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 II > Part 38
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
The first step taken was to inaugurate a system of rigid retrench- ment in every portion of the municipal service. All departments appreciated the necessity of this step and all agreed to cooperate. A greater degree of economy was never attempted, probably, in the history of the city than during the first year after the great fire. Men of prominence throughout the whole city made personal sacri- fices, a record of which was not made and was not expected to be made. It was a voluntary self-sacrifice for the public welfare. With all resources taken into consideration, however, the greatest assistance was that furnished by the State in the part payment of the city's mortgage on the canal. Had it not been for that timely act it is doubtful whether the city government would not have suf- fered beyond endurance during that memorable year. This sum enabled the city to support its fire and police departments, pay inter- est on its debt and thus preserve its credit. Another fortunate revenue was obtained from unrepealed taxes, but even with those the city found it necessary to practice the severest economy. The result was that employes were paid punctually, all departments were kept in good working condition, contractors' estimates were met when due, thousands of old claims in the shape of rebates and bal- ances and unsettled accounts of all descriptions were adjusted, and the credit of the city was maintained without a blemish, be it said to the credit of the splendid men and women who faced the results of that awful calamity. During the year the city government and the citizens not only repaired the damages occasioned by the great fire, but spread out and grappled with new questions of improve- ment and reform.
But there were serious faults in the management of public affairs. There was little open official corruption. Defaulters appeared occa- sionally like the moon in eclipse, but the shadow soon passed away. The real trouble was the bad habit of meeting current expenses and public improvement by running in debt. There was no excuse to increase the city indebtedness more than $9,000,000 in about five years-1866-71. This fact was drummed and thundered into the hard heads of the city fathers month after month, year after year, by the public press. All political parties during this reign of extravagance courted public patronage and support on platforms in which all extravagant planks had been replaced with those of economy and retrenchment. After election, so strong was the force of habit upon the sacred precincts of the city hall, the identi- cal subservient steps which had plunged the city into the slough of debt were again blindly retraced and followed. This was why Mayor Medill demanded so many changes in the management of city affairs. It was an honest attempt to throw off the bad habit of borrowing and to inaugurate an era when revenues would not only meet current expenses, but rapidly and steadily retire bonded and other fixed indebtedness. But the sage city fathers were still blind
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
and continued to travel in a circle, often stumbling and occasionally falling.
By the first of September, 1872, the existing bonded debt of the city was $13,546,000. The general taxes of 1872 amounted to $4,243,098. In addition the city expected to receive during 1873 $1,100,000 from the State as payment for the canal mortgage. Rents, licenses, etc., yielded an additional $500,000. During 1872 the amount of general taxes received was $2,309,730. There was received from the State during 1872, prior to December, $1,273,- 308. Licenses of all kinds yielded $225,097. Fines brought $117,- 856. Special assessments brought $176,802. These amounts con- stituted the bulk of the revenue used in 1872. During the year . there were 10,252 applications for rebates of taxes on burnt prop- erty. The amount of rebates granted reached the sum of $271,855. There was paid during the year for improvements on streets, to claimants of land damages, for patent fees on Nicolson pavement and to contracts on water service pipe, private drains, etc., the sum of $269,690. On December 1, 1871, there was $1,556,333 to the credit of the various special funds. The necessities of the adminis- tration compelled the city to borrow from this fund during 1872 to the amount of $1,144,152. This amount was replaced late in 1872. The total cash on hand on December 1, 1872, was $1,103,- 270.
The Board of Public Works reported at the close of 1872 satis- factory progress within its jurisdiction in repairing damages done by the fire. Prior to December 1, 1872, there was spent in rebuild- ing burnt bridges and viaducts $382,237; for rebuilding school- houses, including apparatus, $129,509; and for rebuilding engine houses, $84,440.
