine was put up under the care and direc- tion of Mr. JJeWitt U. Cregicr, the steam en- gineer of the company. The cost of the engine was only twenty-five thousand dollars. Thit; engine is capable of furnishing over thaee mil- lion gallons daily, which is a upply for one hundred thousand persons. DUPLICATE ENGINE. At the opposite end of the main building is a duplicate engine, of about one half nf the power of the other, which is kept in reserve in case of any breakage or accident happening to the other. This engine was manufactured bt H. P. Moses, of this city ; it is a non-condens- ing or high-pressure engine. The engine pump works horiEcntally, on a heavy cast-iron bed plate, supported by masonry. The steam cy- linder is eighteen inches internal diameter, with a piston of she feet stroke. The pump is dou- ble acting, and of the same diameter and stroke as the steam cylinder and piston ; it is placed behind the stcanr cylinder. The steam piston through both beads of the steam cylin- der, one end connecting with the pump, and the other with the crank or fly wheel. The fly wheel is an iron casting, 12 feet in diameter. ENGINE HOUSE. The Engine House is built of brick mason- ry, in the modern Italian style. The main building is fifty-four feet front and thirty-four : deep, with a wing on each side, each forty - I'our feet front and thirty -four feet deep. The main building is carried up two stories high, making an elevation of thirty feet above 'he principal floor. The wings are one story high. The roof is composed of wiought iron trusses -covered with zinc plates. In the centre of the froat of the main build- ing a Tower is constructed, fourteen feet square at the base, and one hundred and forty feet in height, surrounded by an ornamental cornice of metal. This tower forms a striking feature of the building. It also serves as a chimney for both boilers, and also has a -chamber in the cen- tre, separated from the smoke flues, in which is placed the standing column. RESERVOIR BUILDING. This building is two stories high. The prin- pi'incipal floor is placed three feet above the surface of the street. The exterior for the first story, (fifteen feet above the principal floor,) is made of cut stone, with rustic joints, surmount- ed by a cut stone string course. The second story is faced with pressed brick aud rustic quoins of cut stone. The architraves of the doors and windows are of cut stone. The main cornice is of cast iron, projecting four feet from the face of the wall, and supported by orna- mental cast iron console*. This cornice forms a balcony, which is sur- Tounded by an ornamental iron railing. The tank is supported by a brick column and brick arches, and is capable of holding five hundred thousand gallons of water. The building when completed-, with the tank, will be about ninety feet in height. This tank is designed to hold only a night supply for fifty thousand inhabitants. As the population of the ;;ity increases, it is proposed to erect similar -eservoir buildings, with tanks, &c., in each division. The surface of water in the tank will be eighty-three feet above the Lake. The 'reservoir is situated immediately south of Ad- - street and west of Clark. KIVER PIPES. The river pipes conveying the water across the river are made of boiler iron plates, riveted together, awd are twelve inches in interior diam- eter. About thirty miles of distribution and main pipes are laid in the streets, extending over a large portion of the city connecting with one hundred and sixteen fire hydrants at at the corners of the streets. STANDING COLUMN, The standing column is a cast iron pipe, twenty-four inches in diameter, placed vertical- ly in the engine house tower. It is connected with the pumps and main pipes, and serves as a regulator in keeping up a uniform head of water in the reservoirs. OFFICERS, The present Board of Water Commissioners consis of John B, Turner, and Alson S. Sher- man, Esqrs. Horatio G, Loomis, Esq. has late- ly tendered his resignation of the office of Wa- ter Commissioner, and his successor is John 0. Haines, Esq. William J. McAlpine, Esq. is the Ciiief Engineer of the Water Works, and Mr. E. Willard Smith, Resident Engineer ; Mr. Benjamin F. Walker, Superintendent ; Mr. Henry Tucker, Treasurer, and Mr. De Witt C. Cregier, Steam Engineer. It is proper to say in this connection that the plans for the Water Works were furnished by Mr. McAlpine, and the architectural designs for the several buildings above described, by Mr. S tnith. The cost of the work will be three hundred and sixty thousand dollars. The same work would now cost four hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The works are now calculated to supply a population of fifty thousand persons with thirty gallons of water each every twenty -four hours, which is equal 'to one million five hundred thousand gallows daily. The work is so plan- ned as to be easily extended to meet the wants of one hundred thousand population by laying more pipe, and building more Reservoirs. Break-Water and Depot Build- ings o tbe III. Central R. R. This great work commences at the South Pier, four hundred feet inside of its extreme east end and extends south one thousand two hundred and fifty-seven feet into the Lake, thence west six hundred and seventy-five feet on the North line of Randolph street, thence south-west one hundred and fifty feet, thence to a point opposite the American Car Factory, making fourteen thousand three hundred and seventy-seven in all sixteen thousand four hundred and fifty -nine feet. Fram the Pier to the Engine house the break-water is twelve feet wide ; thence down to the Car Company's works half that width. The upper portion of the crib work is built of square timber twelve by twelve,, locked together every ten feet, and the intermediate space filled by stone, piles being driven on the outside to keep it in place. The first piece of crib work sunk,, in building the break-water, has a very stout plank bottom.. The water line of the crib work south of Ran- dolph street is six hundred feet east of the east side of Michigan Avenue, and the outer line of the crib work, between Randolph street and the river, is one thousand three hundred and seventy five feet, The area thus enclosed and rescued from the dominion of the Lake, is about thirty-three acres. Upon this area the Illinois Central Railroad proposes to erect, first, one passenger .station house, four hundred and fifty feet long, by one hundred and sixty -five wide, including a car shed. The N, W. corner of this building will be occupied exclusively for offices and passenger rooms, and will be forty by one hundred and twenty feet, and three sto- ries high. A freight building six hundred by one hundred feet ; grain house one hundred by by two hundred, and one hundred feet high, to the top of the elevators; calculated to hold five hundred thousand bushels. Three tracks will run into the freight house ; eight tracks into the passenger house, and two tracks into the grain house. The basin lying be- tween the freight and grain houses will be five hundred by one hundred and seventy-eight feet and will open into the river. All these buildings are to be constructed of stone, obtain- ed from Joliet The cost of the breakwater will be not far from five hundred thousaiid dol- lars, and of the buildings not far from two hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars. The work was commenced in December 1852, and will be fin- ished during the year 1854 Mr. Mason having been detained.-as much by legal difficulties ;ia natural obstacles. The extreme length of the pile bridging for the railroad track ia two and a half miles. Of this, one and a half miles, parallel with Michi- gan Avenue, is double track, and the remainder is single. For the single track, two rows of piles are driven inside the breakwater, and four for the double track. These piles are well braced and bolted together, and form a very substantial structure for the railroad track. It will be impossible to give any thing like an accurate description of the Company's works until they are completed ; for as day by day the great commercial promise of Chicago bright- ens, the extent and breadth of the Company's works will be increased in proportion, or at least so fur as their depot accommodations will allow them. What was estimated to be suffi- cient a year since, has now been found inade- quate. And the next nix months will develop further change and increase. The Michigan Central Railroad either rent the privilege of using the road of the IllinoisCen-- tral in entering the city, or, what is more prob- able, share the expense of building the break- water. The works are planned on a magnifi-- cent seale, but they will not do more than ac- commodate the vast business of the two com- panies which occupy them. We have very in- definite ideas of the amount of business which the opening of the Illinois Central R. R. will bring to Chicago. As soon as it is finished, a- daily line of magnificent steamers will be put on the Mississippi river to run regularly between Cairo and New Orleans. Till the roads cross- - ing the Illinois- Central are completed east U> Cincinnati, almost the entire travel between New York and New Orleans will pass through Chicago and it will always be a favorit* route between the North and the South. Micix. Southern & Rock Island R. R. Depot. These Companies are preparing to build a splendid depot between Clark and Sherman streets, near Van Buren street. All the plans and arrangements for the building are not com- pleted, and we therefore are obliged to omit a description in detail. It will cost at least sixty thousand dollars. i & Chicago Union Rail' road Depot. This Company within the next week or twc will put wider contract a new freight building north of the present depot east of Clark street, Its dimensions will be three hundred and forty by seventy-five feet and two stories high. It, is expected to cost twenty-five thousand dol- lars. Still another freight building is to be immediately erected cast of the present freight depot. It is to be two hundred and fifty by sixty feet, and- two stories high. The upper part of the building is especially designed for storing grain. It is to be finished in the best style, and will cost about fifty thousand dollarg.- The company are also preparing to enlarge their engine house and machine shops, at an estimated cost of twenty thousand dollars. Several of our other roads are maturing their 51 plans to erect depots ; but they are not suffi- ciently complete to allow us to mate a notice of them. Cook County Court Houe. This fine building stands on the public square. It was completed during the last sum- mer, and is an ornament to the city. An en- graving of it will be found on the cover of our pamplet. One hundred and ten thousand dol- lars, expended in building it, were borrowed on the bonds of the county having from seven to eighteen years to run, at ten per cent inter- est, payable semi-annually. Sixty thousand dollars of these bonds were taken by Col. R. K. Swift, of this city, and the balance of the money was furnished by eastern capitalists. Telegraphs. We might present a large number of statis- tics in regard to our Telegraph lines, but it is sufficient to say that we are in telegraphic com- munication with all the principal towns and cities in the Uniou. Tha important incidents that occur in Washington, New York and New Orleans, up to six o'clock in the evening, or the foreign news when a steamer arrives, may be found the next morning in the columns of the Democratic Press. Omnibus Routes. The two principal omnibus proprietors in the city are S. B. 19,724 22.047 28,b0 88,7?3 The diseases proving moat fatal during past year are given as follows : Consumption 198 Teething ill Scarlet J'ever 24 Diarlrosa 3" Dysentery 69 Typhoid i'ever 27 Deaths by accident or design : Drowned ... .56 Killed .. .'0 Suicide 6 Poisoned 1 Found dead 1 Total 53 We are willing that these figures should be compared with those of any other city in the Union. It should be remembered that in the years 1349 and '50 we had the Cholera in Chicago, and to that cause must be attributed the increased bills of mortality for those years. The statistics of the last year show a mortality but a very Email fraction above one in ?ixty. It will be observed that here, as in eastern cities, that terrible disease, the consumption, claims the largest number ot victims ; but we think facts will bear us out in the statement, that it is not a disease indiginous to this part of the country. Most of those who die with it in this city, come here with it from the eastern States, or have a hereditary taint in their constitution. We heard Dr. Mott, of New York, than whom there is no higher authority in this or any county, express the opinion that in the centre of a continent this disease does not generally prevail. Our observa- tion since residing in Illinois, confirms this opin- ion. The pure invigorating breezes, sweeping over the broad bosom of our magnificent lake for hundreds of miles, are a never failing source of energy and health to those who make homes in the Garden City* Plank Roads. We have several plank roads leading cut of the city. The Northwestern commences near the Galena Railroad Depot on tbe West Side, and 53 extends to the town of Maine, 17 miles. Seven miles from the city the Western road branches off and is completed seventeen miles from the city. It is intended to extend this road to Elgin. The Southwestern Plank Road leaves the city at Bull's Head, on Madison street, and passes through Lyonsville to Brush Hill, 1 6 miles. From Brush Hill the Oswego Plank Road extends four- teen miles to Naperville. The Southern Plank Road commences on State street, at the south line of the city, and is finish- ed to Comorn, ten miles south of the city. We believe it is to be extended south to Iroquois County. The Blue Island Aveune Plank. Road, Is a more recent, and on many accounts, is a very important improvement, and therefore merits a description more in detail. It extends from the village of Worth, or Blue Island, due north on the township range