Chicago Tribune, July 13, 1901
The City Directory of 1901 will be ready for distribution on July 20. It will contain 606,700 names, an increase of 22,700 names over last year. This, according to Manager Henry L. Smith of the Chicago Directory company, indicates an increase in population over last year of 70,000 persons, and gives Chicago 381,425 more persons than the government census shows.
The directory publishers, in giving Chicago’s population at 2,080,000, do not place reliance in the census of 1900. The school enumeration of last year indicated a population of 2,010,000, which the directory publishers say has twice been sustalned by the result of the directory canvass.
Confident in Higher Figures.
“Continuing the method which the publishers have heretofore found reliable,” said Manager Smith, with the provision only that if the United States census of 1890 not enormously too great that of 1900 was proportionately too small, the publishers’ estimate that the population of Chicago at the present time is 2,080,000.
“For the benefit of those who believe that figures which are ‘official’ necessarily are correct, regardless of the method of their compilation, a new ratio of population, according to the United States census of 1900 (1,698,575), to directory names in that year and 1901 would indicate a present population of 1,765,000.
“The publishers have seen no reason to alter their estimate because the wide discrepancy between the figures of the directory and school census on the one hand and the population announced by the United States Census bureau on the other. The method by which the census is taken by the government has never been such as to command any great degree of confidence on the part of those familiar with the facts.”
Some of the Directory Features.
There is not change in the appearance of the directory. It commences with the same name, Christian Aaberg, clerk, Lake street, and. closes with Joseph Zy wick; instead of Michael, laborer, 144 Cleaver street.
The Johnsons dominate with 5,775 names, the Smiths coming second with 4,830. The tribe of Jones has 1,675 representatives, the Millers 2,835, the Olsens 735, and the Olsons 1,260. The Carlsons are numerous, with 1,260 to their credit. In the colors the Browns predominate, there being 2,625. The others are: Green, 630; i Black, 360; White, 1,365; Blue, 27. Only one Red—Alexander by name—is to be found, although there are plenty of persons whose name is spelled Redd.
When it comes to names that make men smile there is Frank Yell and four who are entitled to the name Hell. There is one Rubbers, while one Sorrow, five Sadd, and two Sadden appear. There are 106 Sweet, with only five Sour to counteract their influence. There are three bearing the name Tear, four entitled to be called Tough, and twenty-five. known as Crook.
The name conceded to be hardest to spell or pronounce is George Zajonczkowski, When it comes to animals all are represented from Bruin to Zebra. Nations contain their namesakes, there being eighteen known as France and twenty-six named England. Commodities have their place from Tea and Coffee to Corn and Hay, while occasionally a name like Gooddinner is found.
The directories will be placed about the city the same as last year, being leased wherever they are deposited. Nickel-in-the-slot machines will be more in use than ever..
Inter Ocean, July 11, 1903
Chicago bas grown more rapidly during tbe year just passed than during any of tbe preceding five years, according to figures based on the new city directory, which will be ready for tbe public In about ten days. Tbe alphabetical list of names is already printed. The number of names in the new directory Is approximated at 654,000. This is an increase of 28,500 over the number of names in the 1902 directory, and a greater increase than that which bas been noted in any one of the last five directories over Its predecessor. Upon this number of names the city’s population is estimated at 2,231,000.
There are peculiarities in abundance In the new book, which contains 2,180 pages of names, In all the pages of names there is only one Man. He Is an. architect. A Duke la very ordinary In this book, however, and there are Dukes and Lords in plenty, and while there Is neither Bum nor Hobo, there la one Tramp. His name is William.
“Food” for Reflection.
In this peculiar book one can find Sugar, Milk, Coffee, and Ribbon. There are also numerous Ribbons. There are Victories, but no Defeats. There is Sunshine, but no Moonshine, although there are several Moons.
In the whole list there is only one Medal and one Bore. The latter is registered as a musician, too. There is also just one Big. There are, however, three Bigger and four Biggers. There is one Miser, but no Hermit. There is Bass galore, while the Soprano and Tenor are supported only by Peter and William, respectively, who are also a plenty of Beer. Booz appears three times, and there is one Booze, but not a single Thirst.
There is Music in the book, unaccompanied by Harmony. In relation to the music it should be stated that there is not a single Alto. There is Bass galore, while the Soprano and Tenor are supported only by Peter and William, respectively, who are also, respectively, a barber and a laborer.
To the credit of the book. it should be said that, while there is Justice in large quantities, there is not in the new directory a single Injustice. Light there is, but it is unaccompanied by either Dark or Darkness.
Growing at Both Ends.
Aabel is the first name, as it is in the 1902 directory, but this year there are two of this name Instead of one. as before. The other names mentioned are stretched out through the 2.1S0 pages between Aabel and Zyzna, the last to be registered. Zyka was the last in the 1902 book, but this year there are twenty-eight additional names after Zyka.
Re, Es, and Ex are competitors for the honor of occupying the smallest space, being the shortest names recorded. The longest name? Well, really, no one knows just where or what it is, but it is unpronounceable.
