40 



THE FARMER'S xMAGAZINE. 



very different piiuciples, and displays an activity and 

 power of expansion of the most wonderful kind. Tlie 

 commerce of Britain lias been the growth of ages, and 

 is certainly settled upon a firm and permanent basis; 

 but that of the United States has produced tlie same re- 

 sults in an infinitcsimally short period of time, and, so far 

 as we may judg-e, with permanent effect. The discrimina- 

 tion witli wliich our Transatlantic cousins seize upon the 

 most favourable spots for their commercial centres, and 

 the extraordinary rapidity with which their caj)abilities 

 are developed, is one of the most prominent character- 

 istics of that country and its energetic people. States, 

 cities, and towns are in a manner "born in a day." No 

 sooner is the eligibility of a spot ascertained than a 

 population gathers around it, like bees, in swarms ; 

 and all the means and appliances necessary for render- 

 ing its capabilities available, spring up as by magical 

 enchantment. Establishments are formed, communi- 

 cations opened, facilities explored, and capital brought 

 to bear upon them, in a manner perfectly marvellous ; 

 and the future prosperity of the place is guaranteed 

 by the same moral energy that has originated its 

 career. 



Perhaps one of the most, if not the most, par excel- 

 lence, remarkable instance of this rapid growth is the 

 city of Chicago. We liave on a former occasion spoken 

 of this wonderful place, and its extraordinary increase. 

 Since then it has passed through an ordeal of no ordi- 

 nary kind, and which, in any rising city or town in 

 Europe, would have thrown back its prosperity for 

 years. Cliicago perhaps, at the time, felt the shock of 

 the panic in quite an equal degree to the older cities of 

 the Union ; but confidence in its resources, and in the 

 general stability of the banking system, quickly restored 

 the equilibrium of the public mind, and at this period 

 commerce at Chicago has resumed its onward course. 

 We have just received the " Sixth Annual Review of 

 the Commerce, Manufactures, and the Public and 

 Private Improvements of Chicago, for the Year 

 1857," &c., kc, from which we shall proceed to give 

 a few statistical extracts, showing the manner in which 

 cities are created in the United States. 



Chicago is situated in the state of Illinois, and just 

 at the head of Lake Michigan. It is now ab nit fifty- 

 five years ago, when two English gentlemen,* each 

 possessed of large property, went to settle in Illinois. 

 They purchased '20,000 acres of prairie land, but they 

 had not a neighbour within muny miles; being them- 

 selves the first settlers, we believe, of any account in 

 the state. We shall not go into the histoiy of that 

 disastrous enterprize, and refer to it only to show at 

 how recent a period Illinois was still " the wilderness." 

 Since then, not only has Illinois become a rich and 

 populous state, but several others have in like manner 

 arisen round it, which are fast becoming, like it, popu- 

 lous and [iroductive. Of these states, Chicago has 

 become the emporium of commerce and the centre of 

 communication, both by land and water, with the 

 eastern seaboard. 



* Mr. Richard Flower and Mr, Birkbeck, brother of the late 

 Dr. Birkbeck. 



The following statement will show the rapidity with 

 wliich tlio population of Chicago has increased : — 



In 1840 it contained 447 inhabitants. 



1840 „ 12,088 „ 



18o0 „ 28,269 „ 



1855 „ 88,509 „ 



1857 estimated to contain 1.30,000 „ 



It can be no ordinary superiority of situation that 

 would have caused so rapid an accumulation of popu- 

 lation ; and although the commercial season is in- 

 terrupted in a great meastire for some months by the 

 fiost, we find that its internal trade, and that by 

 railway, keeps the population in a constant state of 

 activity ; whilst its manufactures employ upwards of 

 ten thousand of the adult inhabitants. We shall next 

 give some statistics of the commerce of Chicago. 



The capital expended in warehouses amounts to 

 three millions and eighty-seven thousand dollars 

 (£017,400 sterling), affording stowage for 4,095,000 

 quarters of grain. The facilities for "handling" or 

 shipping the grain will clear off 1,340,000 bushels per 

 day. The progressive increase of the corn-trade may 

 be judged of by the following statement : 



SHIPMENTS OF GRAIN, 



SHIPMENTS OF FLOUR — FIVE YEARS. 



Brls. 



1853 131,130 



1854 224,575 



1855 320,312 



1856 410,989 



18^7 489,934 



SHIP.MENTS OF ALL KIND.=; OF GRAIN, AND FLOUR 

 AS GRAIN, FOR FOUR YEARS. 



Bush. 



1854 12,902,320 



1855 16,633,813 



1856 21,583,291 



1857 18,032,678 



The facility with which this large grain trade is con- 

 ducted is its most notable feature. "To tlie casual 

 visitor," says the piimphlet, " the grain trade does not 

 appear to be near the magnitude that the figures show 

 it to be. Our warehouses are all erected on the river 

 and its branches, with railroad tracks running in the 

 rear of them; so that a train of cars loaded with grain 

 {loose, we presume) may bo standing opposite one 

 end of a large elevating warehouse, bting emptied by 

 elevators at the rate of from s^ix to eight thousand 

 bushels per hour, whilst at the other end the same graiu 

 may be running into a couple of propellers, and be on 

 its way to Buffalo, Oswego, Ogdenshurg, or Montreal 

 within six or seven hours ; and all this is done without 

 any noise or bustle, and with little labour, except that 

 of machinery," kc. The expense of the transmission, 



