USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 63
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649
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
volunteer officers exclusively, but a little later paid probation offi- cers were employed.
At the end of the second year of the Municipal court, December 6, 1908, the following results of the year's work were shown: A steady increase in litigation; an increase of 32 per cent in civil litigation; an increase of over 10 per cent in criminal and quasi- criminal litigation; an increase of 117 per cent in the amount of money judgments; a marked increase in efficiency in disposing of litigation, both criminal and civil; a continued decrease in crime since the institution of the court; a decrease in the number of ar- rests over those of 1906; a decrease in the number of alleged offend- ers over those of 1906; a decrease in the fines assessed against offend- ers; a large release in the amount of fines by the pardon of offenders ; an increase of 23 per cent in the number of offenders punished by House of Correction and jail sentences; the discharge of over 55 per cent of criminal and quasi-criminal cases and preliminary hear- ings; relieved the Circuit, Superior and County courts of over 35 per cent of their civil litigation since the institution of the Munic- ipal court; the commencement by poor persons, who were unable to pay the costs, of 432 cases, of which number 121 subsequently paid the costs; nearly 82 per cent of writs placed in the hands of the bailiffs were served; 31 per cent of the cases appealed to the Ap- pellate court in 1907 were reversed; of the total number of cases disposed of in 1907 the percentage of reversals was about one- tenth of 1 per cent; the receipts of the court increased 8 per cent and the expenditures increased 14 per cent.
During 1908 there were in operation in the First district eighteen branch civil courts, all located at 148 Michigan avenue, known as the Central Civil Court building. In these eleven judges heard jury cases and seven judges heard cases without juries. There were thirteen criminal branches in the First district presided over by ten judges. The thirteen criminal branches were located as follows: Criminal Court building, two branches; Harrison and La Salle streets, two branches ; 20 South Desplaines street ; Morgan and Max- well streets; 5233 Lake avenue; 235 West Chicago avenue; Shake- speare and California avenue; 242 East Chicago avenue; Sheffield avenue and Diversey boulevard; 6347 Wentworth avenue; 834 Thirty-fifth street. The Second district branch court disposed of both civil and criminal business and remained located at 8855 Ex- change avenue, South Chicago. During the year several important changes and improvements were instituted and numerous amend- ments were suggested.
An important piece of legislation reported during 1908 was the Limited Adult Probation bill. This was favored by the Illinois State Conference of Charities, the Civic Federation of Chicago, the City Association, the Legislative Voters' League and the press generally
650
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
of the city. A bill to legalize probation proceedings already insti- tuted in Chicago and to provide for future action passed the Legis- lature early in 1909.
In March, 1909, representatives of the Chicago Municipal court introduced or had introduced in the Legislature a bill confirming and controlling the parole system practiced under the Chicago Mu- nicipal court. This bill was introduced to prevent alleged abuses of the system by members of the court who should take liberties similar to those lately practiced by Judge Cleland.
During the few years just previous to 1909 there was a growing and prevalent belief that the jury system should either be vastly improved or should be abolished entirely. The increasing difficulty of obtaining good jurors was acknowledged. The jury commis- sioners of Cook county stated that obtaining good jurors was like fishing in Lake Michigan-very uncertain, as the more there were. taken out made it so much more difficult to catch those that were left and smaller ones would have to be taken. The commissioners themselves believed that the average of jury excellence was decreas- ing. They noted that the laws and regulations concerning the selec- tion of jurors hampered and prevented in a large measure the pro- curement of satisfactory panels.
Late in 1908 the Appellate court in a number of reverses nulli- fied in a large degree the usefulness of the Municipal court as an agency of quick justice; but the Supreme court handed down a de- cision soon afterward giving it all the power and jurisdiction that were intended by the framers of the law. A particular question involved was the right of city judges to try cases on information when the punishment was to be anything but a penitentiary sen- tence. The Supreme court decision restored to the Municipal court its original jurisdiction and power. During the last two years nu- merous attempts to render the Municipal court non-partisan have been made, but without effective results. The old parties continue to name partisan tickets and to place the selection of these important officials under the control, dictation and corruption of bosses and machines.