Despite the fact that Henry L. Smith Is the manager of the Chicago Directory company, those of hrs name are outnumbered by the Johnsons. But the Smiths sre running a close second. There are 5,986 Johnsons, to say nothing of the Johnstons, and those of similar name, while the Smiths number 5,374.
The directory publisher’s estimate of the present population of Chicago is based on the ratio of the population in 1890 (as established by the United States census) to the number of directory names in that year, the number of names in the 1903 directory, 654,000. being the third number of an ordinary arithmetical proportion, from which is derived the population at this time.
The figures secured in the national census of 1890 are taken in preference to those of ten years later, because of the fact that it is generally recognized that the last United States census, in so far as Chicago is concerned, was not authentic.
Chicago Tribune, July, 21, 1904
NEW CITY DIRECTORY IS OUT.
Chicago’s Population Is Given as 2,241,000, an Increase of 10,000 Over Last Year.
The new city directory for Chicago was given to the public yesterday. Based on the number of names it gives Chicago a population for 1904 of 2,241,000. This figure is arrived at by computing upon the census of 1890.
If the census of 1900 is assumed as a basis upon which to estimate the present population, as determined by the ratio of directory names in 1904 in comparison with those of 1900, the present population is 1,910,700. The directory of 1903 gave Chicago an estimated population of 2,231,000.
The new directory contains 657,000 names, an increase of 3,000 over the directory of 1903. The relatively small increase is accounted for by the fact that “greater care than ever before has been taken in this year’s canvass to exclude the names of unmarried women not in business, and therefore best represented by the names of heads of families.” Last year’s directory had 654,000 names. The 1904 book contains 2,823 pages, or twenty-one more than last year’s directory.
Chicago Tribune, May 2, 1909
OLD STREET NUMBERS KEPT.
Changes Adopted by City Council Will Be Given Merely in “Annex” to New City Directory.
The 1900 City Directors will not contain the changes in street numbers recently adopted by the city council and postoffice department. An “annex” to each directory. however, will contain a complete comparison of the new numbers with the old.
Unfamiliarity of the public with the new names and numbers led the publishers to adopt this course as most satisfactory to the public, but the new street numbers will be used in next year’s directory.
Collecting names for the new directory will be begun tomorrow by a force of 500 agents. The book will be issued Sept. 1.
Chicago Tribune, August 25, 1909
If you are a frequent user of the city directory of Chicago you had better take a course in cross indexing within the next two or three days. The new directory, nearly 300 pages larger than that of last year, will be ready for distribution Friday.
Nearly 200 pages will be devoted to a supplement made necessary by the change in residence numbers which will become effective on Sept. 1.
The supplement is a unique feature gf the volume. In it the streets of the city are list-
ed alphabetically and under the street name in opposite columns marked odd and even numbers are the old residence numbers and the new. The order of the city council for a change in house numbering went into effect after the work of compiling the new directory was well along.
To do the work all over again would have delayed the issue of the volume until New Year’s, and it was decided to compile it on the basis of the old house numbering and to add a supplement showing the changes in street divisions and numbers.
Must Use Supplement.
“There may be considerable difficulty in people using the new directory until they become accustomed to the new street divisions and number.” said Manager E. J. Dillon yesterday. “But the supplement has been compiled carefully and verified from the data of the city water bureau and the map department. As soon as people learn to use the supplement there should be little trouble, for the new volume is more carefully compiled and far better in general than ever before”
The total number of names in the directory is 765,600, an increase over 1908 of 10,500 names The estimate of Chicago’s population, based on the United States census of 1900, is 2,462,600 This estimate records the increase in Chicago population within the last year as 37,600 people.
Humorous features in the matter of names appear. The first name to appear is Aaberg, Christopher, and the last name is Zyzik, Mrs Josephine. The name of Johnson easily leads all others in point of numbers It is repeated 7,056 times. and its nearest competitor is the Smith family, with 5,153 members The longest name in the directory is—take a long breath for a running start—Michael Christophilopanagiotopulos,
182 North Peoria street.
Birds, Beasts, and Fish.
In the new volume the three kingdoms of the world are fitly represented. In the animal branch, as compiled by Manager Dillon there are 407 Foxes, 666 Wolfs, 27 Bears, 40 Coons, 8 Sables, 30 Badgers, 16 Beavers, and one or more representatives of other families.
Now for the birds. There are 208 Cranes, 84 Crows, 122 Birds, 29 Eagles, 57 Peacocks, and 34 Partridges. Among the insect division there are 6 Bees, 4 Beetles, 1 Bug, and 4 Gnats.
Supporters of local option may take hope in the liquor division. There are 36 Sherrys, 7 Beers, 1 Ales. 2 Champagnes, 12 Seltzers. 3 Wines, 15 Ports, and 2 Clarets. But there is only 1 Water and 91 Waters. There are 50 Brewers, 311 Steins, 2 Gallons, 4 Pints, 80 Glasses, and 2 Goblets.
And there are names denoting many kinds of trees, flowers, and fruits. There are names of royalty, such as king, Prince, etc. There are “jewels” of names and the whole gamut of grains. In fact, there is a name for about every object you every heard of in Chicago’s new directory, and that name betokens a resident.
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