New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-12
CHICAGO NOTES.


| L
tFrom the Grand Rapids (xieh.) Bsgle]
tell only what 4 saw and heard AM
thought Of. The connection may be new
with one story frame shanties, and man,
are daily gDing up. On the south side tn,
rubbish Is 90 heavy - to prevent sucl
buildings except on grounds before unOc
cupied. These shanties are very low. 1t il
good thing to BE low. Humility il tn
true basis Of greatness, and mot splendol
and brag. This spplies to cities a. well VI
to men. No work Of men deserves boast
ing-especially if it be done with other PEG
damp ground, I.ssw grass and vegetables
| Is green az it no fire had been over It. Firt
| and destruction strike at the top and shuI
the ground. It is better, therefore, to keeT
near the ground, or we may stand in peri
| Of falling there. .-,-,.,.
| 1t is said that large part Of the burned
were people who were drunk on the fatal
Sunday night, or else engaged in worse
things, which equally put men, faculties to
sleep. 1t Is said in Chicago that many Of
! the policemen of the city were drunk when
the fire broke out. Drunkenness is an evil
which is worse than fire. Fire and death
are some of its milder results.
While on the street heard . boy shout,
as If he was announcing an extra half-holi-
day: THE schoolhouse is all ON fire the
schoolhouse is all ON 6re"' turned the
eyes were wild with alarm. A tub of water
put out dash of fire in the building. But
the engines we're driven in at double speed,
with steam up. the alarm bell struck, and
everybody said, nervously, where is the
fire p People in Chicago are now alert on
the subject of fire. People in Grand Rapids
are not. They make boys play of grave
matters. 1t is better to be scared than to
burn.
Speaking of boys, it was touching to see
little fellows playing marbles in the bar
racks Of the burnt out, just as if the whole
distress was q play spell to them. 1t was
amusing, also, as went along q crowded
street, to see boy thrusting piece of lath
up through knot hole in the sidewalk, and
turning round to see il he could trip up
somebody. Boys, fire and mischief are
what you call fun" But fun to you is
sometimes death to US older frogs.
The insurance companies now foot up
their Losses at about S40,0O0,000. Such a
sum as that threatens the safety even Of the
best companies. It is nearly half their
capital. Every dollar owned by them must
now do . double duty, and take nearly
double risk. Their stockholders must now
pocket their losses and pay back part of
their dividends to raise up their capital to a
safe basis. Most of their premiums, if not
all, will 90 for the same purpose, for a year
to come. Higher rates will now only
hasten the time when they can safely Sc
cure all their risks and pay dividends.
No decent or just man ought to ask in
surance men to do business without profit
equal to the average Of other good business,
which is all they have had. At any rate,
business men will not engage in insurance
when they can not do fairly for their trusts,
and gain q surplus for extraordinary fires.
1t is simple madness and wickedness to say
that large fires will not occur for many
years. The rest of Chicago will burn even
more easily than what has gone, with right
direction of the strong prevailing winds
which blow there. The people Of many
cities including ours, are simply blind and
reckless in regard to such dangers. If they
choose to remain 90, they are most incon-
siderate to demand that other men shall
pay the cost of their heedlessness. Least
Of all should they ask men of insurance to
people for the sake Of giving careless people
rates below safety.
Alas, how many churches are left penni-
less by these fires In one case every one
of eight hundred members was burned out.
In another, church, business and homes
went out and up in q flash. thousand
OF good are thus stopped in their
running. More than twenty pulpits will
stop telling that truth weekly to men, mad
for gain or show, which sheds a few drops
Of GOODNESS ON their heads. hope the
loving and the just viii at least pray for
these poor churches.
A classmate Of mine, well-known law
yer of Chicago, and Of very precise cut,
was escaping from the fire with his wife
and children. They had gone some dis
lance, and he remembered something valua-
Bile. Like a good husband, he fastened
back into the burning district. entered his
house, plunged into his chamber and saved
the supposed precious bag. Patiently he
Anchisos on his back. Arriving. he threw
{ down with an air of triumph, at his
wife's feet. She opened it, and found that
le had saved the family rag-bag. They
ound it very useful in patching up for the
winter.