, 1859-05-02

i ~ oFd'ss frou tia ssxn.zy promptly Asd md md :
homsby s.rrss.
X chicago ~ Seen by Henry Ward
Beecher.
lFrom the independent cethl
r CHICAGO. April l4th. 1870
1t makes little difference how much one Ii
traveled, or what he has seem if he las not bes
IN chicago. He may have worn cut his curio
lty on every shore Of the Mediterranean, AT
ransacktd the interiors Of each contne,
until there is nothing new or exciting vet the1
is something in reserve Tor him which, viii e1ci
the most jaded aud sated surprise into new e.
| citcment.
" course, every business man will look upo
Chicago as IN immense mart, and will givc t.
bles Of -four, whcut, meat lumber, and whs
not, which are all very interesting to those j
trade, but what most people care very It'll
about 1t would rather startle a map, howcve,
to conle upon him suddenly with the population
statistics. Here is city Of one hundred anc
thirty or forty thousand Inhabitants {and goo,
nluny more, if you count I'LL that hare come ant
gone awAy-) A. you stand i'll its midst md St,
the surging Of business, you can scarcely reaI
'ze that III 1861 there were but twenty -egh
thousand, aud that fifteen years ago, = mere
village population!
Chicayo looks like vast Railsoad Freich,
Depot, and the people have that kcen-eyed, rest
less, penetrating look which belongs to railroad
| men.
and yet, it is not to be supposed that there
| are no fine streets or noble buildings. Oue i,
struck With the magnitude, not only Of its stores
and business structures, but at the remarkably
tine architectural effects which every day arc
ennobling the streets. Banks, churches. fanres
Of stores and Offices, and the public buildings
there arc On every side, which need not fear
comparison with New FORK or Boston. And if
Chicago continues her present career, when fin
1shed she will be city Of no mean architectural
repute.
One thing is greatly in her favor-the admira-
Bile building material which she abundantly pos-
sesses. The butI-colored Milwaukee brick and
the straw colored limestones produce the most
charming effects upon the eye. Nothing can
exceed the exquisite beauty Of buildings made
Of thls buff stone. The eye smims in il rs iu q
bath Of color. | um neyer tired Of looking ut
II. And it & res an indcscribeab'c chserfulncss
to the confusion Of the tun,bled Up anl down
streets Of Chicago. The bricks are so nearly of
the same color that brick buildings can be faced
with stone without that shock t. the eye produc-
ca by mnrble or brown stone and red brick 4
large Church composed of these building matc-
riafs, would surpass in beauty either marble or
common stone. Even that fine stone Of which
the y 1t'ats otiicu building iscomposed, must
rank T, second to t1is exquisite stone Of Chicago
Though the Caen stone most ncu1ly resembles,
1t docs not equal 1t.
For forts and magazines granite has rugged
and stern effect euainenty it, but it is too gTip
and cold for common buildings Brown-ston
well selected for color, and standing among otl,-
er klnis OF nlaterial, is good. But repeating
tAls effect. building after building, through long
streets, 1t grows dull to the eye and heavy. The
, same Is true OF marble, which lights up neigh
oofaood # thrre be but one or two structures
composed Of it; but if, as in Philadelphia, it
prcdonlnates: it produces kind Of architect
ural palor- We think the eye would bcar more
Of these very delicate yelloas than Of any other
color that We know, except tho old fashioned.
honest red. That il real brick!
Tue city Of Chicago stood upon ground which |
was both flat and low, and several grades have
been ndupted tn remedy the evil But the latest
and supposed final grade is nov established, and |
tue whole city is to be raised from five TO eight
feet. First the streets are rai4ed, and then thu
houscs arc pulled up to levc! afterwards. And |
no tongue can describe The state Of q city where
Is going on at once the building Of sewers, tie /
:alsin. Of grades, and the screwing up Of all the
houses intermi1cd with AL enormous business.
which butts uEd pushes and dodgcs through ali
manner Of obstacles In the 1nost surpriSnr man.
ucr? hut it is the sidewalk that give. you the
most uriginal views Of possibilities They arc
made Of brick. OF STONE, or plank and tile grade
# the sidewalk varies. we should think, in some
cn or fifteen different degrecs. First is one at
he old level, fivc or six ieet Itfow the grade u!
lie street, and YOU walk down there inside uf
! curb or cofer:dam, witt, your head on q level
~" 'c o' ~ 'Iet III tng =, street. hut right Ill
m e n'uu'e -. o'oJA 1'lal; pc one store built to
"v I." H.ln ,ne slas"a'k looms above
Nv ~ H., "eHu s.;s !" ~ IT, 70 @ntch }on
= ,,' ~ stps ast ~ e'fu anu proeeGd the width
|own half way as far rs before. fur few stcps,
hcn you 70 NJ one step, walk ten PAGES, 20
.' ~" ~ ot.ps' leAt W 'hiee' GOWN SIX, up
w. ''iei ~ W. nlo'r, taeh Gown elsht, then
Y M ''t'i'!t" H1e' tteh mount }nto IN lnclos-
y ! o"aru walk suspended "'er I'll awtu! cissm,
'oese fneh are scre"'n.' up ~ enormous build
NJ
anu 49,, ~ thtr' IS possible h'odlhcatton OF six
.s'' '9Fonsh INC llstsnfncnfai1tr, OF stnirs, !
.sra' nclneu P'ahet, Or refPcndlculaFs; II
- sa'Alosue u stfetche*' jumps,
l'ps' s'ePs' ."t'l1les' or 'oc.1tuoblng plungcs.
80; - ~ T., G1naus'eo n tae e1tf.4nralnnry
H., II, ,'. W. ,i'., ..'ee' hanoo'ph street, Or
~. ,!,en Me hla,ec4 W. more than
NJ ,1;st"c.i ...s ~, 'stGilts " mater
ar;u r;,.ui o;,;a, s eo.ols u heleh-
49, ~ 10y ~, i,.s.a ] %. .nat keba'f'e lineage
."u 'l:s Je Ano"n aproa"' a5 sailor IS oh
- ~ H., sa''' ~: 'ous ehor1s 70 step
!, e,naa,h - H. :eoona''ng u
a j." va "u'A " '''''e'pa'5 oo1ta'
e,' =, ...-.
hn' u'ese a'c OILY temporary 1ronb!cs. anu
hen Smcago iairly gels On to her new ru.iiio.
4e VII! oe GOMEZ! CITY as well as trenen-
aus place for business And now, the pro-
~ WHICH Is gonG on has one cle1ucnt Of great
'tcrest, siz: the raising of brick and stoue
ousrS- Not thnt the lifting Vi brick lonses is
he" fhlnG ~ But II screw'ug up whole blocks
once, and lifting whole street, is not new in