O. Y. C. to Frederick Douglass, September 7, 1855

CHICAGO, Sept. 7, '55.

MR. EDITOR:—Having been in Chicago for a few days I have had some chance of seeing what is going on. I must confess to some degree of astonishment, at finding so large prosperous a town, where, but a few years ago, were to be seen nothing save the red man, and a few fur traders. Chicago is a city of some eighty thousand inhabitants; and situated at a point which affords every facility for improvement—having free and almost uninterrupted communication with almost every part of the Union. To say nothing of its find surrounding prairies, and timbered country, its favorable location has destined it to be among the first cities of the country.

There are some twelve railroads running directly into Chicago, filling it daily with the man of business and curiosity. Nearly all of these roads are doing an immense business, and paying large dividens to the stockholders.— It is said that upon some of these roads the receipts are nearly double those of last year.— The roads running west are now completed to the Mississippi river; and, hence, all the produce from the north-western region, passes this way East. On the Galen, and Chicago Union Road alone, there are received from 50,000 to 100,000 bushels of grain daily; while there are others which are said to do equally as much business. It is not an unusual occurrence for trains from the East to bring from ten to twelve hundred passengers at a time.

Real estate is still held at high figures and gradually on the rise. It has ofteen been predicted that before this it would come to a stand, but, from present appearnces, there is little prospect of a decline. Rents are seventyfive per cent higher than they were last year, and not homes enough to mee tthe demand.— We can see nothing to prevent this from being one of the largest and most wealthy cilties in the United States in a few years.

In regard to hotels, Chicago is not behind the times. The Tremont, Sherman, Matteson, Briggs, Young America, Foster, American and other houses are second to but few in the country in size, and as regards management are not excelled in any city in the East. They are daily filled with guests and often are compelled to turn away persons for the want of room.

I will not attempt to describe the lumber trade which is carried on here. Suffice to say, that the river is lined for miles with this article; and to see the fleets of vessels which daily arrive from the upper regions, would surprise one.

Business, generally, is brisk, and every man wears an air which bespeaks thrift and enterprise. Unlike themselves in former days, while at the East, they have thrown off the old and stiff notions of formality and decision, and assume a [mien?] of indepdence and candor, which tells something besides stupor and indolence.

The crops in this region are unusually good this season, and all look forward to a good time.

Yours respectfully,

O. Y. C.