, 1877-08-12
And the Amusements Of That
Primitive Period,
An Excursion Up the South Brauch.--
Ike Cooks Fortunes.
The Auotion-Rooms and the Persons Who
Ban Them-~Mr. Mayor Garrett.


motisc TO amusement, pastiu1es, Or recreation
Is sinstlnctivc il human nature, and may ado
throughout brute creation. The PLAYING to
cether Of children, and parents playing will
their children, is amusement, and yet no wrong
No mother can bc SO sad, so overwhelmed with
eriei and anxiety, but that she will respond tt
the unconscious playfulncss Of her child; and
,uch III act can but cheer and encourage thai
distressed mother. Beyond this, how "a,
amusement can be pursued without doing wrong
md vithou: incurtlng the penalties Of wrong
doing, it is not my province here to consider.
Each of mY readers can determine for himself
on this question. remembering the scrptura1
words s'uappy is he who condcmneth not him,
. sell in that which be alloweth.''
! Early Chicago had its amrscmcnts, and it is
ny aim to recall them as memory serves, and tc
record them. Probably
xHE FIRST E1u1NIT1oN or PROFESSIONAL
ACTORS,
tne first real +tthown was that Of a circus In
September or October, 1896. rhey pitched thei.
tent on Lake street, on the lot now occupied BIZ
tie store Of William Blair d Co. Just west
and adjoining stood the old Sew-York House,
then being th1rd on the list Of hotels in
Chicago; the Lake House and the fremont tax.
ing the lead. The New-Yor} House WAS 4 two
story wooden building with caves to the street,
in the style OF country tayerns of those days, It
much rescmbted the old building at the corner
Of Lake and Canal streets, which was then called
the Chicago Hotel, though better known BIZ its
original name, The Green Tree. In the rear of
the Ncw-York House stood its large barn, which
was necessary attachment to hotel in Chica-
70 at that time As the circus-tcnt stood lit
t1f bark from the street it Was near thn barn
,rhic,, vss made use of as a convenience fnr
,.ss;nr Tho ho,ses Ia and from tho +ort ~
p@a7 ..;H,. :. W. ve'''' lug
c1rcns-l tnink thev called It Inc Grand
Equestrian Arena'-Tas not as extensive as
,Barnum's, nor did thcy have separate tents for
horses or ANYTHING else, But the performance
w,s wonderful Onc rider hv thc n,,na ~
60. ,.o, 49, fou,1-o-a - A.. n.s. ~
o'oDe "@@o puI ~ ~ - Wv N.'u1e e'len1 'as
tae greatest a'1uS eaoest11au' anu go ne "as.
for aughtt the boys knew. In fact, re believed
It implicitly, for wc could never think for q mo-
r,cn+ ,t,,t cnr o,,e 1vord ,,{sronrocan+ In s,,,,
.*to- Tha.s-h 49, 49,. .,a..- -
"11ist' Aoo0sA ~ 4Alei oeais' Sioce see1uE
the real wonders IN Barnum's ptoccsslon,-thc
gittering chariot, the majestic lion stuffed with
st-aw, proppcd up on the top of a high wagon
1-,a,t,,. ~ ,,o,+b and roer;n, ~ h,11o,r;ao,
.3 ..,s.zAs.e . 5
III sacn an uneassu4s ina"ue1 Us Inc procession
passed along, and the image In imitation Of
u scarecrow, and the little Images of colored
rn13rcn ~, similar hi,-}, ncrrhes danr;no so
lively. and the bic bell ringing from an
other v2rou and the like too numerous to
1nrnt;on-I sav since sccinr these wonders
foyc had a susnicfonthat in tGose carly days We
1rrrr somewhat n,fs}cd. However. Mr.. Stone.
in cios,nr 1hc ncrformance. would apuear in In,
f1ian character. This was ycrv thrilling. At
least. tic advertisement called it So Stil1, it
seemed to me- rs it did to the cxited French
King on a similar OCCASION that it was ttycr
good, ycr good, but yon such. fou,
It is coourh'' But the rcdcerninc fea-
lure Of the show, that upon which
We could dwell with eyer~rccurriEs pleasure and
satisfaction was the singing Of Billv Barlow in
costume. The costume can be imagined from
the words Of the chorus:
Oh. dear. I'm raercd know.
But look at the pe1fcctions Of young Billy Barlow
Nwould be curious to know how many of the
4;rs, Shn,r e>3N. '1i ~|''A'
prcvnns to this tbr-e had hccn
SOW .,.Trrn ,TTrM1rs
at amuscmcnts. Tllt: previous wi1ter-tl,at Of
1s2S.,3N~ 1vccu,,, ,yos instituted f,r 1iscuss;nn
am defatc. and course nf lcri,,rcs had hcen
Delivered heforc II bv Dr- John r. Tcmnlc- H.
ius,rsted l,y ~ cxncrirnents ri with the retort'
,1,cn t1,or ha,1 vo1f cL1.cs IN horschocK
pr,;rie WOLVES wcrc numerous. Many n night
1nsrn hoo, ,r.i-nncd m frrthcr froIn tim he,rt
af 1fE 1se ', 1nwn that Har1son street. nv their
hidcons and uncarrhly howls aud cries. Hunt
ino was = connon and constant nasfime- Ducks
an5, marie hcns-they cali tLem prairic chickens
nowrwcfc abundant. Que could never foil to
frd dnrIs in thc riycr anywhere from Maiison
strest mt ~ ~ winter tho r,ycr nrcsentcd =
Ireir scene nt dr;v5nfr and rarinr an The ire With
cr,te-s T1erc ,yrrS m suh,1rhs to visit. mr.
ne;rIhorinfr towns hence drives were nrinci-
ii lien sanys It was iamentabiy Lu the case that
rr,e M. infrcouent and % AZ times were f1nsh.
Eoner T abundsnt' and mi miliionaires l numerous