The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-11-15
THE BIG GRANT BOOM AT CHICAGO.

the monster ILLUMINATION Of the 9th of Octobe
1871 II is not that any special or eXtraordin
ary attention is due to Gen, Grant above any
bound to honor, Two years ago Grant coulC
90 any where in the country and hardly attrac
more attention than Gen Sherman or even hl'
! fraudulent successor in the presidential chain
poor Hayes But Grant has been travelling
| all over the world as a distinguished American
and in the estimation Of most Eastern people
as a royal parsonage, and it became fashiona
bic wherever he went 10 give him formal ere
ception." What one big city did in that way,
the next biz city felt in duty bound 20 initiate
and if possible to excel So when Grant re.
turned 10 this country, European and Asialic
cities and nations having strvcn To outvie each
other in getting up pompous shows in his hon
or, II became altogether obligatory upon all
the great cities OF this country to Guido amy
achievement in that line in the East
1t happened that the first city upon winch
tins obligation fell was san Francisco and al
though Grant himself was anything but fay.
orite there, her noble and generous people cast
aside every lingering thought or feeling Of that
kind and gave him the biggest boom that had
yet been rendered him at any time or in any
quarter ofthc world. TWAS really an amazing
achievement.
The next great city to push forward the Grant
boom so magnfccntly put in motion on the
Pacific coast was Chicago, and Of course if
Chicago would preserve shred of her long en-
joyed reputation for wealth. enterprise and grit,
she must exceed San Francisco Could she do
it, Her efforts in that direction reached their
elimination on Wednesday and it Is yet too
early to institute such "A comparison as to ar
rive at an intelligent decision which city was
ahead
OF course 1t is not to be expected of us that
we shall give even in the shape Of the brietcst
synopsis, an account OF the monster pageant III
Chicago on Wednesday We can only say,
generally, thatthe street decorations, commenc-
ing at Park Row, on the Lake near 10th street,
thence up Michigan Avenue to Washington ST.,
and thence winding around for mile or two
through other principal thoroughfares, were
conceived on the most dazzling and colossal
scale, comparable to nothing more fifty than
some gorgeous progress " of great oriental
Emperor or sultan; and the soldiery, and civic
societies, and cavalcadcs ofvchicles and moving
masses of pedestrians were such as to complete
the royal resemblance.
Gen Grant arrived at Chicago from Galena
about O'Clock r. NJ, by the G. b. ~ q. rail
road. At Park Row he left the train and en-
tered II carriage drawn by SIX "mIlk white
stceds," and from that point the grand process.
sion was put in motion. The crowd at and in
the vicinity of the place is estimated at $4,000
people, and they had stood there awaiting the
advent Of the train, many for hours in IA
drenching rain. At 2 O'Clock, however, when
the procession was finally organized and put
in motion, the clouds suddenly broke away and
the sun came out bright and genial, and for
the rest Of the day the weather was clear and
balmy 1t took nearly two hours for the grand
procession to reach the vicinity of the Palmer
House. where the ceremonial part of the Re
was to take place. THIS consisted OF
allowing "Chlcago's 300 most distinguished
citizens" who composed the reception commit. |
tee, to file into the rotunda of the Palmer
House and form IN ascmi-circle around stand
upon which the orators of the occasion-May-
or Harrison and Gen. Grant-were placed. All |
the rest of the visiting myriads, except a hun
drcd or two of the most strictly favored, were
rigidly excluded from all sight or hearing of
the pondcrous reception. However, they lost
but little, Mayor Harrison "riz up" on the
stand and turning to Gen. Grant hurled at him
a tlve-minutes missive of tlorid Ieloquence, to
which Gen. Grant responded in two-minutes
speech, TO which, after clothing in fitting re-
dundant phraseology the simple words 81
thank you for this reception" he added:
In regard to one alluslon to my reception
abroad, will say that in every case felt that
1t was tribute to my own country. | will
add further that our country stands differently
abroad, IN the estimation of Europeans and
Eastern nations, from what it did a quarter of
a century ago An American citizen is re-
garded IN different light from an American
cltlZen OIL quarter OF century ago. Al that
time 1t was believed that we had not Nation,
that we were mere confederation of states,
tied together by rope of sand that would /
give way upon the slightest friction. They
have found out their grand mistake. They
know that now we have a Government that
we are a Nation, and that we are strong, in
elligent, and brave people, capable Of judg-
ing, and knowing our rights and determined
IN all occasions to maintain them against
either domestic or foreign foes. Great ap.
Dause and cheers. That Is the explanation
If the reception which you have received,
through me, while was abroad
The reception was now over Gen. Grant
'oon after left the hotel in a carriage for the
nome on Michigan avenue of bis promising
on Col, Fred, where he proposes to stop"
Turing his stay in Chicago.