One of the large retail merchants of Chicago, when in need of a fresh case of goods, now telephones to his own storehouse situated far from his shop, and through the underground tunnel quickly receives goods in a sealed car. This method of supplying the merchant’s needs illustrates what will happen to all merchants when the central freight depot shall come fully into existence. A method that will work with precision, quickness, and close economy will relieve the down-town streets of freight traffic now hauled over them, and therefore make the streets cleaner and more lasting. Will not these great general facilities profoundly affect for the better the material prosperity of Chicago as a whole? When this system shall be put in operation, the better street plan, and the enlargement and improvements suggested for parks, parkways, and the Lake front, will cause the city to become permanently and highly prosperous. In connection with the freight diagrams, the one numbered LXXIII should be considered. It shows a radical change in warehousing, and perhaps manufacturing, which will take time and cannot be put into effect abruptly, but is undoubtedly the logical outcome and ultimately must prevail. It also shows the present tendency of growth of both manufacturing and warehousing which seems to follow and cling to belt lines of railroad, especially when such lines run beside the River or Canal, where every sort of freighting economy now in vogue can be made use of. It is evident that while present methods continue in use, and until the great freight scheme can be put into operation, some common facility railroad highways must be introduced in order to improve the handling of freight in the direction of quickness and cost. The diagram (No. LXXIII) shows what these freight common facilities should be, namely: 1. An inner loop (A), 2. Loop (B), connected as shown with the inner loop, 3. Loop (C), also connected with the inner loop, and finally, loop (D). If these three loops be wide, many-tracked, and operated for the benefit of all railroads, then the movement of freight can be increased in efficiency; and such manufacturers and warehousemen as build against the loops can be accommodated with everything needed to carry on their individual activities. Freight stations can be located on these loops wherever required, and each can be certain of quick and cheap service, the common facilities being operated by the railroads. A detail diagram for freight in the center of the city is shown in No. LXXIV. [Illustration: LXXIII. CHICAGO. DIAGRAM OF THE CITY AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY, SHOWING RAILROAD CIRCUITS, B, C, D, AND E, WHICH ARE, OR MAY BECOME, TANGENT TO THE INNER CIRCUIT (A). The diagram also shows the existing industries, and the probable trend of growth away from the center of the city. COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY COMMERCIAL CLUB OF CHICAGO ]