, 1881-10-09


they carried away the most vivid memories.
1t was mixture OF the great and the mean
succession of the most striking contrasts.
A few steps carried one from the stately row
of book stores on State street to the dis
reputable rookeries and tumble down
structures upon South Wells street (now
Fifth ayenue), and the miserable homes
Of the more miserable dwellerS around the
Arnory. Near massive buildings, towering
towards the skies, stood one which hadnever
been raised to grade and whose second-story
windows were about level with the sidewalk.
Little by little these 1egacles Of :another-day
were disappearing. but enough Of them re-
manned to give an idea, realistic though un-
pleasant, Of -.'- ::
WHAT THE PLACE HAD ONCE BEEN
To the east lay the basin, between the break
water and the shore, flanked on one side by
narrow park, and. during the summer t.!I time,
alive win pleasure Goats. which skin:ae skinned "a,
over its blue surface. State street was lined
on both sides with rows Of stores, gener-
ally of wood, but which were
here and there giving place to
more pretentious buildings which the ex-
ample of Potter Palmer and the widening OF
the street were inducing people to erect. The
avenues constituted a purely residence quar-
ter, and the rash invader who proposed to
open store on either Wabash or Michigan
was exceedingly apt to make him.
self djS1iksd; and to be told that
s rssult aavssa ii esFtan e1sfsn faiu9s aeSsa% %Rs
avenue prided itself upon its delightful
outlook on the lake and the rows Of comfort
able and even elegant frame dwellings, with
here and there mansion Of brick Or stone;
its trees. The latter street was especially
devoted to religious purposes, and the citi
zen rs we'll as the stranger within the gates
had nothing but admiration for its success
Twenty-second street, which was then
looked upon rs almost q suburb. Only
the more sanguine expected that trade would
gradually advance southwark, and even they
were convinced that the change would be a
slow one-not more than block in one OF
two years.
THE NORTH SIDE
also assumed detinit character. It had its
attractions and IT'S contrasts, too, though not
as marked as those of the South Division.
Barring its southern south H. extremity, it was
purposes. The homes Of the wealthy
clustered about the east end, while
the houses Of the poor and the only moder-
ately weli-to-do were incloscd in. the terri
tory west OF Clark street. Beyond and north
ze and Michigan streets The eye was greeted
with a pleasant prospect made up Of rows of
hourishing trees, attractive houses set far
back from the street and surrounded with
sshnE wit foantans % Thsre @ Ssi6 s 6raS I
Of tie Historical Society and 4
great medical college " found fit
abodes, though, somewhat inconEruonsly,
this quiet section Of the city was "a bounded
breweries, whose big chilnneys vomited
forth huge volumes Of smoke, while the air
was redolent Of the odor of hops. To cross
Clark street going west was to become i'll
volved in network OF narrow t, and often
and unsewered and unclean. Here, all
was Irish; there, all German. Tile sky
Of the new. world looked down upon
the ant inhabitants So,,evef Of TIE old.
ss lien as 1S now and had to the sectoh
many of their characteristics. There was
their Turner Hall where they. held their
Sunday afternoon concerts, their meetings,
their balls, and their merry festivals. Lin
doned cemetery, with its uncared-for graves
and its toppling headstones, lay to the north
east, with its wooded paths and pleasant
lakes, bounded on the east BY :ahe sandy
beach of Lake 1!ichigan. Although con
proved, as compared with what has since
been done, it was already the .fayorit park
with many Chicagoans, and its future was
full of hope and promise As the North
Division was in point Of population thesmau-
est it was also, as is the case with little COM
munities, the mostly intensely patriotic Its
deizens were always prompt to maintain the
superiority Of the section i'll which they had
chosen to reside. The amenity Of Its climate
sd rs %hs ev
Of discussing, and they pointed with we'll
merited pride to their parks, their water