The herald., 1894-06-17
SHE DOESN'T LIKE 1T.

Mrs. O'Lsary Says Her Neighbors, and
Not She, Set Chicago Aflre.
The city authorities OF Chicago have
been cleaning up the neighborhood OF
that historical spot upon which the
great FIRE of 1871 originated, and the Tri-
bune is authority for the statement that
since Mrs. O'Lesry left the premises the
adjoining streets and alleys have been
raised three feet above the level
OF the lot by the gratuitous and
unsavory contributions of the abut-
ting property owners. Ashes, gar
bage, tin cans ana old garments fer
many years formed the top stratum OF
the geological formation. This would
probably have been the situation still
but for the rsvages of the smallpox in
the Nineteenth ward. But tina pesti-
lence set people to thinking about the
filth OF their streets and alleys, and
finally the city set to work to grade,
pave and clean them.
The Tribune makes the event an oc-
tnsi rntfrUd ksrs,i uHn- VI q, ePsa lhetaEs.
The famous old lady's family physicisn.
DIR. Wayne Wickereham, SAYS OF her
los AOt ibLhiiy pay lOt ~ VI ~
years. She is q remarkable character
and typical Irish woman. When |
first knew her, and for years afterword,
her business was peddling milk, carry.
ing the milk can in her hand. She was
strictly honest woman, and afraid OF
debt. She kept her money in an old
sock, and paid me for every professional
visit made before left the house.
"It would be Impossible fer me to
describe to you the grief and indignation
with which Mrs. 0'Leary views the place
that has been assigned her in history.
That she ia regarded as the cause, even
accidentally. of the great Chicago fire, is
the grief OF her life. She is shocked at
the levity with which the subject lie
treated and at the satirical use of her
name in connection with it. She has
told nae a thousand times that she was
in bed asleep when the FIRE broke out,
and the blaze WAS occssoned by her ten
ents, the Laughlins, breaking into her
stable and attempting to milk her COW.
That she has been substituted for Laugh
Inns she attributes to the Chicago press,
for which she entertains the bitterest
hatred. She admits no reporters to her
presence, and she is determined that
whatever ridicule history may heap
upon her it will have to do it without
the aid of her likeness. Many are the
devices that have been tried to procure
likeness of her. but she has been too
sharp for any of them. No cartoon
will ever make any sport of her feat
ures. She has not likeness in the
world and will never have one.
when the cyclorama of the burning
OF Chicago was first opened here the
propri etor made determined effort to
use Mrs. O'Lsary as an advertisement,
and did what could to help him. We
rode to her house together in carriage.
but Mrs. O'Leary would not even admit
ike proprietor to the lot. She was glad
to see me, however, and | laid the mat
ter before her in the most seductive
way l could. | told her the proprietor
wished to employ her husband at good
salary to do odd jobs about the building
on the condition that she should
sit where she could be seen and sell her
likeness for her own profit l was also
authorized to offer her large sum OF
money, If necessary, to close the engage
ment. But the proposition only struck
her with horror and disgust. She SAID
she was not in need of money, but even
if she WAS there was not money enough
in the world to pay her to do such
thing. There was nothing left but for
me to beat retreat. and nothing left
Tor the cyclorama but to get along with
out her."