New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-06
MR.. ARNOLD IN CHICAGO.
HIS OBSERVATIONS OF SOCIETY.
A SOLID BASIS OF rmLTsTrSIsM-A yAeSIsH %
CULTURE.

first parer deals with Chicago, and will
doubtedy provide the inhabitants Of that city with
much food for reflection
| remember reading in The Saturday ReriGc somo
ten years ago statement TO the effect that Chi
| cagO might be seen 4" the concentrated essence Of
| Amercansm" This remark happened 10 coincide
with the opinion which had already formed from
| other considerations and the observations which
| have made during my recent visit to America have
only gone 10 confirm its Justice For this reason
have chosen Chicago the subject of the first of
series of articles in which il is my intention 10
record the impressions received while IN tue United
States Many of these impressions are of n nreting
and all of them of n fragmentary character and yet
| | have thought that they might throw few rays of
| light upon the intricate problem presented by tho
civilization of the largest OF English colonies aud
| that from them tIIore might perhaps follow
two of those leading principles OF which criticism Is
| ever IN search
partially view our actions" trust that shall not
too far tax the forbcarancc OF Mr.. Frederic Harrison
! by more quoting from that most cstlnable Of
| writer's Bishop Wilson. That which most i'm
pressed me during my stay m Chicago. as we'll as ~
! the other American cities Of the larger sort which
! visited, certain assumption of culture which
| upon close observation found 10 be very super
| hciay vanished over very solid basis of Philis-
tinism This attcctation OF concern for the things
of the spirit, which may very easily be seen 10 les
nothing more than an ahectatlOn, is chiefly CD-
served in its aesthetic aspect. OF ethical culture
there is hardly any pretence. From sheer stress OF
habit the members of the clergy dispense from the
pulpit tier weekly modcum Of diluted moralltcs,
and from sheer force of fashion the more respectable
classes of the population give apparent heed 10
what is said to them. But II would be safe 10 saF
that the condition of the trade in timed meats
in pork or i'm grain has the largest share of their
thoughts even during the hour of OstenSible de
yot;,,n The inevitable curse of the money getting
spirit writ large II We're. in the action of tins
population of half million souls. IL Is an easy
matter to know tine heart of such community ~
this wien ITS actions are so open 20 the view OF all
men. As illustration of the slight extent 10 which
Englishmen of reputation are generally known IN
America, may mention IN amusing incident which
happened IN Chicago. / conyerslug with an IN
teillgeut gentleman OF commercial pursuits, ana n
tie of what was said took occasion To re-
mark tnat Mr. Herbert Spencer had lately been IN
America. My friend see ned little surprised &c
first, aud then said: On, yes, he came back from
Europe last summer learned upon further IN
qury that reference made to Il Mr.. llibbdTd
Spenccr,whO is a Chicago tradesman, engaged, To-
lieyc, in the iron business, and who had recently
made summer trip to Europe. | trust | may b9
parOhed Il relate also IN connection with TINS H.
Tie thing alb ju my sof which found quite amusing
the one Just mentioned. 1 was cOnyeIslng WIN
IA lady who was kind enough Ia tell me that she
had read ny works and greatly admired them,
expressed my qualification at learning that the ideas
of sweetness and light OF which | have hum6y en-
deavOrcd to become an exponent had been so kindly
received in this distant place and yentured to ask
which of my works she. hOnOred with her prefer
ence. A little to INV surprise she mentioned Tom
Brown at Rugby" and rhe Light of Asia
But to take the matter more seriously. gave my
self the pains to ask large number of the appar-
emily cultivated people with whom | came in con-
fact whether they had read "Obermann.' As tho
result of these inquiries must state the melancholy
fact that to all but one of those questioned, tile
name was wholly unfamiliar. and tins one under
who is the proprietor of chemists shop III Chicago.