MISCELLANEOUS EARLY EVENTS, ETC.
A RCHIBALD Clybourn built a slaughter house on the North Branch in 1827 for the purpose of supplying meat to the troops then stationed at Fort Dearborn and also the Indians and the few white inhabitants. But little packing was done until the fall of 1833, there being no export demand, and little was wanted in the western country. During the summer of 1833 there was a large emigration to Chicago and the country adjacent, which created a large demand for pickled beef and pork. Mr. Clybourn packed from 500 to 600 beeves and about 3,000 hogs, and in 1834 packed a still larger number. During the whole period of seven or eight years mentioned (1827 to 1834), the price paid for cattle and hogs was about three cents net weight. But the quality of neither cattle nor hogs at that time was very good. The hogs were gen- erally of the "rover breed" and had to be driven from 150 to 200 miles across the prairies, for which task they were perfectly capable -"being able to make their mile in about 2:40." The pork packed from these hogs was generally light mess or prime pork, with about three hogs in a barrel. Mr. Clybourn recollected some barrel pork being sold to one of the first settlers of Kenosha (see elsewhere); which turned out sixteen tail pieces to the barrel. This was sold as "prime pork."
The first beef packed in the city was by George W. Dole in 1832. In October of that year he slaughtered and packed 150 head of cat- tle for Oliver Newberry of Detroit. The cattle were purchased by Mr. Dole from Charles Reed, of Hickory Creek, at $2.75 per 100 pounds-the hides and tallow being thrown in for slaughter- ing. The cattle were driven to this city from the Wabash river country and were slaughtered by John and Mark Noble on the prairie near the lake opposite where the Bishop's Palace was (1858) situated, at the corner of Michigan avenue and Madison street. The packing was done in Mr. Dole's warehouse, a wooden building situ- ated at the corner of Dearborn and South Water streets. The bar- rels in which the beef was packed were brought from Detroit and the beef was shipped that fall to Detroit. In December, 1832, Mr. Dole slaughtered and packed 338 hogs. They were purchased from John Blackstone at $3 per 100 pounds net and were driven from the Wa- bash valley. These hogs were slaughtered in the back yard of Mr. Dole's warehouse and packed in the store. There were no barrels in which to put the meat; it was packed in bulk and stored away until barrels were made during the winter. This was the first lot of hogs ever packed in this city. There are no means of ascertaining
651
-
.
652
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
what prices this pork or beef brought, as they were sent to the New York market from Detroit; but in an old book belonging to Mr. Dole was found an entry of a sale of a barrel of mess pork at $16 and a barrel of "one hog pork" at $14. In the fall of 1833 Mr. Dole packed both beef and pork at Mr. Clybourn's packing house on the North Branch. The number of cattle packed was 250 head and the number of hogs 1,000. The cattle cost $2.80 per 100 pounds net and the hogs $3 net, both cattle and hogs having been driven from the Wabash .- (Statement of Messrs. Clybourn and Dole to the editor of Annual Review of Chicago, 1858.)
