The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-01
CHICAGO.
Letter From the Great Lake City.
Historical and Incidental-The Black E1an
the First Usurper of the Dominion OF
the Red man-Notes. Etc, Etc

CHICAGO, Jan. Gone hundred years OF
months, weeks, days and minutes. One
hundred cyclic periods. 4 century of life.
With what mingled emotions Of in.
credulity and establishment We look upo1
the changes wrought in so short time.
One hundred years ago. Then the country
was new; the tide wave of European popula.
ten had scarce begun to fow. Chicago was
nowhere. To be sure the lake
stretched away into q vast expanse,
al stimmering over with sparkles a.
the rays Of sunshine dropped upon
its bosom: or eddying and circling as the
playful breeze frisked merrily over it, or
roaring lesping and foaming into chop
ping sea as the storm tossed its furied waves
aloft Its years can not trace. Ten thou.
sand times ten thousand centuries i. may
have lain in the hollow OF the hand of Om-
impotence for aught we know. Its bounda-
ries Of prairie, lowlsnd and highland wers
created by the same source perhaps when
verdancy first sprang from the revolving
chaos OF slowly developing matter. Who
can tell? The winding river flowed through
the land, and we know that savages once
dwelt here and built their rude homes
upon its banks. But will a single
century measure back to the time when
unDr0ken. and t0mahawk and scalping-
knife brought terror to the advancing from
tiers of civilized people? We can hardly
realize it, yet 1t Is even 30.
The peace of 1883. which introduced our
Nation to the world as an independent one,
only protected a white popul alton living
along narrow belt on the Atlantic, varying
from one to 500 miles in width and extend
ing from Maine to Georgia. But now behold
the change The genius of empire has
waved her scepter, and great and pop
ulous States cover the continent The
red man. no longer a terror, has become q
thing of history, and his wasted posterity, as
they wander from the slopes OF tbs far.
distant Rocky Mountains, to which their
father-tribee hied before the advancing
forces of civilization, and appear in our
city streets, are regarded merely as objects
OF curiosity;
Everywhere Is the cultivated filed instead
OF the native forest. The wig wsm, with its
wretChed inhabitants. its heather igor
arces and squslii poverty, has given place
10 the haapy homes of civilization, where
Teace and plenty reign, protected by the
refining influence OF wholesome law.
How ImLressiole men and women are?
We smi lie when we have hearty. spontane-
ous laugh. suspiciously fearful fee ing
Uses al the sight of sorrow tho tote ly IL.
loiant Of lis cause. We initiate the
movements of another, unconscioasly
once saw runaway horse dash furiously
upon sidewalk, aud a lady sprang into q
doorway to avoid the dangerous animal
sprsng also, although 100 feet fIom any dan.
ger.
oEE DAY,
,rt Aofo -
on the corner of River aud Rush streets. at q
point where, looking north, the only cleo.
uic-Gghted draw bridge swings grandly
about and in a locality thar is little known
to fame, aud still full of thrilling historic
interest-the scene of a massacre not 100
years ago. was reading an inscription en-
grayed upon marble tablet on the River
street side OF w. NJ. Hoyts wholesale grocery
house. 1t stands upon the site of Old
Fort Dearborn, which was erected by the
Federal Government in 1901 for the protec-
ton of the early emigrants. The inscribed
tablet tells how, by the order of General
Hull, the fort was evacuated August 10,
1912, and all OF its stores were given to the
Indians, who shortly afterward attacked and
massacred fifty of the troops, a number of
the citizens and women and children, burn
ing the fort the next day. 1t was rebuilt in
1916, and used until aiter the Black Hawk
war. From 1887 to 1857 ii was occupied by
Government officers aud then torn down,
except small building connected with it,
which stood upon the site until the great
fire OF 1871. In September, ISL, the old
block-hcuse sheltered Jour hundred people.
To-day there stands upon the spot one of
the great tore houses OF the city, with all its
money ed interests.
l turned from the tall tablet. What has
happened? peered through the GRO wd over
to the great swinging structure. which was
just then swsying itself about to let a steam
eT pass up. The bridge was all right. Then
noticed every person was readi ng the tab
let and two taking notes the 50 ne as / had
done.
i've passed here thousand times, will
warrant, and never read this inscription be.
fore" gentleman remarked TO . COM
paniop.
As made my way out OF the group
white haired MAI asked me
What is the matter, LADY,
"Oh, nothing. I stopped to look at
the memorial OF Fort Dearborn I'D every
body else who came along thought they
would step aud look too
Eyes, yea He quickly replied. Il see,
tina. is an old landmark"
Then he tod NY companion and me how
he could remember The time when the city
of Chicago was incorporated Ia 1851, AMI all
the region around Wabash, State, Kinzie
Michigan streets were but short distance
away nothing but swampy, bare ground.
Speaking OF the great bre, he said the Inst
Fire Department of the city was organized
in IS39-of volunteers, and had one hand
engine. which Vas OF Grated by breaks. and
four ladders. and now in 1855 the department
consists OF 3.5 men, Ia horses. So engines,
80 hose carts sDd hook and IL idar trucks
IN lis illinois wss n county of Virginia,
and leo yesrs ago al territory northwest OF
the Ohio River Was called the United States.
IL. 1SeS and 1905 lllinoiswas made q part OF
the Territory OF Indiana, and 10 February of
the latter year Congress passed an act to Or
gsnize Illinois into an independent Territory
and appointed Vinian Edwards Governor.
Tie first feJritoris Legislature met at
kaskaskia, November . 1912 and consisted
of Council Of FIVE and Assembly OF seven
members. And IL history can be relied
upon, the affairs of the young Territory were
delibersted upon with as much wis
dom snd were adjusted with as much
dispatch 81 the affairs of State
by the lately convened august body
81 Springfield, each member OF which has
evidently esssyed 10 gil the Speakers chair,
and yet four weeks OF precious time rolled
into nowhere before one was found H. fill
the complement.
BLACK NAN
WAS the first usurper of the req mans do.
ruiriau uhera IN dav n a cifv of ova-