Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-01-05
The Grand Duke in Chicago.

The Russisn Grand Duke arrived IN
Chicago, Saturday evening, over the
Michigan Central, and vas duly received
by o committee and welcomed by Mayor
Medill, in speech in which he begged the
Duke to overlook any Deficiencies in the
Inequalities Chicago would gladly have
extended to him, and said:
awe have been reduced almost to pic.
ncer condition by blast of fame. The
stery of the fearful misfortune that recent
ly oger whelmed our fair city, you have
BEARD. 1t is too sad and terrible to re-
peat, out its visible evidences are spread
out around you for miles, and their appal
ing magnitude will be shown your Impe
rial Highness before your departure.
Chicago was ravaged by the fire as was
the capital of your country sixty years
ago, and must exhibit to your eyes many
of the scenes and appearances observed by
your grandunce after that tremendous
confagration In this plight your Impe-
rial Highness finds us, The most we
have to show you is an undiscouraged,
resolute, enterprising people, toiling
among the ruins of their homes and prop
erty, and boldly battling with the wintry
elements to rebuild their habitations and
places of business. Had your visit been
few months sooner, we could have received
you in style not only beGtting your rank
and station, bat in cOnsonance with the
high esteem in which we hold the Czar,
your father, who befriended this nation
in the hour of its need, by holding back
the threatened Intervention of other Euro.
pean powers, from whom we had reason
to expect better things. The gratitude Of
Republican America will ever be due to
the Emperor Of Russia for the firm friend
ship evinced at that crisis Of our nations
history But your Imperial father has
other claims upon the good will of the
Americans His great act of Emancipa-
ton, whereby he elevated twenty five mil
lions Of serfS to the rank of freemen, chal-
lenges our admiration and secures to his
name immortality. Greece produced an
Alexander The Great, but Russia has pro-
duccd a greater Alexander One was
great only in branding down people, while
the other exhibits his greatness in raising
them up. AS the son Of such father, as
we'll as for your own manliness of charac-
ter, the people of Chicago extend to you
it's right hand of friendship. They will en-
deavor to make your stay with them as
pleasant and agreeable as circumstances
would permit, and after you have seen
Chicago in her desolation and aff1iction,
we should plead to obtain your promise
to visit her again during our national CEN
tenniai jubilee four years hence, to witness
the transformation that labor and enter
prise and resolution shall have wrought
in that brief period. Every trace of tie
late disaster will be etfaccd. The streets
will again be adorned with lordly and
magnificent palaces of commerce and ex-
change, her temples of science and art
viii be rebuilt more beautiful thar before,
the shops Of industry and the dwellings
of her citizens will be vastly multiplied,
and strangers and traders will fill her va
rious hostlerics and throng her busy
streets in greater crowds than before the
fire Chicago has been severely scorched,
but her vitality is untouched. She still
weds her business as the Queen OF the
lakes, the metropolis of the northwest,
the focus OF railroads, the nations store
house for bread and meat, and the prairie's
depot for lumber, iron and merchandise.
Once more welcome you to Chicago, and
tender you its freedom of the city"
The Duke replied in a few appropriate
words and soon was made comfortable at
the fremont. Sunday he was driven
about the city some, and Monday he was
formally shown the city, and in the after
noon made a few New Years calls with
Gen. Sheridan, leaving for Milwaukee on
Tuesday. .s- a