The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-05
JOHN BROWNS FORT.
To DO Turned to nn lGnoblo Uao BY
II Chicago Store. y
an EFFORT, HOWEVER. TO SAVE il


CnIcAoo, Ills, April 4.-Tho famous
John Brown tort at llarpcr's Forty, W.
Va, In which tho most celebrated abol.
itionist OF slavery days fought aud
whose memory 10 still warm in tho
hearts OF thousands Of colorcd people Of
this country, is soon tomeot q iato TINT
is unworthy OF such an interesting relic
and mennonite in tho history OF tho
United States. The building In which
itnow stands on Wabash avenue, DO.
tween Thirtecnth and Fourteenth
streets. has boon leased to A. NJ. Roths.
child. the protector OF tho now depart.
mont store soon to open ut Stato and
Van Burcn streets. as astablc Tor dolly.
cry wagons and horses, and In carrying
out the terna OF tho lease the famous
old fort 10 about to DO moved In such 4
manner that will become n part Of the
stable. 1t, however. may yet BIO saved
from an ignoblo fate.
II will DO remembered that tho fort
was brought to Chicago by a syndicate
oil men from Washington. ID. c., who
believed that it could DO made n great
| Worlds Fair attraction, giving them
| fabulous returns for their investment.
But. like many another castle in tho
AIR." built upon anticipated results OF
tho fair, it was HAT failure. This was
found ont tho first day tho fort was
opened to the public as an exhibition n,
80 cents ticket, and as IN exhibition 1t
closed II few days lator. Shortly aItor.
wards receiver was appointed for tho
company, which in tho meantime had
invested about S30,000in the enterprise,
and the receiver failing to pay the ront
OF the ground by tho terms OF tho con.
tract tho lease was cancelled and tho i'm.
proyements on the property, including
the old fort, reverted to the owner OF
the land, Charles l. Hutchinson. presi.
dent OF the Corn Exchange Bank. Mr..
Hutchinson is naturally patriotic aud
does not want to SEQ the old relic go to
decay. He ha. no uso for the old struc.
ture, but no would like to SEQ it pre-
served. Although plans have been
made to convert it into stable, Mr.
Hutchinson will alter those plans il
any park in Chicago will accept and
care for tho relic.
This statement came from John c.
McCo.d yesterday. who is representing
Mr.. Hutchinson in the disposition OF
the property and who closed tho lease
with A. NJ. Rothschild. 81.
Mr.. McCord said: "Mr. Hutchinson
appreciates the value OF this little old
enciue.house as ono OF the most inter.
eating relics OF an important event in
the history OF this country. and would
gladly see it preserved as it should be-
It is not his deaire that it should be.
come stable. He appreciates that the
proper place for it would be its old
homo at Ilarper's Ferry, from which !,
WAS so ruthlessly wrestcd. bu, thi-
would require an expenditure OF Grna,
deal OF money. Now that it is in Chi.
cago, he believes it should be cared for
here. and offers it rs n free gilt to any
public park that will accept and care
for it. II 10 structure that will not
require a custodian and but little money
to place it in position. Il is now on
house-movers' blocks and about to be
turned around according to tho plans
we have drawn for stable. But in the
hopo that the little building will be
saved this fate have ordered all WORK
stopped for few days aud also tina. the
building DO kept intact
This offer has been called to the alton
ton OF prominent Grand Army men
who are talking about the airisability
OF circulating a petition among the vet
Grams OF Chicago asking one OF the park
boardsto accept the relic.