trade of South American and Oriental countries. The city, too, has not one but two ports within its limits; one at the mouth of the Chicago River, the other-the better of the two-at South Chicago. It has also several business centers, notably, down-town, at the Stock-Yards, at the McCormick Reaper Works, and at South Chicago. Its development during the past fifty years has been phenomenal, but has not as yet, according to those best able to judge, reached the highest point.

In Gale's "Reminiscences of Chicago," there is a prophecy, contained in a letter

the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi. The boundless regions of the West must send their products to the East through this point. This will be the gate of empire, this the seat of commerce. Everything invites to action. The typical man who will grow up here must be an enterprising man. Each day as he rises he will exclaim, 'I act, I move, I push,' and there will be spread before him a boundless horizon, an illimitable field of activity; a limitless expanse of plain is here -to the east, water and all other points of land. If I were to give this place a name, I would derive it from the nature of the place and the nature of the man who will occupy this place'ago,' I act; 'circum,' all around; 'Cirago.'"

Those wh prophesied in the past spoke truly; why should we not listen to the prophets of our time, since they give their predictions a mathematical and scientific basis? We know how truly La Salle spoke. Mr. Arnold now says:

written by Robert Cavalier de La Salle in 1682 to a friend in France, which seems to us to-day little short of inspired. The great discoverer therein pictures Chicago's future greatness. He says: He says: "After many toils I came to the head of the great lake and rested for some days on the bank of the river of feeble current now, flowing into the lake but which occupies the course that formerly the waters of these great lakes took as they flowed southward to the Mississippi River. This is the lowest point on the divide between the two great valleys of

"The rate of increase of population in Chicago in 1902 was 7.7 per cent. At seven per cent compounded, the population in 1952 would be over 13,000,000. Calculating at the very low rate of three per cent, which has been shown to be the average rate of . many American and European cities, would give Chicago in 1952 over 5,000,000 inhabitants. But these cities had more nearly reached a point in their growth in conformity with the demands made upon them than, Chi

cago had in 1902. It is reasonable to assume that the rate of increase will be half-way between three and seven per cent, the present rate. At five per cent, the population in 1952 may be 8,000,000, using a decreasing rate of increase. This is within the present city limits. Allowing for the population beyond those limits and within Cook County, it is conservative to assume that a population of 10,000,000 will be within the area of this report within fifty years."

Realizing the importance of supplementing and improving our present park system with an outer recreation area, the County Board in 1903 authorized the creation of a committee to look into the matter The personnel of this Outer Belt Park Commission, as it is called, is as follows:

Representing City and County-Mr. Daniel H. Burnham, Mr. John P. Wilson, Mr. John J. Mitchell, Mr. Charles L. Hutchinson, Judge P. S. Grosscup, Mr. John Barton Payne, Dr. J. B. Murphy, Mr. E. A. Cummings, Mr. Dwight H. Perkins, Mr. W. H. Miller.

Representing City of Chicago-Mayor Carter H. Harrison, Ald. Ernst F. Herrmann, Ald. L. P. Friestedt, Ald. D. V. Harkin, Ald. J. J. Bradley.

Representing South Park Commissioners Commissioner Lyman A. Walton, Commissioner William Best, Commissioner Jefferson Hodgkins.

Representing West Park Commissioners Commissioner E. H. Peters, Commissioner Fred A. Bangs, Commissioner G. J. Norden.

Representing Lincoln Park Commissioners-Commissioner F. T. Simmons, Commissioner F.. H. Gansbergen, Commissioner James H. Hirsch:

Representing County Board-Commissioner A. C. Boeber, Commissioner E. K. Walker, Commissioner Joseph Carolan, Commissioner Joseph E. Flanagan, President Henry G. Foreman.

This committee after much deliberation has just handed in a report, compiled by Mr. Dwight Heald Perkins, and it is hoped the matter will be submitted to the people very soon, in fact at the coming election.

In its main features the plan which this Outer Belt Commission proposes is this: (1) To begin at the Cook County Line at the north and acquire a tract of land, comprising about 8,300 acres, along the Skokee and North Branch of the Chicago River and terminating with the Peterson Woods west of Bowmanville. The Skokee, which is a marsh for the most part of the year, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful features of the landscape around Chicago because of the extensive view which it affords, its exquisite and varying colors, and its wooded islands, clumps of trees, really, rising here and there from the midst of its wastes. The Peterson Woods, only four blocks from the street cars and seven from the Court House, have been preserved most carefully by the owner, who has planted therein many trees of native growth, so that the place is an arboretum containing all the flora of Chicago and vicinity. Some of the largest elms in the country grow here An old Indian trail can luxuriantly. still be traced through the woods. Apart from all other considerations, this patch of native forest is invaluable for purposes of science and should be owned by the public. (2) To acquire to the west, and parallel to this, a strip of land varying in width from one-eighth of a mile to a mile, beginning at the Cook County Line on the north and following the course of the picturesque Des Plaines River for twenty-five miles to the Drainage Canal, and comprising about 9,000 acres; another along Salt Creek; another along Flag Creek, and still another larger tract in the high lands of Mount Forest, the Palos region and the Sag, between the Calumet River and the Des Plaines. The