The Growth of Chicago.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 6

The Growth of Chicago.

Ciiicaco, by the end of last year (says the ' Scotsman '), had a population reckoned at nearly 800,000, or, including its suburbs, 950,000. Tho value of its trade in 1887 is set down at £227,000,000; its aggregate bank cloarings were £612,000,000; the amount of xL=3 bank dcpo&its, live millions ten years ago, was sixteen and a half a millions in December la&t. The City Post Offico handled 248,000,000 of missives Avithin the year ; its stores and elevators received 161,000,000 of bushels of breadstuff : the stock yards disposed of 2,382,000 head of cattle alone ; the value of the goods turned out of its manufactories was estimated at £83,000,000. During tho year 20 miles of frontage of now ♦buildings, costing in all £4,000,000, were constructed. A new tunnel four miles long is being run out under Lake Michigan to bring in a supply of pure water for the growing needs of the population, and the existing tunnel will be extended two miles. There was an increase of 50 per cent, in flour, and 25 per cent, in wheat receipts compared with 1886 ; tho cattle recepts ' beat the record ' by nearly half a million head ; the value of the output of the Chicago iron foundries rose from £9,647,000 to £12.615,000 ; and the city sprang into the place of tho second publishing centro in the States. But a poor trado was dono in Indian corn — little more than 50 millions of bushels were shipped ; the hogpacking business was naught, a miserable five and a-half millions of^ porkers only being handled. Notwithstanding, Chicago is, on the whole, pretty well • pleased with the figures of tho year ;* and in this respect Chicago is riot easily pleased. But in the present year it expects to beat all previous experience in growth of population, and in growth of trade and profits, if monopolists and strikore will but give it a chance.