THE REBUILDING OF CHICAGO.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1082, 16 January 1872, Page 3

THE REBUILDING OF CHICAGO.

. [OMIOAQO TRIBUNB, NOVEMBER 36.] Lake Park is now entirely given over to business purposes, the frontage on Michigan avenue, from Randolph to Twelfth streets, being covered with buildings for fully three-quarters of thedis tance. . These structures are, with one or two exceptions, of a temporary character, having been hastily put together of pine lumber. The uniform height is one story, though occasionally the owner has carried up the walls to 20ft, the limit named in the permit, and thus obtained two low stories. Dearborn Park, is also completely covered with sheds, as is the Base Ball Park. The locations of the vacant city property so near the centre of business proved to be a Uod-send to the burnt-out dealers, who were thus enabled to proceed at once to the erection of temporary quarters, without being compelled to wait until the ruins had cooled off and could be cleared away.- The arrangement, however, is but a temporary one, as the leases granted ,by the Board of Public Works oxtend but 'one year, the supposition being , that by the .time of the expiration of the lease the wholesale dealers, will haye secured quarters in permanent buildings. This they are extremely anxious, to do, as it is now almost impossible to obtain insurance upon stocks of goods stored in the low wooden sheds. No difficulty is anticipated by the authorities in regaining possession of the pnblic parks, as it is expected that the matter will regulate itself. The burnt of ,the South Side is fairly in the hands of the' rebuilders, and it is now the exception, and not the rule, to find' rums where the debris is not being rapidly removed. In many cases the basements have been neatly cleaned up, and the bricklayers are at work running up the walls, which, without exception, are more massive than ever before. The 'cold weather of the past two days has not interfered seriously with the work of rebuilding, which is being carried forward as rapidly as the scarcity of labor and material' will admit. Already new brick walls are springing up in every direction as if by magic, and should the coming winter prove to be an ordinarily mild or open one, the Ist of May, 1872, will show a wonderful change on the South Side. „