line between ranges 13 and 14 east of the third principal meridian, to the southwestern corner of the city, thence on the diagonal street of the same name, ordered plank- ed by the City Council, it is continued to the heart of the city on the west side of the river. It will be but about thirteen miles from Worth to the city limits by this road, and being on a direct line, it must command the travel coming to Chi- cago from the south, nearly all of which concen- trates at Worth. This road is rapidly progress- ing toward completion, and as it runs through a region of country heretofore without a road, it will have the effect to add another rich suburban settlement to Chicago. The lands upon the line of this road are the most fertile in the vicinity of the city, and to facilitate this improvement for gardening purposes, the owners of many of them have cut them up into ten and twenty acre lots, and are selling them to actual settlers and others very low, and on good tune. This arrangement will secure a dense population on the line of the road, and make all of the lands along it very val- uable, as it must be one of the gardening sections of the Garden City. The very large ditches cut by the drainage commissioners along this road, furnish a very high and splendid grade, made of the earth excavated, six miles of which cost ten thousand dollars for ditching alone. These ditches render the lands at all times dry and arable. The avenue on the prairie is to be one hundred and twenty feet wide ; on either side of which trees are to be planted by the owners, so as to make it a most beautiful "drive" from the city. The town of Brighton, at the crossing of this and the Archer road, is to be improved this spring by the erection of a fine Hotel and. other buildings. As by this road cattle can be irivfi to the city without danger of fright from locorr.o lives, and as two of the principal roads entering the city meet at Brighton, with abundant water at all tunes, and pasture and meadow lands in al- most unlimited quantities beyond, no one can doubt its favorable position for becoming the principal cattle market of Chicago. Lake Snore Plank Road. This road was recently organized, is now un- der contract, and commences at the north line of the city limits on Clark street. It runs thence northwardly nearly parallel with the lake shore for about two miles to the new and elegant hotel recently erected by Jas. H. Rees, Esq., of this city,and E. Hundley, of Virginia. Thence through Pine Grove Addition, and to Little River, thence north-westwardly to Hood's Tavern, on the Green Bay road, which is in reality an extension of North Clark street. The whole length of the road is about five miles. It will open up a beau- tiful section north of the city, in which will soon be located elegant residences, surrounded by beautiful gardens, furnishing one of the finest "drives" from the city. There are some of the most beautiful 'building spots on the line of the road that can be found anywhere in the vicinity of Chicago. COOK COUNTY DRAINAGE COM31ISSIOH. Among the most important of the recent im- provements affecting Chicago, the drainage of the neighboring wet lands should not be omitted, as well in an agricultural and commercial view, as from its effect upon the sanitary condition of the city and its vicinity. This highly important improvement is being effected by the " Cook County Drainage Commission," a bodj incopo- rated by act of Legislature, approved June 2?, 1852, in which Henry Smith, Geo. W. Snow, James H. Rees, Geo. Steel, Hart L. Stewart, Isaac Cook and Charles V. Dyer, are named as Commissioners. Dr. Dyer, 28 Clark street, is Secretary of the Board. They and their successors in office are empow- ered to locate, construct and maintain Ditches, Embankments, Culverts, Bridges and roads, on any lands lying in townships 37, 38, 89 and 40, in ranges 12, 13 and 14, in Cook county ; to take land and materials necessary for these purposes, and to assess the cost of such improvements upon the lands they may deem to be benefitted thereby. 54: Objection was made to the creation of this ' Commission, that the powers entrusted to it were too great, and might be abused, and the act was passed with some difficulty. But it was seen that full powers must be given to the Commissioners, in order that their efforts for the benefit of the public and a large body of proprietors might not be stopped or impeded by a few short-sighted objectors. Their powers in effect, are simply those given to any Railroad or Canal Company, for the purpose of effecting a specified object. The two years of their corporate existence, have shown that the Commissioners have used their powers faithfully and efficiently. They have located and constructed their works gener- ally upon the petition of the proprietors of the land to be drained, and it is believed that in ev- ery case these improvements have been followed by an immediate and commensurate advantage to the lands through which they pass. Their examination showed the Commissioners that a vast body of land within the limits of the commission, which had before been deemed val- ueless, lay in fact from four to twelve feet above the lake, and needed only a proper drainage to make it available for purposes of agriculture and occupation. Acting upon this knowledge, they have expen- ded some $100,000 in constructing ditches and other works, under the superintendence of an able and experienced engineer, with the most salutary effect upon a large extent of country. Houses are now being built with dry cellars upon ground heretofore covered with water. In one instance, a quarter section which had been re- peatedly offered for sale at five dollars an acre, brought one hundred and twenty-five dollars after being drained, and a similar rise of value in lands has been produced in other cases. The objects of the Commission will be vigor- ously prosecuted during the coming summer, and it is hoped that the unsightly swamps which have heretofore disfigured this and adjoining town- ships, will soon become " smiling gardens and rich fields of waving corn." MANUFACTURES. What is presented under this head cannot be considered as exhibiting any thing like a com- plete view of Chicago manufactures ; there arc many branches, such as the making of hats and caps, clothing, boots and shoes, fur goods, har- ness, trunks, and saddlery, &c., &c., which are omitted entirely, and others are sadly imperfect ; but the fact arises from our inability to obtain correct data from those engaged in the various departments of business. We have repeatedly been promised facts and figures which have not come to hand, and the publication of our article cannot longer be delayed. Enough is shown, however, in what follows, to establish the truth of the declaration that the position of Chicago is not less favorable for a manufacturing than a commercial centre, and that capital invested in manufactures is here sure to yield a large profit Chicago Locomotive Company. The attention of our business men was called, last September, to the importance of establishing at this point the manufacture of Locomotives, an enterprise which was demanded by the concen- tration of so many extensive and diverging lines of railroads at this place ; a Company was at once formed, with a capital stock of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the following gen- tlemen chosen a Board of Trustees r Wm. H, Brown. E. H. Hadduck, Thos. Dyer, J. H. Coffins, Geo. Steele, J. P. Chapin, RobL FOBS, W. S. Gurnee, W. H. Scovffle. The Company was fully organized, by the elec- tion of the following officers : Wm. H. Brown, President. W. H. Scoville, Treasurer. Sholto Douglass, Secretary. E. H. Hadduck, \ Robt. Foss, j- Executive Committee. Wm. H. Brown, ) Messrs. H. H. Scoville & Son, who had been for several years extensively engaged in the con- struction of various kinds of machinery, and the building of railroad cars, and had large buildings well located and adapted to the wants of the new company, offered their establishment ; it was ac- cordingly purchased, and is now the head quar- ters of the Chicago Locomotive Company. The Messrs. Scoville had already commenced a loco- motive, which was placed upon the track soon after the organization, and was the first locomo- tive built in Chicago. It was named the " Enter- prise," and its entering into the service of the Galena and Chicago Union R. R. was made the occasion of an appropriate celebration. Since j that time, the Locomotive Company have furnish- ed the same road with another engine, the "Fal- con," pronounced by all a first class locomotive. Their third locomotive will be put upon the track in a few days, and will add to the growing repu- tation of Chicago-built engines. In a short time the company will employ about two hundred men at tlieir works, and will be able to turn out two engines per month, every portion of which will be manufactured from the raw material in this city. We are happy to learn that the Company are supplied with orders for sometime to come, and from the arrangements they have made for the best material and most skillful workmen, togeth- er with an abundance of capital, it is certain that a short time will demonstrate that it is no longer necessary for Railroad Companies to order loco- motives exclusively from eastern manufacturers. The G. & C. U. R. R., have rebuilt several lo- comotives at their extensive machine shop, and within a few weeks they have turned out an en- tirely new first class engine, which may properly be called a Chicago locomotive, since the drafting and all the work was done at their shop, except the boiler and driving wheels. The "Black Hawk" compares favorably with the best eastern locomotives, and is doing daily duty for it? build- ers, never yet having been " behind the time." American Car Company. The American Car Company commenced busi- ness in the fall of 1852, but did not get fully un- der way until the following March, when all the various departments of the factory were properly organized. Their works are situated on the lake shore, in the southern part of the city, about three miles from the mouth of the harbor, and the buildings, with the necessary yard room, cover thirteen acres. The Michigan Central and Illinois Central Railroads pass by the factory, so that the location is most favorable on many ac- counts. They have a foundry where they cast wheels and boxes and all the casting requisite for cars, in fact they manufucture every portion of their cars from the raw material, except cloths, and such ornamental trimmings as belong exclu- sively to other branches of manufacture. The American (""ar Company have constructed about seven hundred cars of all kinds, the great major- ity of them being freight Cars. Nothing can ex- ceed the passenger cars which they have furnish- ed the Illinois Central road for completeness of arrangement and perfection of finish. The num- ber of men employed at the works varies from two hundred and fifty to three hundred. The value of finished work sent out from the factory up to the first of January, 1854, is a little beyond four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. D. H. Lyinan, Esq., is the able and energetic Superin- tendant of the Company. Union Car Works. A. B. Stone & Co. are the proprietors of this establishment. The ground it now occupies was an unbroken prairie in September, 1852, when they commenced the erection of their buildings. In February, 1853, they had their buildings and machinery erected and turned out the first car ; since which time they have furnished two hun- dred and fifty freight, and twenty first class pas- senger, ten second class passenger, and ten bag- gage and post office cars. Their machinery ia driven by a seventy-five horse power steam en- gine. They have consumed in the past year about one and half millions feet of timber ; six hundred tons of wrought iron ; one thousand tons of cast iron ; two hundred tons of coal, and employed 150 men. They have the equipping of the C. & R. I. R. R. and the western division of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. In addition to the iron work for their cars, they have manufactured all the iron for Messrs. Stone & Boomer, used in the construc- tion of bridges, turn-tables, &c. They have en- larged their buildings and increased their facilities sufficiently to enable them to turn out five hun- dred freight and forty passenger cars per year. Messrs. Stone & Boomer, builders of Howe's Patent Truss Bridges, Locomotive Turn-tables, Roofs, &c., occupy for their framing ground and yard several lots adjoining the Union Car Works. They have had contracts the past year for bridges on twenty-four different railroads in Illinois, Mis- souri, and Wisconsin, embracing one hundred and fifty bridges, the aggregate length of which is thirty-seven thousand linear feet This company has a capital invested of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and employ upon an average three hundred men. They have used two thousand tons of iron, and five and a half million feet of lumber. Bridges completed, ten thousand linear feet ; bridges not completed, twenty-seven thousand linear feet. Turn-tables compled, nineteen ; not completed, twelve. Cu- bic yards of masonry completed and not com- pleted, nine thousand. Gross earnings, eight hundred thousand dollars. Illinois Stoiio and Lime Company. This new Company was organized in this city in December last, purchasing the entire interest of Messrs. A. S. & 0. Sherman in the celebrated stone quarry at Lemont, twenty -five miles south of Chicago, upon the Illinois and Michigan canal, also the lime kiln property near Bridgeport. The following are the officers of the company. W. S GURNEE. President. M. C. STEARNS, Secretary & Treasurer. A. S. & 0. SHERMAN, Supcrintcndants. The stone obtained at the quarry now worked by this company, is nearly a milk white limestone, and forms one of the most beautiful building ma- 56 terials to be found in the Western States. The edifices which have already been completed with fronts of this stone, attract the attention and com- mand the admiration