do not know of any other Little thing connected
with my stay in America which gave me such
sense OF the crudeness OF American culture Mhat
another alchemy was that of the author of "Ober-
mann" than the art practised By the Chicago chem
St in his daily dlspensatlOns
During my stay in Chicago, attended very
pleasant little reception given by the Literary ClG"
OF that city. | call IL the Literary Ciub because
that is the name by which It Is known, and not IN
any way to imply that in SO large city as Chicago
there is but society of that character. should
indeed
nucle of persons who are sufficiently released from
the demands OF the pushing business life OF the city
be thus drawn together by the bond of culture,
and as far my recollection serves me- the greater
number of the persons of literary pursuits whom
had the pleasure OF meeting were not included
among the members of the particular association OF
which am speaking. This evening afforded ne u
curious Illustration OF that combination IN the per-
of the individual, of business ability and cul
tured tastes which so often had occasion to motto
while IN the States. pleasant little paDer on tho
subject OF PhstInlsm was read, aud as the subject
Is one in which have taken some interest, natu-
rally gave 1t close attention. for which felt fully
repaid. Wishing TO learn the profession of the gen
tleman who had 80 lntelgently handled the sub
ject made inquiry OF friend, who informed
that the essayst was the owner of a large grocery
business. | learned also upon making further n-
quiry. that besides members of the clergy and of
the legal profession. whom | should naturally eX-
pect to lind i'll such society as this, there
very large element consisting OF successful trades
men, such rs MERGERS, lron-lnongers and packers.
which latter term is applied to dealers Ill the class
of food products derived from the hog
was especially interested when at Chicago, as
throughout my stay III America. III observing
the various religious bodies, and in trying TO get
some insight into their spiritual life 1t is quite
necessary to say that i'll country where there is no
established church. there can be no such demarca-
ton between the Dissenters and the members OF tho
Church of England as exists in our own country.
The mode of worship OF the Dssentors has about l5
that baroness which is noticeable IN England, bu5
this may be seen TO an almost equal degree in tho
bodies of nOn-dlssenters l attended one Sunday
morning the chapel in which services con-
Quoted by one of the mos popular OF the dissenting
ministers of Chicago The chapel was really Moth
ing else than the large hall IN which most of tho
important concerts tGnd lectures given and
in which had myself lectuTed but few nights be-
fore Tho audience in Attendance upon this service
seemed to he made up of u well-tO-dc and lntell.-
gent class of people. and afterward learned that
regular attendance here stands IN Chicago as sign
of cultured tastes. SO when afterward tried to
put my recOllectonS together in some sort of order
came to the conclusion that frOn all had heard
should be justified in assuming the tone of these
services to be fairly typical of the ideal of culture
prevailing III Chicago. Here, must confess. was
disappointed. heard 50 much of the language of
culture in the higher classes OF Chicago society. that
was almost prepared to admit that had been un-
justly preudlced III the statements which have
made from time to time concerning America, but t.
the discourse To which listened on the morning OF
which speak stands IN any way as AN expression Of
the Chicago ideal of culture. that ideal is, regret
10 say, low one. shall venture to say that il ~
chiefly lacking in definition of ann. aud set, alas,
know how little right have to indulge in such u
criticism for have not been accused of being sadly
to seek. myself. IN" philosophy with coherent, IN.
terdependent, subordinate and deriyative prime
rlcs." There was something quite pathetic to me M
the thor Sht that this discourse. with its drcarv
waste of unctuous commonplace, its diluted rhetoric
and its Judgments, many of them ludicrOusly mis-
conceived should be to such an audience as saw
about me the embodiment of cultured thought and
from tne TO time | could not help thinking tha5
Phstinl SIN in its frank English expression was u
less unpleasant sight than was afforded by the
thiny -disguised PbIlistnism which here i'm.
posing on itself and making pretcnce OF culture.
Chicago society, | should say, although no ono
can be more painfully aware than myself of how
inadequate we've my opportunities for observation,
has Just reached that stage of its development AZ
which the incOmpctencSS of the commercial ideal uf
life is beginning TO make itself keenly felt aud IL
somewhat uncertainty cropping in search OF the
nd finer thlu0S Wtnse Ii,,i,.