Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-24

Chicago, ILL.,. May TO- NAV not
be uninteiesting to some of the readers
of Every Evening to read how this
great city strikes dweller on the banks
Of the Delaware.
The trip from Wilmington to Chi
cago, about 800 miles, In a Pullman
sleeper, without change Of cars, With a
dining car attached, is in itself n
triumph Of modern civilization. Fifty
wears ago, il was a months Journey OF
roughness and hardship. We made the
trip in 90 hours, 40 minutes, exactly oil
time, in luxurious ease, sleeping rest
fully on comfortable mattresses as the
train sped ON in the night, and looking
out through plate glass indows upon
the ever.chDngine landscape 10 the day
time. Leaving Philadelphia at 3. 30 at
night, the morning found us at Fits
burg, wnere We had cordial greeting
from DR.. Henry Baker, the former gifted
pastor Of Grace Church, Wilmington.
Then, on across the northern part OF
Ohio We passed, which to the east, next
to Pennsylvania, begins in high and
rugged hills and deep valleys, sloping
down 10 gentla elevations in the
middle, and ending on the west side,
next to Indiana, 10 the broad, level,
treeless Eraiiie, IN the daylight. When
night shut us in, we were about GO
miles east of Chicago, which city we
reached at s. 40 ut night. Central Ohio
is beautiful, rolling country. The
farms evidence thrift and careful man
agement, much resembling New Castle
county. The fields Of wheat we're q sad
sight, badly winter killed; in some
places, tho ground was almost bare,
and in marked contrast to the lukuriant
fields We left in Delaware. Thenatural
fertility of the virgin soil showed signs
of exhaustion, as we noticed in many
places The use OF manures and phos-
pilates. The crops were light.
But | promised to write about Chi
cage, and, preacher like, have wan
dered from my text.
Chicago skirts along the west side of
Lake Michigan for more than 10 miles,
and is built upon level prairie land of
black mud, which has been drained of
water by bitches. Tt has an area of 2S7
SQUARE miles, and perhaps not natural
elevation Of the surface Of the land 95
feet anywhere In all that area. Sixty
years ago, Chicago was q prairie vii.
lage. 1t has now, by the last school
census, a population of 1851, 5ss pso-
pie, the second city OF the United
States aud in rapidity of growth the
wonder city of the world. 1t is min
iature world.
The large Bohemian quarter. in the
southwest of the city, with its Bohem-
Ian built houses, unpronounceable
names, costumes and manners, is liter
ally little Bohemia. So, the italian
settlement is little Italy. 1t is a
strange, weird mixture of people from
all the earth, and our problem is how
TO convert them all into an intelligent,
pnre united and patriotic people. From
the small Japanse, Chinese and the
swalthy Italian to the big blonde
swede, you find every variety OF face,
form, complexion and character. The
whole mass is restless and confused. 1t
Is great human caldrcn, ever boiling!
The unrest is emphasized in tho daily
rush on State street. The stream of
human beings moving on, ever on, with
The energetic western step, almost
hppals one. A notable feature of this
crowd is the large number OF tall, we'll
formed, masculine women; in walking
one square, [ counted six women who
were six feet or more in height, and
could look me sguarely in the eyes, with
level gaze. These women were not
ungainly. They dressed with great
neatness, usually In tailor made suits.
Their features were regular, some pos.
sessed of much beauty; some were alb
solutely very attractive, and / wanted
to speak to them, like the child in
Wonderland, to know whence they came,
but politeness forbade, and / was left
to solve the problem in silence. In no
CITY have | seen larger proportion of
handsome women.
The buildings OF Chicago are cosmo-
folitan in style and size, from the
arty hovel of the hobo to the 20-story
Masonic Temple, lifting itself up 1855
,eet IN the air, and commanding the
axe and country round as far as eye
can reach. The Montgomery Ward
new building, on Michigan avenue, an
Immense department retail store, is 355
ieet high. The business of this house
Is done by correspondence; no sales are
permitted to any one living in Chicago,
put only to outside people, by
circulars and orders. 1t is said
/ StOHt putoooos NiibhBo 10
noted for the great number and high
oGrdor of these sky.scraping structures.
WABASH avenue, State street, Madison,
MONROE, Randolph and other streets
ore artificial canyons, bounded by
great towering stone and iron struc-
lures, and yet they are built on mud Of
10y much greater consistency than
merry Island marshes. The founda-
IONS arc, first, long wood piling
aflNen down until the tops are below
water level; upon these are laid layers
VI IRON, concrete and stone, from one
70 many feet in thickness, according to
.ae size of the structure, and thus q
Meat platform Is made, upon which
WV superstructure rests. Freientious
ITrIiSale residences ars quito feature,
me Potter Palmer residence, near the
a.orth drive, in the pretiiest part of
Mb city, built of gray stone, with it's
paItlemeuts aud round tower, is \ large
laI1ce, The George M.Pulhnan house,
VI frairie avenue, in the south, built
VI hrown stone, on the shore Of the lake,
1llh its unique surroundings. is one of
,le most extensive and costly OF Ameri-
~, n hemes. 1t is built on the spot OF
sue Fort Dearborn massacre, which is
,sharked by bronze group portraying
ae massacre, erected ON the Pull
Sman grounds. Washington boulevard,
%lohigan avenue and the North Side
s a;ai North Lake drive arc all lined
CCILsh the handsome homes of tho
SSalcago millionaires and successful
business mon.
Thomas Mcclure, former Whining
.9Snlan, has lust driven me out to sos
me Chicago Drainage Canal, which Is
~, ne of the great engineering feats of
% VIZ Gay. 1t is as miles long, $50 feet