CHICAGO CENTENARY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 179, 16 August 1937, Page 12

CHICAGO CENTENARY

Incredible City's Amazing Rise ONCE HAUNT OF BEARS Chicago is a huudred years old, says a writer in the News-Chroniele. Inaugurated as a city on March 4, 1837, its rapid rise is oue of the most amazing in history. In 1834, bears were killed in the main street of a tiny wooden stockade settlement on Lako Michigan. It had previously been burnt and sacked by Eedslcins, and had only a few dozen families. \ It was the raiiroad .and Civil War that made Chicago. The city's power, with that of the industrialised Middle West, ffnally crushed the Confederates and assured the aseendancy of the in-austrial-capitalist North. Thereafter followed Chicago 's phenomenal expansion. To-day, the towering Lindbergh beacon flashes over the world's fourth city, situated by a lake more than twice as large as Hollund, skyscraper metropolis of the Middle West, nerve centre of North America, world's biggest raiiroad junction, centre of the meat, wheat, timber and machine industries, and now bidding to be the first city and first inland port of America. Deep-water canals may soon link the lakeside city with the St. Lawrence, and enable ocean liners to sail direct from Britain into the heart of America — to Chicago, God 's Chicago, Devil 's Chicago, Porlcopolis of the Prairibs, Cosmopolis, • Megapolis, Modern Babylon, and possibly the eoming capital of the world. In 1868 and 1871 the city waa ravaged by great fires, which slew hundreds and did tens of millions damage. In the 1890 's the horrible conditions in the factories and stockyards provoked mass strikes — among the century's biggest — led by Socialist leader Eugene Debs. These stockyard horrors, exposed in Upton Sinelair's novel, "The Jungle," sent the name of Chicago shuddering round the world. The conditions the book exposed, the savage exploitatioa of dehumanised cattle-killing wageslaves of workers falliug into vats and being rendered into r>rime beef lard, were so frightful that people refused to believe them, and were not convinced until President Theodore Roosevelt, roused by the book, sent a Government Commission to Chicago. The Commission supported Sinelair's charges. The meat paekers, led by Armour, did their utmost to lrill the book, and they have laughed last. Their power to-day is greater than cver, and they have sueh a monopoly strangle'hold over farm and meat products that already farmers' political corpor.ations are Xirossing for their nationalisation. But Chicago is famous for otlier things tlian meat. _ • From this win.dy lake city, the former Fort Dearborn, whose Indiaii name, "Chicago," means ''stinking onions," camo the Pulhnan car, the Western : Electric Talkie System, the McCormick I reaper (which speeded np the exploitaj tion of the American prairies and the world's wheat fields), tho Whoat Pool (which, by eornering wheat and raisiug x>rices, has held millions to ransom), lovely Lady Lavery (one of the' world's most Beautiful women), finan.cier Samuel Insull( who built the Chicago Opera House), and tho Mail Order Business. How for years the World's Fouth City was virtually ruled by criminal gunmen is one of the most startling chapters in history. During those years the history of Chicago is the history. of Capone. "Scarface Al" ("Al" stands for Alplionse) Oapone, the Gorilla Man, who, like his fellojv-gangster, Hitler, liked between killings to soothe his soul with opera music (Verdi's "Aida"was his favourite), came to Chicago penniless in 1920. tShoofcing his wa.y to power and buinping oflk rivals he emerged from the gaugster bloodpath of 1927 as Public Gangster No 1, Caesar of Crinie. Chicago, however, may not eliminate erime until she assimulates the mixed races of fier cosmoipolitan popnlaco, eliminates crime's breeding grounds, the hideous slums festering beliind her white skyscraper sepulehres, and substitutes kuman co-operation for that notorious rugged individuaiism and get-rich-quick-at-any-cost spirit which is at the root of Chicago fs and America' s troubles. There are signs that this is - beginning. The Socialist Movement is growing. Things are moving in America.