, 1880-10-09
THE. CHICAGO FInE or 1871.

Nine years ago this morning tile larger and
morc valuable part Of tho City OF Chicago
was n,ass Ut slnolderlng ruins. In few
hours Of time lis stores, banks, Its offers, lis
churches, its public buildings. Its newslu-
pcrs, and. thousands Upon thousands Ut It's
business houses aiM. ,nast elsgant sesitte1tccs
llal hreh consumed. 1ts streets wer1 III
dtstfnxntshAbla llcaps Of brick mil STONE and
twisted iron. Thousands of Its rc0ple were
homeless. It's bnsfnrss WIS para1yzesi. Wei.
men in MI instant Ut linlu wers Matte po0r
mil the puor WERE without ton,s, eintt,es, Or
shclter. Fur tlay It nlrla,st seemed rs II
tue people Ut tho stricken city vert plunged
into hopeIcss gluotn md lcm1ned III by
fate so p}ttless Tint there was no way Of
escape. But 1t WINS only for day. The
sn,oilcring nshcs hail mt couiet5 befOrs IT.
lief cartlc pouring I'll from every part OF the
world. Short tln,c WAS spent IN lai,leiltlng,
The courage Of the people was rs unprc-
cedcnted as the calamity. Hetoro tbs
sun had twice risen upon the scene
OF ruin their old courage, and gr!t,
and energy had returned, aud thU
work Of restoration was begun while ytt tho
luril fires wera burning alsd the glow Of
i'amp hntt not fa,scd out OF tha sky. Food
and clothing canu III generous quantities.
Mnney wns sent ]ay5shiy. Lah0seis casne by
thousands, and over thousands Of acres Of
ruin the CHEEKY sounds Of tho llainnIer, the
ax, tho saw, and tho trowel werG heart, re-
hnils,ing the City Ut Cficago. rep!aclnH homes,
and offices, atld the plnccs 0f business with
better alll l,andsolnrr ones tlan hatt STOOL III
tic same placrs before. And 80 thu wurk
nf1nffhr
great fire, through the tnrk days ut a wide
sprcad panic which crippled tho business OF
tho country md Madc thousands Ut rich men
poor, through tho great labor-tllsturbances
which for a tmu paralyzcd the industries Of
the country md destroyed existing sn'ucs,
on md on, III spite Of tremendous
obstacles, Until tlI's morning those
WHO went through those dark days
may congratulate themselves ;. upon
| tho marvellous work tlat has bcrn achieved.
4 greater, stronger bettcr, IandsOnhcr city
stands In the place ut the oil! one, 80 fair aud
cuIi.l,lrte iii l!s .pronolttons, SO w0nderfut In
| it's growth, 50 powprtni in liz Influences, 50.
ctaI, mutnl, poIitEca! pild. COMMERCIAL, that
the old one IL u!,nost forgotten. Here md
there succk OF rnfn up0!, sn1,1e vacant lot
RECALLS tho 0lu st0ry; OF disaster, 0r sollc
cruMt'ltnE fragment nf wnll stands III mon
ument OF this fury nj that Ercat cnmisagrntio,,,
but tlle rapid growth I'll tho now las allnost
obEfternted tte old, AMI the memories of t,ai
Octnher day, nlne ytnrs ng0, gr0w fnlntcl
ug.d fainter, until Gvcn now 1t scc,ns as II Il
must have BEEN aEcs ago t1.at the tlatnc:
swept across such vast .nscAs Ut destruction
Chicago Inns nut enough Ut Il past 10 live IL
yet. She Lives anh works In tho pres
INT f0r tic future, aNd l,as IN tfnlt
far rcnInisceice or rcyery. And yet, l'ok
Int buck to-dny to that fearful marl,trg, It !:
pleasant tn contemplate the yast work TIM
las been dana; tn realize that what arcl,!e'
then MI unMlligatcd, l1rctrluynblo ttlsastel
Ind Unseen promises Of a grantter frl,itlo1
even IN its h!ac'r and ugly rntl,s; that 10
even yct has tic grcat City Of the Lakes nc
cou,plIsl,ed Its .tcstlry; md tl,at at ITO ttlls
In lts history Inns It been 80 atrong M 1t Is to
Gay. III ita ynst jncreasn 1T population, II
Il the extent Ut Its trade, III the growth al't
development of It's material RESOURCES. ti,er
Ia every y'eason for coI,gratulntian, md to e.
on with re,lawcsl determination. under TIL
l,lesslng Of tod, increasing its strength, cx
tending lts Influences, and broadening IT
proportions.