Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-10-06

Chicago.

CHICAGO, Sept IS, 1868.
Chicago is a great town. Great in quantity
and great in quality, great in commerce and
great in wealth, grea; in growth and great in
prosperity, rich in resources and rich in mud,
blessed with pIeuiy Of eatables and drinkabes,
especially drinkables, and more than plenty OF
mosquitoes and feas The mosquitoes are re-
garded as a sort of godsend, however, as it is
thought that they absorb and neusraze the mi
asmatic element, arising from stagnant water,
which would otherwise be much more destructive
to the human organism. | conyersed with a
physician on the subject who remarked, o, yes,
the mosquitoes are our only salvation" Perhaps
hi, remark was true, but, Il SO, the people are
saved as narrowly as JOB was when he had "es-
capped with the skin Of bis teeth"
One Of the most noticeable features OF this
city, and the most striking, especially 10 a dark
night when you get too far from street lamp,
is the manner Of constructing sidewalks. II is
well known tha! Chicago is built on a low, marshy
ground, as level as the plains Of Babylon. In
fact, from the dome Of the court house, which
stands near the center Of the town, there ia not
the slightest apparent uneyenness in the surface
within the range Of vision. And yet in walking
half mile not less than three miles within the
city limits, assembled and descended steps enough
to have taken me 10 the top of Bunker Hi Mon.
ument and back again. II the steps had all been
upward and none downward, at the end OF a mile
would have been "hgher n kite" or higher
than Came's Hump. 1t seem, that each man
builds the walk by his own premises and If
40 enterpri,ing genius can afford 10 build higher
mansion than his heghbos, commencing his
basement on level with other peoples doors,
be carries the sidewalk up to his first floor by
steps, and the unfortunate pedestrian who saunt-
ers along the street, is obliged to Chamber over
the ground story Of the rascally nabob's house.
1t is not SO in the bu'iness part of the city, how
ever, the streets and walks being graded and well
paved with stone.
The water i, villainou.ly bad--wor,e, | think
than in most psrts Of the West. A friend Of
nine who came here in July from Massachusetts,,
remarked that matters were improving here, as the
people had got in the habit Of drinking ale aud
lager beer instead Of the bad whskey and worse
water that they we're obliged to drink before Ia.
ger came in fashion. | should think an d" i'm
provemeut was making in that direction il there
is anything in signs, as most Of the signs over the
shop doors have ale or beer on them. The city
IS making an effort now to obtain better water
and they have project on foo; for constructing !
tunnel into the lake couple Of miles to obtain
water from thence. believe Pennsylvania firm
has taken the contract to make the tunnel, the
work TO be completed in two years. So dry
sucker, living in Chicago, has reasonable pros
pect, by waiting a couple Of years, Of obtaining a
toerabs drink.
Chicago i, made glad just now by the pres
ence Of numbers of Keniuckians who come on
daily in squads, having friends among the rebel
prisoners at Camp Douglas, whom they " want TO
get to see.n 1t is little difficult to "get TO see
them, however, though they generally succeed
after q while, in getting pass from Gen. Burn
side or the Brgadier General commanding al
Springfield. The citizens here cannot get inside
the camp without pass-and can get no pass
without some plausible reasons for asking it.
went to the gate to send in my card to the Colon
ell commanding the camp, but found the office
on guard duty to be Lieut., Holman Of Braintree
of the 9th Vt. Regiment, who very kindly, ant
without any red tape mar@yering, took me nsid
the camp aud showed me aroundi though h
! could give me no leave to talk with the prisoners
4 of whom there are about four thousand here,most
e of Morgans guerras. saw and read severa
d letters which were going to the friends Of th
D prisoners, Lieut.. Halmsn being detailed to exam
# inc all correspondence between the captured rel
els and their friends, and giving me the privileg
e of looking them over at pleasure, and gleanin
II tberelrom what information | could. There We
d very much Of sameness about them, but as
v specimen will give you on entire, showing ho
J. MIR. Piper piped away to his sweet "cOsen"
|. Old kentuck;
IS CAMP DOUGLAS, ILL.,, Sept, 10, 1863
Dear oosen | embrace the present Opertun'
of corresponding to you TO let you no that a
'e well Hoping thes. few lines ma find you Il
e. snme state Of helth don't think hay eny fren'
ir thar or they would Write to me will rite you
- few lines to see il you will answer them, wou
.g be glad TO see you and talk OF Old times hei
;" YOU and Tatan Crane was mared want to no
70 want to no what become OF permely aud II Sa
~ Crandis is mared or not Give mi love to Mi
,d Martin and Canels rite wher you are mared or n
kate for Ben is on his head bout II Tell Moth
a. TO send me blanket aud some cloths | dido
ce name in mi other Letter tell them TO send
to cloths with Abes cloths | want them to send the
he as soon as they can git them redy for we don't
a wen we will be sent a way No more at Prese
your Cosen lIEn
~ Another writes to his "cind frend," e1horlt
:" her to remain in maidenhood till the soldiers
" turn from the war; though he says he almost I
''e yies the boys who remain at home the ago
=" times T" they are having with the girls. But
VI says its some consolation to think that he
his comrades will be back sometime, which
81 thinks will prove calamity" to those who
,ul there, and he advises them to "make ha wh
'o' the sun Shines"
Dur or the oh Vermont, there are fifteen or tWeI
on, eit here, the rest having gone into active ssrv
eIr again. Those who remain we're unable TO p
ny coed with the regiment, but believe are all
M \ AZ q