The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-28
GAR0gE CITY GOSSIP
Jhic8gOs Musical Taste-Ths Pub
lie Sp ri Of tbe Citizens.
the Gity'S Water Supply-Netes
and News.
Correspondence ofthe HERALD
CHICAGO, aug. >. 1851

Sangerfest, eYince how rapidly
Chicago is growing in musical taste
and culture. Three years ago such
enterprises would have been deemed
quite impossible.
The foolish attempt to celebrate
the tenth anniversary Of the Chi
cage fire with street professions and
oratOry came to Il speedy collapse,
and the subsequent proposal to erect
a vast library Building and art hall
by popular subscription, the corner
stone Of which was to be laid on the
9Th Of October, appears to have
Shared a similar fate. The latter
was about as reasonable as the New
York ReTG3d'S proposal that the
people OF the United States should
pay the national debt by private
subscription. Public spirit does not
care to merge itself in this way.
The milliOnaireS who can afford to
make great bequestS prefer to spend
their money in their own way, and
the people of the middle classes and
Workingmen usually livein advance
Of their incomes, and have no money
90 throw away in founding public
Institutions. If our magnificent
system of parks had but to depend
upon public generosity for their en-
these beautiful and spa
cions grounds would now either be
far out in the prairie or devoted to
other purposes. Now they are the
pride CT Chicago, and have largely
contributed to the extension of the
city's habitable limits. Beyond
what is done by the public corpora
Uions in the way of improvement,
and by private citizens. There is
comparatively little public spirit
in Chicago.
The Public Library, after the
great fire, was aided materially by
contributions of books from abroad,
and has now a much larger col
lection than before the cOnfagration.
It is peculiarly rich in magazine
literature, and tolerably prolific in
valuable and rare literary works.
It's technical departments are not as
full as they should be in genera
ton that pays increasing attention
to the practical arts, but the books
Of this class are being constantly
added to. Mr.. Poole, the sagacious
librarian, is rapidly closing up the
work On his exhaustive catalogue OF
English and American magazine
literature, which promises to get to
the printer early in 1892.
Chicago is continually exercised
in regard to her water supply. New
pumping works are to be erected,
there being a constant demand for
a higher pressure system, as ad-
ditional stories are added to the
business buildings. A glucose fac
tory, twelve stories high, is being
erected on the west side.
There are about $500 liquor and
beer saloons III the city, which pay
a license fee of $50 each year
$4,000. Their estimated receipts
from sales at SO a day each "a very
low figure) would amount to SILL
$4,000, of which, according to
the best estimates, over one
half is net profit to the saloon
men. AS this business repre-
sents no genius, brains or useful
labor. it is suggested that the license
fee be doubled, at least on the
alcoholic drinks, while lager beer
"a temperance drink-could be kept
at the present figure. This is
question which must soon come to
the front in our municipal govern
whose taxes and debts, con-
tinually increasing, cause grave dis
and render large cities
unfit places Of residence for poor
men. Taxes are so high here that
10 per cent. interest is not con-
remunerative, save at rents
that are out of reach of most work
ingmen. Hence questions Of sub
urban homes and rapid transit are
beginning to be discussed.
Haverly's new theatre is so far
completed exteriorly that its fine
proportions are now visible. It will
doubtless be one Of the most COM
Portable and elegant dramatic tenn
pies in the country, but it seems too
small to accommodate such audi
ences as the tendencies of the bust
ness are likely to bring together
within few years. The vast ag-
of dramatic talent and
huge combinations in process OF for
will soon effectually mono
police the American stage, and will
require gigantic accommodations
for the public. The theatre of the
future will be democratic and cos
and with the deadhead
feature abolished, a moderate scale
of admission fee established, and
the best talent provided, the bust
ness will have been revolutiOnlzed.
Out on the North Pier, a few
days ago, the writer had fine OPP
portunity to look at Chicago from
the outermost limits OF her coming
lake harbor. The government pier,
which will require several years yet
to construct, viii enable vessels to
pass into the harbor and river with
out Danger The North Pier eX-'
tends about q quarter of a mile into
the lake, and at its end stands a
lighthouse. This is the north line
of the lake entrance to Chicago
River. So far as built, the govern
ment pier extends from the south
line of the river nearly half a mile