Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-01-18
LIFE IN THE IVES TERN METROPO
LIS.
SOME FACTS ABOUT MATES AND THINGS
IN CHICAGO.

a friend here OF the impressions niduO
upon him by that city and its people.
The following extracts from his letter
will, We think, prove interesting read
ing
1t is well enough to make fun of this
town, and it is a big, uncouth tplace and
has many shortcomings; but while New
York may remain the money center for
some time to come, Chicago has such
an enormous territory tributary to 1t,
with nearly 10 railroads over which |
everything going from East to West, or
vice versa, must pass, that it is destined
to be the "big city',-and all else VIII
come later.
New York has no public spirit, and
Chicago has any amount of it; and 1t Is
astonishing to see how its solid men
will give their time and just pour out
their money for anything to help the
city. We have the best public library
system in;the country and are Just con-
pleting for it the best library building,
not the equal of the Boston library
building in cost, nor so fine from an
architectural standpoint, but far superior
in its adaptability to the purpose The
| New bury library is fine thing and the
trustees of large estate have four
million dollars to found another superb
| library.
The university is planned or Il mag
~ nlup will he
carried out.F 1t is not yet three years
old. but has 1900 students; and Rookie
Teller and others Clipped in few days
ago so that the Institution will have
5000, 900 for running expenses for this
wear. 4 million dollars left by man
named Lewis became available recently
to build an institution like the Pratt
Institute in Brooklyn. When you figure
up the amount of money given for such
purposes here within the past few years
it makes an astounding total.
did not start IN to write an eulogy
on Chicago, and you will think | have
"Chcago fever | confess have; and
while ! appreciate the crudeness OF the
place. its toughness and corruption, the
& spirit of lawlessness which is so preva-
lent and the many things lacking which
, properlyIbelong to a civilized municipal
1 ity. admire these people for what they
, have done and are doing. They realize
their shortcomings and are reaching out
for what;they lack in ''get-,here' sort
,,...,. that ,,.ill al
OF course there is an amusing side tc
it all.for one ,who has spent much time
, in New york or Boston. II seems
i strange for great metropolitan daiiies tc
Il enumerate all the various whist partie;
!. and '.hgh teas" given by Mrs. Tom
Il Dick and Harry. Chicago's 400 is
r. SAID to have 10000 members. and if any
= of them marry. COR get divorce ful
= report must be published, with pictures
. and description of costumes. When DR.
B: Conan Doyle was here the swell literary
II club gave him reception, and it is sale
:, that he was introduced by the presiden
't it was true and if any one should cal
the attention of member of the club t.
- the slip. he would probably say it wa
IN all right as Doyle was some kind of
g "big gun
n live in kenwood, which is cOnsdereu
,e the 'swell' residence part Of the soutl
d side; but right across the street is
Ia brick house belonging to an "old-tmer
=, who utillzes the land beside his resldenc
le for vegetable garden. 1t seems quee
IL in such neighborhood, on Il "boult
III ward" where no traffic teams are allowed
, TO see Gas we did last summerl corn, tC
v. matoes. cucumbers and asparagus grow
OF ING on land worth several hundred do
81 lars front foot. In the summer all tn
~, residents bring out chairs and sit on tn
zee "stoop" or sidewalk and visit in a Sc
n ciable way. Before we were fairly Sc
ei tied in our house the neighbors alOn
~, the block dropped in in an informi
f. fashion Ito get acquainted. so that W
nd were thoroughly posted on the gossi
- of the region before was fairly familis
nj with the way to and from my Office
These people are nothing II not soeia0l
ch and as soon As they make up their mine
nc as to the standing of the newcomer
Nd both churches and society extend war
he welcome, and the newcomer feels MOI
Of at home in three months than he would
We New York in three years. In fact, he h;
,st ceased to be stranger and has becon
he one of the multitude engaged In the al
nd building of Chicago, and is as enthusia
e, Sn tic over It's future AS if he had lived he
IN all his llfe.
all There is another side to the pictur
-, however. Crime is alarmingly freque
'ho and vice does not take the trouble
i've conceal itself. My Office is in one
ne the "sky-scrapers" on La Sale stree
no and | was informed a few months a!
es.i that within a radius of four blocks the
IN were over one hundred gambling hel