The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-27
Chicago Letter.

EDITORS CoLUMBIAN:-
Sunday is day OF
rest here as well as elsewhere; we take
our perfcct ease then to our hearts con-
tent-it is the only day Of the seven that
we can call our own and we therefore take
great advantage of the privilege ac-
cepted an invitation to visit "lincoln
Park" to day. 1t is too early in the season
to see the park at it's best; however feel
fully repaid for the time spent there to-
day The grass is just long enough and
green enough to make delightful show
ing; but one misses the foliage OF the
trees and the fragrance OF the flowers
which YOU will find there later in the sea-
son. The greatest attraction at Lincoln
Park, now, is centercd on the animals.
The sea-lion had large crowd OF enthusi-
astic admirers surrounding his domains.
We happened there just in time to see him
fed His sole diet is raw fish thrown to
him by the keeper. 1t was amusing to
see the brute dive under the water and
come up Immediately under the piece and
snap it up; he would sometimes come up
with such II rush as to nearly double him
self up in trying to get the fish as he would
be about to pass it. We had the pleasure
of visiting the cages, dcns and pens con-
tanning the grizzly, black and cinnamon
bears, the buffalo, deer, goats, owl, horned
owl, eagle, raccoon, red fox, American
wild cats, wolves, California and prairie
quail, prairie chickens, prairie dogs, mag
| NJ
usually seen in a Zoo" What blessing
such places as parks are to mankind!
There the poor can receive the same relief
from care and trouble as the rich for the
same price-nothng. 1t does ones heart
good to see the little ones doing" the
sights with as much pleasure and interest
apparently as their elders One of the
grandest, if not the grandest, views one
gets, there is from the shore looking out
upon Lake Michigan. The view to-day
was too grand to be expressed by words.
The sun shining here and there between
the vast army of clouds which overhung
| the lake blended the light and the dark
blue with the light and the dark green so
beautifully that | am utterly unable to
r draw pen picture that would do justice
A to the same. To cap the climax the wind
D was Just strong enough to give the waters
5 power to send a vast army of white caps to
0 intermngle so beautifully with the darker
colors have mentioned. Away in the
G distance we could see a large vessel, but
s were unable to tell whether it was going
# out or coming in. Here one sees the
l. "crib," rather the light house which marks
the place where the crib is, from which
Chicago receives it's supply of water.
am unable to describe the crib at thil
!. writing as it is far out in the lake and
v did not go to see it; may be able to tell
5 you about it at some future date. Coming
d back we went down to see the Palme
n House, the Grand Pacific hotel and tht
II Sherman House, all of which are sever
At stories high the Montauk block which /
"a ten stories, and the Post Office which is
g. massive structure built of stone and oC
n cupyng one entire block, also the Cour
N House which is built of lime stone an,
polished granite, and occupies one Who'll
h. square We also gazed upon the Boar
70 of Commerce building The Palme
ne House is entirely fire-proof-lt has every
3 thing inhamable covered with iron; tn
in walls and ceilings are solid iron and ther
m is nothing exposed which will hold flame
n. It's simply a magnificent and wonderfr
ne structure.
ne Chicago has eight or ten parks and all cor
Or nected by system of boulevards which
IN thirty-two miles in extent and entirely cl
g, circles the city.
ly Very Truly Yours,
I'd Chicago, April S3 IL. w, MoKRLyl
nj -- -