of all who visit the city, and are pointed out with an extreme degree of satis- faction and even pride, by our citizens. The existence of this quarry at so short a dis- tance, of inexhaustible extent, and accessible by water communication, is a most fortunate circum- stance connected with the building up of our city. The stone can be furnished where it is wanted, so that the cost of a wall of this material is only one-third greater than that of Milwaukee brick with stone dressings, while in the beauty of the two styles there is hardly room to institute a comparison. The Company have been making, during the past winter, extensive preparations for the activ- ity of the opening season, having employed at the quarry and at the yards here, about three hundred men. We are informed that contracts have already been made for furnishing fronts of this stone to twelve buildings on business streets, besides several private residences, all going up this summer. The Company expect to increase the number of men employed to five hundred, with increased facilities for transportation, and additional machinery and steam power, in order to fully meet the demand upon its resources. marble Works. There are several establishments in the city for dressing marble for cemeteries, interior deco- rations for buildings, furniture, and various other purposes, but we have only space to speak of one of the principal. Messrs. H. & 0. Wilson have extensive buildings with necessary yard room, at the corner of State and Washington streets, erected last summer. The amount of business last year, exceeded fifteen thousand dollars. We mention as a single item, that one hundred mar- ble mantles were sold by them last year. Brick Yards. The sub soil of Chicago and vicinity is a blue clay, underlying the surface from three to six feet and affording an exhaustless supply of mate- rial for the manufacture of brick which are strong, heavy and durable. We are not able to ascer- tain accurately the number of brick manufactured here last year, but have gathered enough infor- mation to show that it must have reached twenty millions. These brick were all used in the erection of buildings last season in addition to those imported from Milwaukee and other lake ports, which fell but little short of three millions. In the spring of 185S contracts for Chicago brick delivered at the buildings were closed at four dollars and twenty-five cents per thousand, but they advanced during the summer to six dollars. The contract price for quantities, this season, ranges from six dollars to six dollars and fifty cents. The following are among the principal manufacturers of brick ; G. W. Penney ; F. T. & E. Sherman ; Elston & Co.; Anthony Armitage ; Louis Stone. Coaches, Carriages and Wagons. The manufacture of vehicles of various descrip- tions to supply the demand of the city and coun- try has kept pace with the increase of other de- partments of business, and from small beginnings in board shanties, has taken possespion of large edifices of brick and stone, resonant with the whirl of multiform machinery driven by steam power, where the division of labor among the bands of workmen, each skillful in his own line, results in the production of articles finished in the best manner for the purpose at the lowest possible cost. It is a noticeable fact that the im- portation at this place of vehicles from eastern factories has almost entirely ceased, and is con- fined to buggies and light carriages, mostly des- tined for the interior. We have not space to speak of all the wagon factories in the city; larpe and small they number nearly one hundred. We therefore mention only some of the principal. B. C. Welch & Co. occupy an extensive estab- lishment on Randolph street, and devote them- selves entirely to the production of buggies, carriages, omnibuses and coaches. The following figures will give an idea of the business of this house, whose work will in all respects compare most favorably with those imported from builders enjoying only a more extended reputation and of longer standing. The capital employed in this establishment is thirty-two thousand dollars, and the amount of finished work disposed of laKt year reached the sum of forty-five thousand dol- lars. The average number of men in the factory is about seventy. The number of carriages sold during the year was one hundred and eighty-five, of which fifteen were omnibuses for the various lines in the city, ranging in price from five hun- dred to five hundred and fifty dollars each. Among the number were five close carriages, ranging from five hundred to eight hundred dol- lars each. Ellithorpe & Kline are also engaged in the ex- clusive manufacture of carriages, ranging through all the styles from the light open buggy to the heavy family and livery carriages ; and they have already acquired an enviable reputation in their 57 line. Their establishment is in the West Division, at the corner of Randolph and Morgan streets. Their sales last year amounted to fifteen thousand dollars. It is their intention to more than double their business during the present year, in doing which they will employ constantly from fifty to sixty men. P. Schuttler has a large factory at the corner of Randolph and Franklin streets, where the bu- siness is confined exclusively to the manufacture of lumber wagons. A steam engine furnishes the motive power for all requisite machinery, and about thirty-five men are constantly employed in the establishment, as carpenters, blacksmiths, painters, &c. The number of wagons made an- nually somewhat exceeds four hundred, and their ralue amounts to nearly thirty thousand dollars. J. C. Outhet has a factory on Franklin street, from which he sold last year one hundred and fifty wagons, besides numerous drays, carts and buggies, sales amounting to about seventeen thousand dollars. The number of men employed here is about eighteen. Mr. Outhet proposes to enlarge his establishment and introduce steam power, by which his business will hereafter be greatly extended. H. Whitbeck unites the manufacture of wag- ons, buggies, and carriages with that of ploughs. Within the past year he has greatly enlarged his factory by the erection of a large brick building of four stories, for machinery, besides numerous smaller shops for various purposes. The capital invested in this establishment is hi buildings and machinery, twenty thousand dollars ; hi stock, fifteen thousand dollars ; total, thirty-five thou- sand dollars. The amount of sales for the pre- ceding year exceeded forty thousand dollars. The number of vehicles manufactured for the same period is five hundred and eighty-nine, and the number of ploughs, one thousand. This estab- lishment now gives employment to from forty to fifty men, and it is the intention of the proprietor to increase his business during the present year. Furniture. This forms another very extended department of manufacture hi our midst, and hi which very many persons are engaged. Our limits will allow us to speak of but one or two of the largest estab- lishments. Numerous as they are, and many of them employing a large capital, they are called npon beyond their power to meet the demand, and there is probably no other branch of manu- facture more inviting at present, than the one un- der consideration. The rapid growth of the city is to be supplied, aud the wide expanse of coun- try penetrated by our railroads, filing up with new settlers, while the old ones are increasing wonderfully in wealth and in wants. We have often paused in the railroad depots to notice the immense quantities of furniture accumulating for distribution hi the interior, bearing cards of Chi- cago manufacturers. C. Morgan occupies a building on Lake street, twenty feet front by one hundred and sixty-three deep, and running up entire five stories. The two lower floors are used to exhibit samples, and three upper devoted to the workmen. Although keeping a general assortment Mr. Morgan is en- gaged principally in the manufacture of chairs and the more expensive kinds of furniture,, em- bracing ah 1 the recent styles of pattern, finish and material. His sales last year amounted to thirty thousand dollars, the establishment affording em- ployment to over forty men. Ferris & Boyd have then* show rooms on Lake street, and their shop on Van Buren street. In the latter their machinery requires an engine of fifteen horse power, and the increase of their business has compelled them to add forty feet of shafting within a few months. They employ con- stantly about fifty men, while their machinery does the work of twenty -five or thirty hands. Their manufactured articles are rather more hi the common and useful line, than the luxurious and expensive, while neatness of finish and ele- gance of style characterize all their productions. They connect with their business the manufacture of frames for pictures and mirrors. We believe it is the only establishment in this city where gilt frames are made to any extent They turn out very fine work in this line ; some of their frames go as high as one hundred dollars each. Their entire sales last year reached fifty thousand dol- lars. Among the other manufacturers hi the city, doing a large business, we mention the names of Boyden & Willard, D. L. Jacobus & Bra, and Thomas Manahan. Chicago Oil Mill. Messrs. Scammon & Haven are the proprietors of this establishment the only one in the city. It is capable of manufacturing one hundred thou- sand gallons of oil per annum. Owing to the dif- ficulty of supplying themselves with seed, forty thousand gallons were the product of the mill du- ring the last year. Before the commencement of this important enterprise, in 1852, there was very little flax raised by our farmers, and in the spring of that year Messrs. Scammon & Haven imported sever- 58 al thousand bushels and sold it to the farmers at cost, in order that they might be able to supply their mill by the time it could be put in opera- tion. They paid for seed during the past year from one dollar to one dollar twelve and a half cents, and are now selling oil at eighty-five cents. Before this mill was established Flax Seed was scarcely known in this market, and what did arrive sold at sixty to sevent-five cents per bushel. It will be seen, therefore, that the amount of business done by this mill is a clear gain to Chicago, and the region of country that is tributary to the city. It is a great convenience to our painters to be able to purchase a first rate article of oil in our city. The neighboring towns and cities also find it for their advantage to pur- chase their oil of Messrs. Scammon & Haven, as they are sure to get an article of very superior quality. The machinery is propelled by an engine of fif. teen horse power, and the processes by which it is manufactured are exceedingly interesting and curious. Between three and four thousand bbls. of oil cake were sold in this city and shipped east by Messrs. Scammon & Haven during the past year. Another important department of this estab- lishment is the manufacture of putty. About two hundred thousand Ibs. were manufactured during the past year. The total amount of capital invested is between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars. Soap and Candles. The large amount of packing at this place especially of beef, affords a good opportunity for the extensive manufacture of soap and candles. There are several large establishments in the city, besides numerous small factories. As we are not furnished with data for giving the total business of the city in this line, we take one of the principal establishments, that of Charles Cleaver, Esq., situated at Cleaverville, upon the lake shore south of the city. The manufacture and sale by this establishment last year was as follows : Candles, Ibs 495.000 Tallow.lbs 884.300 Soap. " 682.010 Lard, " 334,341 Lard Oil. gallons.. 43,530 In connection with his business Mr. Cleaver has imported within the year three hundred and fifty tons of Rosin, Soda, &c. &c. Machinery. It is a source of gratification that Chicago is not only able to nearly supply the demand for machinery within her own limits, but contributes largely to aid in the erection of mills and factories at other localities, some of which are far from being in our immediate vicinity. Engines, boil- ers, and machinery of all kinds are continually going out from the shops, while the demand in- creases faster than the facilities for supplying it. As we stood in a boiler shop but the other day, the hammers were ringing upon the rivets of seven boilers, four of which were for mills in Michigan, one for a town in Indiana, one for Davenport, Iowa, and one for Rockford. We have gathered the following facts in relation to several establishments. Charles Reissig has a steam boiler factory from which last year the finished work sent out amoun- ted to twenty-eight thousand dollars and the val- ue of material purchased was eighteen thousand dollars. The number of boilers made at this shop last year was one hundred and seventeen, which, together with the o'her blacksmithing, afforded constant employment to about twenty-five men. Messrs. Mason & McArthur employ at their works on an average forty men. They build gasometers, purifiers, governors and all the wrought iron works for the gas works ; also steam boilers, water tanks, together with sheet iron work and blacksmithing in all its branches. The amount of business carried on by them may be estimated from the fact that they expended last year for iron and labor thirty-eight thousand dollars. P. W. Gates & Co., proprietors of the Eagle Works, are large manufacturers of railroad ears, steam engines and boilers and machinery of all kinds. They have a capital of fifty-five thousand dollars invested. The manufactured work of last year amounted to one hundred and ten thou- sand dollars, giving employment to one hundred and fifty men. Among the articles turned out by them were one hundred and twenty-five rail- road cars and twenty steam engines. H. P. Moses is the proprietor of the Chicago Steam Engine Works, on the South Branch, the oldest machine shop in the city. He is confined