Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-12-27
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.
CnicAco, Dec. ~, 1867.


the season fraugh, with h~appiest of memo
ries 10 almost all men! One feels little ike
deliberately p%enning down the selfish inter>
ests. the ambitions and rivalries, and the
crimes which constitute newspaper items. or
at least a large sh are of them ON a day like
this. S~troliing down the street the people
one meets have their hands full Of packages,
and bundles pro;rude from their pockets,
full explanation OF the "holiaay gift" chars
acter OF which is given by their smiling faces
ali alight with the consciousness Of seeking
the happiness Of others. Shop windows
wear an air Of unwontea gaieiy with the
bright and beautiful temptations which
Christmas brings. Evergreens, destined for
Christmas trees and decorations hue the
walks, like miniature forests, here and there.
Heaps Of poultry and game, such piles that
one wonders who will eat them all, give
cheering promise Of ,o-morrow's feas.s, III
the churches. fair hands wreathe and wiud
f~estoons Of evergreens and flowers about
4 aatl III MUSK AANtA . w"
ing remembrance is shown Of His maxim,
Love little children by the thousand
charming devices 20 ehar.a and gladden. the
little ones. Although the Christmas hol>
idays bring only sad ~remembranoes Of grief
and loneliness, making me more than at any
other time feel myself homeless and friends
less, l appreciate none the less the Joys of
others, and If l check not soon my pen this
letter viii be all Christmas.
With the opening OF the New Year we
shall very probably hear of the starting OF q
new Express company, which if the whis.
pered plans Of lis projectors are at all real
ICED will be even a bigger thing than the
Merchants Uuion Express Co. 1t is to be
entitled the New York, San Francisco.
China and Japan Express Co. and is to
be, when put in operation. run via Chicago
aud Omaha. ana over the L. T. L. r. T.
c. Durant, who was last year Vice Presi.
dent of the I. P. r. Il. Co, Is spoken Of as
the head and from, Of the enterprise, and if
he is really so, It may be expected 10 be a
success. He is a man Of indomitable will,
indefaiigahle energy. great ability and inns
menee influence with Eastern capitalists.
All these qualifications are necessary for the
nan who would start an Express Company
in the face Of the discourag;ng career Of The
Merchants Union No company in this
country ever had more favorable prospects
or was more substantially backed by mer-
chants and business men. the very persons
who might be expected to support a thing
Of the sort, yet it has not paid expenses.
Call after call has been made upon the stock
holders, until some thirty five or thirty-eight
per cent, / do not now remember which,
have been paid in,-ihe company has been
operating for a year or more,-,he business
which it is doing is enormous, yet, it, stock
has never been above Al and only touched
that figure IN consequence OF a rumor Of
consolidation between it and the old com
ranies. The fact is that the Sight between
the Express companies has been urged With
sach desperation as 10 cut prices away be-
low COS, and Tie Only end apparen, is the
failure Of one or other party. If the new
company is formed, as it undoubtedly will
be, if formed a, all, with branches all ,hro'
the United States, i, will in turn enter the
free fight and complica:e matters still
more.
Col. j. n. Bowen, our excellent north>
western Commissioner to the Paris EXPOSE,
ton has just returned home, hale aud hearty,
bat weary from his long aud arduous s.ruy>
gle with the arrogance, ebstinacy and ilnle-
cili,y. TO say nothing worse is more kind,
ness than ~jas,iee) Of the United States Com
missioner. Col. Bowen was almos, the only
one who could tackle him. and by his
services has earned for himself the gratitude
Of all northwestern exhibitors.
Speaking of the Paris Exposition, l wish
to say a few words concerning the pianos Of
George Sleek i Co., Of New York, which
were By an unworthy trick crowded out Of
the Exposition. some other exhibitors being
afraid Of the consequences Of fair compesi>
ton with them. I can speak Of the s,eek
piano Of my own knowledge as one which
approaches as closely IS IS possible fer any
instrument to absolute perfection and in this
opinion | am happy TO say that / am en-
dorsed by the best musicians and impartial
judges in this country. 1t is the only piano
in which the "Agraae" method Of s,ringips
is employed throughout, combined with the
bell metal plate. and these peealiari:ies give
it a bfilliance, power and purity Of tone aud
retention Of pitch which eanno possibly be
exeelled. The system Of doubling and ireb-
ling the wires OF the ascending scale gises
perfect eyenuess OF yalane q tore through
the entire register while FOR facility Of action.
durability and finish, these superb ias,ra.
men,s are unriralled. They are costly, b..
the best goods are generally the dearest.
Full information concerning them nag b
obtained from Messrs. Zoo. / Caay, Ct Ne
81 Washington ST., Chicago, who are soe
oeGhts ALca s1sS IA A-- s-E-I-AE@.
The Chicago river Is 3: Ieagsh f.o1eze~s-
and for The time, At least, sticks no zccs
Residents from the ives. side niss vsrT z4
the perfaTned breezes from Is iakg 51ssr.
Deanis O'Brien, a nosor.sas urszs s.
and Nike Mccoole's baeker. va sacs ae-.
las: night at . praE1a ba : a 12as 81
il-fame and II rztzra .ks "a aasa.s 4
Chicago ssA2snAseYsr- -szga, aaa.es! d
ley. I.is al Az- CaFt Ersev lie ss,l.a
side police czr1tas .-1s lie sr3greass
Of the house LAT. Ear "a aaEgaJd - 4suss
Tested, b.. ths szs 20 -se 81 A. as-e
ton Of the pnb.ie re-es sAers va Aaa9s- 81
the deputy safer-sesGez. z : AZ
then. woe to Kicker, . af4r 2a1r- IL.
police "palleir the ea,ire eza
Scores Of tie most respectable -@ (
town" were caught in tie HAL.
The Mission Sunday Schools hare beer
holding a great Fair at Farwell Hal. Il
closes this evening.
Quotations on change to-day are reported
as follows:
Flour, dull, $o,5O@i3,00 for white win,
ter $ll,75 for red winter s8,7599,75 fol
spring extra ; $s,25 for rye. Wheat, sl,st