The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-19
The Bacillarium of the West.

The honorary degree of Mr.. J. c. BAYLEs
PHI. D.. is interpreted in n ribald way
by excited persons in Chicago. and. should
he dare to visit that town. he would prob.
ably be sacrificed on a cable car il he dared
to appear in the streets without disguise.
His offence is tho writing Of an article in
the Engineering Magazine in which lie as.
serts and maintains that Cook county is not
n sanitarium. In fact. no AYERS that the
death rate OF tho settlement by tho I'm.
speakable River will go up on a canter as a
consequence OF the Fair. He thinks that
visitors will be exposed to the effects of bad
food. bad water. bad beds. bad air. He pre-.
diets that 1.-The fertile germs OF typhoid
fever will be planted in a thousand new cen.
tres Of favorable development" and he looks
for q wide diffusion OF diarrhnal and conta.
gious diseases.
Similar views have been expressed by
Chicago physicians. and the Chicago Cor.
oncrs have doubtless made extensive
preparations for the expected increase of
their business. The Chicago newspapers
have been full OF laments over the filthy
condition OF the city. the u%nfathomable
fetid slime OF the streets, the air choked
"ieh S'iiohC aibi al LltluucI VI lTlDnIlIlrS.
the drinking water filtered through the
sewers. That such conditions Of earth,
air. and water are fruitful as POSSIBLE
tiles OF disease Is not denied by Chicago:
but it objects to having men who live in the
healthier world outside say anything about
those conditions. lis q thrifty town.. and
prepared to benefit by the visits OF the
stranger within her gates. be he alive or be
he dead when she gets through with him.
However true may DO the narratives of her
own contemporary chroniclers in regard to
the rapid development Of Cook county into
n vast bacillnrium. she thinks it iniudicious.
from q business point OF view. to spread
these narratives before the rest of tho
country. She fears that the timid may deem
a short residence in Chicago too dangerous
an experiment. and that life insurance COM
panies may have to consider whether a
cleaned and ~uncleanable city OF a million
malodors will not be a species of suicide.
Therefore Chicago is anxious. and regards
Mr.. BAYLEs with a scowl.
1t seems to US. however, that the very
prospect OF danger will he OF itself a sutil-
cient fascination to lure strangers to
Chicago. 1t is the danger rather than the
mystery OF Arctic and African discovery
that makesit SO attractive oven to persons OF
an unimaginative temperament. And there
are more dangers as well as more mysteries
to be encountered in Chicago than about
the frozen pole or among the golden joys OF
Africa. From that patchwork OF myriad
things u~nbreathable. the air of Chicago, to
that racy carnivore. the gorilla. the Indian
name for a cognate OF which is said to have
given name to the town and the river of
Chicago. how many mysteries! From the
perils that environ the sOjourner in that
town. from asthma to zymosis, and includ-
ing cable cars. grade crossings. and high
waymen. how many and how various dam
gers! The Chicago people are all the time
exposed TO them. and o learn not to
heed them.
Chicago may aptly be compared to a tin pot
full of soup and standing on burning Goals.
Some day the bottom will fall out. and then
but let us do the Chicago people the Justice
to say that they put from them as far as DOS
sible the thought OF this impending decline
and %fall-off. and rush through a host of
deadly perils. accidents. and infections.
Visitors must learn to cultivate the same
habit OF mind. Running down and being
run down make up life and death in
Chicago. With the temper of the philoso-
pher. the lungs OF a pitman. the eyes and
ears OF the red Indian in an enemy's coun-
try. the digestion Of a healthy goat. tho i'm
pulsive forward movement OF a football
rusher. a man may struggle for his life In
Chicago with fair chances of success. II he
hnAln'f c 4 "a u too Innn hut - 80. T.
little danger OF his doing that.
We have heard men who served in the
hospitals during part of the war. were
left for dead at Gettysburg. and have
seen a good number Of railroad acct
dents. steamboat fires. explosions. wrecks.
plaques. massacres. and dog fights,
say that the greatest danger to be
s~pprehended In Chicago is from tho
cooking. New Workers who take their own