The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-07


 and Express
 "\ HICAGO, April 6-chicago is not O a city. At the first glance this
 seems a somewhat rash proposi- ton It is, nevertheless, a fact. The ohi- cago of today Is a foundation and framework for a city. It is metropohs in process of construction.
 Its striking characteristic is crudeness' That is inevitable under the circum- stances One hundred years ago, in 1903, John Kinzie bought house from Mon sieur Le Mai That was the first real estate transaction on the site of the present Chicago I have a personal ac- quaintanee with a gentleman, still liv- ing whose father started the first line of through stage coaches from Cleveland to Chicago. That was during my friends boyhood, in the 3Os. Rome was not built In a day, and Chicago should not claim that she has done better than the ancient city.
 But it may be said that the whole of upper New York has been built up dur ing the time that Chicago has grown from barren prairie to huge metropolis. That is a fact, but it is misleading ar gument. New York has expanded from an already well-defned nucleus. It has been the expansion and development of homogeneous people. It has proceeded along duly methodical lines. Chicago, on the other hand, is more Minerya-like. AS the goddess sprung full-armed from the head of Jupiter, so may Chicago al- most be said to have sprung from the bosom of the earth. That she has not, during her brief life, entirely shaken off her earthly cerements is no cause for wonder.
 This is my first visit to the place in a number of years. I am duly impressed with the marvellous changes which have taken place, and I am perhaps unduly impressed with the changes which should have taken place, but have not. l am impressed with certain traits displayed by the people. Among them I note one of striking prominence. It is phase of that which is commonly called ''in- sularity," and which Is manifestation of local vainglory. Going about the city on the day of my arrival I was several times under the necessity of asking dlrec- tions I have been in too many other cities during the last ten years to re- member clearly the location of Clark and Madison and State and Lasalle and Adams and other streets whose names were familiar enough. The following con- versation will serve to illustrate the point 1 wish to make:
 twill you be kind enough to direct me to the office of the --?' I asked a passer who did not walk as If his very life depended on his speed.
 "Oh! Yes That is up by the stock exchange" was his reply.
 But. my dear sir, that does not help me particle. 1 do not know where the stock exchange is"
 "Ahl Go three blocks north and one block west"
 But I do not know which is north or which is west"
 Then I got 1t. I got the real Chicago glare. I got the look which said so plain ly, Can 1t be that there is such ignor- ance in the world? Is it possible that there lives a man who does not know where the Chicago stock exchange is- who does not even know the points of the compass in the greatest city of the mod ern world?'
 To the Bostonian that city may be the Hub of the Universe. But 1t is be- yond question that, to the Chicago man the stars in their courses, the planets, comets and all the rest of the celestial outfit go whirling and wheeling around the southwestern corner of Lake Michi- gan. One may have girdled the globe. He may be equally at home in London, Paris, Pekin, New York and Valparaiso, he may be familiar with Siberian steppes, with the deserts of the Soudan and the bush of Australia, but if he cannot in Chicago go directly to the stock exchange or the auditorium or the Worlds Fair ground, he is, to the man In Chicago, an ignoramus, barbarian, an object of pity if not a subject of suspicion. An