The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-07-05
THE CONVENTION CITY.
THE NORTHWESTERN METROPOLIS.
Tbs Growth Of 'A' fl'e-1As Pnl:: sad Drives.
iccimmstAtior Of tho iIotsls-N,wipspsrs.
4 R,mlnhe.res Of 1870 -Dthsr later.
estlnF Mates lb,ut ths CoAysA,ioa.


ehlrr Mates Ib,ut tas CaAv.aiios.
Speets! Correspondence d tie Istklicener.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, July 3-Ws hear on al
hands that the Democratic PreHidentia
nomination Is being made in Nav York
and that, consequently, as the sun rises II
the East to enlighten the world, 80 in thoet
I day Of dreadful uncertainty must pslpita'
ting public look to that section for the light
/: seeks with reference to the approaching
convention. l. must be conceded, how.
ever, that the city in which the gathering
Is TO be held possesses come advantages az
point Of observation, and this conviction,
more than anything else, was what directed
the steps Of the writer hitherwa,d. But
mus. also plead guilty to little feeling ol
Curiosity. That one political party should
have chosen Chicago % the battle ground
OF iss National Convention twice in sue.
cession, and that 1t should have been
fixed upon this year by both
parties, seemed to indicate that thu
city must be peculiarly fitted for
such assemblies, and I wanted to fiud out,
II | could, the why's and whereiores OF this
pre.eminence. Moreover, had not seen
this big town since little over twelve
years ago, when 1t WIS just rising, Pr cai1
like, from its ashes. In the interval had
travelled abroad, and candor compels me-
10 say that l everywhere heard Chicago
spoken OF as an American civ OF little
less Importance than New. York. No
doubt one runs some risk Of giving ofense
to other great American towns in saying
this, bat cannot tell lie, or, at leae.,
wont, and hope it will he seen that if
anybody is TO blame for this exalted Tor.
eign estimate Of the great city Of the West,
it is these who have formed it, not the one
who sets 1t down on paper. Bat truce to
further explanations, and now for the story
OF what found here:
THE BIsSEss OF THE CITY.
To begin with, city claiming over 60O,.
900 inhabitants, 100000 OF these having
been added in the last twelve years. The
United States census OF 1850 put the popu-
ulation at 502. 800, the school census Of
1852 returned it at $4,000. The new City
Directory, just out, gives 49COO more
names than the one published year ago,
!he largest increase in any year for the
last ten. It has been several times sugyes-
ted by the St Louis newspapers that the
Chicago Directory man gets his big figures
by rummaging around in graveyasds and
hotel registers. but this suggestion has
probably less truth than humor in it. It ia
d tTt Of that pleasant warfare which has
hsen gcius On for, sone time between the
prees OF the two cities, the latest develop.
meat of which at this end otthe line ap.
peu,s to-day in the Inter Ocean, which spro-
pcs Of report tna. the bellies Of St. Louis
nave organized 3 boxing club, congratu-
lates these young ladies npon having Sc
l-cted form of recreation 70 we'll Suited
to the siza OF their hands. ~
rAREs AND DRIVES.
7 have been assured that, Chicsgo has
over :. 600 acres set aside and brought to a
high sts'e Of improvement in parks. Lin.
coin Park is said to rival Central Park in
New York and Garfield Park bids fair to
tiually equal either. Probably these state
mens are tinged q little with that weak.
ness OF human nature which leads every
happily married man to think bis own wife
the best woman in the world, and the
readerswill discount them accordingly.
But the claim Of this city to have the fines;,
longest and bes: paved boulevards OF any
American town, must stand urchallenged.
With the Impressions Of foreign travel still
fresh upon him, ths creates. diff.
Guilty Of the writer in trying 70 throw
up bis hat in the old time
enthusiasm for everything connected
with his own glorious country, has been
the wretched condition in which he has
found the generality Of the streets and
rcads over here. But in Chicago the desert
Of filth and roughness observable in nearly
all our large cites is relieved by smooth
casis, for there are thirty miles OF pave
meut in and around the town, kept exc!u-
sively for pleasure driving, which not only
excel everything in the same line in this
country, but which measure up fully with
anything Of the kind the old world can
produce. On the principle thst We ought
TO give even the devil his due, I feel %.
culisr qualification in putting this fact on
record to Chicago's credit. 49,.
eHIcAeo's greatest PRIDE
Probably, however, the greatest pride Of
this city is tie enormous hotel accomno-
dation it affords. In this regard it not only
takes the cake, but captures the bakery,
and, might almost add, runs of with the
-four mills as we'll. The Palmer House
alone could take care Of all the delegates 10
the Convention, all the committees, all the
| working representatives Of the press. and
many hangers on BESIDES. Already over
1900 have en2sged sleeping accommoda.
sions there, and | understand they have
still many pegs lett on which others can
suspend O. nights. The following States
and Territories will have quarters there :