ce of their being.

Chicago which commenced its growth in 1834, had a population in 1857,
of 100,000, Milwaukee in twenty-one years rose to 50,000, St. Paul in
fifteen years to 15,000; Keokuk in eighteen years to 15,000, Grand
Rapids in twelve years to 8000; Saginaw city in twenty-two years 4000,
and Superior city in the short space of two years to 4000.

We thus see, that, in the Northwest, cities do grow up, in the midst
of the wilderness, and the wilderness itself soon blooms as the rose.
To say, then, that a point affording every natural and commercial
advantage for the growth of a large city is not _now_ a city, is to
say nothing against its position or prospects. Within the memory of a
generation the five great States, (which have heretofore been termed
the Northwest,) contained less then a half a million of people, and
Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, were not even
dots on the map of States. A mission or a military fort was all they
could boast. These States now contain six millions of inhabitants, and
the towns on the lake shore two hundred and fifty thousand. But to
present the point of growth, in the clearest point of view, let us
consider it dependent wholly on that of the surrounding country. This
we can tell almost precisely. We know the rate of growth in Michigan,
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada West.

Canada West in 1840, had a population of 640,000, in 1850, of
982,000, and in 1857, 1,100,000, Michigan in 1840, was 212,000, in
1850, 397,000, and in 1857, 700,000. The population of Wisconsin in
1840, was 30,000, in 1850, it was 305,991, and in 1857, it was
600,000. The increase in Minnesota in seventeen years was 200,000.

The annual _increment_ from 1840 to 1850, was 50,000 per annum, or
about six per cent. The annual increment from 1850 to 1857, was
172,000, or about twelve per cent. The _ratio_ of increase is,
therefore, increasing, and we may assume it will not be less than
_ten_ per cent, per annum till 1860. This will give 3,380,000 for
1860, or _fourfold the population_ of 1840! At a diminishing ratio the
territory round Mackinaw will contain 5,400,000 in 1870, and
(8,000,000) _eight millions_ in 1880. The principal city of the
district (wherever it may be) must then contain about _one hundred
thousand inhabitants_.

Of the cities and towns we have above enumerated, the greatest and
most rapid in its development is Chicago, whose first warehouse lot
was sold in 1834, and w