The record-union., 1895-06-07
THE TICKET PUNCHERS RIDE.
Taking in Chicago and the Worlds
Fair Grounds.
Loading Up On Milwaukee Bar and
Bethesda Water and Then Per-
spring Very Freely.

spring Very Freely.
Especial Correspondence of RECoRD-UNIoN.l
BEYOND MINNEAPoLIs, May 80, 1896
with California o. r. {. excursion).-
Since my last letter we have shot over
the country from Niagara to Chicago, by
way of the New York Central and Lake
Shore roads, and have passed two days
in the Windy City. If there is any
smoother roadbed in the country than
that of the Lake Shore good many OF
our railroaders would like to see it, for
they all voted that the train ran from
Buffalo to Chicago like billiard ball on
anew table.
The old fremont House, at Lake and
Dearborn streets, was the headquarters OF
the party. and Messrs. kirkham &
Brown made the Californians feel as
much at home as if they were at the Pal
ace. All sorts OF courtesies were ex-
tended, including theater tickets for the
crowd and drives about the city.
The trip to the Worlds Fair grounds
was like tour among the ruins OF the
Acropolis. To those who remem bered
the stories Of the White City and the
splendors Of the grand exposition the
view OF the grounds at present is depress-
ing. The art building is the only one OF
the large structures that is left. Ruins
are everywhere. Fire leveled the big
manufactures and transportation build
ings, wiDIng out the peristyle and adj
ADMINISTRATION buildings at the same time.
Iron trusses warped out of all shape from
all sorts of fantastic designs in the ruins.
Even the art building That Marshall
Field saved by buying it for permanent
museum looks exceedingly dilapidated.
The white plaster stuff is chipped of IN
places and the art figures OF bas relief
panels are In all stages of disintegration.
There are JunoS without noses and Apol-
los without heads. Around the grounds
there are other signs of dilapidation.
There are horses without tails, and the
crOuchlng lions that once guarded the
portals of the transportation building
have Clipped off ears and amputated toes.
Even the golden goddess OF liberty that
still stands facing the wonderful court OF
honor has been shorn of her glory and
Inundated by having about 81, 900 worth
of gold leaf peeled from her majestic
figure.
Two matters were interesting Chicago
folks when we were there. One was the
approaching funeral OF Secretary of State
Walter q. Gresham, which the President
and Cabinet were to attend; the other
was the dedication on Memorial Day of
the monument TO Confederate dead.
General Longstreet, the veteran of the
Confederate army, was one of the early
arrivals. and several of our party called
from curiosity TO see this hero OF the
slOst cause"
cd
the 18th. by the Chicago and Northwest
ern road, our homeward journey was re-
Bumed. Because of a general demand,
into which an idea of cooling off entered,
the route was changed so as to touch
Milwaukee and its breweries. The Hotel
Pfister, through Manager Brown, ex-
tended its courtesies to the rowing Cali
fornians. 1t was atrociously hot, but cool
ing drinks and Michigan's breezes made
living tolerable. The Milwaukee visit
was not on the original itinerary, but it
paid even it it did make US behind time.
The run back to Madison was through
Waukesna. Bethesda Mineral Spring is
here, as well as brewery, and both Sc
cured the patronage Of the party. Several
kegs of the Waukesha product were also
added to our party.
Hot, hotter, hottest-how the mercury
climbed up that day! 1t stopped at the
90 post long before noon and by 3
o'clock those who had strength to look
at the thermometer saw it was go. The
cars fairly frizzled with the heat, and all
sacramento folks aboard thought of the
cool July days at home. AT every stop
breweries and lemonade and soda water
stands were in great demand.
At Madison, Wisconsin's Capital, the
train had not much more than stopped
before the party alighted like locusts in
Egypt on an ice cream depository at the
depot. The astonished proprietor saw
his stock in trade melt away like Repub-
lcan legislators at a caucus. After this
with true Western hospitality, the Su-
perintendent OF the only electric road
took the entire party for q ride about the
city. They went out by the State Uni
versity buildings, charmingiy situated
on the shores of two picturesque lakes
There was narrow escape from collis-
ion when meeting party of students the
Callfornlans gave the Berkeley college
yell, bringing a rival response from the
Wisconsin boys: "Rah! Rah! Rah!--Cal-
formal. G. Berkeley-Zip, boom, ah."
Resuming the run nOrtherly toward
Minneapolis, we passed through a farm
ing country that looked like business.
There were signs Of thrift and scientific
methods of agriculture on every side.
Farms were well fenced, houses and sta
bles large and comfortable. COWS were
sleek and pigs fat. This is lake region.
There were glimpses of blue water at
every turn and water lilies on lakes and
rivers grow here in rIotous profusion.
DEVILS Lake, where we stopped for Jew
minutes. is q resort for tired-out Chicago
folks. 1t is a sheet of glass in deep
sink with heavily timb ered hills running
down close to its edge. Natives here ex-
pressed curiosity about our special train,
and when one of our wags gave the in
formation that the party was a comic
opera company bound for Japan no one
denied it and Devils Lake folk will
never know the difference. c. S. A.