to the manufacture of steam engines, mill-gearing, &c. Last year he constructed thirteen engine?, ranging from ten to one hundred horse power, their value amounting to fifty-five thousand dol- lars. He employs sixty-five men, and his engines have a good reputation. There are now in his hands nineteen engines which will be finished within the next three months. We will remark here, that he is now building one to run our presses, which will be a model engine of its size. It rates in common parlance at ten horse power, 59 but with the boiler we shall put up with it, its builder says it will run up to twenty. Leather Manufacture. In this department we are famished with sta- tistics of the operations of three eetablisments. That of W. S. Gurnee, tanned last year eighteen thousand hides out of forty-five thousand handled, in which was consumed nearly one thousand eight hundred cords of bark. The Tannery, wi oh vards, drying sheds and other buildings, occupies two acres on the South Branch. The establish- ment employs fifty men, and a large steam engine is used to drive all necessary machinery. Messrs. C. F. Grey & Co. tanned, last year, thirteen thousand eight hundred and nineteen hides, and the sales of leather amounted to sixty- two thousand dollars. They employ upon an average thirty-two men. in this paj t of their busi- ness. We mention here that the firm of S. Niles & Co., in which they are partners, have manufac- tured since August 1st, 1853, about eighteen thousand Ibs. of pulled wool, taken from pelts purchased for tanning. Another establishment which employs twenty- five men furnishes us with the following figures of then- business for the last year : Number of hides and skins tanned, 6,984 ; sides of harness leather, 3,395 ; bridle, 1,479 ; collar, 965 ; upper, 4,577 ; calfskins, 1,636 ; belting 281. Stoves. We have but one establishment of long stand- ing, the Pho?nix Foundry, of Messrs. H. Sherman & Co. which has been doing a large business for several years, and become well known by the ex- tent of its operations and the quality of its wares. We are not able to state ho-w many stoves were sent out from this foundry last year, but the pro- prietors employ constantly fifty men, and cast, daily, six tons of metal. Connected with the sales room on Lake street is a shop for making furniture for stoves where, in the fall and winter, a number of tin-smiths are employed. Vincent, Himrod & Co have established a stove foundry during the year, from which they are prepared to turn out from four to five thousand stoves per annum, and will, within a short time, enlarge their works so as to manufacture double that number. Agricultural Implements. In addition to the manufacture of ploughs al- ready mentioned we have factories for making thrashing machines, corn shellers, fanning mills, and other farming utensils, but we are without figures to exhibit the amount of business. J. S. Wright has commenced here the manu- facture of Atkin's Self Raking Reaper and Mower. Last season, the first of the enterprise, he turned out sixty machines. He has now in hand three hundred machines which will be finished in time for the coming harvest, and furnished at one hundred and seventy-five dollars on time one hundred and sixty dollars cash. The establish- ment at present employs about seventy-five men, but will be greatly enlarged during the year, as it is the intention of the manufacturer to build one thousand machines in time for the following season. McCormick's Reaper Factory has boon in suc- cessful operation for so many years, and the machines constructed have attained such a world wide celebrity, that it is unnecessary for us to more than briefly notice it here. It occupies extensive buildings and grounds on the north side of the river, near the mouth of the harbor, and the time was when its tall chimney formed, perhaps, the most prominent landmark for vessels approaching the harbor. Now we have hundreds as large and high, like volcanic craters belching forth clouds of smoke, suggestive of the mighty toils of elements beneath. The number of reap- ing and mo wing machines manufactured and sold in 1853, amounted to a little less than one thou- sand five hundred, and at an average price of one hundred and thirty dollars, gives one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars as the amount of sales. The number of combined reaping and mowing machines turned out during the present year will be at least one thousand five hundred, furnished at one hundred and fifty dollars each. The number of men employed at the works is about one hundred and twenty. COMMERCIAL REVIEW FOR 1853. THE past year has been one of unexampled prosperity. The increase in our population has been fifty-seven per cent., and yet every one of our sixty thousand people, who has the disposi- tion and the health to labor, is fully employed. There is not probably upon the Continent a city whose healthy permanent growth requires and can profitably employ so large an increase of labor and capital as Chicago. But our business now is with the commerce of the past year. We commence with FLOUR. The receipts and shipments of Flour during the past year do not show so large an increase as might at first be expected. This is owing to the large amount consumed in the construction of our various railroads, and by our increasing population both in the city and country. The following table exhibits the total amount of re- ceipts for the past two years, and the sources from which they were derived : 1852-bbls. 1853-bbls. Galena and Chicago Railroad. . .44.316 Lake 8,875 Canal 1,846 Eastern Railroads 4.300 Manufactured in city 70,979 Rock Island Railroad 30,702 2,265 7,223 7.411 83,833 Total, 124,316 131,130 It will be seen that the receipts for the past exceed those of the previous year by nearly seven thousand barrels. The city mills have manufactured twelve thousand barrels more than they did in 1852. The shipments of Flour from this port by Lake, for a series of years, were as follows : TBASS. BBLS. 1844 6920 1845 13.752 1846 28,045 1847 32.538 1848 , 45,208 1849 51.869 1850 100,871 1851 72.406 1852 61.196 1853 T0.984 SHIPMENTS OF FLOUR FOR 1853 : Lake 78,984 Canal 1.167 Galena Railroad 44S Eastern Railroads 666 111. Central Railroad 988 74,199 Leaving a balance of 56,950 barrels, part of which has been shipped by Michigan Central and Rock Island railroads, and the rest consumed in the city. The shipments made by canal and railroad were mostly in small lots, for consumption in the various towns through which they severally pass. The prices in this market on the first of each month for the years 1851-'52-'53, were as fol- lows. The lowest figures are for common coun- try Spring Wheat brands, and the higher for best city mills : 61 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1851, :^.7.u....O 2.75a4.oO 3.00a5.0J 8.UOa4.5J 3.00al.25 3.00a*.25 3.00al.25 2.2oal.23 2.25a4.25 2.25a3 73 2.25a3.75 2,25aS.75 1852. 2.504.25 2.25a4.00 2.2oa4.(iO 3.00a4.25 2,3ia4.00 2.80a4.00 2.50a4.i;0 2.75a4.75 2.75a4.75 3.25a4.75 1353. IS.iOa5.CO 4.00a5.00 3.50a4.7o 3.25a4.uO 3,50*4.75 3.50a4.7a 3.50a.75 3.73a4.75 3.50a5.00 5 25a6.25 4.75aS.?5 4.5Ua5,5u The interesting fact is evident from these figures, that Flour has averaged during the past year about a dollar per barrel above the prices paid the year previous, and two dollars above those paid in 1851. This important advance in one of our great staples has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the property of the State of Illinois. WHEAT. The crop of Wheat for the last year, in all the section of country which seeks Chicago as its market, was large, and the quality of the grain was generally very good. Within the year our railroads have been extended in almost every direction, thus affording facilities to bring out the surplus grains in the hands of producers. This tact, together with the high prices ruling here and in Eastern markets, has increased the re* ceipts of the past year in a large ratio. The following are the receipts for the last two years, and the sources from which they were derived. 1852 bwsh. 1853 bush . Galena and Chicago R. K 504,996 Canal ..108,597 !,! 129,251 Eastern Railroad* ; 13,903 Teaai 180,749 Rocklsland Railroad 111. Central Total 937,496 1,637,465 The figures for the shipments, and the amount Used in the manufacture of Flour in the city, do not agree precisely; but it is very easily ac- counting for the discrepancy, as mistakes in so large an amount of .grain, especially where the books are kept by so many individuals^ may very easily occur. The shipments, as we have ob- tained them from the books of our Water street merchants, are as follows : 1852 bush. 1853 bush . Shipped by Lake 635,196 " Canal 807 Used by Distillers 13,000 " " Mills 28,493 Eaitern Railroads , Total... 937,496 1,206,163 1,618 3,080 372,748 102,207 1,C?5,796 The average 'price for Wheat for the past ye'ar has been at least ten cents per bushel higher than it was the year previous. This has placed a very large amount of money in the hands of our farm" ers, and has relieved thousands from financial embarrassment. The annexed table shows the price of Wheat in this market on the first of each month for the years 1852 and 1853 ; 1862. 1853. SPBISQ. January .81-42 February 37-46 March 35-45 April 34-40 Maj 34-40 June 34-40 July 37-39 AuKust, 40-43 September 44-80 October 48-56 NoTember .......55-60 December ....... .66-60 WINTER. SPRING. 50-65 70-76 50-70 65-66 60-72 ..60-70 60-70 55-65 62-72 60-66 68-76 66-79 68-76 66-75 65-70 PO-82 69-75 65-82 60-72 94-100 66-75 85-90 70-80 85- SO WINTER, 78-86 75-J5 70-86 70-80 80-90 73-90 78-90 80-98 80-90 100-118 95-106 95-100 Shipments of Wheat from this port, by Lake, for several years, are as follows : 1842 586,907 1843 688907 IS44 891,894 1845 956,800 1846 1,459,584 1847 1,974,304 1848. 2,160,000 1849 1,836,264 1850 883,644 1851 .437,660 185J , 635,496 1858 1,206,163 The opening of the Kock Island Kailroad, and of the Illinois Central to Galena, and by the time the coming crop is gathered, to the heart of the State, will open the rich fields of Iowa, and an extensive and fertile portion of our own State, to our Wheat buyers. The benefits will be mutual, both to the dealer and the producer, and will increase this department of our commerce more than we should dare now to predict. CORN. There is not in the " wide world" a section of country of equal extent better adapted to the growing of corn than Illinois. A very small pro- portion of what is raised in the State finds its way to market, and appears in commercial sta- tistics. Hundreds of thousands of acres are not gathered at all. The farmers turn their stock into their ample fields, and their fine bullocks and splendid porkers have nothing to do but to "eat and grow." Although the receipts for the past year do not quite equal those of 1852, there can be no doubt 62 that there was much more raised throughout the State, but the high prices in the latter part of 1852 brought out the surplus that had lain over iu the hands of farmers from previous crops. It will be seen that the receipts by the Galena Rail- road and teams are much smaller, while those by canal are much larger than they were hi 1852. The receipts from the Illinois river would have been much larger had not the navigation of that important artery of our commerce been almost entirely stopped by the low stage of water for nearly half the entire season. The following table shows the amount of Corn received in this market for the past two years. 1852-bush, 1853-bmh. Illinois and Michigan Canal.... 1,810,830 Galena and Chicago Railroad.. . 671,981 From teams 508,220 Rock Island K.R 111. Central R. R Eastern Railroad* Total 2,991,011 2.48U34 228,505 136,220 17,862 3.595 1,823 2.869,389 There is one fact of great interest in relation to this staple. It is fast becoming better and more favorably known in the markets of Europe as an article of food. As its high nutricious qualities and the modes of preparing it for the table are better understood in foreign countries, the demand for export must become proportion- ably greater. The shipments for the past year are as fol- lows : Shipped by Lke , .2,739,552 " EasternR. R 40.676 UedbyDitiller*... -81,000 Total.. A81.228 It will be seen that the amount does not cor- respond exactly with the receipts. We could very easily make them do so, but we prefer to give them as we have found them on the books of the canal, the railroads and on those of our merchants, rather than to make a show of a de- gree of accuracy which every business man knows to be impossible. The "following shows the price of Corn on the first day of each month for the past two years. 1852. 1853. January 2C-38 89-56 February 31-34 38-41 March 32-34 40r45 April 33-34 36-40 May 83-34 40-48 June 36-37 45-50 July 32-8S 47-50 August.. 42-48 W-5 September 50-32 65-6C October 50-83 64-55 November 48-50 48-50 December 56-58 47-48 The shipments of Corn from this port for a sc- ries of years by Lake are as follows : 1847 67,315 1848] 550,460 1849 644,848 1*50 262,013 1851 8.221.317 1852 , 2,757,011 liSS 2.729,552 OATa Our figures show a falling off in receipts dur- ing the past year of about 200,000 bushels. This, we have no doubt, is to be attributed to the fact that, owing to the high prices paid during the latter part of the previous year, the entire sur- plus in the hands of the farmers was brought out, aud only the crop of the past year was left to be brought forward. The receipts of 1852 were over 2,000,000 of bushels, being three times that of any previous year. A portion of this large increase was doubtless derived from the crop of 1851. The annexed table shows the receipts for 1852 -'53, with the sources from which they were derived. lS52-busb. 1853 bush. From Canal 833,703 From Railroad 674,931 From Teams 581,297 Rock Island Railroad Illinois Central Railroad Eastern Railroads 971,350 472,829 402.723 11,810 16,77!