Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-12-06
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.

CHICAGO. Dec. 81, 1867.
Ed. BrLlETlS The long deferred win
ter has cone at last, and seems to rage viii
the greater fury for his long delay. Il
three or fou. short DAYS, we rave plunget
from . very temperate cline, at least, int,
the severest Arctic mid-winter. Thanksgiv'
ing was our last pleasant day. l do no
wish to make any destinations or to sa,
anything personal, bus on that day tn
great Arctic explorer came to our city. II,
has lived among icebergs, Esquimaux, an,
whale llubber 1.-THE genuine article. no
schoolboys' cries Of anguish, SO long iha
he is said to lunch on candles and carr,
around ice in his pockets to keep himsel
comfortable. The Y. N. L. A., pretend
tha. he brought this "cold snap" along viii
him, but that is no doubt one of their gag
to get a big audience for his lecture mex
Thursday night. By the way, when DR.
Hayes, a man of science, whose exploration
and discoveries have benefited the world
arrived here, he was unheralded, unknown
and unwelcomed, except by the hack>driver
at the depot. Weston, the pedestrian, cams
in at the same time, and thousands rashet
forth TO meet him and extend an enthusiast
tic greeting; so legs, you see, draw" better
than brains, even if they are no; such pref
ty ones as "Cndine shows ct the Opera
House.
Speaking of arrivals, Gen. Phi. Sheridan
came here last night, and was made the sub
ject ola formal reception. His coming has
been fixed, deferred, definitely appointed,
postponed. settled and put OF so many times
that people got mad about ii, and some be-
lieved he never would come. so that few were
present at his advent. He is to be pu,
through the regular mill,-s visit TO the
Board Of Trade. another to "Cniine," a
public levee and a banquet. by way of e.
male.
The Ministerial Union of Chicago, have
again had up before them tia, knotsr ques'
ton of which | told yoa some time since
Is Swedenborgianism an evangelical re-
%ligion?' A Swedenbor-isn minister, Rev
Mr.. Hibbard. asked to he allowed to repre-
sent his flock ia the society Of 1.-THE shepherds
bu. they didn't know enough about his cree
to say definitely aye or nay, TO bis request
They referred the matter TO o committee, b,
which proceeding it seems that they got ev
en- farther into difficulty. Now they hay'
taken the mos, reckless header" into
sea of troubles, by appointing another com
mit,ee to draw up a platform which shal
definitely state what are the exact princi
Piles Of an evangelical religion, and wha
one must believe in, in order to be saved
Some of the long headed brethren earnest,
opposed this action, foreseeing that it woul'
prove a source Of infinite conflict anon,
themselves; but their opposition was unavaiI
ing. The committee is composed Of minis
tiers Of the following denominations: Con
gre.ational, Baptist, Methodist, Unite
Presbyterian, Scotch Presbyterian, Luthe
rean and Episcopal. Verify when the.
agree upon anything, the Gay viii hav
come in which !. the lion and the lamb sha.
lie down together"
had the pleasure las; night, of wiinessin
q full dress rehearsal Of the wonderful ne
spectacle Of " Undine,n at the Crosby Oper
House; never, in fifteen years expert
ence Of theatrical matters in all the princi
pal cities Of the Union, have ] ever behel
anything at all arproxima.ing to it in beau
t. and magniicenee: the !" Black Crook
at Niblo's Garden, New York, which ha
been SO loudly vaunted, is but a "Side
Show compared with il. 1t was intende
hal Palmer 4 Jarrett's grand Niennois
ballet, should be the main attraction in tia
piece /; but the scenic artist, Mr.. Getz, an
the macbinist, Wallace Hume. have done s
we'll their parts, that their work vies with tb
ballet, and in tie last grand scene, eyel
causes it to be forgotten. Words fail I
give an idea of the dazzling beauty Of sba
immense concluding I" tribute to Christmas.
II is not merely a glitter of gold leaf anc
bright c~olors, with old fashioned macbiner,
producing tine-worn effects it is a r~caliza'
ton Of what q poet or an artist would dream
as the home OF the ethereal and the beaati
ful. II seems so unreal that oil the long
time in which its Transformation and2deyel,
opnents are going on, the beholder feels a
strange dread that it may suddenly vanish
from his sight as b creation of the imagina-
lion only, q thing too bright and glorious to
last. Old habitues Of the Paris, Vienna
and oiher European theatres, renowned for
their magnificent speciacles, were present
last night, and did no. hesitate TO pronounce
this scene equal to, if not grander than any
they had ever beheld. Chicago now certain.
ly takes lead in the United States in gran.
deur Of production Of scenic effects. To.
night is the opening night, and seats are
already engaged for several days ahead.
People writing from the country to engage
seats, should get them at least a week ahead
Of the date Of their writing. Undine will be
kept on the stage here for six weeks, and
will then go to the provincial towns Of Bos,
ton and New York.
Among her other claims to pre- eninence,
Chicago boasts a gang Of the most consum.
mate, daring and ingenious thieves and ras.
Gals on this continent, and they have
performed two notable feats by way of keep.
ing up their reputation. One was to cons
NIT burglary upon the house Of an a~strolo-
ger. Reckless Of his power to ferret them
by the aid Of the stars above, and defiant
Of the fM. P.) stars beneath, they busted
bis "astrolabes and horoscopes" aud
hi, - viii perfect looseness. Dr. Raphael,