Under contract dated May 14, 1833, Clybourn agreed to deliver to Newberry & Dole between September 1 and November 1, 1833, in the town of Chicago, at Clybourn's house, 100 head of "good fat, merchantable beef cattle, to weigh upon an average 500 pounds after being dressed, and none of them to weigh less than 400 pounds after being dressed," and also, by December 15, 200 head of "good fat hogs-well corn-fed and merchantable for pork, to weigh upon an average 200 pounds each after being dressed, and none of them to weigh less than 190 pounds after being dressed." Clybourn was to be paid by Newberry & Dole $2.80 per cwt. for the beef and $3 per cwt. for the pork, when slaughtered and dressed. Newberry & Dole were to have the hides, tallow and one-half of the tongues. In another agreement dated September 5, 1833, John Blackstone, of Cook county, Illinois, agreed to deliver to Newberry & Dole 500 head "of good merchantable corn-fed hogs" weighing not less than 180 pounds on or before December 1, 1833, at $3 per cwt. after being dressed. In the fall of 1834 Mr. Dole packed from 300 to 500 cattle and about 1,400 hogs. They were killed and cut in a packing house erected by Newberry & Dole on the South Branch near where Stowell's slip was in 1858. Mr. Dole continued packing every sea- son up to 1840. During this period Newberry & Dole bought hogs of Duncan & Morrison, of McLean county, Illinois, paying as high as $5.50 net. They also bought, in 1838, of Elbert Dickinson, of McLean county, 350 cattle, to average not less than 500 pounds net. Numbers of these cattle were for the Indian payment-the balance for packing. The first bill of lading for beef ever made out in Chicago was as follows:
"Shipped in good order and well conditioned by Newberry & Dole on board the schooner called Napoleon, whereof is master for the present voyage John Stewart, now lying in the port of Chicago, and bound for Detroit, to say: O. Newberry, Detroit .- 287 bbls. beef; 14 bbls. tallow; 2 bbls. beeswax; 152 dry hides, weighing 4,695 1bs. "Being marked and numbered as in the margin and to be delivered at the port of Detroit in like good order (the dangers of the lakes and rivers excepted) unto consignees, or to their as- signees-he or they paying freight at - per bbl. bulk. In wit- ness whereof the master of said vessel hath affirmed to two bills of
653
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
lading, all of this tener and date, one of which to be accomplished, the other to stand void. Chicago, April 17, 1833. John Stewart."
In 1834-5 Gurdon S. Hubbard commenced packing in the old bank building, corner LaSalle and Lake streets. He packed 5,000 hogs and obtained them from St. Clair and Vermillion counties and the Wabash valley. He slaughtered on the South Branch. The hogs cost $2 and $2.50 net. He could not get barrels, and so packed in bulk until spring and then obtained barrels from Cleveland. In 1837-8 Hubbard began to pack pork at his own house on Kinzie street near Rush Street bridge. That season he packed about 12,000 hogs-put up mostly as mess pork. In 1838-9 he packed 10,000 hogs and in 1839-40 about the same number of hogs and 4,000 cat- tle, all packed in Kinzie street. In 1840 he built on South Water between Clark and LaSalle, and the winter of 1840-41 packed 7,000 cattle and about 12,000 hogs. They were slaughtered on the North Branch. Supplies came mostly from the Illinois river. In 1848 he moved all up to the North Branch where he was located in 1858.
July, 1836-7, Sylvester Marsh, who was associated with Hub- bard in 1833-4, began to pack for himself on North Kinzie street, near Rush street bridge. He continued until 1853, part of the time with B. Carpenter. In 1837-8 D. H. Underhill came here and began packing pork-killing near Funk's house; he did not continue long. In 1843-4 Thomas Dyer and John P. Chapin began packing in Reynold's house-cutting that season 6,000 hogs and 2,000 cattle.
In 1844-5 (Elisha S.) Wadsworth, Dyer & Chapin built a house on the South Branch near North street and packed that season 3,000 cattle and 12,000 hogs. Wadsworth & Dyer succeeded in 1845-6 and continued five years, packing from 3,000 to 7,000 cattle and 8,000 to 12,000 hogs annually. The first cattle packed by Dyer & Chapin were from Isaac & Jesse Funk, McLean Co., at $2.25 per head. Their first lot of hogs was 1,300. Their first mess pork went to John Young & Co., Montreal, for $8.50 per barrel. Young sent vessels here in the spring of 1844 for the pork. Their beef was sent to New York. They lost money in 1843-4, but did well in 1844-5. In 1844-5 Dyer & Chapin packed the first beef ever put up here for the English market. They learned the requirements from an Englishman. Hugh Mayer here furnished their barrels. In 1841-2 Sherman & Pitkin packed several hundred hogs and sent mess pork to New York. In 1843 George Steele began to pack on South Water near Franklin-continued to 1844-5. In 1845-6 he packed on the South Branch and in 1846 built on West Randolph. He packed from 6,000 to 12,000 annually. In 1850 Hugh & Co., built a packing house on the South Branch with capacity of 175 cattle and 300 hogs daily. They remained there till the spring of 1853 and then built a stone packing house on the South Branch at a cost of $20,000. It was burned during the fall of 1856. In 1857 they built again at a cost of $25,000-capacity 225 cattle and 1,000
654
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
hogs daily. Their plant covered three acres and had nine hundred feet of river front.