Important improvements in progress at this time were the ex- tensions on Dearborn street, Michigan avenue, Franklin street, the widening of State street to Monroe, and Milwaukee avenue. Dur- ing the year there was protracted controversy as to the location of the new waterworks. The question was finally settled by the purchase of a block of ground on Ashland avenue near Twenty- second street, in all about three and one-half acres. The purchase price was $63,000. The new tunnel being built under the city from the old waterworks to the new was seven feet in diameter and about four miles in length. This work was being completed in sections as rapidly as possible. During 1872, with the awful lesson before them, the city adopted numerous safeguards against future fires. Small hand extinguishers, rapid runs from engine houses, etc., were the means numerously adopted and put in service. Among other means suggested were the following: The purchase and dis- tribution of chemical fire extinguishers, the erection of a bell tower to give alarms of fire, access to the river at the street end for the fire engines, clearing away obstructions, more fire wardens, an
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
increase of the police force in order that outbreaks of fire might be more quickly discovered and signals given. It was noted that the average cost of insurance in the city exceeded the taxes on the same property.
During 1872 the health department did excellent work to abate the noxious odors arising from rendering, soap boiling and other similar establishments in the southwestern sections of the city. Many owners of such establishments were indicted and fined for violation of city ordinances. Healy slough was in bad condition until properly drained under orders of the administration. The deepening of the canal from Bridgeport to Lockport assisted great- ly to purify the river. During the year the Council granted the right into the city of twelve new railroads on four separate routes, three roads to use the tracks of each route. The companies were required to build and maintain viaducts, approaches, connections, sidewalks and to properly guard crossings and other points of dan- ger. Previous councils had neglected these precautions in contract- ing with railroad companies. At the close of 1872 there were pending in the courts various suits commenced by the corporation counsel for the collection of municipal taxes and special assess- ments. Prior to 1872 the total amount of assessments uncollected aggregated over $543,000. There was due the contractors for work done under the assessment about $253,000. The corporation coun- sel expressed the opinion, in accordance with a recent decision of the Supreme court, that the city had no right to levy a special as- sessment for street improvements against the railway companies. The city treasurer, D. A. Gage, in the spring of 1873 reported that during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1873, the total receipts were $9,215,434.90, less $821,322.19, balance on hand. Of the total receipts the city spent all except $889,559.53. This same Mr. Gage a year or so later defaulted to the extent of about $500,- 000.
It was presumed that the administration of Mayor Medill, owing to the extraordinary promises of economy and reform made during the campaign, would be a model of wise and sagacious government. The results showed the frailty if not mendacity of human promises made for campaign purposes. The administration began by bor- rowing all it could obtain and ended by begging for more. The habit of borrowing, shinning, sponging-anything to get money- was continued with unabated vigor, deliberation, stupidity and am- plitude. The heads of departments knew no better. They had caught the habit years before and had not recovered-could not recover. Not so with Mayor Medill. He had previously, during the campaign which elected him, announced repeatedly his policy of retrenchment by keeping within the limits of the annual revenue. He meant well-intended to do as he agreed-but his other duties prevented his close contact and cooperation with the heads of de-
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
partments, and accordingly the old degenerate, disastrous but con- venient habit was overwhelmingly continued. So the people con- tinued to marvel, expostulate, investigate and finally, with groans and curses, submit.
In December, 1873, Acting Mayor Bond delivered his annual message to the City Council. Retiring Mayor Medill called par- ticular attention to the serious financial condition of the city. He stupidly said that immediately after the great fire the tax levy was reduced to 10 mills, which left the treasury in a depleted condition, and the city was forced to borrow by resorting to the process termed "shinning," which was a very expensive way, he announced, of ob- taining money, as it cost for every improvement from 10 to 20 per cent. The constitution prohibited the city from borrowing any money beyond the limit. This forced the city to do one of two things: Either to let the treasury department get along the best it could by borrowing temporarily, or to go to the people and ask them for a sufficient sum of money to square accounts and there- after not again be caught in the same trap. The Council assumed the responsibility of making a levy to relieve the immense drain of short, high-priced loans and to bring the finances into satisfac- tory condition. There were urgent demands for more schoolhouses, the fire department needed help, and the police force required more strength. Accordingly the City Council boldly asked the people for money to meet these necessary expenses.
