The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-03
The Chicago of To-day.

snrvev the ruins aud to note the rapid chang !
es in the aspect of the city. l have caught
myself to-day, several tines, uttering that
trite exclamation, wonderful! as surveyed the
burnt district from different points of observa
ton. and noticed the activity every where DIS
played in the business parts of the city, IN re-
moving the rubbish, and erecting temporary
buildings. The elasticity of the people under
the weight which has crushed them aoouto
seem marvellous, had we not had an exhipit'on
of similar rebounding in the Portland eAperF
ence. 1t is said that fifteen thousand buildings
have gone M on the ruins of Chicago, In tne
two weeks past This may be an exagseiA''on
but probably not. OF course these structures
are most of them small and hastily put tose'n-
er-nearly all Of wood.
The unburnt portions of the Avenues pre-
sent the singular aspect OF business anu re'
dence combined, most OF the Easements anu
many of the parlors having been converted In
70 offices. banking Iooms and houses OF mer-
chandise; and that too at enormous rents.
The prompt resumption of business by the
hanks having their deposits. in full, and facing
every obligation, was most happy and really
qion-we might as well say of the entire conn
try. But for this panic must have ersued.
and thousands have made an utter failule,who
will now pass through this crisis OF fire with
ouly thorough smuggling. The feeling is thor
oughly averse to failing, even when very
plausible opportunity offers. 1t seems to me
that the position, now so fully established in
our government affairs, that our national
debts "must and shalp be hOnorably paid, is
exertipg a very salutary influence in pri-
vate circles; SO that no man cares now to
bear the stigma of failure aoith suspicious at
tached.
One of the aspects of the city at noon to-day
was very touching. Passing the Plymouth
church. about noon, hundreds Of citizens were
crowding in to be served with their daily ra-
tions-aud bearing them away with strange
intermingling of gladness and sadness ia their
expression 1t reminded me of similar sight
in the south at the close of the war, when a
similar exercise of humanity saved thousands
from starvation. saw statement to-day in
some Maine paper, that the multitude requir.
ing to bs fed, in Chicago, by the hand of char.
ity, was reduced to %, 900. A published state.
ment, on official authority, places the number
of rations issued yesterday at 40 900. and adds
that five millions of sdollars will probably be
required to take the sufferers through the win
ter season. The real pinch of suffering is YET
to come, when the don atoms at first prompted
| by aa impulsive generosity, shall become ex
| hausted. Systematic and considerate effort
will then be required in all parts of the coun
| n faar cd
benefactions Of the liberal will be wasted, o.
| unwisely distributed. 1t is very true Chat idle
ness and greed may impose upon the relic
committees at first, and doubtless have done
SO to some extent, but measures have beer
adopted to exclude unworthy recipients and
to provide work for those who are unemployed
and able to labor. Every mans labor, indeed
is in demand in the work of clearing and re.
building, and at wages, in many cases, higher
than before the fire.
happy stroke Of public policy is that by
which the leading men of the city have united
upon list of candidates for city and county
offices without regard to partizan politics.
They have selected for these places the best
men to be had in the city, in the exercise OF
their combined good Judgment. Such board
of officers will command the confidence of cti.
zens at home, and the people abroad, who are
80 generously offering aid in money and credit.
met city pastor to day, whose church
upon the South side is saved, but some OF
whose people have suffered seriously. He
gave me the names of several other pas
tors, who, like himself, have relinquished
their claims to their regular salaries and
tn
upon short rations rather than look for other
placesand full salaries The walls of Robert
Collyer's church and of the New England
church upon the North side, still stand almost
entire, and plead with sad eloquence for the
people who formerly worshpped there. 1t is
said that every family constituting the New
England" society was burnt cut.
Tue absolute desOlation on the North side is
much greater in appearance than on the South,
where there is a vast amount of brick and
stone, in walls or thrown down, to remind you
that Chicago aoas. On the North side most Of
the buildings were of wood, and only ashes re-.
main. The heart sickens as the eye takes in
acre upon acre of this dlesnlata a- 4hara
is fine spirit OF hopefulness and energy ev-
erywhere displayed, which will eventually
overcome the apparently insuperable obstacles
to the resurrection of the city. In this effort
capitalists from other cities are ready to unite,
A gentleman from New York came to Chica.
go the other day expecting to purchase real es-
tate in the burnt district at large discount
from former prices. He found no such prices
as he expected, and returned without invest
ing Hundreds of merchants and other bust.
ness men from the surrounding country have
been waiting for opportunities to transfer their
business to Chicago. Many of this class will
now find openings and will step in to replace
those also who have been entirely Frustrated
by this blow. Thus when the city shall rise
again in its new array of iron and brick and
stone, while many old firms will hang out heir
signs or the old familiar corners, many new
names will appear; aud new elements will he
everywhere found in the business of the city.
Yours very truly, E. P. w.
Lake Forest, Oct. 3Oth, 1871.