Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1871-12-30
RELICS OF THE CHICAGO FIRE.
Their Mannfnctnre-A Museum for their
preseryRtiOn-SOmcA Articles whjc n might
be Contributed as Characteristic Tokens.

| ne chlCagO IRE fellcS are Just now
the most numerous in the world, inf
nltely more so than pieces of the cruci-
fix on which our Savior died, which are
encountered in Italy. In point of num-
ber, they surpass the Roman coins in
the British Museum, or the tablets,
statues, and mosaics that Pompei and
Herculaneum have resurrected. They
are more interesting in this numerous
feature than they are in any intrinsic
merit of their own This fact has been
duly appreciated in Milwaukee,, where
they have already established a manu-
factory of Chicago relics that is doing -
larger business than Milwaukee ever
hoped to obtain.
Milwaukee may do smashing trade
IN certain line of Chicago relics. They
can probably manufacture paper weights
by fusing papers of tacks together, or
can melt beads into a heterogeneous
mass; they can spoil old crockery by a
blow pipe combination, and otherwise
initiate the articles of bigotry and vir.
tue" which are supposed to be all that
Is left of Chicago as it was. There are
other relics of Chicago, however, which
Milwaukee can never hope to achieve.
| There are relics Of Chicago trade and
| Chicago energy that Milwaukee will
never be able to initiate. Among the
rarest relics are greenbacks. For few
days subsequent to the fire, and before
the banks opened, a $40 government
| bill looked as big as bed blanket.
After the banks opened there were
greenbacks enough, but their pa Us
relics was taken by checks. A s.sned
and certified check was so rarely seen
that it promised to become as much of
a curiosity as Mahlon Ogden's house or
MIR. McCagg's conservatory, on the
North Side. Charred currency was one
ct the most deceptive of all the relics
the fire turned out. The more you had
of it the less it was worth If you sent
thousand dollars worth off to Wash
ington, you would be pretty sure to get
back about seven dollars and a half
the remainder being national. bank
currency which the government knows
too much to redeem. ,E,...
About as uncomfortable relic as the
fire left was safe. Unlike Mrs.
Toodles' door-plate, with the name of
Thompson, and her coffin, it is not
handy thing to have in the house. The
suggestion for monument of safes was,
therefore, greedily accepted py all men
who were so unfortunate as to be the own
ers of these iron instances of incon-
stancy. The only objection to this
scheme for monument of safes is
that, it another great fire should come.
it would probably be among the first
things to be destroyed. If it is desira
bic to have monument of the great
conflagration, which shall be fire. proof,
it would probably be surer to build it of
papier machs. - -.a. ~
A good relic of the fire is an insur-
than it is as policy. There will also
be no difficulty in keeping it. 1t would
be the last thing on earth that anybody
would ever steal. An insurance policy
in Chicago company would be good
thing to throw in among your papers of
value. 1t would be burglar-proof If
thief should ever come across it he
would drop the whole mass AS valueless.
Ii Chicago insurance policy is better
for one thing than it is for another, it is
better as relic than it is for kindling
a fire; as rule, it is too hard and tough
to serve for the latter purpose.
Among the most dilapidated relics of
the conflagration was that numerous
anatomical specimen, usually preserved
in spirits, that is sometimes known as
hummer" and sometimes as "scala.
wag." The fire cleaned out this class of
individuals SO completely that one of
them will henceforth be regarded as the
greatest curiosity of this community.
1t might be an interesting, and GER
talnly highly patriotic proceeding to
gather together into museum OF the
fire a relic from each of the most prom
inent institutions and buildings of the
city. A few suggestions may contribute
to give this movement some practical
shape.
From the Tribune building might be
taken that historic cockroach which
seemed to be about the only live thing
more characteristic were desired, and
the museum building should prove to
sufficiently strong to bear up under the
weight, one of the editorials of that
paper-select any one for the past four
years-would indicate something of the
ponderosity of the institution.
From the Times establishment there
would be so many good things to select
that it would be difficult to hunt its
representative. 1t would be most char
acteristic, perhaps, TO select one Of the
religious articles of the Sunday edition
criticizing the worldly and profane
course of the daily editions, or a chapter
| on the horrible crime of abortion, as
practiced in this city before the fire.
In the matter of the Mail, Republican,
Post, and Journal, their entire edition for
one day might be gathered in without
taking up any room to speak of.
| The theatres would furnish some in
terestipg relics. Crosby's Opera House
might possibly contribute some blonde
wigs, good many short skirts, a few
pads for the limbs, and one or two
Theodore Thomas tickets. McVicker
could spare some of the brass horns he
used to have in his orchestra, and mo-
del for the most cosy auditorium in the
country. From Woods Museum might
be bottled one of those ancient and fish
like smells that used to come up from
the regions below, and ladys hand
kerchief to be used alternately in pro-
tecting the nose from this onslaught,
and in smashing" the young men in
the parquet. From Hooley's might be
transmitted Frank Aiken's " Ticket-of
Leave" The Dearborn theatre could
deposit for safe-keeping that wonderful
baby which created such rumpus in
Its internal arrangements.
The hpta1S of Cb;aoao ao,,1l