The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27
sIr MONTHS IN oHIohao
The views OF an Eaeitshn.n.


feeling OF more heartfelt relief than ever be-
fore experienced in leaving any city. atm IA
miiiar with most ri the large centres OF popu-
latlon in the world-London. Paris Berlin. st.
Petersburg. Rome. Cairo, Bombay. Calcutta.
Melbourne. Sydney. Singapore. Hong Kong.
Yokohama. San Francisco, Washington Now
York, Boston. and many other great cities
on this fair American continent: each aud all
OF them recall some kindly memory. some
pleasing "Reminiscences. But this awful Chlca-
go-this grent. cruel city OF sin and sweat aud
sorrow and shame and the six months have
spent in II will only como back to me as a hid
eous nightmare.
A lady once told me that tho oaly word that
would rhyme with Chicago Is " virago:' and
l make any would-be poet a present OF the
rhyme Whatever the quality OF his verse. he
cannot go far wrong in linking tho two words
together. Aud yet tho average Chicngoan
Processes to love his city and becomes the
mortal enemy OF any one who saTs - word in
her disrrnse. It la not an uncommon. but
always q ptifn. sight to see an honest and
honorable man In love with 4 depraved wo-
man. and II is with tho lover OF Chicago.
Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they
first drive mad" writes the heather poet. and
so is It with tho enforced dweller In tho great
City by the Lake. After a fruitless struggle. IN
which his better qualities leave him. he be-
enthusiastic. and finally is found singing with
the loudest. Ave. Chicago" Truly the last
state OF that man is worse than tho FIRST.
The earliest sym ptom OF the disease expert
epced by the visitor Is total inability to accom-
pllsh any really good brain work. and n dis
position shows itself In him to sink to the
ordinary level that obtains In the place In that
respect. Strive as he will. the disease Will over
take him. and his only salvation Is In flight
AS in some descriptions OF malarial fever. an
instantaneous. cure Ia effected BY prompt
change OF locality. even II 1t Is only short
distance away. 80 for the sufferer from Chicago
brain inertia the only cure ia to get beyond the
city limits.
have known O brilliant English journalist
who in Chicago was quito unable to write
UP to his usual standard. He fed to Mil
waukee. and his brains came bnck to him.
A French engineer. who has done good work
in his profession in many lands. told me. al
most with tears In his eyes, that while en-
ployed in connection with tho construction OF
tho Worlds Fair buildings the poorness OF his
work. and tho disncination to tackle 1t ut
all. nearly drove him to desperation. Yet
! this was a man who had worked through
| a long term contract on the Panama Canal
| and come out scatheless. In Chicago. he
| said he felt dem raized. brutalized. The man
| who could stand hard fare and yellow fever
| had to succu NIB to the sordd and brutal con-
| ditons Of life In Chicago. And yet again
have the authority OF a well-known Chicago
| doctor that in his case tho pursuit OF medicine
has been hampered and thwarted by thla
| terrible something In the atmosphere. In
| New York he was q brilliant student. in Lon
| don he gained high honors. but within year
| Of settling down in Chicago this apathy over
| ook him. and it is all he can now do strong
| man though no is. to struggle through his
| work from day to day in any kind Of creditable
manner. He confcsses himself helpless. he
cannot resist the inertia. he cannot cure 1t.
| and he is now resigned to It
1t Is impossib with any show OF reason to
lken Chicago to any single city in the world:
| but to me 1t has always seemed moro like
| prolonged extension OF the Whtechapel end
Of London. with "a dash Of the New York Bow
| cry and q few architectural monstrosities'
thrown In. than anything else. 1t is the dirtiest
place in the world. and the dirt seems to be
more searching and penetrating than else
where. Even in London-irty. smoky Lon
| don-a man can make himself clean some
timcs-in Chicago. mover.
COMPARED to the Chicago River the sewers
Of Paris are like mountain brooks: and 1t must
harrow the soul OF many worthy mariner to
| bring the craft he takes a pleasure and pride
in out Of the clear blue waters OF Lake Mtchl-
gan into the sinking cesspool that gurgles
| undcr tho bridges and serves "a harbor for the
| city, can imagine a man who loves his ship
entering tho Chicago River with much the
same feelings as those Of good housewife
who sees the main sewer pipe OF the house
bursting through her drawing room ceiling.
Everything goes in Chicago Is common
saying OF which its inhabitants are proud.
and 50 the river goes on daily growing more
pcsilcnt, daily sending up 2 viler stencil. as
II to remind heaven that the time Is ripe Tor en-
awful visitation upon those Who have wiliully
1 sanitary law and principle.
Tho noise throughout the city Is dreadful.
and to one Of delicate nerves utterly prostrat-
linz: while to fight ones way along the side
walks through the manperlssss, crowd one re-.
aaires tho stamna OF io"tnai! p'"H9r AM me
are nlhy and the ShidsTaiks are ttis Hs't tx
latter with piles OF merehandise, IN and out OF
the pedestrian hAs TO dodge e best he may:
stop to these and similar ohjsctiyp able prac-
tices. but in Chicago tho police and those who
and ana proatScls WORK IN hand than sqcuriRs the
safety OF the lives and property OF the citizens.
Mso na.e useless e and brutal squad OF bnn.
lers ever diGnified by the "ppelihtion o! DO
At the present time the insecurity Of life and
property is extreme. and the police treat the
matter as huge 9kr ,f nan c aryhf s
lodging house On the night OF his arrival he
woke TO find u man in his room who on being
disturbed disappeared through the window;
into the street. carrying my friends cloth. nd
valunhes with him. AS rapidly AS possible
my friend hurried TO the nearest police station
and reported his loss. With great discourtesy
he was told that the house. at WHICH the rob
berry was committed. was. not In that police
district, and that he must 10 TO another police
station which was. about equi;dt.tant. but In
another direction from the locality in question.
My friend vcntured 10 suggest that the tele-
phone which the officer who received the com
| MIA lint yu mai ~ lfiIlyAn
his loss. This. however. did not commend IT,
self to the official mind, md on attempting
to argue the point my friend was informed by
the Jack In Office that u he said much more he
would be put in the cells himself.
| tis openly s;atoi tliat policemen grow rich
snsriclously fast and tho graduation from
patroman TO saloon Keeper. and snloon-k Keeper
10 professional hnilrr-out. Alderman. and po-
litical boss, is extraordinarily rapid. Int Al
night most people would sooner meet any
other description OF rlGlan than policeman
in u secluded street. and tho helated visitor IL
perhaps Wise to turn aside whom ho espies a
memtor o; tn" f"ree in the distanSe az more
than one incident has proved -he chnncos
are that tie latter will lie druRk and abusive