Mayor H. D. Colvin in opening his message to the City Council in March, 1873, first alluded to the recent elections and to the promises which were made during that most exciting campaign. The election was bitter, sharp and decisive, and the officials felt bound strictly to carry out their solemn promises made during the heat of the campaign. It is doubtful if any political canvass ever in the city was conducted with a greater degree of vilification and abuse. Partisans did not hesitate to slander outrageously all per- sons opposing them. Mayor Colvin said: "The animosities and jealousies of religion, nationality and race were seized upon with avidity for the purpose of weaning from us popular support. This mode of conducting a political campaign tended to prejudice the minds of many persons both at home and abroad against the move- ment which elected the present officials. In view of these facts every member of the new government had motives of patriotism and personal pride to impel him to the task set before him." Now the immediate resources of the city were $754,707 and the immedi- ate liabilities $1,861,704. Nearly the whole of this amount would have to be met before the first of April, 1874. Thus the city was compelled to raise a large amount within a few months to meet cur- rent indebtedness. Under the new constitution the bonded debt was limited to 5 per cent of the last assessment for State and county purposes. According to the equalization of taxes the total valua-
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
tion was $229,835,938. Five per cent of this amount was $11,- 492,796, but the existing bonded debt was $13,544,000, or more than $2,000,000 in excess of the constitutional limit and therefore no further increase could be made. There was in the treasury about $1,100,000, but this was there to the credit of public funds and if borrowed would have to be replaced. The local appropria- tions for the year ending April 1, 1874, were over $6,000,000. One-third of this amount was required to liquidate matured indebt- edness. Accordingly it was seen that in order to meet the necessary expenses of the city government unusual financial steps or measures would have to be adopted.
During 1873 the public school, police, fire, sewerage and public grounds departments were carefully and prudently managed. Drainage was neglected, water mains were often in bad condition and portions of the city were left without adequate fire protection, but the citizens were prosperous and therefore happy. The police department was reduced to a considerable extent. The mayor in December, 1873, recommended the appointment of a special com- mittee on State legislation for Cook county. The tax law needed revision. Many other matters needed attention. There were only two viaducts crossing railway tracks in the city. The press urged that railway companies should be compelled to build additional via- ducts immediately.
Mayor Colvin, in his annual message of December 7, 1874, said that the city had passed through the recent financial crisis with great difficulty. Being unable to borrow more under the constitu- tion, it suffered severely under the recent panic. Nothwithstanding this crisis, the city did not fail during the year to meet its payments and was never obliged to ask for an extension from creditors. On December 1, 1874, the bonded debt amounted to $13,379,000. ' The total amount to be paid by June 1, 1875, amounted to $3,186,000. The appropriations of June 30, 1874, amounted to $5,572,346.87. Of this amount $3,117,346.87 was paid by December, 1874. This phenomenal administration was absolutely innocent of any intelli- gent intention or design to live within the revenue and commence the payment of the city indebtedness.
As a whole, though the city was burdened with debt and though expenses were high and the means of acquiring revenue lacking, the administration, aside from incapacity, stupidity and vast unnec- essary expenditure, made outwardly a creditable showing. By this time frame buildings of every description destroyed by the great fire were replaced by those of brick and stone. The various de- partments showed commendable progress in carrying on operations. The law department was well managed under Egbert Jamieson. Several cases were pending in the Supreme court of the United States and in the various State courts. Of over $228,000 claimed in suits against the city, but a little over $8,000 was recovered.
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
The Board of Public Works reported considerable progress dur- in 1874. Its total expenditures for the year ending November 30, 1874, amounted to $3,625,617. On the new tunnel works, in- cluding the crib, there was spent over $650,000. Expensive im- provements of the sewers were made. The amount spent for cleaning and repairing the streets and improving intersections was considerably reduced but still large. Bridges and viaducts neces- sarily cost a large sum. The new smallpox hospital required an expenditure of nearly $13,000; the Fullerton avenue conduit cost nearly $120,000; new police stations cost nearly $14,000 and new engine houses $29,000. The police department during the fiscal year 1874 cost $687,945. Of this sum over $43,000 was spent for buildings.
