The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-05-20
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MAY co. 1862
Correspondence.

| CHICAGO, April 10th, 1868.
Dear Times :-On Monday steppe'
aboard the Rock Island train for Chicago
the bell rang, the iron horse gave an impa
ticnt neigh, and we were dashing along .
the rate Of thirty miles an hour. We paus
ed moment at Henry, changed cars a
Bureau, passed through "pent up Utica
without stopping, and in a short half hour
were looking out upon the ancient city o
Peru, and wondering II its inhabitants pre-
vious to the conquest were generally devot
ed to retailing peanuts and saw dust pies
A ride Of mile brought us to La Sale, q
city Of four or five thousand inhabitants
mostly Irish pigs and babies. Forty miles
this side of Chicago is Joliet noted for its
fascinating women, and the trial of the
Rev. Mr.. Hager. 1t has several fine build.
ings, the most noted being an asylum for
worthy. patriots who have "left th<ir coun
try for their country's good" "All aboard
and We are off again, the houses lessen in
number, the city fades in the distance, the
cemetery on the hill is passed, the bridge
by the old fashioned mill is won, the grove
is cleared, and our steed stops to quench
his thirst in quiet country town. On
again thoss nerves of iron never weary,
those sinews of steel never relax. The sun
is sinking low in the west, the lengthening
shadows darken the ground, and the city s
spires pointing ever heavenward, appear
dimly in the distance. Far to the right the
white tents of our brave soldiers dot the
plain,-our glorious old flag frowns defiance
to foes abroad and traitors at home, and
the suns rays are glistensd back from a
thousand muskets, borne BY strong hands
and stout hearts.
The scene changcs,-thc poetry, the sub
Unity, Of our ride is gone, We reach the
confines Of a great city where misery,
want and crime 60 hand in hand. Men
with villairous countenances lounge about
the street comers, women with short pipes
crowd the doors, the side walks are throng.
ed with precarious children Of all hues and
colors, while dogs and pigs like genuine
cosmopolitans jostle about at home every
where. The depot is reached, d,-baggage
claimed. I seat myself in one Of Palmer s
buses and in few moments am quietly
enjoying fragrant cigar at the Briggs"
l And Chicago is as busy, busting, thriv.
ing, spcculating, aromatic and go-ahcad as
ever. The streets are as thronged, the Ia
dies as beautiful, Cor ugly) the news boys
as noisy, the loafers as plenty, the Tribune
as radical, and the Times as diabolical as
when your correspondent last had the
honor, "a horn) &C., &c. In commerce, in
politics, in the arts, and drama, all is life
and activity. New lines of railroads are
daily opened to travel, and new territories
brought under tribute to its merchant
princes. Westward the iron horse guided
by Chicago men and propelled by Chicago
money is swiftly speeding far on towards
the base Of the Rocky Mountains, and
northward the sooty locomotive driven by
the same resistless agency, will ere long
cry "open sesame TO the dusky spirit,
ceaselessly guarding the untold treasures,
hidden beneath the rocky barriers of Lake
Superior.
But with all this prosperity Chicago is
in trouble and her people like Haman, feel
that riches avail not, $50 long as Mordecai
the Jew sitteth at the Kings gate,"-so
long as their river remains nuisance which
soiu not be abatcd, a spectre which no mu.
nicipal exorcist can lay. The latest scheme
proposed for its renovation is to erect a
dam or some such impiety and turn the
waters of Calumet into Chicago river and
rinse the thing out,-but this won't do, for
every school boy knows that if damning
the river tended to its puriication, its wa.
ters would be sweeter than Castalia's fount
today.
This is a week of amusement and every
place devoted to such from the Madison
street theatre to the Jupiter Concert saloon
is crowded. They are playing High Trag-
edy" at McVickers, so high that it is above
the comprehension Of ordinary mortals,
and low tragedies with linen and women
for the Players are daily enacted all over
the city. There is low comedy at Canter-
bury Hall, and high old comedy was per-
formed when Sherman was elected Mayer.
Let US hopeit prove not comedy of er-
rors." A very pleasant scene was witness.
ed At one of the city churches last night
the celebration of the "Tin Wedding" of
their pastor. A large crowd assembled to
honor the occasion and gifts valued at
$500, were bestowed. am decidedly in
favor Of tin weddings, they are good
thing in q family"-particularly the gifts,
and haye decided if Mrs. B. consents to get
up one of my own. mo cards." e..
The ecclesiastical trial Of the Rev. Mr..
Hager is not yet concluded, his friends
(who believe he is unjustly prosecuted by
the Bishop are making stout fight in his
favor, and the trial is exciting no little in
terest in the community. The Rev. Lo.
thario has the world, and for aught know
1.-THE flesh and the Devil on his side, while
his congregation with whom he is very
popular uphold him to a-woman. So
far from ohjecting to his "laying on Of