The Indianapolis journal., 1893-02-12
CHICAGO WANTS BOSTON COMMON.
Not as an Exhibit ut the Fair, but to Save
it from Dissertation.

Not as an Exhibit at the Fair, but to Save
it from Dissertation.
Boston Transcript
A Chicago man registered at q Boston
hotel last night. and says he is going to
sget hold of inside facts and then go homo
and make Rome howl" This Is the way he
talks:
"If Boston wants to give away the Com
mon. 1t stands to reason she would sell it.
sect No. SIT, We don't want to buy it and
talk! / mean business. IL We buy it.
we Will give 1t back to Boston and
let her keep it, and we'll put it in
the deed that she shan't fool with it, either.
| tell you what sir, you don't realize what
Boston Common Is to us Chicago folks. It
stands for so much history, and patriotism,
and ancestry to the square incn that give
you my word for 1t. We would dig 1t up and
move it West before we would let IL be de-
stroyed. My wife was @ Boston girl Gnd
when she saw g In the paper the other morn
ing that the street railroads wero after the
Common, she just looked at me through
her cute little glasses. and she said. John.
you must 60 right on this afternoon and
do something about 1t. Buy 1t yourself. If
it's necessary. i don't care what we have to
sacrifice. | thought that meant q good
deal. for my wife has been intending to
rent q large hotel for she has invited all
her Boston relations, and her school friends
and her college friends, and the people she
has met In Europe on three or four trips. to
come and stay with us during the worlds
fair. as our house hasn't quite bedrooms
enOugh.l / asked her IL she meant that she
would give up her hotel. and she said. oh.
no."
But could not get off till next day, and
now Pm here not to receive subscriptions,
sir. but TO make 'em. She'll hire another
hotel If don't, and offer to board every.
will he cheaper to buy the Common. Chi.
cago can't spare Boston Common, sir. 1t is
the background of oil American clvlliza-
rion. We pretend to be proud OF our big
park system out there with our thousands
OF acres. and we are proud in way. But
we know We can't buy for ourselves
these historic forty acres with every
foot OF ground cram jam-dam full of asso-
Citations with great men who are dead and
gone. men like Phillips Brooks. and Emer-
son. and Lowell. and Charles Sumner, and
all the big bugs OF blue blood still walking
back and forth across 1t. What do you
Boston folks mean, anyhow How do you
dare talk of tearing mp Boston Commonf
roots every bit of faith in Boston
that is planted theref Boston has
poured ont her money in Chicago invest
ments And. Sir. although yon may not
out in Chicago. Any man ont there who
has drop of Boston blood brags about 1t
night and day. And why! Because Boston
means high thoughts. and noble aims and
culture, and reverence for the great dead,
and appreciation of all sorts of things that
we haven't had much time for out in our
hustling town. But If we hustle we get
there. Pm sorry l didn't get here in time
for the hearing so as to get up to tell your
rapid transit folks what l think of their
tomfoOlery abont running rails across Bos-
ton Common.
"Yes, SIT, a Chicago man has just as good
right 10 speak up as n Brook line man.
Better. For 1 yum we'll buy the whoe
shebang In our vulgar mercenary way, and
preserve IL. you bet.
DO you remember how Washington
Irving went to England and shamed that
old fudduddy of a land into preserving
what they had left of Shakspeare's honest
Well, SIR Boston Common is heap dearer
TO Chicago hearts than anything
In England ever Is to any American.
And by the great horn spoon it's got
TO be saved for Chicago and for the great
American people. I've brought my boy
along and Pve got him sliding down hill on
the Common. and Pm going to make hi IN
head deputation of coasting boys just as
your ancestors went when they were boys
20 General Gage and find out whether or
not hoys have any rights in the Common.
where's your prldef Where's your horse
sense that you talk for a minute of running
cars across Boston Commoni We won't
have it, Chicago is Boston's child in way
and We won't let the mother city do any
such thing. SO brace up, old lady"