Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-12-21
Chicago and tfle Opera.

One day last week we took it into our
head that we would give the Chicago people
n surprise, or, in other words, that we
would slip down there without giving them
any notice Of our coming, and put them in
q hutter-Dut TO our establishment when
we got there, we found the thing had got
out, and the whole city was all alive. We
shall no. give detailed account Of our
reception it is sufficient to say that It was
all we expected.-We conveyed ourself to
the Revere House, where sumpiuous re-
past was in readiness for us. After dinner
we strolled out to see the city, independent
Of the . ard of Trade. We hate formalities.
Chicago is decide lily an Institution of itself
1t is larger than Racine; but after Il careful
investigation we were convinced that it was
in consequence of there being more houses
Ia it than in Racine, but that is in conse-
quence Of their buying and selling more
staff
Chicago is q queer place, and made up
Of queer people. Everybody is after some
body, and somebody gets taken down some
times, aud sometimes he don't. Everybody
Is in the streets going it as though they
were afraid somebody " ould get somewhere
first.
Men in Chicago get up from their pallet
Of straw as poor and ragged and destitute
az Lazarus, and go forth to their task IN
sorrow, and return clothed in purple an
fine linen fare sumptuousiy, and lay their
heads upon downy pillows at night, reJolc-
ing, and the Prince of TO day is a Lazzaroni
10 morrow.
They are great on amusements. The
love of fast horses prevails extensively, for
they are fast people. The pulpit has de-
IL Tba 10 a %
full struggle raging an ing thu adherents of
those institutions at this time. We are com
PEELED TO say, from what we saw, the people
have not commenced going back on the
theatre much yet. or course, we had no
opportunity of judging how matters stood
with the church; but we presume it is all
light. People that are in the habit of in
dulging in sinful practices during the week,
usually 60 to meeting on Sunday to wipe 1t
out.
Of course, as Grant and Sherman, and
other distinguished personages visit thea
tres aud operas, it was proper for us to do
so.--Now, it SO happened that we had never,
in our long and eventful life, seen an opera,
tho we had heard, in our youthful days,
what was very much like it, III Ohio, before
civilization had cleared away the forests
and drove away the wolves. We have now
ascertained that the music of those animals,
when they were able 10 congregate In suf-
fcient numbers, was decidedly operate.
We had heard and read SO much about
what she had on, and icbGt she tcore TO the
opeTa and how the men wore white vests
and kids, we supposed we should not be
admitted if we presente ourselves in a
common rig, and SO we went over to the
fremont House and hunted up our old
friend Charley Rice, and tried to borrow a
white vest and kids Knowing him to be
in the muls trade, we supposed be would
have such things; but Charley either could
not, or would not furnish US with the de-
sired articles. But we found upon pre-
senting ourselves at the ticket office that
they grabbed our greenback with the same
aviiiiy that they did those who belonged to
the white kid fraternity.
We now ushered ourselves, for the first
time into Crosby's Opera House, Chicago.
The tabled palace of Aladdin could not have
comp lred with it in splendor.- We strolled
along down the aisle with al attempt at in
difference, with which we hoped 20 deceive
the audience into the idea that We had seen
nicer places than that was. Before we
TOOK our seat we drew oursef up TO our full
height and took survey around the room,
AMI, upon our honof there were at least
four hundred little double barrelled things
levelled right at US, but having had some
experience where heavier metal was used,
we were able TO and the volley. They all
soon came 10 an "order arms" except one
old thing, and she was the hardest looking
of the crowd She stuck 10 her aim with a
tenacity that BODIED evil TO US. We confess
10 have got a little nervous during the even
Ing, for she continued to draw bead upon
us whenever anything took place that she
Thought would please US. We felt sense
of relief upon getting out doors, and yet We
shall always be haunted with desire tC
know what conclusion she came to respect
ing US; whether she supposed she had really
found her afinityor not
Now, we suppose II is due TO our readers
tina: we give a learned criticism upon tht
opera, but we cannot do it; we do not I'M
aderstaud the proper terms used by the mod
ern critics. They were not in Webster
oil fashioned spelling book, nor in tn
Bible. and, Of course, they are outside o
cur reading. Bat we will do the best va
can In eur own way.