Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-07
LAST DAY OF THE FAIR.
A Pleasing Picture of the Glory of the
Age.

i Harper'S Weekly:-The flags were al
half-mast in jackson park on the last
day-on the great day of victory.
There is always Il touch of tragedy in
the career of Chicago. 1t is the pathe-
tic penalty of great achievement. In
the hour of triumph is the note of SOr-
row. 1t seems TO be the law that
there shall be no success without Sacri-
flee as much rs the heroiSm that con-
socrates. The history of this marvel
lOuS city is a record of suffering nobly
endured of disasters made the step
ping stones of uneXampled progress.
Destiny has always some surprise in
store for her, and if in the opinion of
the world she is the child of fortune,
there is the inevitable note of pathoS
in her life, without which 40 man and
no city is taken to the heart of the
world.
1t had been planned to be L iubila.
ton. The last day of the finest spec
tacle this continent has ever seen was
to be made memorable by a display
worthy of it 1t was to end i'll 4 final
blaze of glory. But on Saturday night
the mayor had been assasSinated i'll
his own house The quick news ran
over the town, startling the clubs, adj
jOurning public dinners and public
meetings, carrying horror and shame.
The official head of the rejoicing city
was stricken down by q lunatic-it
seemed like Il blow of irresponsible
Fate-and it was as if the city itself
had been struck. In the very moment
Of triumph came the inevitable TRACE
dy. and the curtain fell to slow music
while the spectators stood with bowed
heads.
Yet there is Il dignity in tragedy. and
perhaps in no other way could the
white city have been so impressive in
its last hours as in this shadow wait
ing its fate. 1t remains in all or
minds in its dignity and it's beauty.
The day was clear, cool, sparkling.
Against the blue sky and by the blue
waters the white palaces stood out
with photographic distinctness. I'M
mense crowds thrOnged all the avenues
and every building, and if they We're
subdued by the thought that they
were looking their last on the great
vision, the dropping flags did but en-
phaSiZe this feeling, and did but eX-
press the sentiment of the city so soon
to be silent.
And the end was beauty. simple,
calm beauty, without noise and with
out excitement. The setting sun bath
ed it in color, and the daily miracle
was wrought at twilight, while the
chimes were rung, of Transformation
INTO an unearthly and spectral city.
Then, with darkness, the lines of fire
ran along the waters edge, along all
the cOrnices and over the domes; the
electric beams fell upon the grand
fountain, upon the great statues, upon
the great statues, upon the towers, and
the twin electric fountains began their
weird and enhancing dances. So the
end was in beauty and in dignity and
regret, and one could imagine that
when at midnight the city stood alone
with the night it was itself conscious
of the pathOs that is in all the splendid
monuments of the genius of men when
they pass into history.
Only in the Midway was there an
other spirit at the end, and some hours
of unresrained revelry gave vent to
the Semi-reStrained exotic and native
depravity. 1t may well have been that
the representatives of the barbarous
a,, +,SIo
have contributed so much to our knowl-
edge of the world, were astonished at
this final fiare-up of Il civilized cOun-
try. Was it a nice example for the
Javanese and the vigorous South Sea
Islanders? Was it needed lesson for
the pastgradutes in all sin from
Persia and Algeria and Paris and
Egypt and Turkey? But doubtless this
low comedy at one end of the great
fair sets III high contrast the pathetic
beauty at the other end. 1t was an
exhibition of the world, of all that can
be so fine, and all that is wilful to be
so evil.
The fair is ended, and yet that
phrase does not mean anything in Chi
Cd9o. 1t is city which has no yeSter-
day. 1t does not brood upon the past,
More than any ether community i'll
this country it is a civic entity, not Il
mere aggregation of a million OF two
of men, but conscious of personality
IN which is merged the personality of
it's citizens, as was the case i'll Rome
and in Florence, and occasionally III
passionate Paris. In the minds of all
its inhabitants is an image of some
thing great, distinct, full of splend0r,
which is called Chicago-a name which
erokes enthusiasm, and almost sub
OrdinateS personal ambition. With
such a spirit nothing is impossible,
nothing too exaggerated to be expect
ed and worked for.