The morning call., 1891-10-18
IMPRESSIONS
OF CHICAGO.
What a Californian Thinks Of the Windy
City by the Lake.
A City With Fine Buildings but Without
Roses-Wha. Ladies Who Go Shopping
Are shown-Parks and Statues.
srecial for The SUNDAY CALI.


Editor Morning Call /: The Californian
who visits Chicago sees miles upon miles
of magnificent bouleyards that are for
pleasure driving only. The sign, No
Traffic Teams Allowed" is everywhere.
and my lady fair drives out behind her bob
tailed nags in perfect security. Turn0uts OF
every description are seen, from the ever
prevalent hanson to the dainty park
phaeton drawn by sturdy and feet-footed
Shetlands. These bouIeVards are feature
OF Chicago, each one of the many suburban
districts is connected with the city by sew
eral of them. all centering to the city, and
not few following some long-forgotten
country byway, thus adding not little to
their charm. Along most of them are the
finer residences, all of stone or brick. What
is the old saying ?-"Every mans home is
his own CASTLE" Here every mans castle
seems to belong to every other man, for
there are no dividing fences and no front
fences. The smooth, well-kept lawns con-
tnue on, block after block, in endless nun
her, each home more beautiful than its
neighbour. BrOwnstOne. sandstone of every
shade, pale green, gray, red, brown and
Olive-pollshed or roughly cut-granite and
marble are used, and for beauty of archtec-
ture the city caunot be eXCelled. All, if some
San Francisco builders would but take
pattern and crown her many hills with such
homes, and trace from hilltop to hilltop
such drives. A most noticeable thing is the
absence of flowers. The frequent showers
of summer keep the lawns green without
irrigation; but in all Chicago-no roses!
Indeed, 10 flowers, except 4 few OF the
- q a q
really not such, but merely fine green
houses, there being but few flowers grown
in them. OleauderS, or callas, the many
varieties of fish geraniumS, or, perhaps,
few stunted palms, are set about the lawns
In pots, to be placed indoors during winter.
Still, the always green lawnS-green as our
fields in spring-with the many varieties of
Ornamental trees, the native stately black
oak, the white larch, the maple or bright
leayed ash, loaded with its crimson berries,
and the IuXuriant woodDine have beauty
all their own.
The city seems to have perfect building
fever In the business portion they are on
just as magnificent a scale, but run up into
the air instead Of spreading out. Dozens of
new hotels, all ON a magnificent scale too,
are either finished Gr being built, in fact
every owner oil property is fastening to
assist the city in putting on its holiday at
tire for the great and constantly talked OF
Columbian Fair
There are dozens of fine club-houses, and
apartment houses without number.
Ma Y of the higner-tone1 mliliners or dress
makers have the first floors of their hand
some residences devoted to business, and
have elegant signs displayed. In fact the
signs of Chicago are Of an unusually high
order OF merit-or art, we could almost say.
The building in ali OF Chicago which
probably is not only the most unique and
handsome, but which also is the most artis-
tic in the trurst sense, being suited to its
uses, is the First Armory Building, on
Michigan avenue, near the lake front. Ii
covers quarter block, and looks Ike II
great ieudal Tower or fortress of medieval
times. LIS red, rough = hewn sandstone
walls, four or five feet thick at tie base,
rise twenty old feet without break, the
walls
SLIGHTLY sLoPING INWARD.
Above the smoother walls rise another
fifty feet; turrets are on each corner; on
the serrated ton great stones rest sturdily;
watch-tOwers rise from either side, and the
walls are pierced by many ng, narrow
windows. In the wall below there Is not
window or cleft in the walls but the one
mighty door, great half-clrcle, thirty fees
wide at the base and htteen fee; high. The
heayy oakeu doors swing on massive
hinges OF strange device. Opposite the
door, IN the great hall, which occupies all
the floor, is fireplace huge enough to roast
a fatted OK. The effect of the building is
most impressive. and it is certainly one Of
the most agnihcent in all the city.
In spite of the great amount of work le-
ing done in and about Chicago. she can
show little in the way of public buildings
She has but just completed her only art
roomS-hue to be sure. She has no large
public Libraries, no system of reading
rooms, no galleries and no academy of
science. She seems, in tact, to be all parks,
fine drives, club-houseS, hotels. churches and
homes, while i'll the midst is the great mae-
strom OF business, ever growing more fast
and furious.
The great study for the city is to secure a
complete and sanitary method uf sewerage,
which is difficult for so hat city. The
other great need-an ample supply of water
has been solved, and new vater-works are
Just now being completed. A tunnel Is be-
ing bored from about four miles out in the
lake to the east, and water is pumped thence
up into the many wateT-tOwerS about the city.
After the great fire of II the debris was
dumped in the lake on the east, and long
mark is now there. Pleasure boats of all
descriptions are being built; new cable or
electric car lines are projected; elevated
rOadways for drivewavs over business
streets, or suuken rOadbeds under the river
or railroads. Parks are being finished up
or extended. agd more noticeable than all,
thousands of observation-disclosures and private
hotels are building, all with the great fair
OF '93 in view.
With the Mechanics Fair Of San Fran
cisco in mind, an afternoon was left to be
devoted to the exposition, which was open
there are no fairs, they are all expeditions;
and the Worlds Fair to be, is universally
spoken of as the Columbian Exposition.
Remembering the vast numbers OF superb
displays. the perfect music, the soft lights.
the constant hum of machinery, the gallery
filled with hundreds of pictures. the army
OF courteous employees, the handsome,
dantily dressed young ladies employed.
the steady stream OF pleaSure-seekers
which fills the San Fra cisco building day
after day, your correspondent was prepared
for a much fairer Exposition" In this city
of million and a quarter people.
1t is a vast empty building with an ana
teur band. and the displays are meager,
while in every corner and filing the gallery
are catch-penny shops; in fact. II is com
monplace bazaar only. -" Step right this
way, lady, only one shillin' for our corn
Dasiers"; or Here, lady, here's your nice
children's electric teething necklace! only
nine pennies" etc. 1t was a pleasure to
seek the door Just inside, however, in a
neglected corner, is all that Chicago can
claim as an Academy of Science. Several
thousand rare specimens, many of which
COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED,
And nearly 5000 rare books stored in iror-
bound boxes, are here all huddled into close
and dirty quarters, unknown and unnoticed.
THE devoted curator and secretary of the
society is slowly and labOriously laying a
lasting foundation for Chicago's future
Academy of Science.
The difference in the dress and appear
ance of Chicago and San Francisco women
is noticeable. San Francisco is justly noted
for its beautiful, well-dressed women. Even
the Understanding shop-girl carries her
always tidy and good clothing with some
sort of style" In Chicago it is decidedly
otherwise. 1t is only the lady of leisure,
the few, who are well dressed. The middle
class. or working people, are plain looking,
and their dressing is very ordinary. The
women and girls employed In the stores are
untidy. Most of them wear, even in the
best Of stores, large aprons, black and white,
the latter generally soiled. Fully half the |
clerks employed in all kinds of stores are |
women. The stores are very elegant and |
the class of goods displayed fine-though |
little pains is taken to display them-and if |
you ask for certain material the clerks |
will slowly and ungraeiously take down |
large sample books for you to select from, a |
most unsatisfactory process.
In warm weather the people live out of |
doors. and the parks are filled. Ladies with |