> 273 Total .3,089,041 They were disposed of as follows : Shipped by Lake 1,633,842 " Canal -483 " Kastern K. B 114,169 Total 1,748,484 This leaves a balance of 126,276 bushels for city consumption, which probably is not far from the true amount. There was a large demand for shipment cast during the months of May and June, caused by the short crop the year previous in the States bordering on the seaboard, and hence they reached the highest price in those months that they have ever borne in this city since we began to export Forty cents per bushel for oats will afford the Illinois farmers an immense profit After the new crop came in, prices fell off 63 tweny-five per cent., but even at theae figures they can be grown at a fair profit. The following table shows the prices ruling in this market on the first of each month for the past two years : 1852. 185S. January, 16-17 33-35 February. 19-20 3^-35 March 19-20 S3-34 April 18-19 30-34 May..,.: 18-20 34-40 June 23-24 37-40 Jury 24-25 30-32 August 27-28 34-37 E epteraber 27-28 \ 9-33 October 3 BL. GB'S RFD TOP.jTtMOTHYl CLOVER. FLAXS'P Jan . . l.OOal 25 2oal.50 l.H2al.7o 5.0Ua5.25 al.OO Feb.. do do 1 75al.87 do 80al (K Marc i do do 1 75a2.00 do do April. do do do 4 00a4 '5 do May. do do do 187 4 S0a4.75 do June. rio do do 4.75a^ < do July. do do 'la 1 G2al.75 4 00a4 25 do AUR.. do do 1 SOa do do do Sept. do do do 200 do do Oct.. l.COal.50 do do do do Nov. do do 1 87a2.fO do do Dec.. do do do do do Total fts S.197,987 The shipments were made as shown in the fol- lowing table : By Canal .......... .....fts.. 29,341 Lake 1.399,350 Eastern Railroads -.....,.. 756,578 Taken together, the statistics of the produce trade of our city show a gratifying increase. An examination of the tables exhibiting the prices at the first of each month will explain why our farmers are so prosperous. With their farms now paid for, they are prepared to make every desirable improvement, or to withstand any amount vf "hard times" which all venerabk croakers regard as certain to oppress the country very .soo. BUTTER, Xo State presents greater facilities for the manufacture of this staple than Illinois ; but the raising of stock, for slaughtering and for Eastern markets, is attended with so much less labor, that our farmers generally have neglected " the butter business." The following are the receipts for the past year : By Carnal Ba.. 77,849 Galena Railroad 665.900 Illinois Central do 43,871 Eastern Railroads 24.810 foul. The accounts of receipts and shipments are kept on the books of the canal, railroads and our Water street merchants in pounds, and there is no distinction made in the kinds of seeds for- warded. Hence it is impossible to tell the rela- tive proportions of eaclx By far the larger amount was Timothy Seed. Averaging the gross receipts at 50 Ibs. to the bushel, and the price at $2, both of which are probably below the mark, we find that at least half a million of dollars were paid to our farmers for grass seeds alone. The shipments by Lake from this port were for 1832 .-, s.. J646SO 1853 ...1,399.358 The prices of grass seeds ruling in this market on the first day of-cach month for the year 185?, -were as follows : Total .> 812,4 '0 The following shows the receipts by Lake, canal and railroad, during the years 1851-'52- '53: Lake. 1851. ...fts , 1852 86.COO 1853.... Canal. 37,693 281.800 77,49 Railroad. 334523 958,700 734,581 Total. 372 21f 1,327,100 812,4r The shipments during the same time were : Lake. 185!.... Ibs.. 70,824 1852......... 906,280 1853 424,080 Canal. Ts.ll? 9.0CO 17,785 Railroad. 71,588 14-.941 9!o,2Cf 513,i'<3 The following are the prices paid in this mar- ket for Butter on the fii-st day of each month for the year 1853 : Jn ...... ...... ........14al6 July ..... , Feb ..... :. ..... ... ...... 12a15 Aug... .............. HalSK M&rch ................. 12ol4 Sept ................. 12Xal3 April ..... .. ............ 12lfi Oct .................... 15alf May ................ ...13al7 NOT .................... 14ol? June ................... lOall Dec .................... 13alC At these rates, with the low price of land is 65 Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, Butter will pay a very handsome profit to the producer. It may be, however, that, owing to the labor and skill aece-e Chicago and Mississippi Railroads are completed and open to the trade of the central and southern portions of the State, Cincinnati must " look to her laurels," or Chicago will ex- cel her in the packing of pork as much as she does now in the quality and amount of beef which our city exports to Eastern markets. In Illinois hogs are fattened almost entirely upon corn, which gives the flesh higher nutritive qualities than when the animal is reared and fed upon less nutritious food. This fact is beginning to be appreciated in Eastern markets, and must give >ou- Pork, Lard and Hams the preference over those from States where Hogs are fattened upon mast Of the refuse of the dairy. The following is a statement of the number of Hogs packed for the season of 1853-'o4: HO. HiWS AV W'lOHT TOT'L WM'T l.l> & .ayw'rd 7, '88 2 9 1.7 3 Tliuiiuis Dyer 49:tt S!rtl 1.281. 2 f< s Cir..-nter -,<12) 249 1 22H.47-! 2 *>n 2 72-.0-U fldn Stei'i 2.6)0 JM H7: 1 , 111 Hale & rivbnurr-e 2!rOO 537 K*7 3"0 Athenon& Brown.. 1,5 10 9l< 3B4.VO P rurti-ss... 1,'OU 2*0 3H4 IXKi Flint & Wueeler.... 60) 3,3 isl.im Mckersnu & Weir.. MX) 21) 1^', 00 J Crf-wll 541 250 13., HO BaiW & D'imn'1 87J 250 92^" Abner Button 153 2'U X9. -0 ToU' 5-2 v<9 fiiix '3. >x,8 5 The average weight of the Hogs packed ex- ceeds that of the year 1852 by 38 Ibs., and the number packed exceeds that of '52 by nearly 4,000. The gross weight of the whole is greater than that of '52 by 3,000,000 of Ibs. This shows a gratifying result; but we shall be much mis- taken if the increase of the present year is not still more striking. We remark here, that the packing season commences about the first of No- vember, and ends about the first of March. Our tables embrace that period. A comparative statament of the business of the past three years, shows the following result : HOGS CUT. AV. WEIGHT. TOTAL W'OHT. 18'-l-'2 22/36 23X 5,247.27* !S."2-'3 4t,156 211X 10.192,972 1853-M 52,849 249X 13.18S.815 The following is a statement of the number of Hogs received during the past season, and the sources from which they came : Chiciuoand Galena U. R. R 45779 r l icagoand Rock Island Railroad 1-1,225 III Central Ra:'road 1.242 Michigan Central Railroad 387 By Team* and on foot, to be slaughtered in city... 12,347 It will be seen that the receipts by the Rock Island Railroad form a very considerable item. Had the road been completed to Rock Island on the first of November, they would have been much larger. The Hogs received here were disposed of as follows : Puckertincity 59,49 Shipped East by Mich. Central Railroad 9,782 " " Southern " 846 Sold in city 10,503 Total 73,980 The following statement exhibits the price of Mess Pork ou the first of each month for the past two years : 1852. 1853. January *13;i1409 1600ai650 February I2tti3<:0 1630.1 ... March 13al350 1600a ... April 14a145) 15Wa ... / May 14aU50 lai'Oal 00 June 14a'40 IS 5 a ... July 16al700 16(Wa ... Auzust l-al900 15 Oflal"> 50 September l*>a!8 75 150cal7CO October 20a.... larttia November 19a 15 OOall 75 December I6al6 aO laOUalo&O The following table shows the range of prices 66 for dressed Hogs, per 100 Ibs., from light to heavy, on the first and fifteenth of the four pack- ing months. Nov. 1st 500a .., 15th 500a650 Dec. 1st 488a525 15th 350a400 Jan. 1st 325a400 15th 400a415 Feb. 1st 42*a450 15th 444a500 M'chlst 450a475 BEEF. The superiority of Chicago as a point for BKEF PACKING has long since been conceded. The supply upon which those engaged in this depart- ment of trade depend, comes not only from the fertile and almost boundless prairies of Illinois, stretching out to the west and south, but it comes also from the southern sections of Wisconsin, equally adapted by Nature for raising cattle with little expense to the grazier. It has also not been unfrequent, during thfc past season, to find large droves at the yards which had found their way to this market from the rich bottom lands in the valley of the Wabash, and from the small, but unsurpassed prairies of Indiana, attracted here by the better rates and greater facility with which laage and choice collections of beeves could leave the hands of the drovers. The reputation which CHICAGO BEEF has ac- quired in Eastern and foreign markets, enables it to command higher prices and meet more ready sales than any other which is offered. It is al- ways quoted in market reports distinct from other brands, and a difference is made in its favor. This fact is a sufficient commentary upon its su- perior quality. The foundation of this distinction is undoubtedly the character and condition of the animals brought here for slaughter. Those who have devoted themselves to the raising of Beef Cattle are determined that the natural advantages of the country shall be seconded and improved by judicious and attentive management. And it is a well known fact that every farmer who has a fine cow or steer for the butcher's knife, which he does not wish to enjoy at his own table, is anxious that it should come to Chicago. But it is no less true that the reputation of Chicago Beef is greatly due to the care and skill with which it is packed, and so long at least as the pioneers in this business those' who have created its world- wide and enviable reputation continue, as they have to this time, to superintend the pre- paration of this great staple, will that reputation be sustained. At the commencement of the last packing sea- son the impression prevailed that the number of cattle packed here would not equal that of the- preceding year. The feeling was caused by the well-known fact that a heavy draft had been made in all this region for the supply of Minne- sota, Oregon and California, and that large num bers were continually being sent forward on foot and shipped by railroad for New York. The number thus taken from this place by the Michi- gan Central Railroad alone during the year was 3,857. Notwithstanding these facts, the sum- ming up of the business of the season exhibits an increase over last year. The Beef Packing business of Chicago is con- ducted by nine different establishments, one hav- ing been added during the year. The following is an enumeration of the various packers : K. M. & 0. S. Hough, Andrew Brown & Co., G. S. Hubbard & Co., Thomas Dyer, Reynolds & Haywood, B. Carpenter, F. L. Kent, 0. H. To- bey, Clybourne & Ellis. The largest number packed in 1853 by one house was 4,700 head ; the smallest 250 head. The total number packed by all parties is 25,435 head, showing an increase over last year of only 772 head, the smallness of which has been al- ready accounted for. The number of barrels of Beef packed during the past year is 57,500, of which about 2,500 barrels were retained for Western, consumption, and the remaining 55,000 barrels were shipped East, or are now awaiting shipment. The ulti- mate destination of this staple varies somewhat with the demand upon the New York and Bos- ton markets, but there are several firms which pack principally for English houses. One exten- sive establishment packs exclusively for the use of American whale ships. The average weight of Cattle packed here last year exceeds that of the preceding by 21 Ibs. per head. In 1852 the average was 542 Ibs. per head; in 1853 it was 563 Ibs. In 1852, the lowest average of the different packing houses was 500 Ibs., the highest 580 Ibs. ; in 1853, the lowest was 500 Ibs., the highest 620 4-5 Ibs. We find the weight of several lots packed in 1853 as follows : NO. CATTLB. 1,484 1,522 199 113 291 LBS. TVEIUHT. 949,128 916,824 187,784 77,518 200,208 AV. LB9- NETT. 6389-10 602 3-10 628 The number of barrels of tallow rendered was 5,283, which, at an average of 250 Ibs. per bar- !:-eI, gives a total of 1,350,750 Ibs. The average weight of the hides was a fraction under 80 Ibs. oach, giving the total weight 2,026,321 Ibs, The tallow was principally shipped with the Beef, though a considerable portion was retained for local consumption. The hides were generally sold by the packers to resident dealers, and are mostly consumed at the various tanning estab- lishments of the city. The barrels required are manufactured in this city, and also in the neighboring States, Wiscon- sin, Indiana and Michigan. They were quite plenty during the season, and were furnished hi large quantities at $1. The number of men em- ployed in this business is between five and six hundred. Commencing with the packing season, prices at the first of each month until the close of the year, for the last three years, were as follows : 1851. 1852. 1853. September $3*375 $350a425 *4 75*550 October 3*400 40Ja475 69JatiOO November 3a350 40u*475 500a600 December 3a375 375a450 5 OOao 75 The following calculation, based upon the facts already adduced, presents the value of the pro- ducts which arise from this business. The price assigned to each article was its market value at the close of the season. Beef. 57,500 bbls., at $10.50 per bbl 6C3,750 00 Tallow, 1.350.750 Jbs. at lOXc per a 141,828 75 Hides. 3/26,321 " We " 106.38185 Offal, 25.435 head, at55c 13,98925 from being stripped of almost all there was re- maining over from the spring business, and that had arrived during the summer. The following table shows the amount of Lum- ber received in this market for the last seven years : LUMBER. SHINGLES. LATH. 1847 32,118,225 13, 148.500 6.655.7CO 1848 60,009.250 2J,0 0,000 10,035,109 1849 73,259,553 39,057.750 19.281,783 1850 100,364,779 65,423,750 19,809,700 1851 12S.056.437 60,338,250 27. 83,475 1852 , 147.816,332 77,080,600 19,759,670 1853 20.M01.098 93.4;3,784 39.133.116 The table shows an increase of 64,284,866 feet ' of Lumber, 16,403,284 Shingles, and 19,373,446 Lath. There were on hand, on the first of Jan- uary, '54, 26,580,248 feet of Lumber, 8,022,000 Shingles, 4,094,295 Lath. We give the following table from the figures received from our merchants, though we doubt whether all of them reported the full amount of. receipts and sales. SALBS. Totsl 865,94985 Total in 1852 600.62100 ON HAND JAN. 1, '54. 