The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-10-20
COIUNIBIA TENNESSEE OCTOBER 49,,

: endeavOring to convey it away t
: places of safety, we're beset by thieve.
? even in the street, in the glarish Iigh
OF their consuming houses, and rob
) bed OF their remaining all.
One instance is known of q hack
man exacting from distracted hus
band $3.50 to convey his invalid wifi
from his burning home to q place @
; sefety. Twenty-Five dollars was re
gsrded as q very moderate charge 70
an express wagon to take a load tel
squares. Fifty and one hundred dol
lars were frequently demanded for tn,
use of q wagon and team of two horse
for half an hour. 1t seemed that hal
the people of this class had turned ou
TO be thieves and robbers of the mos
dangerous character. Instances ar,
known in which hackmen agreed t.
convey ladies from the region of tn,
disaster to a place of safety, aud wher
q little way from the crowds delib
erateIy robbed them of their jewelry
and whatever valuables they migh
have about them, and then turning
them out of their cabs to take care o.
themselves.
When the fire was raging along
Lasalle Clarke and State streets, and
sweeping onward toward Washington
and Randolph, toward the north, the
great commercial houses were thrown
open and an effort made to save the
most valuable goods. The harvest OF
the thieves began at this time. The
I hoa
on prOfiting by the fire now went in
with great zest. They loaded them
selves with the richest goods and
sought a place of concealment. A
banker had cash-bOx in his hand,
containing $4,000, which he was en-
deavOriDg to convey away. Three
deeperadoes seized apOn him With the
intention Of robbing him. To prevent
it he threw the box with its valuable
contents, into the fire, rather than
yield it to these ghouls of disastrous
fate.
COMPLAINTS.
Reports of inhnmanity on the part
of the wealthy people whose houses
happened to he in the unburned dis
trict are frequent. 1t is said they bar
ricaded their residences, barred and
locked their doors, drove the distressed,
who had congregated in their court
yards and sheds away andrefused to all
low them even the scant shelter they
sought in that hour of their great ex-
tremity. Some of the scenes were
extremely pitiable. Mothers with
starving babes perishing from want
and cold, besOught with neartrending
supplications little of the kindDesses
which might have been extended ap-
parently without danger of pillage by
the rabble. But it was every one for
himself, and there was no charity.
Tie fear of plunder deaiened mems
hearts and wOman's sympathies, and
the harsh treatment returned in way
entirely unexpected and with a ven
geance which was terrible. Rul1iaus
set fire to mansions and burned down
houses over the inmates heads. I'M
aginatiOn cannot picture the horrible
scenes.
Scaipers obtained ill-gotten gains
for the use Of an express wagon for
but short time; ST5 was demanded
for removing trunk from one railroad
to another, and So was charged for a
cup of coffee.
Persons accuse railroad-men of be-
ing utterly demoralized, and state that
they saw stolen bolts of silk and other
valuable goods being conveyed on
one of the railroads running east from
Chicago.
The police were absolutely of no Use,
and looked carelessly on V lille depre-
dations were being committed.
The fury of the fiery blast was ire
sistible; smeke and sand were whirled
across the black plain with a force
which those can only have any con-
ception of who have been in q general
a street so binding was the smoke.
People whose prosperity had so sud-
denly vanished were seen walking |
the streets maniars; others blew
their brains out, and incendiaries were !
shot without ceremony.
SPIRIT OF THE PEoPLE-REBUILDT THE |
CITY.
From the Chicago Tribune of Thursday |
All is not lost, though four hundred |
million dollars worth of property has !
been destroyed-Chicago still exists. I
She was not mere collection of stone,
brick and lumber; they were but the |
external proof Of the high courage,
energy, strong faith
and restless perseverance which have
built up here a commercial metropolis.
The great natural resources are all in
existence. The lake, with its navies
the spacious harbor; the vast empire
of production extending westward to
the Pacific; the great outlet from the
lakes to the ocean 4; the thirty-six lines
of railroads connecting the city with
every part of the continent; these,
tie great arteries of trade and COM
merce, all remain unimpared, undi-
and all ready for immediate
What. therefore, has
been lost? We have lost the accumu-
lated profits Of twenty years of pros
porous growth. We have lost money,
but we have saved life, health, vigOr,
and industry. We have dozen grain
elevators yet remaining. We have,
within thirty-six hours time, tue
whole country to draw upon for sup
plies of every description of goods.
In two weeks from the date OF the |
fire our merchants can fill almost any
order for merchandise that may be
sent them. The credit of Chicago is
saved when the whole country has
faith and hope and confidence in us.
There will he no depression in CHI
cago itself.
The wholesale trade of the city can
be resumed at once. Temporary |.
warehouses are being erected aud
business resumed. Let no trouble be |
borrowed from the psst. All the losses
of fire will be passed into the great |
house, aud the payment Of
balances will De made easy for every
body.
Rich men have become poor. the |
of years have been de. |
stIOyed, but 10 one will sit down and |
waste time crying over split milk. Let |
us avail ourselves of the liberal spirit |
which the country has shown in our |
calamity. There are no relentlses |
creditors pressing us for payment, fore
closing mortgages, Or demanding the |
full measure of their bonds. On the !
contrary, the world is asking us to |
take money, unlimited credit and go \
ahead, leaving the past to be taken |
care of in future, VIXEN Chicago shall |
have resumed her power and glory.
Let the watchwOrd thenceforlh be,
Chicago shall rise again.
CHICAGo's GRATITUDE.
from the Chicago Tribune of Thursday.l |
The response of the people of the
puited States to the appalling calami-
ty which has Overtaken our city has
no parallel i'm the history of the world
since Christ died for our sins. We can
not return our thanks for their loving
tintuess Words faIter on our Iins