In 1852 Tobey, Booth & Co., conducted a packing house on the South Branch and continued to 1857. In 1857 they built a pack- ing house on the South Branch and had an ice-house so as to pack in summer. During the summer of 1858-they packed 11,475 hogs averaging 2271/8 pounds, and during the winter of 1858-9 packed about 11,000, the average weight being 2601/4 pounds.
OTHER PACKERS, SEASON OF 1853-4.
No. Hogs.
G. S. Hubbard.
14,010
R. M. Hough & Co.
8,187
Reynolds & Hayward.
7,388
Thomas Dyer
4,931
S. S. Carpenter
4,920
Hugh Maher
2,800
George Steele
2,650
Hale & Clybourn.
2,900
Atherton & Brown.
1,500
P. Curtis
1,300
Flint & Wheeler.
600
Nickerson & Wier
600
J. Creswell
540
Bailey & Durant.
370
Abner Sutton
153
Total
52,849
In 1854 Cragin & Co., built at a cost of $45,000 a large packing house on the South Branch, with 217 feet river front. They packed as follows :
Year.
Cattle.
Hogs.
1854-5
5,000
15,000
1855-6
7,000
20,000
1856-7
8,000
20,000
1857-8
15,000
22,000
1858-9
15,000
23,000
In 1853-4 Andrew Brown & Co. began packing in the old Hough & Co. house on the South Branch-capacity 200 cattle and 1,000 hogs daily. They made important improvements on their five acres. In the fall of 1854 Moore, Seaverns & Co., began packing on the South Branch on two acres with 216 feet river frontage-capacity 200 cattle and 600 hogs daily. In 1856. Henry Milward built a packing house on the South Branch-could hang 2,000 hogs. He killed in one day 1,450, had two sets of hands and conducted the best slaughter house in the United States. In 1857 it was rented and worked by Thomas Nash of Baltimore, who packed 20,000 ยท hogs. Van Brunt & Watrous of New York, later bought and fitted it for summer curing and during subsequent summers packed an average of 300 hogs daily. Jones & Cuthbert packed at State and Ringgold streets in 1858, and later built a slaughter house on the South Branch with a capacity of 1,000 to 1,500 hogs daily.
655
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
HOGS PACKED 1857-8.
Cragin & Co. 21,021
Geo. Steele & Co 6,000
Thos. Nash & Co.
20,782
Chas. Siler .
3,500
O. S. Hough & Co
9,129
J. & J. Stewart 2,000
A Brown & Co .. 12,000
S. Holden
1,520
G. S. Hubbard & Co.
3,000
Leland & Co 775
Tobey, Booth & Co.
8,000
P. Curtis
535
Moore & Seaverns. Total
6,000
99,262
Large quantities of dressed hogs were received here-73,980 in 1853-4 and 214,213 in '57-8. "No city in the west, or indeed, any- where in the United States out of New York pretends to compete with Chicago as a live stock market. The stock growing country by which we are surrounded and the facilities which Chicago pos- sesses for receiving, pasturing and shipping to New York, Boston and Philadelphia attract hither a large amount of capital for in- vestment in cattle and hogs. No city in the United States but Chi- cago has a daily cattle market."-(Annual Review, 1858.)
ELEVATING WAREHOUSES, 1857.
Storage Capacity, Bushels.
Illinois Central Railway,
700,000
Sturgis, Buckingham & Co.
Same (new warehouse)
700,000
Rock Island Railway,
700,000
Flint, Wheeler & Co.
Chicago & Great U. Railway.
500,000
Gibbs, Griffin & Co.
500,000
Munger & Armour
300,000
Munn, Gill & Co.
200,000
Flint, Wheeler & Co
160,000
Burlingame
100,000
S. A. Ford & Co
100,000
Jas. Peck & Co ..
60,000
Walker, Bronson & Co.
75,000
Total
4,095,000
SHIPMENTS OF WHEAT BY LAKE.