302,780 99 691 2,634,416 2,004,100 Increase $218,32885 LUJIBER. As we predicted in our last commercial re- view, the Lumber business for 1853 has largely increased over all preceding years. Extensive preparations were made in 1852 by our far-seeing Lumber merchants to meet the demands which the opening of so many new railroads would be sure to create ; but with all their exertions they were only able to supply the market with the utmost difficulty, and many large orders were obliged to lie over till the present year. The low stage of water in the Illinois river for more than three months, prevented large shipments during the summer to St. Louis and other Southern markets ; and when the fall rains had rendered the river navigable, it was impossible to find boats to forward the Lumber that was waiting shipment. This circumstance saved our yards Posts 402,471 Timber.. .linear ft.4,638,546 Railroad ties 175,2'-2 Staves 2,110,539 Used in the city Telegraph Poles... 3,470 The Lumber business has always been a most important part of our commerce. Ita benefits are not confined simply to the amount of Lumber sold here, but it furnishes a ready and profitable market for our produce and provisions of all kinds. It also employs a large number of vessels in the carrying trade. The great extent of country now open to the Lumber merchants of this city by the completion of sixteen hundred miles of railroad, and the ad- ditions to be made during the present summer, will create a much larger demand for Lumber in this market than ever before. All the vast and fertile sections of the State to the south and southwest of us will be brought under cultivation very rapidly, and the pine Lumber necessary for the building of houses for our prosperous farmers must all come from Chicago. Our merchants understand all these facts perfectly, and have made increasing efforts to meet every contin- gency. There is no danger whatever that the- market will be anything more than supplied, if indeed it be possible to keep up with the pro- gress of the country, and th demand which will be made upon us to furnish our beautiful prairies with pleasant and comfortable homes, and our .cities and towns with residences for die merchant and artizan. WOOL. This has become a very important article of export, and the perfect adaptation of our prairies to the rearing of sheep, must tend greatly to in- crease its production for many years to come. We regard also Northwestern Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota as peculiarly adapted to "wool growing." The amount of Wool handled in Chi- cago may therefore be expected to increase im- mensely within the next few years. We are glad to notice a very commendable spirit of enterprise among our farmers to procure the best stock that can be found in this country or in Europe, in order that they may produce a superior article of Wool. The good influence of our Agricultural journals, in this regard, the "Prairie Farmer" especially, is worthy of all praise. The following table shows the amount of Wool received in this market during the past year, and the sources from which it was derived : By Canal B>s..3f>2,r3 Gulena Railroad 353 2"<5 her Railroads ?I5,472 Lake 9.701 Total 10,0 WO The following shows the manner iu which it was disposed of: Shipments by Lake tts.. 933,001 " Cna' 441 " EaaternR. R 74,149 Total U27.bP3 It will be noticed that there is a slight discre- pancy in the figures of the receipts and ship- ments. There may be small lots still in the hands of dealers, or it may have been shipped in some way that has escaped us. The following shows the prices ruling in this market for the last three years, the range being from the poorest to the best qualities : 1851. June 25a48 July 28a40 August 28a33 1852. 18*29 1853. 40i43 25a37X 35a45 The following is a statement of the shipments for 12 years, ending in 1853 : 1842 1843 1844 1845 184 1*47 ....tts.. 1.500 1848.. 22.0)0 1849. 9-..G35 18fO. 216/16 18H. 281,223 1862. 311.888 183. 620. 742 9I3.H82 P20,l'3 9J3.UO LEAD, This article has not, till the last year, attracted' any attention among Chicago merchants. The near approach of the Galena and the Illinois Cen- tral Railroads to the lead mines of Wisconsin, has enabled some of the dealers in this important mineral to make their shipments by Chicago. The completion of the Illinois Central Railroad to Galena, on the first of September, 1854, will render this a most important article in the com-- mercial statistics of the city. The following table shows the receipts of Lead for the past year : By Lake.. ffis.. 109.150 Canal 1.2HH.e<4 Railroad ...1,89,009 .3,253,763 Total The shipments were : By Lake.. lhs..3. 1r O,'9'> Railroads 151 K50 Total 3.2'2.C40 The market for Lead is without much fluctua- tion. Prices have ranged from $5.50 to $0 per cwt. for pig, and 5^ to 7-J for bar. FRUIT. There is a large amount of Fruit of all kinds imported into this city. The qnality and prices vary so much that it is impossible to give statis- tics that would convey any accurate inclination to persons at a distance. We receive apples,, peaches, pears and plums from the central parts of our own State, from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and western New York. In a very few years the enterprising farmers of northern Illinois will be able to supply us with better Fruit r .han we can now procure. The "Western Fruit Growers r Convention," which met in this city in October, 1853, we- think, fully demonstrated the important fa t, that Illinois and Iowa can rear fairer and finer fruits than can be produced in ihe Eastern States. LAKE SUPERIOR TRADE. So completely had our merchant? been ab' sorbed in business, and so thoroughly had their time and capital been occupied in tlie tio>.e that came to their doors " without asking," that they never, so far as we know, bestowed a thought upon the Lake Superior mines till the lust sea- son. And even then, the opening of the trade with that region waa a mere expeiimeut. It oo 69 cm-red on this wise. On the 1st of August the Garden City, a new and beautiful steamer, ar- .rived here from Buffalo, to run on the western shore of Lake Michigan, between this city and Sheboygan, in opposition to Clement's line. An experience.of two weeks satisfied her owners that this would not be a " paying business," and she was advertised, as a sort of experiment, to make .a trip to the Saut. St. Marie. She left OD the 12th of August, with a fair load of passengers and freight. We were assured by Capt. Crooker that in every succeeding trip, till the close of the sea- son, he was obliged to refuse some of the freight that was offered. The following table exhibits the shipments of produce and merchandise to the "Soo," up to the close of navigation : Apples and Fruit.bbls do do ..sks do dried bbls Beans . 150 . 10 . 44 Meal.. bags . ...bbls .2946 . 58 do Mdst- Oats Oil Oil Oil Cake Pickles- Pork ....hhds pkes ..bush.. ....bbls ...casks bbls . 2 .If 82 16.492 4 .. 2 .. 2-2 .. 40 ..1706 do do Beef bags ....bush ...bbls . 5 . SOU . 384 Buffalo robes biles Butter firkius Corn bush '.1016 .6516 Coffee Flour bags .... bbls . 46 .' 860 Rye Stoves Sugar ....bush No bbs .. 67^ .. 80 . . 118 Olass ...boxes . bbl* . 64 . 116 Sugar Sheep, live.. ....hhds .' 36 Hams Hay Hay ...casks; bales tens . 4 . 60' . 12 Tea Tobacco...... Tobacco ..chests ...boxes ....bbls .. 5-0 . 48 . 4 .. 1*4 Hogs .dressed bbls . 104 . 26 do do Whiskey bags ....hhds bbls ..1198 . 14 .. 18 Lead Liquor Meal.... pige bbl bbls '. 40 . 156 The Garden City was the first steamer to run regularly, or so far as we know at all, between Chicago and the Saut. Ste. Marie. Our merchants were greatly surprised at the result of " her ex- periment " We have already a line advertised by A. T. Spencer & Co , to run regularly twice a week during the coming season. Two boats will at first be put on, and more if necessary. It needs- but a moment's reflection to satisfy any business man that Chicago is the natural centre for the Lake Superior trade. We can supply the miners with their beef, pork, flour, coarse grains, and in fact provisions, hay, vege- tables and live stock, cheaper than it is possible for them to purchase these necessaries anywhere else. We cannot see that any other city upon the Lakes can possibly compete with us. For several years previous to the fortunate "experiment" of the Garden City, the Detroit and Cleveland merchants in the Lake Superior trade would procure their supply of provisions here, have them shipped round to their own warehouses, and then resbip them to Lake Su- perior, with freight and commissions added Our Water street merchants will be apt to save them any further trouble of that sort for all time to come. We have at least an equal chance with the cities on Lake Erie to supply the Lake Supe- rior merchants with dry goods, as the freight upon them around to Chicago, when once they are loaded upon propellers, is not worth taking into the account. We need not stop here to speak of the importance of the Lake Superior mines to onr manufacturing interests, as that has been noticed in another connection in this article. It will not be two years after the Saut. Canal is completed before our trade with Lake Superior will form one of the largest and most lucrative departments of our commerce. Propellers will then run direct from this city to all the ports on Lake Superior, and it is important for our mer- chants at once to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the dealers of that region and the kinds of merchandise adapted to the wants of that market. CONCLUSION. It is scarcely necessary for us to recapitulate the facts which we have already stated Busi- ness men will not be slow to draw their conclu- sions in reference to the prospects of Chicago. No one who has studied her unrivalled commer- cial position, and the richness, beauty and extent of the country by which she is surrounded, can doubt for a moment that Chicago, at no distant day, is destined to become the great Central City of the Continent. In the centre of one of the most fertile agricultural regions on the globe; surrounded by exhaustle?s mines of lead, iron, copper and coal ; having a water communication with the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, and holding the key to a coasting trade of three thou- sand miles, with more than a dozen railroads branching off for thousands of miles in all direc- tions, every element of prosperity and substan- tial greatness is within her grasp. She fears no rivals, confident that the enterprise and energy which have heretofore marked her progress will secure for her a proud and pre-eminent position among her sister cities of the Uuion. She has to wait but a few short years the sure develop- ment of her " MANIFEST DESTINY." RECEIPTS FOR 1853. DESCRIPTION. LAKB. 5,32 CAXAL. RAILROA&. TOTAL 5 W 33 " " fts.. 44 078 . . 44078 Agr'l products 93,006 432/W) 5 '" f"fi Ale A Beer, bbls... 14(1 10009 3 256 7 '..-.-, 399 17464 Ahf, tts> 17,400 967 18,3*7 Anchors, No 9 26 Bark, cd< 719 719 70 Barley, bn 1,576 25616 8,761 1.3U8 106 46(0o 33,800 134 414 8 77,049 ,6ul 136,401 163.587 18,394 1,5!4 207 1.585,971 2,798,414 134,414 13,481 77 812,430 4,601 2,328 68,443 2 t>33 266 000 44,665 llfi 77.096J560 Io8 655 2,733,119 12.380 238 10 293,752 263 7.456 7,115 12.990 48,197 1.591 1,780660 2U7.226 88,5<4 678.600 317.37 2,197,987 85.91X 5.915 270,000 9,080 5,490,185 609500 852,030 1,274,311 8.487 12i '.BOO 1 460.424 6,070 1K.VOO 36.299,912 838,r-68 29.133 116 3 253,763 147 071 405.083 6F5 427 :02,10V78 47,073 1,645,400 78 175 Stone ware, pec.. 3,708 8 70?- Beans, bu 101 1,239,!I66 Stv-& H'warc.Bs 2.f27,:02 Sugar, tts 149.100 Sta'ch, fts 35,000 Staves, No 2.110539 Tfcllow. tts 13800 1.M39 9,228,080 2CO 300 80220 22,234 360 4,2?4,OuO 13,66i!l8() 35,200' 2,110,53 18,813 320 4.638.546 .-08,834 175262 3.470 7,750 217 6,647 1.389,485 BOO 421,660 55 16,187 42,753 38000- I,l30.60fr 7,644 2 320,000 6,028,667 244 35B 984 13.138 2,085 Beef, bbls Bran-& Shorts, tts Brick, >o 2,764,614 B. Wheat flour, ftj Buggies & Wag ns, 69 Butt- r tts Beeswax, Bs Brooms. No 2328 13.481 Tar, Pitch and Turpeutine.bbls 489 Tierces 320 Timber, ft 4,558.326 Tobacco, ttg 81600 Ties 175 2S2 Candles, Bs lo.OOi) Castings, pkgs 2,635 " Bs 266000 Ghees', " 8,100 Cider. M>ls 11* Coal, ttg 72,705,000 43,443 926 1 4,369,560 108,655 2,481,334 35,639 2WOO Teleg'h poles, no 3,470 Trees, no 7,750 Vinegar, bbls 205 Water lime. bbls. 6,510 Wheat, bu 62,031 Wheel barrows.. 600 White lead, fts... 157451 12 137 352,103 '264' 210 97J.351 Coffee, fts Cranberries, Bs... 1200 Crockery crts. No. 238 Chain cable*, " 10 H,lcO Wood, cdt 12 000 W'den ware, PCS. 42. 753 ' Bs.. 38,0014 :::::::: 4187 Esgs, bb's 2 202 7456 3 12.9PO 59 Wool, tts 69,700 302,173 Water pipe, pc?. 7,644 . tts.. 2,320.000 Articles not enu- merated, fts .... 30,680 2 256,517 LIVE STOCK. 68 727 3,741.550 244 953 13.138 2,085 F'sh.bbls 7,112 Flax, tts Flour, bbls 2265 7,223 3e,808 Fur're&Bsg'e. pk 1.6P1 " Bi. I>.MU Fruit, tts 3>00 140 029 203,426 48,516 1X8,710 14 220 1.057 363 85,918 1,603 621 Furs A Peltr's.lbs. 3,20u 36,867 489,890 i iib'oai Cattle, head 9! Glass, tts 3'o3.1oO Grass seed, tts... 54,600 Greae tts Grind stones, tts. 5,915 Gas pipe tts... . 270100 Horses, " SI Hogs Hair " 8,40 J 680 5.206.222 494.500 852.030 ""7',i"63 SHIPMENTS FOR 1853. Hams & Bacon, fts 276 Ouu Hay. Bs 15,000 Hides & Skins, Bs. 3,26 > High Wines and Whiskev. bb's.. 1J67 Hj>s, Head'g, Ac. 120,600 873,546 S76 397,5 B Ag'l Implt's No.... 351 ftS 718,867 121,574 i'M SOiil'OO lil.,275 39'ri 04 49! ; ' 5.500. 133,447 12,!- Ou 2022 4b7 4PB.86S J77.388 450 12 33791 13d 5.9-7.774 519 2.780,253 1,200 1,120 177 7,525 104,476 1,128 1,200 2.093 74.190 264 1,656,274 2,488 153.785 2,185',26!' 141 71 96 58,735 9,266.318 668 52,000 3.957 300 7.027 21,050 26,871 82.145 62.44ft 57,901 1,105 ij i . . ^on 245.190 920 16 20H 73,856 66,668 1.286.604 131.I21 19,127 469 70 1.215.234 Ag'l Products 15,7f2 41 105.H;! 182 123 Hops, " .. 7,750 Horns *' Iron & Nails, ".33875.640 Lard. " .. 21900 Lat'i No 39,133116 Lead, tts 108,150 Ale and Betr, bbls. 68 Apples, bbls 785 Ashes, fts 41,000 Bark, fts 2,356;4i6 . 45 52<> 6t6 100 3 119 ""Kt'OO 6.900 1. 