, 1872-10-27
Condition Of Affairs in This City
in October, 1871.
The "Fire-Pr00f TiCket''---Strike
of the Workingmen.
Eighty Thousand Persons De-
pendent Upon Charity.
Curious Suggestions by Eastern
Newspapers, Etc.

It is interesting in the days Of our present
prosperity, so rapidly regained from the chaos
WHICH the fire produced, to look back OCCASION
ally q. the condition Of affairs in our city short
twelvemonth ago. The lesson is instructive,
and should teach the faint-hearted that in the
lexicon of age as well as Of YOUTH there should
be found no such word "fai." 1t teaches
that honest labor must produce its own full re-
ward, and that courage and determination III q
right direction cannot but succeed
In reviewing the plans formed year ago, one
can derive satisfaction from their good fruits
gained, and observe calmly the errors which
may have crept into them to render the achieve
ments q triae less brilliant than they were ex-
pected to be. Experience is often ikencd to
the ste1u-ight OF o vessel, throwing its illu-
minating rays only upon the path that has been
trayersed, but glance into the past
OF a year ago, remote, indeed. ct the
rate ne have been travelling, ca,lnot but be in
teresting and Instructive, in spite OF tie ancient
adage, replete IS that past is With emotions
which we're Of the koenest character: and pos
sessing elements of nobility whose rcawaLc:iag
can never work anything but good.
4 year ago almost includes the date Of the
fire: and as a complete resume Of tie works that
have been performed since that time has alreadv
been given, we do not propose in tia present
article to touch upon the incidents Of that dread
full tine but rather to compare tho present
season with the corresponding few weeks Of last
year, and leave to each reader the task Of draw
ing his oTn conclusions.
4 year ago campaign, purely local in its
character, but vitality interesting to the world,
who we're watching the stricken city with in-
tense attention, was just opened The fate Of
the city, the weI-being Of the Impoverished
people, was in the SCALE The city demanded
then, if st any time, IN honest local govern
ment; then, if at any time, party interests were
secondary consideration, and the general good
3 primary necessity. The ctys credit lad to
be maintained abroad; men Of honesty and in
tegrity were needed. The raising of funds for
necessary purposes, the reconstruction Of the
shattered municipal machinery, was imperative;
and capable, as well as honest rulers, were to DO
chosen In this emergency the people wero to
take their choice. Me1 who we're never candi-
dates for Office before. who held themselves
a1oof from the petty wranglngs Of local poll
tics were called upon 70 befrlend their fellows,
and devote to the general good such wisdom and
experience as had already elevated them above
the fellows who ran the city.
In this emergency tue Central Committees Of
the Republican and Democratic parties, acting
in harmony with the general wish Of the good
citizens, decided to forego any hostlities: and
unite in the nomination Of good men who could
be supported by all who had the clty's real in
terest, and not their Own individual pocket at
heart. Tho two Committees met On Oct. 26 and
q. and concluded their labors with the ronina-
ton of county and city oliclals III e manner
which the vote Of tho people few weeks later
pronounced to be entirely satisfactory. EZpe-
rience has proved to them that the choice they
3o-r 3hu+ of11o
mated to serve no mere party purposes, but for
the general good, have done all in their power
to secure good government. and that the
CITY affairs have 2eye7 been better or more
honestly administered than they have been
by the gentlemen who were elected on
tie Fire Proof Ticket" The experiment vas
triumphant success, and the wisdom and gen
erosity which ignored party, and looked at
worth was greeted hJ the watching world with
q round of applause; whose echoes have not
ceased to sound.
4 wear ago the question of whether the city
should be- rebuilt had been emphatically decided
substantial structures. The call for mechanics
had not es yet been answered, and strike
among the bricklayers and stonemasons fol-
lowed The strike was confined only to indi-
,idual buildings, and wages rose from $3.50 to
s4.50 without any particular delay in building
or acrmonv between employer and employee.
Az i was Just beginning to be understood
throughout the city that building would be
pnshed forward through the winter, the mechan-
les we're satisfied with that figure, and Worried on
an average four days out Of the six They had
not then thought OF limiting their hours to
eight, but we're content to toll for ten hours
without uuImur.
A year ago nearly $4,000 persons we're mainly
1rnrld for their maintenance. Nobody supposed
1yhen the relief barracks we're occupying the site
NOW known as Green's Garden, that the occu-
nsnts of these limited quarters would, within a
1f,1 o&.l 1-t>1
{io1s that have since then been given upon the
mt where their vu'tuous couches we're spread.
T11t thev hsve undoubtedly done 80. Green's
Garden was not even thought Of, nor sere ex-
1,o17rnr IN from all quarters, and being distrib-
nted day by day to the hungry and ill-clad IN
fortnnates vino we're driven to dependence. To-
daV these unfortunateB are again earning their
daily bread 3 summer OF hard work and good
pay has given them surplus fund for the needs
nf pf' he winter The hired domestics
On tho other hand who we're exceptionally
difficult to obtain year ago, who were unusu-
ally insolent year ago, and who appeared as
body to have been tn the ranRa Of n
auatt9, a'9ffari,ng Responsibility who wero SO de.
nendent On their services. As the contri-
buttons continued to arrive, ana me 91 seem OF
.,rar reached the upturned nostr1s OF the lnde-
ppandent kitchen-1ady, tho advertising columns
eefTHE TRIBUNE show that more and more press:
demand for 7eEs fSs
E@end ~ these delicate creatures for domestic
From few M ho5s b S8 eans4 nSass
cal1n ~ ~ 1;st sTelled on Sundays to over q
ca1nn %G1n, of Of frantio M assurances that i young
o Rst e1sgtsa %ee sHss Tsaa oa soPas. Ss
1Jav eesn at guch place, every opportunity for
g5 sos enjoyment and recreation would be Gladly Y
afforded her, and no awkward questions as + to
sbsrecter be considered necessary. But the
a1t;c cnsn assursnces grew more and more frequent
% Tsn nTo7 tSs Rssa saa fSesty Ss avertssps snn
NV ou" m the other side of the fence.
aeae year ago the condition Of the city vas not
-e1r - much superior to the present as regards
~ lumber Of criminals it contained. There
luz Luz . i've. murderers in Jail awaiting trial
The :oay is g5eter eg &C One ss mnFdeFgs o s
aoo1as s1ne year ago hundreds Of anxious friends
-ara inaui1ing for missing persons. a long List
a Hete daily furnished in the morning papers, but
Nas NasxrseEs after the fire, inquiries continued to