1842. . ..
586,907 bu.
1848. . .2,160,800 bu. 1854 .. . 1,650,489 bu.
1843. . . .
688,967 bu.
1849 .... 1,936,264 bu.
1855 ... .5,719,168 bu.
1844. 891,894 bu.
1850. 883,644 bu.
1856 .... 8,114,353 bu.
1845. . 926,860 bu.
1851 . . . 437,660 bu.
1857. .. .9,284,705 bu.
1846 .. .. 1,459,594 bu.
1852. . . 635,496 bu.
1858. .8,597,148 bu.
1847. .
1,974,804 bu.
1853 .. 1,206,163 bu.
RECEIPTS.
Year.
Lumber, Feet.
Shingles.
Laths.
1847
32,118,225
12,148,500
5,655,700
1848
60,009,250
20,050,000
10,025,109
1849
73,259,553
39,057,750
19,281,733
1850
100,364,779
55,423,750
19,809,700
1851.
125,056,437
60,338,250
27,583,475
1852.
147,816,232
77,080,500
19,759,670
1853.
202,101,098
93,483,784
39,133,116
656
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
GRAIN RECEIPTS.
Year.
Wheat, Bu.
1838
78
1839
3,678
1840
10,000
1841
40,000
1842.
586,907
1843.
688,907
1844.
923,494
1845
1,024,620
1846.
1,599,819
Corn, Bu.
Oats, Bu.
1847
2,136,994
67,315
38,892
Barley, Bu.
1849
2,192,809
644,848
26,849
31,453
1850
1,387,989
262,013
186,054
22,872
1851.
799,390
3,221,317
605,827
19,997
1852.
941,470
2,991,011
2,030,317
127,028
1853.
1,687,465
2,780,253
1,748,493
120,273
1854.
3,038,955
6,837,899
3,239,987
148,421
1855.
7,535,097
7,517,678
1,888,533
92,032
1856
9,419,365
11,129,668
1,014,547
19,051
1857.
10,783,292
6,814,615
416,778
17,993
"When the Illinois Central and the Chicago and Mississippi rail- roads are completed and open to the trade of the central and south- ern portions of the state, Cincinnati must 'look to her laurels' or Chi- cago will excel her in the packing of pork as much as she does now in the quality and amount of beef which our city exports to eastern markets."-(Annual Review of Chicago, January, 1854. )
"So completely had our merchants been absorbed in business, and so thoroughly had their time and capital been occupied in the trade that 'came to their doors' without asking, that they never, so far as we know, bestowed a thought upon the Lake Superior mines till the last season (1853)." -- (Annual Review, 1854.)
"The superiority of Chicago as a point for beef packing has long since been conceded. The reputation which Chicago beef has acquired in eastern and foreign markets enables it to command offered. It is always quoted in market reports distinct from other higher prices and much more ready sales than any other which is brands and a difference is made in its favor."-(Annual Review, January, 1854. )
"The life and activity consequent upon such a movement forms by no means the least marked characteristic of our city. To a - stranger familiar only with those cities which have not yet put them- selves in railroad communication with the country and with other centers of business the contrast which our city presents in this re- spect is of the most striking character and a day's observation never fails to impress such a visitor with a profound sense of the extent of our business and the ultimate greatness which our city is des- tined to reach."-(Annual Review of Chicago, January, 1855.)
The average price of wheat and corn here for a series of years was as follows (fractional parts of a cent omitted) .- (Chicago Press, July 23, 1857, from statements of Dole and others) :
1848.
2,386,000
550,460
65,280
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
Year.
Winter Wheat.
Spring Wheat. $0.38
$0.25
1839
.55
.40
.30
1840
.62
.50
.40
1841
.65
.50
.40
1842
.45
.38
.20
1843
.45
.38
.24
1844
.65
.55
.42
1845
.69
.52
.40
1846.
.56
.40
.22
1847
.67
.50
.26
1848.
.80
.70
.32
1849
.82
.66
.43
1850
.89
.78
.45
1851.
.62
.55
.36
1852
.68
.40
.40
1853
.85
.60
.47
1854.
