National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-27
CHICAGO CHANCES.
A CITY OF ICE AND CHILLY BREEzEs.
Hotel Bill Of Fare-Nud Eyeryuhere-The Build.
ing BOom-Ice and SnOW-A Hotel Car
On the Road to Washington
Railroad Lunches.


CHICAGO, April 20.-Dld you ever eat
ground popcorn with cream? I have distinct
and painful memories of a seerched face and bis
tered fingers aching arms and tired hands, when
in the days of youngsterdom out upon the old farm
in Michigan. shelled. popped, and ground in
the family coffee mill enough of that royal staple
to furnish sundry members of my family with a
Sunday lunch. The pans of milk which surrep-
titiously denuded of their golden blankets were
many; for no sly tabby was ever more fond of
cream than l. This fragment of the past was
brought wildly to my mind as l sat down to
Chicago hotel table and saw upon the bill OF iare
popcorn AND CREAM"
one of the most delicious dishes ever tasted by any
epicure. am Impressed with the idea that good
cooks and christianity are near akin The Chicago
hOtel-keepers evidently understand their business
The steaks are tender and juicy, the vegetables
properly prepared, the coffee delicious, and the
desserts and pastry all that could be desired.
Northern and Western cooking contains some in
gradients beside grease, and the contrasts between
eatables there and here are anything but comfort
ing to the unfortunate individual who suffers the
discomfortS and dangers of Washington boarding
house life. There is no difficulty in having food
well cooked if only little common sense-that
most uncommon of all human attributes-is used.
Why the average cook cannot
BOIL a POTATO PROPERLY
is a mystery as yet unSOlved. Nothing is more
simple, yet very few things are as badly done.
Chicago might well be called the city of plate
glass, for the glittering expanse OF windows gaz-
ing at the traveller is probably unequaled by any
city on earth. Miles and miles of marble, brown
stone and plate glass fronts, the fabrics and wares
of the world displayed there on scale far beyond
anything the stranger can imagine. The city just
now is in most deplOrable condition as to the
streets, and hundreds of men and carts are occu.
pied in cleaning the pavementS of ice and mud.
The blocks of snow have frozen to the ground,
and, in many places are ten to fifteen inches
thick. The crossing are covered with little ponds
ofthin mud nearly all inch deep, and one must
wade to get over
THE BUILDING BOON
has not yet subsidized. Great blocks of granite OBJ
struct the thoroughfares and all sorts of materials
for the construction of palatial business houses
abound The new court house is rapidly ap-
preaching completion, and is a very fine specimen
of architecture The original intention was to
make the building large enough for both court
house and law Offices; but the city and county
officers couldn't agree on its form or fashion, and
finally settled the matter by building the court
house after one plan and the office part after
another. So there it stands, sort of modified
Siamese twins, connected amidships by a Iigature
of marble corridor-one building and yet two, like
a man and his wife at odds.
TIE CUSTOMS AND PosT-oFEICE
building is rather disappointing. We have heard
so much about it that we fancy it much more i'm
posing than it really is; but in the midst of so
many towering structures it doesn't make a great
deal of show 1t was quite a change from the
mild, bright, sunny air of Kalamazoo to the ice
covered, chill breezed city of Chicago. Although
the western part OF Michigan scarcely drift was
visible or cake of ice. The lake, as far as the
eye can reach, is SHOW covered and winter locked.
Many loungers lowered along the river banks and
about the bridges, as the river running at the
rate of six or seven miles an hour, carrying great
cakes of
ICE AND SNOW
and ali moVableS within reach before it. Many
times that day was the wish expressed that it
might always run at that rate and thus materially
benefit the sanitary condition of the city. l took
the fast train at 4:5 p m. on the Baltimore and
Ohio, and was soon whirling along toward home.
AT the risk of being accused of putting somebody's
want 10 make u remark just here
We had a hotel-car in our train, and when the
time for supper came the passengers nearly all ad
jouned TO that locality. When to eat, what to eat
and how TO eat it grave questions for the tray
eler. The old custom is to set table, load it with
indigestible things, turn the masses into the
dining room, and compel them to bolt q meal or
so hungry. The meal is
SEVENTY FIVE CENTS, OR GO WITHOUT
A lady or an invalid must take the chances of
being crushed or joStled and eat whatever is set
before them, and, like ST. Paul, ask no questions
for conscience sake. In the hotel-car found
dainty bill of fare, elaborate enough for the
MaiSOR Doroe, shining glass and silver and fine
clean linen. Having dined at three I wasn't
specially hungry and cared for only lunch 1t
did not occur to me that could have other than
a regular dinner, and when the request for lunch
was made it was with the expectation ola refusal.
But plate of cold tongue, a slice of cold ham, a
plate of French bread, pickles. and
CUP OF DELICIOUS COFFEE
was brought in, for which charge was made at
ordinary lunch prices To say that was amazed
wouldn't express it. That corporation, that al
legged thing without n SOUL should permit any
body to eat lunch on its prenises-in hotel-car,
at that-and take less sum than the price of
full dinner, YVES q revelation. There are times
when a tourist desires nothing more than Il cup of
tea OF coffee and a sandwich OF doughnut To be
forced 10 stand at lunch counter with the rabble
is an insult to a lady, who under circumstances
ever subjects herself to such iOstlng crowd save
while on the road; but this she
MUST USUALLY DO OR STARvE.
To have the privilege of sitting down quietly at
table and eating little bite of lunch is boon for
which 1, for one, have long pinned. 1 do not know
this company provides regular lunch tables, but
presume they DO. where bit of cold meat and
bread or something of the sort may be eaten on q
clean table-cloth, with respectable knives and
forks and cup of some refreshing beverage drank
from whole, clean cup, with reputable tea
spoon yet in fair state of preservation furnished
to sip it with. The amount paid for lunches is in
many cases Il secondary matter. The principle of
the thing is the part looked to. 4 man may
Be PERFECTLY SATISFIED
TO throw away five dollars if he chooses to do 1t,
but be excessively indignant if forced to submit
to an extortion of ten cents. Iwas very glad to
discover disposition 10 demand only fair equiv
alent fer articles furnished On Western roads this
practice is simply outrage If the infection of
this good example will only spread, the travelling
public will rise up and call the railroad compa-
MES blessed, and the regular passenger cars viii
be in less danger Of ruin from lunch baskets and