The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-20
CORRESPONDENCE
CHICAGO.

ShlCAdoJ may III lSoS'
Editors Intelligence1:
Youth and vigor are characteristics
of Chicago. Everything looks new,
and has an eye TO effect. Nothing is
superannuated. nothing supernumer-
ary,-to use Methodistic phrase
ology, which we perhaps unconscious
ly borrow from the Methodist General
Conference now in session here. Things
servicable yesterday, but not remaining
SO to-day, are unceremoniously and
without conjunction thrown aside, to
give place to that which will vigorous
" do to-day's work. It is difficult to
perceive how Chicago could condemn
the Hindoo for drowning his no longer
serviceable parents in the Ganges.
Everybody is at work, and in a hur-
ry. Nobody lounges. There are no
loafers. If any one should set himself
here to the doing of nothing, he would
soon so catch the surrounding spirit as
to do it with all his might. John Gil
pin has converted the whole city. Once
here, and you can no more help moving
than You can help being damned in
the crowd that surge in at the opening
of the door at Spurgeon's Tabernacle;
and, once moving, there is no place,
nor Time NOR chance to stop. You go
ahead, you accelerate your steps, you
hurry, you run-there is no station, no
stopping, but in bankruptcy or death,
and the ruling passion is strong even
in these.
And SO the city is growing with I'M
exampled rapidity, stretching Its arms
in every direction, and taking all that
1t touches to itself. Peaceful farmers,
dreaming of residing far away from
the vices of the city, wake up to find
the surveyor laying of an avenue
through their grain fields, and car
penter putting up a corner store in the
midst of their garden vegetables, and
six "real estate" men waiting to get
his ear toknow what he will take for
his "chance." N
Apparently impossible schemes find
no greater difficulty than overcoming
the increduRlity of the outside world.
A few yet want to drink water, and
forthwith an engineer takes a squad
of workmen, goes down under Lake
Michigan, and brings thence, in
abundant supply, the best water any
of our American cities can boast.
sewers mostly run, moves too sluggish
to carry Off the filth, ileaving it to breed
malaria and invite death. Forthwith
huge pumps are put in up at Bridge
port, and by their action the river is
made to run up hill, and this aceumu-
ted Pntridity is discharged into the
Illinois river, to run into the Gulf of
Mexico, and by the movement of the
pumps and of gravitation it Is aerated
and purified, and the separated gasses
are made the source of more abundant
vegetable life along the basin of the re-
ceiving river. Whether its moral filth
can be so easily disposed of is not APP
parent. ,-.r r
Closely associated, yet often not as
sociating, are extreme and representa-
tive elements, good and bad, of almost
everything that anywhere effecte hui
manity. Churches and brothels stand
in wonderfully close proximity. The
Young Mems Christian Association
presents some of the most admirable
traits of human character and deeds,
anywhere to be found, while the worst
and most desperate Protligacy is or
ganized at the next door to carry on
noblest women, whose deeds are
woven into the records of
imperishable fame, and linked forever
with the precious memories of the dear
est associations that can cluster around
the hospital and the field of carnage,
have home in Chicago. In addition,
there are said TO be there also some H.
900 women of easy virtue, of the vari-
Gus grades of female degradation.
What Chicagois to be in the future,
it may be difficult to tell. 1t now mani
testify distances all our other inter-
continental cities. st. Louis, from its
ticipated it, so that its present prestige
had never been. To snrpass 1t now, at
this too late day, will be a much hard
er task, and will require an enterprise
and an energy that is questionable If
st. Louis possesses. At present, Chi
cago is the most enterprisinR and ener-
getic city of the world. SPIEGEL.