The health department at the close of 1874 reported considerable improvement in sanitary conditions. The death rate per thousand was 20.5. From the date of the great fire up to 1873 smallpox prevailed throughout the city. The health department inaugurated a system of visitations, vaccinations and other remedial and pre- ventive measures which slowly but steadily expelled that disease from the city limits. Numerous packing houses were inspected and disin- fected. The number of nuisances reported and abated was 21,487. This shows how active and persistent was the health officer, Dr. John Reid. The department gave special attention to the condition of sewers, catch basins, back yards, alleys and to cleanliness gen- erally. During the year 1874, 5,523 persons were received by the House of Correction; of these 1,435 were females.
The Board of Education managed school affairs during 1874 in a highly efficient and satisfactory manner. At this date John C. Richberg was president of the board. He reported that in some es- sential particulars school facilities should be at once improved. It was shown that lessees owed the school fund over $230,000. The press demanded that this amount should be at once collected. A number of lessees had paid no rent for four years. The board demanded in the interests of public education that this situation of affairs should promptly be corrected. Several lessees had each sold their leases for a bonus approximately of $10,000. It was stated that from school property $530,000 could be secured with which to pay the salaries of teachers. After October, 1874, the old postoffice site was leased. The board requested the Council to appoint a competent attorney to enforce all measures necessary to place the school fund in proper and satisfactory condition. The number of children enrolled in the public schools at the close of 1874 was 38,242. The average number attending was 35,975. Of these about 10,000 attended only one-half day at a time, owing to the lack of room and funds. The board reported that were it not for parochial and private schools, thousands of children in the city would be wholly unprovided for. At this date the high school
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
had an enrollment of 767, the average attendance being 750. The board published a list of delinquents who had failed to pay the school fund amounts due on leases. About this time the Mechanics' Institute, which had ceased to exist, left to the school fund, under the will of Mr. Peck, about $80,000. For many years the trustees thereof had made no accounting of rents due. As the institute ceased to exist in 1860 or 1861, the delinquency was quite a large amount. The claim of about $30,000 due the school fund, which had been running since 1860, was still due from the old Marine company. That portion of the school fund in the city of Chicago arising from the extension of the city limits on the West side had never been set off to the city nor had there been any claim pre- sented therefor. Immediate attention was called to this claim of the school board. Under the Morrison lease, if the petition to perfect the title under the burnt record act were attended to, the city schools would be benefited to the amount of from $300,000 to $500,000.
The public library was swept out of existence by the great fire of 1871. On May 1, 1874, the new library was duly opened. Its success was almost unprecedented. The issuance of books to bor- rowers rose as high as 2,500 in a single day. By December, 1874, the number of books on the shelves approximated 30,000.
In 1874 the Council determined to rebuild the city hall at the earliest practicable moment. It was decided to locate the new build- ing on the old site. Generally, the people, owing to the hard times and the depreciation in values, opposed the construction of a new . and expensive building at this date. Contractors and grafters were clamorous for a new building. The mayor suggested that there was considerable property along the lake front owned by the city, which might be sold and a large sum realized therefor. .
The Council in 1875 failed utterly and ingloriously either to comprehend the financial condition of the city or to manage affairs so as to live within the revenue and commence the payment of the indebtedness. The task seemed beyond the mental or moral capac- ity of this blockhead or dishonest administration. They were inca- pable of rising higher than to spend the revenue afforded and plead for more. This was the "anti-taxing period" when property owners fought to a finish every attempt to increase taxation. Thus the stupid city fathers were between the devil property owners and the deep sea people. But they knew enough to squander the funds on hand, borrow all they could secure by hook or crook, and pose as the unappreciated martyrs of a cruel and dominating financial sys- tem.
In his message of May 18, 1876, Thomas Hoyne, the reputed mayor-elect, reviewed the singular circumstances under which he was presumably elected. He complimented the citizens on the quiet, manly self-possession and courage with which they had almost unanimously elected him, conducted their proceedings and
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
maintained the authority invested in them by law. He doubted not that for this they would receive the spontaneous and unanimous commendation of the community. He complacently stated at the outset : "You have entered upon the performance of your very honorable and important duties at the most critical and interesting period of our municipal government, both as to the circumstances of your election and to the momentous issues involved. There has been a feeling that no ordinary dangers menaced the prosperity of the city and the happiness of our people. The improvident and reckless expenditure of our city's means, the unnecessary heavy burden of taxation imposed upon the citizens, the creation of new offices and the utter indifference manifested by the late administra- tion to all the reasonable complaints of their constituency, had filled the minds of our people with distress and alarm. The city de- manded a class of wiser and better men in her councils. Many of you, I know, have reluctantly and at considerable sacrifice to your- selves yielded to this demand. Your well-known characters afford the assurance by which the people will follow your advent into the administration of the city."
