Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-26

bridge Wa 90. 81, 900, ard was fsemaL
Iopened with great pcmp and ceremony BY -
lPrince of Wales during his visit to Amenca
in the summer Of 1860.
NIAGARA FALLs.
The tragic death Of Capt. Webb in his ~
tempt to swim the rapids of Niagara Rive'
adds another halo of romance TO this wonder
full spot, and a. you look out upon the wild
and rushing waters and listen to the recital Of
the brave mans sad fate you become almost
az fascinated in watching the tempesfuous
rapids a. in viewing the sublime grandeur Of
the falls. Having thrown himself into the
river, and after floating for distance upon
the bosom Of the surges, the bold swimmer
was carried beneath the water and never seen
again silI his lifeless body was discovered sew
eral miles below. He lies buried in the little
cemetery overlooking the scene of his nnai
adventure.
The unenviable fame of the Niagara hack
man is world wide, and on account OF the
rapacity and despicable manner of those who
wait upon the visitor the pleasure of visit
| to the falls is almost obliterated. 1t is on
the Canadian side of the river that you pass
beneath the larger fails. You are encased in
oiled suits and guide accompanies the
party. The charge for each person is dol
| lar. and the guide expects fee in addition.
| AT the same place trinkets and souvenirs are
offered for sale, and If no purchases are made
| unpleasant filings are made ~ to your Pc
! nuriousness. As you leave the building, all
the money having been obtained from you
that is possible. man, apparently the man
ager of the establishment, intercepts you at
the door, and extends an invitation to the party
to 20 with him across the street, IS he has
something of interest there TO show you.
Thinking it may be some new view or feature
Of the falls he wishes to point out. and not
wishing TO offend BY refusing go kindly an in
vitation, he is accompanied by most Of the
party. excepting perhaps those who have
formerly encountered Niagaras colossal
s.cheek" But it is not to the falls he leads
you, but to small building, and then with
door closed, he exhibits the pictures pro-
duced BY the camera Obscura. He pro-
ceeds with q history of this glass, which,
he says, is not excelled by any in the country,
and closes by saving that the former owner
of the camera always obtained dollar from
visitors, but that now the price is only 20
cents Mutterings of ''sold again" escape
from the party as they throw down their quar-
tiers and quit the place. This is sample of the
strangers reception at single point, and by
the time he has visited the half-dozen other
places of interest in the vicinity he is likely
to have his confidence IN human nature some
what shaken.
CRY OF CHICAGO.
The growth of Chicago is phenomenal. 1t
is doubtless without precedent in the history Of
the world. Fifty years ago it sat in the midst
of a swamp, and the bowling of the wolves
could be heard at any time. There was not
framed dwelling house in the town in May,
1888. and only three framed stores, and when
the hotel was built that year, so rural was the
place that its guests could lounge on its
steps and shoot wild fowl in the slough before
the door. When the town was incorporated
a half century ago, the total number Of legal
voters was twelve. A recent magazine arti-
Gle on "Ancient Chicago" says: "The Chi
cago Directory for 1880, was not a very port
ly volume. The commercial and business
| sections of II condensed, stand thus taverns,
two; Indian traders, three; butchers, one:
merchants. one. The poll list for the county
election that year, embraces thirty-two vot-
ers." A Chicago daily, few days since.
contained the following from one of it's city
editors:
III met to day an cid lady, the widow of one of my
nearest neiRhbors when 1 lived where the Palmer
House now stands She called to mind one of the
few exciting incidents of our prosy life at that time
One night heard the bark OF wolf pro wiling around
the yard where we pit our chickens. I had no gun,
80 slipped over to my neighbor. who lived whs re
the First National Bank now stands He took down
his rifle. came back with me, and after some what
exciting chase we killed the wolf There have been
good many changes since then"
Indeed, there have been great changes since
them about the site of the little trading post
OF fifty years ago, has grown up city of
nearly 100000 people. The swamp has been
filed in with earth to the depth of from eight
to eleven feet, and covered with the largest
and most substantial business blocks. Chica-
60 is now the second commercial city in the
Union. The entries of all kind of water craft
at this port exceed in number those of Bos-
ton, New York, Philadelphia and New Or
leans combined. More grain and live stock
are handled here, and more hogs and cattle
packed than in any city in the world. Twen-
ty-six railroads centre here, and the twenty.
four elevators Of the city have a storage Ca
pacity of %, 000. 900 bushels The Chicago
board of trade has recently taken possession
of its new building, a magnificent structure,
and which cost 81 100000. This institution.
which did not exist till the year 1913, has
now a membership of 1865, controls the grain
and provision markets of the world. and last
year its trading transactions represented q
cash value of S600, 200, 900. Several years
ago membership of the board cost about $3.50,
but that privilege cannot now be had for less
than $27OO. while the organization itself holds
the price of membership at $4,000.
When Chicago became town, one of its
first ordinances was to prohibit live pigs in
the streets. In 1880 the city handled through
her streets, 7.059,355 hogs, beside, 39,O9l
barrels of dressed pork. The same year,
Chicago had for disposal l.3S2,477 beef cat
tie. In 1880 the city exported SO, 500, 900
bushels of corn. For six months ending
with October, 1880, the receipts of corn aver
aged more than one thousand cars for every
working day, or 42S,57l bushels of corn q
day Of wheat, the city exported, in 1880,
20, 796.2SS bushels, and of -four, 1852, 1877
barrels.
A lady teacher in Chicago has written a.
follows of the city in the year 1884: III used
to 60 across without regard to streets. 1t was
not uncommon In going to and from school
to see prairie wolves and We could hear them
howl any time in the day. We were frequent
ly annoyed by Indians, but the great ditacul-
~ We had to encounter was mud. No person
now can have just idea of what Chicago
mud used to be. Rubbers were of no account.
purchased pair of gentlemen's brogans