HIS LIFE AND WORK 



His factory was the largest and the busiest; 

 and the Reapers that it produced were a most 

 important factor in the growth of Chicago. 

 Every Reaper shipped to the West was a feeder 

 of the city. It brought back more wheat. It 

 opened up new territory. The Reaper gave the 

 farmers of the Middle West an ideal weapon 

 with which to win w r ealth from the prairies. 

 And it established the primary greatness 

 of Chicago as the principal wheat market of 

 the world. 



This incoming flood of wheat gave Chicago 

 its start as a railway and shipping centre. Chi- 

 cago was never obliged to give money, or to lend 

 it, to railroad companies. The railroads came 

 into Chicago without the inducement of sub- 

 sidies, because they wanted to carry its wheat. 

 And ships, too, came more and more readily to 

 Chicago when they found that they could be 

 sure of a return cargo. 



The choice of Chicago as his centre of opera- 

 tions was one of the master-strokes of McCor- 

 mick's career. At that time, Cleveland, Mil- 

 waukee, and St. Louis were more prosperous 



[73] 