1.30
1.09
.48
1855.
1.55
1.31
.62
1856
1.27
1.05
.36
HOGS PACKED IN CHICAGO.
1852-3
48,156
1859-60
176,918
1853-4.
52,849
1860-1
231,335
1854-5.
73,694
1861-2
514,118
1855-6
80,380
1862-3
970,264
1856-7
74,000
1863-4
904,658 .
1857-8.
99,262
1864-5
750,147
1858-9
185,000
RECEIPTS AND SHIPMENTS OF HOGS.
Received.
Shipments.
1852-3
65,158
10,000
1853-4
73,980
10,628
1854-5
138,565
52,881
1855-6
308,539
187,763
1856-7
220,702
103,074
1857-8
213,216
88,546
1858-9
251,102
46,434
1859-60
255,384
71,266
1860-1
354,684
119,886
1861-2
746,667
228,682
CATTLE PACKED IN CHICAGO.
1851-2
21,866
1858-9
45,504
1852-3
24,663
1859-60.
51,809
1853-4
25,431
1860-1
25,209
1854-5
22,691
1861-2
55,212
1855-6
28,972
1862-3
42,163
1856-7
14,987
1863-4
70,086
1857-8
34,675
"The quantity of beef packed the last fall (1856) is less than for any previous season since 1850. In 1855 the number of cattle slaughtered reached 28,972, a larger number than ever before. They were purchased at high prices, and owing to the decline in the mar- ket which subsequently ensued, the result of the season's business proved very unsatisfactory to packers. At the commencement of the packing season of 1856 the views of cattle raisers and stock dealers being still held at the high rates of the previous season,
657
Corn.
1838.
$0.50
658
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
packers found it inpracticable to meet their demands. Buyers and sellers thus failing to come to an agreement, the latter resorted to shipments in hopes of being more successful in other markets." This was given by the Press as the reason why but 14,977 cattle had been packed in 1856 to 28,972 in 1855.
The "Osceola" and "Gen. Harrison" schooners took away the first cargoes of grains in 1839 and 1840.
It should be borne in mind that the railroads were forced to make this a central point and that their presence later forced trade to come here.
"Chicago is but in its infancy, and situated as it is-the key and natural outlet to the great Northwest-it cannot fail to become the mightiest interior commercial port on the continent. Our railroads tap all great channels of the West and intersect a country which for richness and fertility has no equal on the globe, while our situation at the head of the great lakes, which lead by rivers and canals to the Atlantic, gives us a position which is undeniably superior to all others." "As the Northwest advances so will the grain trade of Chicago, for our city is its commercial capital and if that trade now ranks as the largest of the same character in the world, with the states around only sparsely settled, what will it be when Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin contain a population equal to the great states of the Atlantic seaboard? The mere fact that the Illinois Central Railroad Company have within the past three years sold to actual settlers nearly a million and a quarter of acres, might lead even a stranger to Western development to conceive that our grain trade is still in its infancy."-(Annual Review, 1857.)
In 1857 the big warehouses could each discharge twelve cars of grain at once and load two vessels at the rate of 24,000 bushels per hour-steam power. Chicago was far in advance of St. Louis as to handling grain at this time. The city could handle 500,000 bushels of grain in ten hours-had that capacity. "Capacity of shipment" was really 1,340,000 bushels per day of ten hours.
The capital invested in warehouses by 1857 was $3,087,000. The flour market here grew slowly-had to advance with the country. In 1857 Chicago flour was inspected in the Boston market as "extra" instead of "fancy" as before. A big part of the wheat and flour went to Buffalo and Oswego. Flour receipts here in 1852 were 53,337 barrels; 1853, 48,247; 1854, 158,375; 1855, 240,662; 1856, 324,921; 1857, 393,934. In 1857 the character of the wheat (qual- ity) was twenty per cent. better than in 1854. Better seed was used and better inspection of the Chicago Board of Trade caused this improvement. It began to be the custom now as never before to send corn to market in the shape of pork. The threat to pass the Maine law (prohibition) in Illinois stopped largely the produc- tion of rye in this state. The great increase in the production of lager beer created the demand for barley.
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