River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-08-31
CHICAGO.
| BATTLING LETTER FROM
A. j. WHITE.
River hSiIs---A Ringing speech ErOm
Wm. "a. winchcster--.ESls Buglo
IL as Clear in Peace ns In War.
Cn1clno. Aug. %. 1919.

EDT0Rs JouRNAL:--It may interest
your readers TO hear something about
Chicago; what the hard times and the
''whiskey ring have been. and are,
doing Tor us. In the first place Chica.
90 has for long time borne the repu.
tation ofbeing on the borders Of hnan-
cial ruin. every thing is mortgaged
To death, has been a common SAYING
in reference to the place. "You will
see the bottom fall out Of it before
long, ITS mighty risky" "Milwau-
kee is bound 10 he the place; she has
got the location to build on; she is
slow and sure like st. Louis; and amt
mortgaged to death" II isall eastern
capital they have got IN Chicago, and
SO the fanatics are still looking for the
ruin that is to oyertake this young me-
tropolis Of the northwest. The great
est danger Chicago stands in fear OF Is
that the moon may effect Lake Aiichi-
gan rs it has these fanatics, and the
place be drowned by the Lake over
flowing, or the bottom fall out, and
leave it on the crumbling verge of Il
terrible precipice. The hard times are
severe Oh the poor laboring classes, and
on those who went headlOng into debt
in the wild race of speculation that
sprung out of the war. They mort
gagged every thing thcy could, and for
rs much as the greedy money loaners,
for high rates of interest would loan,
on inflated values, and now when the
panic of % is cooling the fever and
reducing things to their normal condi-
ton. it of course will leave some up in
i balloon. No city stood the shock of
the panic better than Chicago.
think she has had tie least important
failures of any, and never has her
wholesale and iobbing TRADE been heav-
Ter than the last two years. Many of
the large eastern manufacturers and
dealers are finding it to their interests
to come west, and Chicago is most al
ways the objective point. Messrs A.
I. Stewart & Co. have just made ar
to open here. The local
trade is indeed bad and causes a good
deal of talk about hard times, &c. One
great reason for this is the corruption
that has grown into our city govern
ment. We have what is called "bum-
mer rule" The city has been cheated
Of over two millions Of its taxes by il
legal assessments and plundered until
almost bankrupt. With Brlstows war
md the righteous indignation OF the
citizens, the city has been wrested
from the hands of the robbers and
some of the ''big six" fraternity are
now spending their centennial celebra-
ton in quarters reserved for the Devil
md his friends. A new Mayor has
been elected. and with new council
elected last April, things are getting
into better shape. The police and fire
the teachers in our pub
lie shoots, and all the city's employees
IRE being paid off. The reform and
economy of the present administration
IS inspiring confidence and renewing
.he credit of the city. This will dis
tribute large amount of money and
relieve much of the dizziness and dis
Iress caused by mis-rule.
The Hanford murder Of two weeks
ago by Mr.. Sullivan has caused quite
4 feeling among the religious sects,
md it is likely TO make an issue in our
local election this fall, and no doubt ex-
art some influence in the national cam
Daign. 1t was a blow from AntOnelli.
MIR. Ilanford, 4 principal in one of the
high schools, had dared to charge that
Sullivan's wife, who has taken an ac-
i've part in public matters, has writ
ten considerably for the press of the
city upon political affairs, woGan's
rights, &C., for the past six years, had
been using her influence with the
board of education and working injury
10 the public schools, which has prov
ed to be a fact. The Sulliyans are
strong Catholics, and it is believed
their influence will clear the man, or
make his punishment light. As one of
our divines SAID in his pulpit, ITO
hang Sullivan would make Rome howl
Mr.. ). was secretary of public works,
md il has leaked out that this is not
his first entry to nOtoriety. Good
people are anxious, however. that it
Shall be his last. "Timc reyealcth all
things"
Your townsman, Mr.. Winchester,
spent two or three days with us on his
return from visit to his kindred. and
the scenes of his youth among the
Grampian hills OF New England; also
TO the Centennial and the large villages
Of the east. | left your cascade city
on my way home in company with Nr.
We enjoyed the trip TO
very much. William is a iO-
vial travelling companion. Ills rural
life caused him 10 give considerable
notice 70 the crops along the road. Ho
saw no fields Of corn on wheat that
were as good as they had in the Valley
Of the Kinnickinuic. lie complained
a good deal about the corn not being
near as large az he had just been hay-
ing at home. judged that distance
was lending its pcwers OF enchant-
ment to the view William was taking
of things. ! agreed with him that
River Falls WAS beautiful place, and
hy q rich farming country.
that there were many natural advan.
tagcs about IL that would add matrri.
ally to It's growth and prosperity.
fancicd that during The journey he was
taking he would see so many fine
places. so much of wealth aud SPLEEN
dor. that il would require the exercise
Of moral power 60 bring him back.
and he would return feeling that hc
was going into scrlgsion, or deter.
mined to sell ont and move to Boston,
or some of the important cities ~ the
east Not long ago ! found William
on fine morning at my door, looking
tired AVID chafed by travel. on his way
home. After he had been refreshed
nnl rested somewhat. ! began % TO-.
quire of him about what he lad seen.
/ first asked him altout the corn. lie