589,009 1 Barley & tvliUr, bu. 79.689 Beans bu 3841 id 527 132 16 "130.447 Lead uipe. sheet end roll, tts 15450 Leather. " 326.020 Lime, bbls. 225 Beef, bbls. ... 643(4 k eeswax. ft.s 5.iOO Bran and Shorts Brief, no 6000 Liquor," 357 Broom torn, ha'cn 2022 BuxKies & Wag'ns Locornot'ves, No. 22 Lumber, ft 191 879,111 467 54.1115 37,073 ""7,460 62.146 1.000 25,9.-7 10,167,352 "Ibs 466,865 Machinery, tts... 10^00(1 Marble, pieces;.. 2.739 Marble, fts l.RSx.OOO ButUr. Bs 5\'5.800 Candles, fts Castings, pkgs.... 12 Cheese, tts ""450 7U88 Meal, tts 16,0:9 11,920 21,067,221 25,278 47.250 2.918 5 769,64i 519 25 1200 30,873 Mdze, pkgs ' 03j< 8W Oider. bbls 81 ,M dzts Bs 13,589.500 MiU.gals 34.982,678 25.278 47.250 2,309,978 : J 40 1,473.041 245 117 690 S.548,070 Col. BS 2t"3,000 Coffee, tts 4,585,1.9 Cori, r-u 2,739,55;; 40,676 MoiaKes, ".... 115,000 Oakum, bales 34u t'ats, bu Oil, bbls 245 2,194,978 Col'n. raw inhales ..r... Crnnberries, tts 971.350 501,6!>1 f'opper. pigs 177 Paint, bbls 117 Dried Fruit, Ba.... 4 k .2(!0 Eggs, bbls 1,121 ""7 66.276 P'ches, bsks 4 bis 690 Pig iron 8.484 uOO 64,1,70 Feathers. Bs l,(li) Plas'r AS-uc. hbl 1,286 Pc-rk in bbls 24 Porkinhogtts Potatoes, bu 2.637 Powder, tts 808.000 16 3,045 924 41,936 1,302 1 1 2 :0 3,04 ,924 808'l?00 403,471 84,755 3,503.718 Pish, bbls 258 1 XM 11,191 '200 Flour, hblp 70 984 1,107 2,099 Fur. & Bagg'e, i9.35f Grind gtonrs 141 Ginseng, bbls 71 Hair, h les 96 Hair, ft* Hams & Bacon, tts. 8.554 580 Hay bales rtt8 R. R. Iros. hart-.. 174,142 " tts....f!4 21 '4,000 " Furnisn'g, B l,S35,7o6 58,735 6,225 'Voe'dis Rosin, M) s 1 899 Rye. bu 21 3,94 < 1,162 Hay. Bs 52,000 Saleratus, Bs 47,050 Sal', hbl 61,4(8 38 6.231 302.'666 ' 16i',537 10 ""343 Hemp, Bs H'gh wines and Whiskev. bb's... 5,273 Hoop. & Heading.. 1,050 Bs 300 816 62,645 938 Salt bgs 90640 Shinnies. NO 93/06.74 Shingle bolts, cds 15,668 Shot, tts Soap fts 9..000 SteH.b s & slats. 1.195 Steel, Bs 54.000 Stone & Plate, Ibs. 1,792,000 Stone dressed, " 7u,t)00 Ftone ware. ft?... 100, ifl " " gals.. 47.500 277,000 Hops, tts 19,300 Horns- A H.'Ofn.tts. fi'.44i> Hides & i-kins 57,f'01 " bdls. l.ltti ' BS 6>-98 Iron & Nails, Bs T,arri, tts. . 1 846 ' 00 2.154,4 7 l.HH 11,279 9J8 6,067.4*6 8,221,903 1.847,852- ;.:-n>d. Lath. BO.... 6,663,906 71 Lead, tts 3100,990 Lead pipe, siieet and roll, tts 7,500 Leathsr 270.SOO 540 . 151.660 3 252,650 7,940 424,.Hti 2,1 1.593 88,909.343 830,^42 320 861981 355,420 I6.1H3 122.207,050 41.502 20,761 1,748,493 322 3,020 126.000 15,75i 3,219,534 is55.16i 29,809 220,916 IMS 379,924 61,566 1,374 923,700 2,500 19,361.776 41,514 40l6uO 82,lr.2 76.784 Salt, bbls 1.242 24.404 2fq 515 12,174 37,920 2.W.515 60.800,300 20,542,250 71,442,350 290 141.281 1.417 748 . 7.765 640 " bolts, cda. Lime, bbls 43 845 149.000 "'3-56 2,058 47,313 2.058 613.112 160 2.456.231 40.94(1 240,708 540,469 13,585 218.852 20 125 82.413 4.998 28J 163 1.310,048 11625 3,292 1,027,693 459,160 2,657 172 4,341 114 Liquor, bb's Steel, " Lumber, ft 58.026 05*5 30 ^30,042 . .734 292 26 240.000 Machinery, tts... Mirble, PCS ftS " tts " dressec. tts. Rtvs & H'ware, tts. ""iio 2,444,382 40.940 373,112 861.981 . 11,849 Meal, fts 352.600 16.633 17.640,000 2,004 9i77i.'Jyrt 94 16,800 20,761 . 816 795354 24702 Maze, pkgs Staved, no 538' 900 240,708 1,569 13585 218,852 Millstones, tts.... Molasses, tta Tar, Pitch and Turpentine, tts.. Timber, ft. . Tobacco, lihds.... " bis . Oils, bu 1,633.842 107 3,020 483 215 . 114,163 ""20 125 Oil, bbls Oil Cake, bbls 126,000 " . tts 82.413 4998 Paint, fts 15.752 . Pijf Iron, ftj 2,832.000 273,334 114.200 355, 1*J 1647 194916 35 280 57 1.618 11,625 2,292 444 459,160 STOCK. Plast-r & stuc. fts Pork bbls Pork in UOK. tts.. Potatoes, bu W ater lime, bbls.. Wheat, bu 106 1,206.163 953'. 166 LIVE 117 2 1548 36 27,814 26,000 878 343 102,267 While lead. fts.... Wooden ware. n>d . . Wool, tts 92 379.924 . Powder, tts 74,149 2.540 170 2.793 138 Other articles not enumerated, tts. Cattle 1374 Provisions, tts.... Rags, Railroad Iron, fts. R. R. furnish's, tts Rosia, fts 923.000 2,500 '. 40,000 700 . 19,361.766 . "3,'5l4 15.200 . 40,000 Rye, bu Saleratus, tts.... 81,594 2.200 "74.'584 . 568 Hogg Sheec.... NOTE. The past has been an eventful Summer for Chicago. The Spring opened with an unusual degree of prosperity. Improvements of all kinds were going forward with great rapidity, and business of all kinds was very active. So healthy was the city that the Board of Health had not thought it ne- cessary to make regular reports. The week succeeding the Fourth of July was excessively hot, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 7, 8, and 9th, the cholera caoie upon us like a thunderbolt. The most extravagant stories were widely circulated hi reference to its fatality in the city; a portion of our citizens, without stopping to investigate the facts, fled in "hot haste," and for a week or two everything was at a stand. When time had been allowed to investigate the facts, it was found that Chicago had not suffered so much from the disease as some other neighboring cities. The reports of the City Sexton showed that the total deaths on the days above named had averaged only from forty to forty-four, and thir- ty-six was the highest number that had died of cholera on either of the days above named. During several of the succeeding weeks the deaths by cholera averaged from twelve t" twenty. This, for a city of seventy thousand inhabitants, is not a large, mortality. When the statistics for the year are made out, we are satisfied that Chicago will fully maintain the position she has heretofore acquired, of being one of the healthiest cities in the Union. By the first of August business began to revive, and it has been steadily increasing, till we now find our streets crowded to overflowing Our merchants, our mechanics, and manufacturers of all kinds have al! the business they can possibly do. Let those who love to work, and who know how to do it, come to Chicago. There is not a spot in the wide world where honest industry is so sure of a competence we might say, a fortune. Our railroads are pouring an immense flood of trade and travel into the city, and Chicago is making rapid progress in wealth, population and substantial improvement. Our beet informed men are satisfied that the coining new year will find at least eighty thousand people in Chicago, and by another year from that time the footings will be very handsomely beyond a hundred thousand. We owe an apology to our friends for delaying this edition to so late a day in the season. The truth is, our job office has been so crowded with work that it was impossible to get anything done for ourselves. Our presses now run by steam, and we have otherwise largely increased our facilities to meet the wants of our growing city. The public may rest assured that no effort shall be spared by the Editors and Proprietors of the Press to advance the interests and secure the commercial su- premacy of the Empire City of the Mississippi valley. CHICAGO, Oct. 7th, 1854. 72 JAMES H. REES. SAMUEL H. KERFOOT. EEES & KEKFOOT, leal (feiaie aito Stork Irobrs, x_ s \^_s NO. 48 CLARK STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WILL ATTEND TO THE PAYMENT OF TAXES, EXAMINATION OF LANDS, INVESTIGATION OF TITLES, iC., IN Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Northern Indiana, Messrs. OGDEN, JONES & Co., Chicago, Illinois. J. YOUNG SCAMMON, Esq., " " Col. K. K. SWIFT, Banker, CHARLES BUTLER, Esq., New York. ABEL T. ANDERSON, Esq., " " Hon. J. A. ROCKWELL, Norwich, Conn. HENRY D. MAXWELL, Esq , Easton, Pa. THOS. STINSON, Esq., Hamilton, C. W. WILLIAM S. JOHNSTON, Esq. Cincinnati, Ohio, WILLIAM GREENE, Esq., " " WILLIAM S. SAMPSON, Esq., " " Messrs. ELLIS & STURGESS, " " WILLIAM G. HARRISON, Esq., Baltimore, Md. E. E. HUNDLEY, Esq., Charlotte, C. H., Va. Messrs. LEIGHT, HITE & Co., Louisville, Ky. The rapid growth of CHICAGO, and the consequent enhancement of REAL ESTATE in and about it, have made necessary the establishment of a convenient, systematic and reliable dfc? From actual acquaintance with City and Country Real Estate in and about Chicago, (Mr. REES hav- ing been engaged in the actual survey of almost the whole of the City, from 1835 to the present, and of all the lands surrounding it,) otfer to the public generally inducements rarely to be met with in purchasing and selling Real Estate. They have the privilege of referring to the above name gentlemen in various parts of the United States, and propose, in accordance with their card above, to PAY TAXES ON LANDS AND CITY LOTS, EXAMINE AND REPORT UPON THE VALUE AND QUALITY OF LANDS AND LOTS* And, in fine, do everything connected with a legitimate REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE. 73 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC EXCHANGE OFFICE. UNITED STATES, EXCHANGE ON CITIES in the UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND CONTINENTAL EUfiOPE- ON ENGLAND. Baring, Brothers & Co London. London find Westminster Bank. ...tot hbury, London. Bank of British N. America, St Helen's Place, London Guion & Co., No, Slower Chambers Liverpool. ON SCOTLAND. NATIONAL BAKK OF SCOTLAND EDINBURGH. BRANCHES AT Aberdeen, Glasgow, Kjrkwall, Airdrie, Forres. Kirriemuir, Anstruther, Fort William, Laniiholro, Banff, Galashiels. Leith, Bathgate, Falkirk. Montroge, Burn .island, Granton, Nirn, Castle D usUs, Hawick, Oban, Coupir- Angus, Inverness, Perth, Dalkeith. Inverary, Pqrtree, Ding wall. Is! ay, Stirling, Dumfries, Jedburg, Btornoway, Dundee, Kelso, Stromness, East Linton, Kirkcaldy, Whithorn, Lochmaben, Newton-Stewart. ON IRELAND. PROVINCIAL BANK OF IRELAND DUBLIN. BRANCHES. Peter Jones, Fsq 29 Eden Quay, Dublin. ON HOLLAND. Goll& Co imsterdam ON FRANCE. ALLIKZ. GRAND & Co , 14 Rue de Trevise PARIS, Chrystie, Heinrich & Co Havre. ON GERMANY. M. A. de Rothschilds & Sons Frankfort, 0. M. J. GollA tons I. Lang's Widow, Sous & C'o Bremen. Gol) A Co Amsterdam, (Holland,) Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hamburg. Mendelssohn a Co Berlin W. H. Ladenburg &, Sons Manheim, Baden, ON AUSTRIA. I. H. Stametz & Co Vienna. ON NORWAY. Jacob Dybwad & Sons, Christiana. H. Helland Bergen. ON SWEDEN. 0, D. Arfwedson Stockholm. ON NEW YORK. G. 8. Robbing & Sons, 52 Wall street.... New York City. C. K. Habicht 4 Co Bank of Attica Buffalo, Union Bank of Albany Albany. Cayujja County Bank Auburn. ON MASSACHUSETTS. Grccers Bank Boston, ON NEW HAMPSHIRE. Piscataqua Exchange Bank Portsmouth. ON RHODE ISLAND. Blackstone Canal Bank Providence. ' D. W. Vaughn & Co ON PENNSYLVANIA. W. H. NewboldA Son Philadelphia. A.Wilkins&Co Pittsburgh ON MARYLAND. McKiiu, Greenway t Go., Baltimore. ON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Chubb Brothers Washington. ON LOUISIANA. Judson Co New Orleans. ON OHIO. Kllis A Sturgeg Cincinnati. T. S. Goodinan& oo ON KENTUCKY. A. D, Hunt It Co Louisville. ON CONNECTICUT. State Bank Hartford. Winste.l B .ink West Winsted. Hurlbut Bank West Wimted ON MICHIGAN. Peninsular Bunk Detroit. Ransom A Dodge Kalamazoo. Daniel Ball & Oo Grand Kapidg, ON INDIANA. Branch of State Bank Michigan City. Back of the Capital Indianapolis . ON IOWA. Green, Thomss & Co Burlington, Maclot & C'rr-in Davenport. CoolbougJi & Brooks Burlington. ON ILLINOIS. N. ConwirhA f\> Galena, Jo T>avipco. N. B Curtiss & Co Peria, Peoria co. William Paul Peru, Laslle co. H. Baldwin Lasalle, Lasalle co, M. H.frwi't Ottawa. UriOsgood Joliet, Will co. Clark's Exchange Bank Pprinnficld. Sangamon co. McLean County Bank Bloomington. McLean co. P. M Dowst Waukeg-in. Lake eo. Rwbertson, Eastman & Co ' ixon, Lee co. Robertson. Coleman & Co Rockford. Winnebagoco. Bank of Elgin Vlg n. Kine co. Mathtwson & Gooding Lockport Will co. Taylor & Bronson, Freeport, Stephenson Co., 111. ON MISSOURI. Page A Bacon St. Louis. ON WISCONSIN. Kneeland AHull Milwaukee, Wls. Dirlinu, Wright & Co Fonddu Lac. Thos. Wright Kenosha. E D Rich*r. L. Brown, Esq. George F. Foster, Esq. W. M. Doughty, Agent Methodist Book Con- cern. Rev. H. Crews, Galena, 111 Rev. Henry Cox, Newark, X. J. Henry Price, Esq., " T. & G Fox, Cincinnati, Ohio. LEWIS W. CLARK, GENERAL INSURANCE AGENT. Marine, Fire, and Lite insurance, EFFl-CTKD ON THE MOST FATORAB1.E TERMS BY JOSEPH B. HENSHAW, 100 RANDOLPH STREET, CHICAGO. ISAAC SPEER, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in PLATED & BRITANNIA WAKE, TOYS, &C., NO. 77 LAKE STREET, A few Doors East of the Iremint House, CHICAGO, ILL. Also, Manufacturer of Jewelry and Silver Ware Watches, Clocks, and Jewelry carefully repaired and warranted. F. GRANGER ADAMS, BANKER AND EXCHANGE BROKER, No. 44 Clark Street, Chicago, 111. Collections made and remitted by Draft on New York at ^ per cent. Not- s payable with Exchange remitted for without charge for com- mission. Western Bank Notes converted upon the most liberal terms. Dealer in Land Warrants Remittances to England, Ireland, and Scotland Dealer in Specie, &c , &c. RKKFRBN-CE J. Thompson, Esq., No. 2 Wall street, corner of Broadway, New York. R. HERVEY. J. P. CLAKKSON- HERVEY & CLAM 0; J , Attorneys and Counsellors at Law, AND SOLICITOUS IN CHANCERY. Office No. 44 ('lark strool, Cliic<>, III. Commissioners for the State of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, "Virginia, North Caro- lina, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florid*. SOLOMON L. SHARP. E. RANDOLPH SMITH, SHARP, SMITH & CO., AND REAL ESTATE BROKERS, NO 98, RANDOLPH ST , CHICAGO, ILL. "JOHN A. BB.CSS, ATTORNEY AND SOLICITOR, Office in the U. S. Marshal's Room, 123 Lake Street, Chicago. fe Importers and Wholesale Dealers in DRUGS, ME ICINES, CHEMCALS, Surgical and Dental Instruments, Paints, Oils, Dye-Stuffs, Druggists' Glassware, Window Glass, Daguerreotype Apparatus, Plates and Cases, 14O Lake SI reef, Chicago. BROWN & WILDER, IMPORTERS OF CHINA,GLASS,EARTHENWARE 7 Looking-glasses, Cutlery, Gas Fixtures, etc., L.6 LAKE STREET, CHICAGO. 