Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-09-10
Ieatcr Greu. Illinois.

CHICAGO, sept. 4, loio.-l lett tho cities
Of ST. Paul ard Minneapolis quarreling over
that great 'bono of contention" the State
fair. Their pugilism reminds one of tho story |
of the prize.6gbt between Juno and Palas over
the golden apple of discord, SO beautifully told
in ancient mythology or to be moro classical,
it is suggestive of the sparring of two cats,
swinging over clothes line With their tails |
tied together, settling an old family feud.
l arrived in Chicago, the garden city Of the |
West, Just 10 time to witness the tiremcn's pa.
radc !; it would be equally correct to say that
arrived just in time to participate 10 the core.
| to fall in with Gen. LomaX, one of the Presl.
Dental party, and Of course I stuck to him like |
a Dutch uncle. The General very kindly in.
troduced me TO The distinguished company of
official Migrants, and it is singular tact, but
| it is nevertheless true, that instantaueously !
upon my introduction to the party all mental |
power to distinguish the difference between an
| introduction and an invitation to become a
member Of it, for the time being summary
abandoned me. reyolved the words Intro.
duction" and invitation" their dorivations
aid definitions, in my mind in this manner
Introduce, INTRODUCES, Introduce, introduotum-
| to lead forward and bring into invite, invltas,
invitaYi, invitalum-to incite, to allure and 10.
duce to come, and [ couldn't see the differences.
Finding myself in this condition OF mental %.
tuseness, and being somewhat encouraged by
the timely recollection of one of Beau uIck-
mans philosophical observations, shat there
is DO use 10 o great man being so dcvllsh
modest" | experienced but little difficulty in
cleaviDg with hooks of steel to hat caravan OF
Ii hob lima hev n
Chicago.
Chicago, 10 the Indian dialect, means
skunk, also wild onion, from Us strong and
disasreeable odor. Little did tho noble Red.
man dream, when he gave to the place that
disgusting appellation, that it would ever be
great city of beauty and profusion, the scene
of spleudor and testivity, the residence of o.
lightcnment and happiness, and the seat OF art
aod science and learning Chicago is ininitable
q carniva! of eplendors within herself grand
original without model and without shadow;
city which ought to be, if che isn't the 10y
forever" of every American who takes pEldo
10 his country, for certainly she is "a thing OF
beauty :" a garden Of glories a marvel OF
, magnifoeIce. When [ was rolling over the
} concrete pavements of this Queen of Cities. in
grand sndeau, with pranciug steeds and
,, shining enuipsges the observed OF all obscrV-
ers-"the party" of the Presidential pageautry,
you must excuse my weakness if | confess
ttfat felt like boy with horn on Christmas
eve, or to extend the simIle, like a poorhlcker
. with half dozen horns And when the
populace applauded, and strange to say they
appIauded me most of all, felt like Congress
sonsl convention giving birth to Congressman.
As shout on shout arose, like the deep thunder
peal on peal affair."" could not help beiog struck
with the similarity between myself and Napo.
leon Bonaparte when he exclaimed "the ap-
plause of the French people is as sweet to my
ears as the voice Of Josephine" But here is
where got corner on Napoleon. lie had
only the French people to applaud him had
every nationality and bow-egged Indian to
applaud me. But as every grave has its lily,
SO liss every Joy its sorrow and every sweet it's
bitter, or words to that effect, Napoleon was
divorced from the sweet voiced Josephine, q
mensa ct thoro, and in the reverberatiug pIau
dts of the dear people Of Chicago could de.
! tect the absence Of sczodont.
5 But it was at the reception at the Grand
Pacific with hundreds of fashionable people,
bowling and Ecrapng before mo. that | was el.
, eyated to the pins point of happiness and i'm
, portance A living cxempliication Of the pro,
pricty of Byrons much criticised metaphor, |
. stood with music breathing over my face"
squirting through a solitaire eye glass which l
found in the hall way, and my mouth so wide
open that you might have laid ham in it with.
t out noticing it. | felt la Carl Schurz like
t fungus mushroom on stills like tho man eating
2 tree of Madagascar like whale dcpopulatlng
] a whole settlement of Jonases. | can give you
no detailed account of the demonstration in this
hurried communication ; suffice it to say that
Chicago out did herself in the gorgeous excess
+ of her resplendency. The widest animation
, and gayety spread 10 and over all. Fifty thous.
, and strangers, in addition to Chioago's own
little 100000 people, thronged the Streets side
walks, windows and balconies. AS the arrows
Of the Persians, 10 the days Of old, darkoned
the daylight of battle, so on that day 10 Chica.
J 90, the very air was made heavy with pro.
fusion of banners aud flags. 1t was memoir
able occasion in tho annals OF the burnt city.
The procession was immense. and everything
iu the shape Of fire eXtipguishlog apparatus was
exhibited from the latest steam self propcllIng
cugicc with water-throwiug powor equal to
Niagara Falls, down to squirt. The squirts
were innumcrablc. | wish that Joseph Young.
esq.,, cur mutual friend Of the "Old Reliable,
could have been there. The sight of those
splendid apparatuses, fiue horses and elegant
equipments would have made IAN ample tear
trl down his dsmask chez" Shakespeare
and something that has been long needed in
Alexandria would have been supplied by giving
j oe morsel to talk about at odd hours.
At tie Presidents dinner at the Grand Pa.
ciic, and the reception which followed. rot
glimpse at Chicago in her silks and diamonds,
low neck and short sleeves, as we'll as taste of
shrimp salad, broiod wood cock and fet de
tu1f all champighons l have lost all relish
for ccrn bread aud herring. The spacious halls
of that elegant hotel, which is as big as the
First Ward, presented scene cqualllng 10
spiendor the Brussels Ball, when ''Belgium's
capital had gathered there her chivalry and her
beauty The merchant awoko from his reVo'
ric Of price currents, the accountant left his
ledger, the doctor forgot his patients, the law
yer abandoned his clients, the chemist deserted
bis laboratory, the editor rushed from bis sane.
tum, land SCISSORS and tho philosopher ceased
to look through nature up to nature's God,
and each and all came rushing 10 boiled shirts,
nlue hats and musk to see the President: while