The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-02
NUMBER Is.
Our Chicago Letter.

To the Editor Of the Banner DEAR
SIR NO paper is any more welcome to
my humble habitation than the BANNER,
and would be much more 30, could ]
receive it the last of the week Of publi-
cation, so anxious am to look over its
columns. l read in the last issue, at the
bottom Of one column "The sugar sea-
son has closed for this year." How
sorry am l could not have enjoyed this
great delicious sugar making season,
once more, but will hope for the future.
Another winter has passed, and nature
is beginning to put on her carpet OF
green once more and making thousands
of hearts happy, while on the other
hand, many have experienced sorrow
and sadness. This is the common lot of
mankind. The trials of life seem hard
to be borne, but with patience and fortI-
tude we may endure them all.
think that l cannot interest your
numerous readers any more than to say
something about this wonderful city of
the West, which many of the good peo-
pie of Vermont have never seen. One
OF the most difficult facts to comprehend
in connection with our country's history,
Is the great and rapid strides we make
and the force and determination with
which everything is done. We medi-
tate, originate and execute with an alert.
ness that has made our beloved Republic
the wonder of the world. Within span
Of trifle more than century we have
grown from a struggling compact Of
thirteen colonies, to Nation of mighty
people and doers of wondrous works.
The name of Chicago has 3 strange fas-
cination for the American people. 1t
designates one of the wonders of the age.
The name Chicago is very familiar,
even in the remotest villages and ham
let's in all the land; were 1t not, we
should not be represented by all the
nationalities of the globe as we very
nearly are. 1t is known for its greatness
and for its SORROWS. 1t is the beet adver-
tised city on the globe. Something is
always happening to spread her name
broadcast while everything said and
done in Chicago is more or less out Of
the ordinary line, 1t Is an admitted fact
that whatever is here done is well done
and on grand scale.
A few years ago Chicago began to buy
corn, and forthwith she became the
greatest grain market on the globe. A
few years ago few persons began to
kill hogs in Chicago; now she kills more
hogs and turns out more pork, bacon
and lard than any other two cities in
America. The wickedness and the piety
of Chicago are in their way marvellous.
1t ia a city of churches, and church-go-
ing people, and yet contains more peo-
pie who are not church going in proper
ton to the population, than any other
place. But the Sabbath day in this city
is not, am sorry to say, as quiet as it
might be and what it should be. One
bad feature about our Sabbath is that
the saloons and theatres of all kinds are
allowed to be open on this day. How
can we expect better things when our
common council is mostly Of this class
of men. The Americans have allowed
the foreign population to take the reins
of government into their hands and thus
as the result, we have large class Of
New England people here who have
been better educated and disciplined un-
der the tutorship of onr Fore-FatheIs
but the Western fever has so got hold of
them that the almighty dollar is the con-
trolling element today. The New Eng
land people have lost sight of their early
teaching and discipline and have gone
in with might and main for the glitter
ing gold, and with all the rest have be.
come involved with the world. They
have forgotten that we have any Sab.
bath.
Politics are the rage these days.
Money with the favors gets the Office in
lieu of principle; everything undertaken
here is done promptly and upon scale
that stamps her citizens Of the highest
degree of enterprise.
Niagara remains the same, yesterday,
today and for all future time but Chi
cago has experienced most wonderful
changes; more especially since the great
fire. 1t has astonished the most lncred-
ulous, how it has arisen from its ashes
since the year 1871. Phenix-like she
has arisen from her ashes, turning that
which seemed an overwhelming disaster
into positive blessing, drawing her fire.
singed robes proudly about her, crown
ing herself with the diadem of her own
matchless achievements and sitting be
side her inland sea, the queenliest of
them ALL
Chicago's history, though extending
over so short period, is full of interest,
and with your permission | will under
take in future letters to give history of
this, which is to us a wonderful city and
which may be of interest to the readers
of your valuable paper. No city on this
Continent has 80 wonderful a history.
Scorched 1t has been by two fires. Sit
uated upon a fiat and relatively low
tract of country. Chicago is yet upon
one of the highest plane elevations of
our Continent. Perhaps no more hope
less site could have been selected for a
city than that seemed a half century
ago. The land was barely on a level
with the Lake, and at portions of the
year was vast morass. Some parts of
it being entirely under water. Teams
then struggled hopelessly through the
black ooze of its prairies, and carriage
would sink three or four feet IN mud
and mire. Within two miles OF where
the court house now stands since / have
lived in this city found in more than
one place board marked: "No bottom."
but American enterprise has found
bottom and reared city. The history
is unparalleled in the world. More anon.
w. E. SHELDON.
April 18th, 1889.
PS. Weather fine-trees leaving
lilacs in bloom, the carpet of green once
more covers the ground-aIl Nature
speaks in praise of the Maker of all
things.