The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-18
A SYMBOL FOR CHICAGO,
The Learned Societies Bestirring Them
selves-Great Difference of Opinion.

Eugene Field
While other elements of our community
are getting ready for the great Worlds
fair, our learned societies are bestirring
themselves in most commendable man.
ner. Answering the call of the Sixth
Ward Homer Club, the representatives of
many of our literary, scientific, music and
athletic clubs assembled In the Robev
street rink last evening, for the purpose of
agreeing upon some one distinct symbol to
be worn by each citizen of Chicago during
the Worlds fair season to distinguish our
home people from the common herd of
visitors. Unfortunately there was so great
and so violent difference of opinion that
no decision was made. Some of the Homer
clubs wanted the badge of honor to be in
the similitude of a shield upon which a
spear and a sword were crossed: other
Homer clubs insisted that 1t would be
seemlier to have a simple medallion
vignette of the blind hard, and this sug-
gestion was urged most elouuently by
Louis Borsch, the optician, who offered
to supply all the medallions needed for
10 cents apiece, provided he was permitted
to represent the old man as wearing a
pair of the famous duplex automatic spec
tacles.
The AmaIgamated Union of the Sons of
Dante expressed a preference for laurel
wreath with an inscription in Italian. The
attorney of the Pullman Palace Car Com
pany made q lusty appeal in behalf of the
Italian inscription but thought that min
ature locomotive headlight would be more
appropriate than a laurel wreath. lie was
authorized, he said, to state that the Mar
keesy di Pullman was prepared TO draft an
inscription in ITALIAN applause ana would
Noal-a Oh, a.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of
Browningites would hear To none OF these
propositions. They claimed that Chicago
was recognized far and VIDE as q bro"n-
ing city; ii knew more about browning
than Browning himself ever dld. 1here-
fore, If any badge was adopted, IL must DC
a Browning badge. At tins luncture A. ".
Spalding. representing other notable
industries, addressed the assemblage. lie
confessed that he could say nothing against
Browning, never having met the party ana
never having heard OF him before. But
when it came to advertising Chicago, base
ball had certainly done more tnan all else
Chicago had put girdle of baseball around
the earth, and Chicago's proves upon the
green diamond was known from the per-
fumed gardens of Ceylon TO the sun-baked
pyramids Of Egypt, from the highlands OF
Scotia to the bush OF Australa' ana from
the majestic shadows OF the Coliseum TO
the coral islands of the etfeminate South
seas. What symbol should Chicago adopt
if not the baseball. the sphere which rep
resents at once the energy, the swiftness
and the incomprehenslblhty of our noble
civilization?
P. d. Armour was greeted with applause.
He spoke earnestly for the ham. The
packing industry, he said was the oldest
and foremost of the Chicago arts and
sciences. Baseball has done a good work
for US, but my corned beef is known in
principalitIes and powers where inshoots
and up-curves have never been heard of,
and my bacon has long been recognized as
household solace in iatitudes and longi-
tudes where national leagues and Ameri-
can associations are unknown quantities.
Go where you will-north, east. south or
west-and there will my timed goods con-
front you, a witness 10 the existence of
Chicago and q monument TO the enter
prise OF 2. D. Armour" The speaker then
argued briefly in favor of the adoption of
miniature ham as the most appropriate
symbol, ham bearing the inscription