The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-26
characteristics of
am American City
Assertions with Reference to the Swiftness
OF Chicago.

Chicago Letter in the sun.
The native Chicagoan loves to refer
tn this place as the boss town of
America. Nodesty has always been an
afterthought with these people. The
dominant note In Chicago life today, as
I'm the past. is 'hus'lIng." The want
advertisements in the local papers are
always calling for "hustlers,' ana
warning away 1s useless fossils men
who have passed their th'rtieth year.
The commercial spirit, the rush ele-
ment. and the get-therc. with -both-feet
style are peculiarities that most tour
lists discover without the use or MI
croscoue. Nj the world has heard now
Chicago footpads ar busy the year
rounl holdinr nm persons supplied with
money and watches: almost as ire
uuent in occurrence is the running
down" of lJggards by teamstcrs ana
eXprt - drivers who want to bH NJ the
head uf the procession. iunuredS are
Killed and MANNED and mangled annu-
allv Ivy car drivers and engineers, VINO
have no use Tor slow people. The hur-
ry-un temper rules There Is no leis-
urc Those WHO cant Keep up with
tho rrnccssion are requested to get off
the earth.
I;udydrd Njpling came here anu was
told to go 20 tho Paluer house. To his
oriental taste this hostcirv was over
ma IN gilded and n'irrored but there
h. found "a huge hall of tessellated
marble cIainmad with people taking
about money and splitting about every
where. Other barEarians charged in
and out of this inferno with letters ana
got nt H.
ors shouted back and forth in most
boisterous manner What would M.
kinlIng have said if he had witnessed
Il hrdrgarden performance at the hHard
uf trade during a furry in wheat All
this mpntitiNc struggle in ChicaSo
streets and public places. as if for
lag of lilondike gold in foot race
is regarded as the highest oppression
Of the Windy City enterprise. 1t is
perhaps the only city in the world
where the people rush Ground on Mon
day us ie they were ashamed of nav
ing been idle on sunday.
CAUSE OF THE RUSH.
one day confused and frightened
Nebraska farmer made his escape from
the football rush of the crowds, and.
entering a Washington street station
ers shop. Just off state street, asked:
where are all these people in the
streets running to? 1t is like buff
falo stampede out on the plains. Has
fire broken out round here somewhere?
NO" said the stationer quietly.
"Everything's all right side up with
care. / guess. Every man you see
rushing round the corner in State
street is hustling to make dollar,
and every woman you see is hustling
to spend a dollar"
Recently q tourist said that Chi
cago's wild-boar energy reminded him
of a mighty piggery. where every pork
er. even down to the little pig with a
sentimental curl in his tail, was try
ing to get his snout in the same trough.
Amid all this push and scrimmage
there are some funny contradictions.
For example, the genuine Chicagoan
will run like sprinter for four blocks
to catch trolley car when he Is we'll
aware that another is coming two min
utes later Then when he alights he
will waste half an hour discussing the
latest political scandal or the prob
abilities of a fight between Corbett
and Fitzsimmons, before going to his
office or going to work. If he hears
the bell ring for bridge to turn, he
will run like a quarter horse to get
across before 1t swings, at the immin-
ent risk of plunging into the river
and drowning or knocking others over
board and the moment he lands safely
on the other side, will stop to argue
the silver question with the first per-
son who will listen to his vagaries
This is the Chicago manner of illus
trating the fable book story of the
hare and the tortoise.
EXPECTORATION.
The caustic and reproachful insinu-
alton of Mr.. Kipling that Chicago peo.
pie are addicted to the habit of expec-
toration in public places is not with.
out foundation. There is probably nc
other city this side of Constantinople
or Port Said where as here. the civil
authorities would deem it necessary tC
legislate against eXpectoration and post
warning placards i'm big red and black
letters to suppress the habit This was
the greatest reformatory work attempt
ed by Doctor "Bill" Kerr. commissioner
of health under Mayor Swift. These
large, spangled warnings were tackled
up in police stations, cheap lodging
houses, street cars, omnibuses, hote