The Republican journal., 1888-06-28
Chicago and the NatIOna, Convention
Correspondence of the Journal

Correspondence of the journal.
/ CIIy ago, june H. ls>>. Some ideas concerning
this mighty city may interest the readers of the
Journal The hotel in which the Maine delegation
are stopping, the Grand Pacific, is an immense
structure ten stories high, with spacious and lofty
rooms and It capacity for 1900 to 1000 guests.
( Counrymcn find it necessary to have a guide or Il
compass when they want 10 30 to their rooms.
Tie receipts of the Grand Pacific $4,000 per
day, and when we take into consideration the fact
that Chicago ha> ten hotels as large as this and
thousand smaller ones, some idea can be had of
the crowd of strangers here, roughly estimated at
/ between !o0,ooo and 3oo.o0o people.
| Chicago boasts Of ten parks, public gardens and
/ huulcvarls. covering a space OF ten miles square
and several of the parks are contiguous forming
Il chain of park. These public places, in connec-
tion with ten miles Of lake front give this city 4
greater Variety al Level drives and park scenery
than any other place ON .he cont rent. These pub
liz places now filled with ever Kind of tree
and shrub ami comprise AN area of over one hun
d:,t liiart lie OF lcaiy beauty and fora: >plcn-
sr. ~ Tie Inales Of which the stranger may get
1 lost. There beautiful garden, and bed, Of
4 fuwcr-. with artificial pond> here and there ON
l which float hnat> oi all kinds.
! Tu" II the ia. 4 sights in artistic horai growth
uay ie -crn IN jackson Park. Here, on a space
-.'me ten rsi> -luarc the whole covered with
rp-c- aAt ~,utir plants Ia FUN bloom. are two row
boat distance of two rod, apart, each eoEtaia-
thinning n man, full sized. one representing >her-
the other cleveland. both pulling at the oars
With misht aud tnain O. reach the presidential
'hait. linFei cont onirnt distance ia frunt of
thctu am ihr t=urr~ l~>> the back. The " hole
~rrnr, hosi-, mer- "ars. chair. etc. j. composed
II ,e-'taHir grow "a. part ractu> anI the remain
b Ter small lowering plants The w-ll known
ih2 -itu- oi the two men H. marelously repro
iursri Ihc other nutircable feature a mas
-i,c dial. level with the ground an.i twenty
ir'i in ,iiam.Ur sn th, fac. Of which, As on the
iial 81 Il el.'h were the hguirs from 10 twelve
an'i al-.' iir Ia, 1T the month. The hands were
ten fc't .rhs aud moved 10y hi,iien chrome
ni'tfleal na hlnert. The surface Of the dial Is all
If vegetable growth, aI.d the figures ami hands
are msslc IT flower. and bath are wonders 81 the
Z turl-i- art
I Thr Auditorium building In which the conyen
ton ! h"d l. w"r'hy of note. The Lgii.iing Is in
ir'--- ri construction AMI IL intended for man.
moth h'tcl, Ia which the Auditorium will he used
a. a hail ami theatre. The estimated cost l. $3.
| w1.ts". The material aud finish will consist en-
in-ly Of marble. iron, zinc, lin, copper and glass
making IL lire proof. The building will cover
thousand, Of square feet. and will lie thirteen
stories high. The Auditorium when completed
will seat Ij,OVo people. II is in an unfinished
condition, and bunting and insignia, flags, stream
ers and portraits used to cover the unfinished
portions. Prominent among the portraits are
10y thirteen stars of electric lights each star con-
sistng of ten lights. No light of day penetrates
the place, but electric lights dot the ceiling and
walls like stars and when one first enters
the light is dazzling. 1t cost the snug sum
of 100000 TO fit up this great ampitheatrc for the
use of the Republican convention. The 10000
chairs provided for delegates and spectators are
nearly all occupied. The delegates were located
in the CENTRE in the dress circle, which contains
$3.50 chairs. and the atcrnates in the parquet cir
Gle, while beyond and above are the second and
third galleries for spectators Private boxes on
the left of the speakers stand are occupied by dis.
tinguished persons. 1t is said that seats sell for
$50 to $50 each.
So well have matters been arranged that those
holding tickets, which letters and numbers in
dictate to the polite ushers the doors of nyress and
egrcss, have no difficulty in reaching their seats
and little or no confusion attends the filling up or
emptying of the great hall. A peculiar sensation
creeps over one on beholding for the first time
what seems to be a catrOn of vast proportions,
with human beings seated from the bottom all
along up its sides, with canopyOver almost as
large as the canopy of heaven, lighted with bright
jets as numerous as stars in the armament, while
the flags overhead represent all the colors Of a
rainbow. The vast audience when moved by a
burst of oratOry OF the mention of fayOrite name
swaYs to and fro, with deafening cheers and a
tumut understandable.
The average citizen can hardly realize the
amount OF labor and the expense attending the
nomination of candidate for the Presidency,
but moderate estimate places it ut not less than
million dollars.
In meeting people from every State and Terri
tory in the Union have carefully enqured about
vegetation and crop prospects and sum up as fol
lows: Wheat crOp--winter wheat crop Is badly
killed out nd not over 80 per cent Of crop will
he harvested. Spring wheat is up to nm average.
The corn. crop Is represented as doing finely,
though backward In every State and Territory.
The hay crop is good In the whole hay belt except
In central Maine. where the ravages OF winter
have injured It. There will lie full fruit crop OF
all kinds. Live stock Is several short In all the
Western States AID Territories, particularly cat.
tie, which admonishes us that our meat supply
will cost higher for several years 10 come, q fact
worth knowing 10 the farmers OF Maine. Horse
raising is mania In the Western States and Ter.
ritories. l.C. LIBBY. |