The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-17
Written for THE ARKAxsAw TRAvELER.
Written for THE ARKANsAw TRAvELER. THE PULSE OF CHICAGO
 OR, Annals of the PettiSreVS.
 BY DICK STEELE.
BY DICK STEELE.
Den Webfoot in Disgrace
No. 7.i


 It is not pleasant task to lead young man through the lower strata of the so- cial formation of Chicago even on pa per. In attempting II the writer deliber- ately lays himself open to the accusation of sensational congregation. Voluntarily he places himself in position wh ere he is only fortified against the indignant as. saults of the good, the pure and the beau tifui by the (challenged) testimony of the habitue ofthe slums by the stronger evil dence of the guardians of the peace by the tireless city missionary by the off cers of the humane society, and by the indisputable records of the police court. These alone are the only defenses of the compiler of stree. life chronicles. But to all they are not acces sible. Is 1t any wonder, then, that the readers of Zola rebel with sudden bristle of virtue-and then impatiently await for his next story?
 But those quiet people, inhabitants of quiet, decorous neighborhoods. sur. rounded by decorous friends, who imag- inc that only the scum of society frequent the slums are mistaken. Under an as- sumed name many scion of noble birth in foreign lands, and many a son of purse proud millionaire has stood in the police court dock and plea ded to the charge of drunk and disorderly, assault and battery, vsgrancy, or, indeed, dark CT shade of crime.
 The fires of hell are lighted on earth. Out from the shadow of sin, away from the hot breath of the outcast debauchee, from the echo of ribaldy and the deep roll of the curse come many a petted youth into the purer atmosphere ot Home, sanctided by mothers love, eladdened by a sisters smile and frightened by the magic wand of wealth.
 Chicago, proper, is divided into three towns, divisions or "sides," known as the north, west and south town, division or side" as the speaker may elect. And each division has its vice center, or par ticular locality where the lower vicious classes most do congrega,e, The fre- quenters of these vice cen ters are the Boure eois of Chicago, and into their sa- looms and gambling he!ls are poured their earnings or their stolen wealth. High vice, represented mainly by South Side kid-gloved rascality by the v0i%A ualifi~,1 e;tlr i3 ly- satiety in quiet hooks and more respec,a- ble localities, where the modessly cur tained window of some retired cottage in the suburbs, or shady mansion back from the street, shields from too inquiring eyes the rich mans "social clsb," stocked with rare old wines, presided over by some comedy matron in widows weeds, and the open sesame to which is-singu- lar to relate-respectab;lity.
 h the high vice quarters may be found the wealthy, rude, uneducated boor in the lower vice-center may congregate coterie of well-br college-educated, inn pecunious tramps. Generous, free hearted, careless of the flight of time, the latter, and they meet, drink, gamble and hve but for to-day. Thus they suck the orange of life.
 Ever and anon the city rings with the details of some salacious scandal frcm the high viis quarter, and bank cashier, broker, lawyer, board of trade man,