Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-03-28
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FROM WISCONSIN.
PRAIRIE DU CHEN, WIS,


W
derful prairie City, Chicago.
We spent the last Sabbath there.
The weather was delightful. The
sun shone warm and bright -
Everybody who possessed, or who
could hire a conveyance, was out
driving on the fine avenues.
We took drive with friend
through the city. The two thou
sand acres which were swept over
by the fire flendin 1871. present no
longer scent OF de.oiation. The
one hundred anu ninety millions
Of dollars Of property destroyed in
that disastrous fire las been re-
placed by property Of perhaps dou-
BILE that value. TIE new city is
far more substantial and magnifi-
cent than the old one.
In few h )urs on the Sth of Oc-
tOber, 1871. twenty-five thousand
buildings were destroyed by fire.
And among them the principal ho-
tells and business houses, of the city.
On the site OF these extensive ruins
the visitor now finds costller and
gfander structures.
The hotels of Chicago
were regarded as among the finest
on the continent, but they were far
inferior to those magnificent pala-
ces which have been erected over
the ashes of the old ones. New
York, Boston and Philadelphia
have fine hotels, but the finest Of
them are common place structures
when compared to the new hotels
in Chicago. Nothing can surpass
the architectural beauty of the
front elevation Of the new Parnel
House, while "The fremont.
1.-THE Sherman" 1.-THE Pacific,o
are but little inferior. And the
inside finish and the furniture of
the fremont House renders ii
worthy ofthe name of the "Chica-
go Palace" Your readers will be
astonished to learn that in this ho-
tel the bar where Intoxicating Ii
quors are sold, is furnished in all
respects as fine as any hotel par
Tor in New York. Ofcourse these
hotels do not pay directly, but cap
italists who own real estate within
and without the city limits,
understand that good hotels make
a city attractive, and add to the
value of all the other property in
and around the city. If the men
owning property in and adjoining
MartinsDurg would act upon the
hnalcial policy which has made
men millionaires in Chicago, they
would not let summer pass with
out erecting a hotel in your grow
ing town, which would be an orn-
ament to the place, and which
would pay hundred fold in adj
vancing the business and increas-
ing the value OF property.
The peculiar character Of the
people of Chicago is displayed in
their untiring activity. They seem
ever in hurry. Nothing discour-
ages them. No problem is too diff
gcult for them TO solve No un-
dertaking too great to be perform
ed. Ifthey need water TO supply
the wants of the city, they burrow
under the lake and carry the fresh,
cool waters from far beyond the
shore to the heart of the city, and
distribute it to each house. The
waters of the river running thro'
the city are still, and is found to
be unhealthy. They make chan
mel and force the waters of the
lake into the river above the city,
and thus produce healthy stream.
They find that when the bridges
across the river are drawn to pass
the vessels, that they loose too
mnch time in waiting for them to
be turned back And SO they tun-
mel under the river, and make a
highway under the waters, and
loose no time waiting at the river.
And SO the current of their busy
life is not stopped.
The Sunday morning papers
announced in many Instances
the texts from which sermons
would ne preached in the leading
churches during the morning and
evening services, and then were
selected as the basis of sermons
upon the life of Charles Sumner.
In the evening we attended SER
vices at st. Johns Episcopal
church, Rev. DIR. FL. N. Powers
officiating. His subject was
"Charles Sumner" In the course
of his sermon he said:
"We can point our children now
ito an example of public virtue at
home. without need preference to
Roman models. Amid the politi-
scal degeneracy of the times, fair as
a white lilly on the sluggish pool
is this clean name fragrant with
honor. How puerile seems the
gable of politicians in the trnm-
pet peal of his inspiring speech.
How trivial seem the insignia of