How should I understand this comment from Mark Twain about Chicago?

Question

"It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago --- she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them." wrote Mark Twain in 1883, when Chicago was just fifty years old.

I think "she" refers to "Chicago", and "he" refers to "the occasional visitor". But what does "outgrows his prophecies" mean? Does it mean Chicago grows very fast?

Answer 1

Yes, you are right, except that I think it's not talking only about the size of Chicago, but in many other ways that it might outgrow (i.e. outstrip) somebody's prophesies.

Answer 2

She refers to Chicago. In English she is used for cities, planes, ships; it's supposed to be romantic and poetic.

Chicago was the big boom city of the time. In the 1850s and 1860s it was the fastest growing city on Earth; it built the first first sky scrapers; it was the "Internet" of the 1880s.

Answer 3

"Prophecies" is used here as a synonym for "expectations".

"...outgrows prophecies" is the same as "...exceeds expectations".

"Boom town", I think, fits the bill here.