The new mayor demanded an immediate return to frugal ex- penditures and administrative purity. Every consideration of value asked for this reform. He further stated: "Your selection has been timely and fortunate, as through you a revolution is ordered under forms of law which the people of other countries reached only by bloodshed, violence, carnage and crime. It has rarely ever happened that in merely local contests the entire body or mass of the people became so directly engaged upon the issues at stake as in the last municipal election of the city. It is certainly true that never before the contest last fall for county treasurer and the last city election has our entire business community-the commercial and industrial classes-all cast aside private engagements to devote themselves to the performance of political duties. Business on election day was suspended at all places of exchange; the Board of Trade adjourned over; the banks and great mercantile houses closed their doors, and the large manufacturing establishments re- leased their employes. It seemed as if that day had been set apart by common consent as a day consecrated to municipal devotion be- cause of some great impending or apprehended disaster. The con- comitant circumstances of all this and equally significant was the monster mass meeting of 30,000 or 40,000 people called without distinction of party and held at the exposition building a week pre- vious. According to all rumors it was the largest number of people convened for political deliberation in this city, and yet the utmost decorum and unity marked the entire proceedings. The resolutions were unanimously adopted. A candidate for mayor was put in nomination upon a reformed platform. Never, perhaps, since the time of the ancient Greek republics did a whole people seem to be
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
present at an assembly, to realize the idea of practical, democratic government, by coming themselves to demand a change of adminis- tration in the rulers of the city and to protest agains the evils from which they suffered. The truth is, and the fact may be candidly stated, that during the last decade there has been growing up and increasing in our midst a class of social and political criminals somewhat peculiar to the civilization of large American cities. It doesn't matter as to names, but the class in some cities has been distinguished as 'Plug Uglies,' 'Bowery Boys,' or in Chicago as 'Bean club' or 'Cosmos.' Their dangerous and criminal instincts are the same. To live without industry is the habit of the greatest number, and to fix themselves in some public office is one of their highest ambitions. They are the loudest of partisans upon what- ever side or in whatever party they enlist their particular services. These men are too cunning or intelligent to rob or steal the same as ordinary criminals, because punishment would be sure to follow exposure; but more unscrupulous and equally depraved as the more vulgar criminal, they rob or stuff the ballot boxes of the people in- stead of plundering the individual. They find it safer to plunder the body politic. The people of Chicago learned with amazement that at an election held in this city last year, the judges appointed to have custody of the boxes and count the ballots themselves crim- inally outraged the ballot boxes of the voters by stuffing them with illegal votes, and that thus the legitimate law of the people on a question so grave as the adoption of the present charter of munici- pal government was defeated. In the recent town election of South Chicago, again the criminals or the class referred to, encouraged by immunity from punishment and flushed with the insolence of success and braving public opinion, precipitated at last their own ruin. On that occasion, it would seem from the evidence as if they had deliberately resolved that, however the people made the nomi- nation for candidates of their own choice, the ballot box conspira- tors would defeat such choice by counting into office their criminal confederates. The fraud was too transparent for investigation and it failed. The situation of the city has been summed up by the late grand jury in language not less graphic than truthful in rela- tion to county rule. They say that the system of management em- ployed by the county board is rotten. Officialism is degraded by its low character, its depreciated moral tone, its constant association with jobbery, extravagance, bribery and incompetence. The legiti- mate fruits of this are the recent Gage and Von Hollen defalca- tions-the loss of over one-half million dollars to the public. Our young metropolis has barely escaped the catastrophe which the Tweed ring brought upon New York. Chicago has been drawn to the brink of a chasm into which New York has fallen."
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