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Show WHAT CHICAGO OWES TO GEOGRAPHY ClilcnRO Is the subject of one of a scries of bulletins on American cities. The following description Is based on a communication to tho iNntlonut Geographic society by William Joseph Showalter: "Geography mado Chicago. Its position po-sition nt tho foot of the Groat Lakes resulted In Its evolution ns the furthest Inland terminus of navigation of the Inland seat). "Made what It Is by tho processes of geography, Chicago soon returned tho compliment by helping geography transform other region?. Its slaughtering slaughter-ing and packing industry has changed the center of gravity of tho ment-pro-duclng world. Its agricultural Implement Imple-ment Industry has revised tho economic eco-nomic status of more than half of tho InhubltnntH of the earth. Its sleeping-car Industry has entirely revised re-vised tho geography of travel, bringing bring-ing hundreds of places separated by mountain and plain close to each other. "It Is Interesting to pause for n blrd's-eyo Inventory of what tho city Is today. Fourth In population, It ranks first among tho world's great urban centers In ninny ways. No other oth-er placo butchcra ns much meat, mokes as much machinery, builds nn mnny cars, sells as much grain, or handles as much lumber, "The Michigan nvenuo Improvement Is n major fenturo of tho now famous 'Chicago Plan. Tho. beautiful highway, high-way, with Its connecting arteries, unites tho North Shore with tho South side. For years this thoroughfare hns been the prldo of Chlcngo, and tho admiration of nil who visit the city. As n part of the Lake Shore drlvo that links tho woods of southern Wisconsin, Wis-consin, with tho plains of northern In-dlnnn, In-dlnnn, It Is n m n en 1 11 cent strcot. , "To secure the full benefits of her situation, the city Is undertaking to connect her threo great lakeside parks. Already Lincoln park has edged a narrow wny southward nlong the bench until thcro Is a wonderful curving stretch of green reaching to Grand avenue and making a four-mllo parkway unbroken and unmnrred. "Tho city annually spends llvo million mil-lion dollars for pnrk purposes; moro per capita, perhnps. thnn nnv other rlty of tho first order In existence. There Is not a 'keep off tho grass lgn In the entire park system: nntl all rocrentlnnnl facilities nre free except ex-cept the boats In tho lagoons. "There Is n 'swimming holo' within with-in wnlklng dlstnnco of every hoy In Chicago; nntl even with tho fine municipal mu-nicipal bathing beaches of the lake front not fnr nwny, theso mld-clty park lagoons nre always In use, providing Koy for the hearts of tho kiddles who Islt them." |