78 BOSTON AND NEW YORK WHOLESALE AND KETAIL PIANO FORTE WARE ROOMS. Having been appointed sole agents for the sale of Hallet, Davis & Co.'s Grand, Semi-Grand, and Square; Brown & Allen's Grand, Semi-Grand and Square; T. Gilbert & Co.'s Circular Scale and vEolians; A. W. Ladd & Co.'s Grand Diagonal and Square; D. B. Newhall's Grand Diagonal and Square; Lemuel Gilbert's GRAND BOUDOIR And Square Piano Fortes; Geo. A. Prince & Co.'s celebrated Melodeons. All instruments sold by us are fully warranted and will be sold at factory prices. RJElvW & W ATKINS, No. 51 Randolph. Street, 3 Doors from State, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. J. H. REED &, CO,~ Jobbers and Retailers of DRUGS, MEDICINES, PERFUMERY, Paints, Oils, Glass, Brushes, Dye-Stuffs, etc. A large stock of Dental and Surgical Instruments Teeth, Foil, etc. 144 LAKE STREET, CHICAGO. J. A. SMITH. C. B. SMITH. J, A, SMITH & CO,, Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in HATS, CAPS, AND FUR GOODS, Straw, Leghorn, Panama and Palm Leaf Hats' Buffalo Robes and Overshoes; India Rubber Goods of all kinds. 110 LAKE STREET, CHICAGO. GEO. STEEL &, CO., PfiODUCE & COMMISSION MERCHANTS, Cor. South Water and LaSallc Sts. CHICAGO, ILL. GEO. STEEL, WM. CLARK, S. M 5 KICHAN. MOULD & GREENE'S CHICAGO We are SOLE AGENTS ia Chicago FOR THE SALE OF THE T. B. CARTER, FANCY & STAPLE DRY GOODS, AT WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, INTo. 136 Xjct]lx. Street, CHICAGO, ILL. PIANO FORTES OF CII1CKERING & SOWS, Boston, IIALLETT & CUMSTON, " BACOJV & RAVEN, New York, W. P. EMERSON. Boston, Whose Pianos have been long and thoroughly tested by the best Musical Professors in the country, and huve been by them pronounced to be TOE BEST FIAXOS made in the United States. A full ;iud complete stock of the different styles may at all times be found at our Rooms, NO, 98 LAKE STREET, For Sale at the LOWEST FACTORY PRICES, arid m the MOST LIBERAL TERMS. All Pianos bought of us will be FULLY "WAR- RANTED, and taay be depended upon as being ol the BEST QUALITY, as we will sell none other Q&~ Old Pianos taken in par: payment for new. _ffl NOTICE PARTICULAR, Constantly on band a full assortment of the latest Sheet Music, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Of all kinds. Bands furnished at the lowest prices. This house is the oldest and largest establish- ment in Chicago, and has unequaled facilities for furnishing goods and Musical Instruments at the lowest wholesale prices. MOULD & GREENE, 98 Lake Street 79 PROGRESS OF WESTERN JOURNALISM. THE CHICAGO DEMOCRATIC PRESS ESTABLISHMENT. From the Daily Press of August 23, 1854. The newspaper has become the great living voice of the present, through which it gives ut- terance to its wants, its opinions, its commenda- tions and censures, its sorrows and its joys, its triumphs and defeats, its fears and its aspirations. It is the medium through which are configured within the field of vision all things both distant and near in point of space; and it is the magical mirror in which the past is daily pictured, the present daguerreotyped, and the future presented in long-drawn perspective. Weak and compara- tively insignificant in its beginning, it has grown to be the controlling power in the nation. It is, in fact, the universal law-giver of the country, pushing its power into every domain of human life into its politics, its religions, its social and domestic affairs, its public and private economies, its arts, its sciences, its professions, and its trades ruling as the competent and rightful monarch of all. Such is the newspaper in the age in which we live such its influence, its po- tent sway, its power for right or wrong, its un- namable and not to be estimated responsibilities. The Democratic Press was established Sep- tember Kith, 1852. It commenced with a list of something over one hundred subscribers to the daily edition, and of about two hundred and fifty to the weekly. Without any special effort to procure subscribers, except so far as laboring assiduously to make it the best paper in the country may be regarded as a special effort, our list has constantly increased, until now (August 21st) we have a daily circulation of 2,064, and a circulation of our weekly edition of 4, 080. With- in a few months past, to answer an unmistakable and rapidly growing want along the lines of our railroads, we also commenced the issue of a tri- weekly edition, of which we now circulate with- in a fraction of 200 copies. This makes our to- tal issue per week 16,968, and per year, 882,336 copies. But to give a more correct idea of oar business, in all its departments, we will lay be- fore the reader some facts connected with the actual cost at which it is sustained. And first we will present a tarmiar statement of the operative force employed in it: Editorial Staff 4 Traveling and I*ocal Correspondents 5 Foreman. Newspaper OJSce 1 Compositors, Newspaper Office 8 Boy, Newspaper Olfice 1 Proprietor and Foreman, Job Office 2 Compositors and Pressman 8 Boy 1 Foreman and Assistant, Press Koom 8 Feeders 6 Engineers 2 Accountant 1 Mailing Clerk 1 Collectors : 8 City Carriers b Total 60 When we add that nearly all of the above are heads of families, it will be seen that quite a respectable army derive subsistence, and several of them are growing up to substantial independ- ence, through the success of the Democratic Press. Our JOB OFFICE occupies two rooms one 18 by 70 feet, the other 18 by 54 feet. These rooms are fitted up and stocked with all the various ma- terial requisite for a first class book and job office The visitor will find in them, in addition to an end- less variety of type and ornaments, two beautiful power presses, one of Hoe's manufacture, the other of Adams', driven by a steam engine placed in the Press Room below, and which are em- ployed solely for book and job work. Beside these, he will observe in active operation, one Foster's Washington Mammoth Hand Press, Hoe's Washington Medium ditto, Taylor's Impe- rial ditto, Taylor's Medium ditto, and Hoe's Card Press in all seven presses. It is rare, indeed, that any one of these ever has the opportunity of standing idle, and when it does it is not from the want of business, but of hands. If the visitor has time he will be interested in examining various splendid specimens of printing which have been executed in this establishment, and in every part of it he will be more than delighted in witnessing the efficiency with which work is turned out. Passing out of the rooms devoted to this branch of business, we descend a stairway and enter the PRESS ROOM. Here the unitiated vis- itor will find much to excite his wonder and ad- miration. The room is 18 by 70 feet, and con- tains one of Hoe's large Cylinder Presses, and one ditto of Adams'. These two presses are kept running constantly, from 1 o'clock Monday morn- ing until 12 o'clock Saturday night, employing two foremen, four feeders and two engineers, who alternate with each other once every twelve hours. During a portion of the time since they were put in operation, we have printed upon ! them of dailies, tri-weeklies, weeklies, monthlies, Ac., twenty-one different issues. But our own i issues having largely increased, as well as some I of those which we print for our neighbors, we find that seventeen different editions are as much as our presses can turn out. These seventeen different papers, aside from the extra editions printed, give, in round num- bers, 12,807 sheets printed per day 76,842 sheets per week, and 3,995,784 sheets, or 7,991,- | 568 impressions per year! Here is a fact which it may be profitable for all classes of people to consider; but we cannot stop for that purpose now. These two power presses, as well as the two in the job room above, are driven by a steam en- gine which we regard as one of the most perfect specimens of mechanical ingenuity and skill we have ever seen. When we established ourselves in our present business, we purchased an engine which we regarded as amply large to do any amount of printing that we should be called upon to execute, at least until the engine should wear out. But so much had our business increased, we had to supply its place with a larger" one be- fore the end of twelve months, and this second one, which we thought surely would do, we have have had to throw out before it is twelve months old, for the same reason that we did its prede- cessor. In this emergency we applied to our friend H. P. Moses, as the very man most likely 80 to afford us the relief our condition required. We told him and his accomplished foreman, N. Wiard, what we wanted, and it is but poor praise to say that our wishes have been met in every particu- lar. The engine is capable of being worked up to twenty-five horse power, and will run sixteen presses such as we have described above. If we have not over-estimated the growth of our cry and country, we shall want all of that number be- fore our paper is five years older. Since this en- gine has been running, hundreds of visitors have looked at it, and, without a single exception, eacl: has awarded to it the merit which is claimed for it above. We could not conceive of anything more beautiful, both as respects thearnngeineut and proportion of its parts and the perfect finish which is everywhere visible, and the smooth, even and noiseless manner in which it does ita work. We regard it us a feather in the cap of Chicago that she can show so admirable a specimen of mechanical perfection as this same engine, built at the machine shop of >j. P. iiioses. The boiler is of the locomotive character, built of Lake u- perior iron, by our friend 0. Keissig, one of the best mechanics in the city, and is, in every sense, worthy the engine which it accompanies. Having feasied his eyes upon the many things we have noticed above, and upon the m;my more which we have not noticed, the visitor, having got away from the clanking and rattling of the pre-'ses, involuntarily says to himself, "Who would have thought it? Who could have sup- posed that a place which but twenty years ago was meiely an Indian trading post, would so soon furnihh business tor so large an establishment, costing so much, and whose daily expenses must run up to a high figure?" Seeing him wearing a puzzled look as he speaks of the "daily expenses" of our establishment, we will relieve him by pre- senting a few statistics under that head. Here is what we paid during the last twelve months for the simple item of gas-light an item, by the way, which had not occurred to our visitor: Gas bill for year ending July 1st $40954 ^-ut that is a very small and insignificant item; go we proceed to state that our books show the expenses of the establishment during the yea. 1 closing to-day, including labor, cost of white pa- per, fuel, lights, insurance, interest on capital employed, wear of material, &c., &c., to have been as fallows: Expenses p r d-ty (121 11 " week 72-i 60 " year . 37,*>i J2 Our white paper alone, not including the large amount used in the jobbing department, costs us $2'.1.43 per day, i 1 7 6,58 per week, and $D,1 'he fullest scope, tho-e qualities which ren !e ed him a favorite at home as well as a successful business man. In entering upon a new volume, we deem the occasion a fitting one to ofterour heartfelt thanks to the many friends and patrons of the Demo- cratic Prcxt, for the favor with which they have uniformly received our eff'oits to serve them in the capacity of public journalists. We can, and do assure them, that neither effort or expense shall be spared to make our paper a truthful ex- ponent of the gre;it and growing West. Already, we are proud to say, it is generally recognized as a medium through which the leading minds of the country give expression to their views upon the various topic? connected with the important inte- rests which are springing up in our luidsr. To m lintain the character already gained, in this re- gard, shall be our highest pride, and shall corn- maud our best and constant efforts. J. H. REES & CO., if illy :e? 48 CLARK STREET, WILL ATTEND TO THE INVESTIGATION OF TITLES TO LANDS IKOORCO.JLL. 3ESTO., JAMES If. KEES. SAMCKL B. I'HASK. J. H. REES & Co., having full. and complete indices to the Records of Took County, (of which Chicago is the county seat,) showing all Conveyances on record, relating, regularly or irregularly, to any specific piece of property having also transciipts of all the judgments of the several Courts of Record in Cook County -having also indexed copies of the Records of the regular and special City and County Tax Sales in Cook County these indices and transciipts being the only books of the kind in Chicago tender their services to the public generally in furnishing Abstract* of Titles. ftW They are prepared at all times to do CONVEYANCING in all its branches. anfo CM Engineers, Are prepared to survey City Lots, and Lands lying beyond the City limits. Par- ticular attention will be given to the subdivision and planting of Lots, Blocks and Lands gene- rally ; also to the establishing of lines for fencing. HANCHETT & GREELE will also attend to the laying out and construction of Plank Roads, Rail- roads, Water Powers, and such matters as fall within the Province of the Civil Engineer. MR. HANCHETT retains his office as Engineer to the ' OOK COUNTY DRAINAGE i OMMISSIONERS, and will attend to all matters relating to the drainage of lands in the city and its vicinity. Office, No, 48 Clark Street, Third Stcry. R E FE R E N C E S : Mesrs. REES d : se, the " Pi-ess" will contain a ITJ^Ipyr V nn^IIlFPVr f*F> Tirrrn T njrn n Tinny >/A'Ol/E ir n wMiLi mlWiiljW ut 1 nitij Liv.iS 5iubil Mmiisill Reporting all the sale^of Hoi-ges, Cattle, Hogs, Sheep, etc , that have been made during the week. 13?" Such a paper is, greatly needed at the present time'; and the 'Publishers confidently anti- cipate a liberal share of public patronage while laboring to meet this pulJic want. t3pT~TilK DEMOCRATIC -pitEss bus the largest circulation of any paper in the city, and is >>y far the best medium of advertising in hicngo. ^g" Specimen numbers will (e sent by mail, when requseted. v 5t^~ Money enclosed in a strong envelope may be sent by mail at our risk. SCKIPPS, BROSS & SPEAKS. Office, No. 45 Clark St., two doors North of the Post Office. JOB AMD BOOK WORK OF ALL KIND* Executed in the neatest and best possible manner, and at the shortest notice. 3= -A. Gi- !E3 "Z 4=