Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-05-12
A Letter From Chicago.
CHICAGO. May 0, 1904.

way in the heretofore, and from pres
! ent indications the same condition VIII
prevail, to a limited extent at least, In
the thereafter" The trees and shrubs
show no signs as yet Of the vivifylng
touch of spring although this is said to
be unusual even in this climate. This
is the time of year here when ''Old
Boreas" swells out his chest and per-
forms his greatest stunts. Now, singu-
lar as it may seem, his performances
which have caused Chicago to be called
the "Windy City have been noticed by
me so little as to call for no remark. 1t
may be that am getting acclimated, or
possibly the other nuisances and annoy
ances that have TO be endured, notably
the smoke, are so much greater, that
| little wind is of minor consideration
in fact, | think it is rather benefit
carving across and out of the city
some of the disease germs and Crit and
aerating them in the carrying into a
state of "innOcuous deSuetude. 1t is
still cold enough for heavy clothing, but
there is promise of warmer weather in
day or two. understand it is char
acterstic of the climate to continue cold
until late in the season and then drop
one down into the middle of torrld
spell.
1t seems the, papers both here and
| elsewhere are full Of accounts OF rob-
berries, burglaries, and hold-ups which
take place daily in this city and SEEM
lngly as many in the day time as at
night, and almost invariably the perpe-
traitors escape by running down an alley.
as nearly all city squares are bisected
by alleys, and the police are scored be-
cause they do not always catch the
thieves. Considering the many miles
of surface that the city covers, and its
! peculiar conditions, il to me is astonish-
Ing that any of the offenders are appre-
hended as the police force is altogether
too small to properly guard such an al
most unlimited extent of country, it not
being thought anything unusual to run
over and pay visit on the south side as
| far, by comparison, as Martinsburg, and
| from there north say as far as Hagers-
town. Imagine city for the most part
closely built, IF some two or three miles
in width and extending from Shepherds
town TO Winchester, and you have the
territory that has to be guarded against
the incurSiOns of the worst Of the hard
characters Of the West who drift in here,
as we'll as the toughs from the East and
the generally disreputable from all the
countries Of the earth. The police are
TO be more generally praised and COM
mended than harshlY criticised.
We can sit here and look out over
Lake Michigan, a truly nificent body
of water. Said water, changing the
flow of thought somewhat, calls to mind
that the "Ice Trust" has arbitrarily
raised the price of ice, giving as an eX-
cuSe that the season is so late that the
probabilities are that they will not sell
as much as usual, and they are not TAX
ing any chances | am longing for the
time to come when | can wash the soft
coal CRIME from off my hands and clear
my nostrils in anticipation of a breath
of pure fresh air, and HE me away TO
country that God made for man to live
in. You cannot appreciate what
beautiful country you inhabit until it
is compared with a fiat, treeless and un-
interesting land such as this is.
| could write long diSquiSition on
local politics, which are just now agi-
tating this community, but it would
have no particular interest for you eX-
cept as it may have some bearing on the
general election in the fall, when have
some well founded hopes of seeing this
State join the "Anclent and Honour
| able Democratic column, and if such
should prove the case, even though not
through any humble efforts on my part,
but my presence here acting as mas
cot for the party, | will feel that have
have not stuck out in vain the hardest
and longest winter known to the oldest
inhabitant.
Speaking of deprivatms, what have
missed most is the "Old Nirginny" corn
pone and biscuits The people in this
country make what they call corn. bread.
but from all such gastronOmic abomi-
nations, Good Lord deliver us. 1t is
made from kiln-dried yellow meal, and
as a substitute for hard pine saw dust
could very readily be used on the floors
| of butcher-Shops and saloons. Then
again 1t is raised with various kinds of
so-called baking powder. Now, in re-
gard to this latter-day discovery it has
been truly said that the real objection
10 baking powder is revealed not so
much by its damaging effects on the
human system as in the genuine infer-
GRITTY of the products into which it en-
tiers, and its encroachments on veneer
ated uSageS. Alum doesn't mix with
corn meal, and this statement is as true
as an axiom, and it requires no CASTRO
nomlCal expert TO tell the difference be-
tween baking powder corn-bread and
tlapjaCks and that made from sour milk
and soda. In most cases the difference
between baking powder product and
a yellow pine chip is too numerous to
mention, as children say in their school
compositions Away from Dixie the
art OF making corn pone-that soft,
sweet, nutritious bread, baked to a
golden brown in good, deep pans and so
tender that it melts in the mouth, alack
and alas is lost indeed. So prithee,
pretty maiden of the sunny South"
put down all Of the above among the
things to be remembered, lest we also
forget.
Notwithstanding that spring has lin
gered Ger long in the lap of winter, no
doubt the bass will be open for business
at the same old time and place, and
about that period | expect to drift in
and join you, and once more say" howdy'
to all my friends and acquaintance,
and prove in my case at least that antic-
ipation is not the better part of pleasure.
And now with kindest regards TO all |
wish you the best of good fortune until,
as the Germans put it, "Auf wieder-
sehn."
Sincerely Yours,
E. II. B.
Keep the Balance Up.