The Van Buren press., 1893-01-07
GliIo1E6U DRESSING Uf.
The Great Metropolis Preparing
for Worlds Fair Visitors.


How the City Is Being Benciited-some
Noticeable Changes-The Souvenir
Coins-A Word Of
Warning.
Especial Chicago Correspondence
The worlds fair is doing one thing
for Chicago that nothing else could
have done. 1t is causing the city to
make an effort to put its house in
order for the visitors and, as is usual
with most of us, we get the benefit OF
such thing ourselves. II it were
not for occasional parties how
careless most of us would be
about our houses. We would
be satisfied to live along from day to
day in shiftless, ''slouchy" fashion
and pay little attention to appearances
or even to comfort. But we all think
highly of the opinion Of our neighbors.
1t is, in fact, the main incentive to de-
cency or an appearance of 1t, and 1t is
in order to make favorable impression
upon others more than from a regard
for our own health and comfort, physic-
ally, intellectually and morally, we
keep our houses in order. This is un-
pleasant truth, but truth nevertheless.
just as many men think they are clean
II they wash their hands and face SO
that others can't see but what they
have just taken bath.
There was time when Chicago was
small enough place to put herself in
holiday attire for receiving national
political convention. Only eight years
ago. the national convention was a
great thing. To-day this has been out
grown. The national democratic con-
vention last summer was rather bore
than anything else and The people real
ly did not care to have it.
1t takes bigger event now to make
Chicago dress up. The worlds fair is
about the proper size. And as result
Chicago is putting on good clothes and
trying to hide away all that gawkish-
ness that still clings to the big country
girl who has been growing too fast for
her clothes or her education. l was
struck with one Of these odd mixtures
OF culture anu rudeness when l drifted
city where l hld not been for q year or
two, which, in Chicago, means that |
did not know the place. Things change
so rapidly here that one has to keep
ones eyes on them continually if one
desires to keep up the acquaintance
with them.
They had been putting in electric
lights along the street here and the
street was bright and CHEEKY, although
cold, as everything looks in the radi-
ancc of an electric arc light was
hunting for certain street and look
ing for the sign having the name on it.
These signs used to be on the old gas
lamps, where the light back Of them
brought them out in good, legible
form. Where they had oil lamps they
used to print the signs on top OF the
lamp, where they were visible in day
light only. A similar policy seems to
have been observed in fastening the
signs ON the electric light poles There
is blue board about IL foot long and
four inches wide that projects from the
post carrying the electric lamp. This
lamp rests on an iron plate, and the
sign is few feet under the plate,
within good and easy distance to read
by daylight But at night the lamp
throws the shadow of the plate on
which it rests right over the sign, and
the being does not live that can make
out name on the sign. Most people
don't find the sign.
The scheme must have been evolved
In the brain of some one who did not
believe in people being out after dark,
or else by some enthusiast on physical
training who wanted to oblige people
to take exercise and climb up the lamp
posts TO read the Names
There is a story of one of the John
sons, don't know whether Ben or
Samuel, illustrating how little music
differs from other noises to some pco-
Pile. He was at a party where a young
lady played difficult piece of music
and was complimented by every body
except Johnson. Finally some one
asked him:
Don't you like music, sir?"
swell, of all noises think music is
the least intolerable," he said.
For some creatures it seems to be
true that all noise is music. 10 others
all music is noise. Among the latter
class place dogs. Every one knows
their dislike for music. Among the
former class would count canaries
Did you ever notice how almost any
kind of noise affects them? If every.
thing is quiet around them they are
generally quiet themselves. But let
some one start playing on the piano
and the bird will begin to sing imme-
diately. But evidently he has no ear
for music was sitting in Il big res
taurant the other day where they have
dozen or twenty canary birds hang
| ing at various places under the ceiling.
When l entered there was little noise
and the birds were quiet. Shortly
afterwards the machinery in the build
ing started up and the subdued roar OF
the engines filled the room. In few
minutes every bird was chirping and
singing as loud as his little throat
would allow, and those throats are
powerful if not large. They do not
seem to be very critical in regard to
the kind Of music that supplies the &C.
compartment to their song.
The first installment of the worlds
fair souvenir coins has arrived in the
city, but there were none left few
hours after their arrival These coins
are supposed, by their face value, to be
worth half dollar. But, so far, few
have been sold .as low as one dollar.