The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-01
CHicAGo's DEAD MAYOR.
Some Interesting Incidents in His Career.

The career of Chicago's most famous
mayor was terminated just when life's
cup of happiness seemed filled ito the
brin for him.
OF all the politicians who have come
and gone in the political arena of Illinois
none was ever more picturesque than he.
He was. the ideal Worlds Fair mayor,
because he was at home with all nation
alities. His versatility did not confine
itself entirely to the matter of nationali-
ties. His creeds, religious, social and
political, were. more or less plastic, so
that he was perfectly at ease with mem
bers of any denomination.
When he returned from college he found
a surprise awaiting him. During his
absence his mother had built a fine
house for bachelors hall purposes, and
she gave him a farm with it, He re-
manned there one season. Then he sold
his estate for $4,000 and married.
His bridal tour was trip up the Missi-
ssippi river He left the boat at Keokuk.
One afternoon the young bridegr DOM
and his bride were out for a walk. They
saw o. DCduullul uOlu0 Will lrulU ana
flowers on one of the bluffs.overIookin
the river. The sight made the young
Kentuckian enthusiastic. 1t kindled his
blood, and like one of old he said: "Here
will rest He offered 81, 500 for the
place, intending to make it his home.
Keokuk was then the Chicago of the
West. The owner wanted $4,000. How
ever he agreed to "think it over until
morning. Descending the hill Mr. Har-
rison saw ahead of him what he thought
was cloud of dust A closer inspection
showed that the white cloud was a swarm
of gnats That settled it, The young
man said he couldn't live in town that
breeded gnats. The next morning the
o wner of the landscape on the bluff called
H arrison's offer, but Mr.. Harrison backed
on t
OF gnats was the turning point sin my
lii e. I came to Chicago and invested in
re-, j estate. In a few months the boom
in Keokuk collapsed"
4 II. Harrison was man of luck. Where
oth ers went to the wall by the panics
of ! S57 and 1873 he made money.
II went to Chicago in 1856. He did
not Immediately enter into active practice
at u he bar, but became real estate
own er and operator. He was selected
as "a Cook county commissioner in 1871,
and served until 1874. He represented
Him ois in the Forty-fourth Congress,
being elected Democrat. During his
first term he was as dumb as an oyster.
He was reelected, however, to the Forty
fifth Congress, his second term expiring
Dece mber 6, 1877.
It was in 1876 that Carter Harrison
first became widely known. A congress
ionaI banquetsin the interest of a liberal
appru priation for the Centennial EXPOSE
lion was gotten up in Philadelphia.
When, the toast to which he was expected
to res pond" Agriculture, the Basis Of
Comm erce"-was read fright took possess
ion of him.. and he refused to leave his
seat. Ii andoIph Tucker of Virginia pulled
him ou of his chair and introduced him
IS Car b Or Henry Harrison.
Rails il lg his voice to a pitch it had
never 1a ,ached before, Harrison shouted:
Il am from district only three miles
ong anil two miles wide, hut in it we
'aise m re grain than do many States
combine q. 1t is raised by elevators"
This took with the multitude. They
thought. they had caught a humorist.
They CHI cred Justify Carter was over
,ome wit b stage fright. His limbs trem-
Died anol his lips were icy. He clutched
} chair to save himself from falling.
You're drunk, Whispered one Of his col
eagues. His first sally had caused
'oar, and before the tumult had subsid-
I'd he was himself again. He began anew,
md kept the crowd convulsed. Lest he
should have a relapse he made desperate
.tteanpts I o be funny. And he succeeded.
The pre- next morning had himreport-
q as c.. Henry. Harrison. When the
tory reach ed Chicago a newspaper asked
Who the lis this G. Henry Harrison"
1ext day is5 answered it's ownsquestion,
Why, it'sg our Carter.n
With thi first achievement came self
confidence. Harrison's next effort in
,ublic-his speech on the Marine Band
ickled the nation and won for him the
'onbriquet' OF The Eagle" And from
the young man who could not make a
peech" wa 8 evolved the best after-dinner
alker, the hest campaign speaker and
me of the % ost eloquent and convincing
,rators int the Northwest. Hartford
Jourant b;