New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-15
oH5c4G04Es OF ANCIENT ROME.

Chicago for evident reasons, has hitherto
prided itself upon its youth and Its bigness. 1us
oldest citizens are fond of recalling the days
when Chicago had no problems as TO nmeol-
ate municipal ownership" rapid transit or pure
wafer. In that not remote era the citizen who
conld walk the fastest had the best rapid transit
facilities. The Chicago River and the lake.
when properly mingled with what the oldest set
tiers on the site of Fort Dearborn called fire
wafer ouenched mis- thirst, and as to municipal
ownership. each citizen could annex as mucn OF
the. prairie or the lake front as he cared to pay
taxes on Even the Mayor had never heard or
Dalrymple and probably was little hazy as to
the location of Glasgow. Those were idyllic
days which fond memory still brings to view,
desDtta the Doet's mistaken notion that sorrows
crown of sorrow is remembering happier things.
But Chicago. now calling for new charter
emf 70 fit present proportions has suddenly dis
covered that it. or at least some or its citizens.
were contemporary with Cesar and possibly hob
nobbed with Pharaoh on the banks OF the Nile
This discovery-and herein lies the CHER regret
of the patriotic Chicagoan-was not made at the
university or even by an analysis OF the door or
the stockyards which preserves an undensable
flavor of antiquity, but is due to an outsider
young woman of this city Reading in the morn
ing Daper her declaration that it is vulgar to
die that really perfect mortal evaporates from
this life and that she herself was on earth two
thousand years ago, two or three members or
the Chicago Athletic Association. who claim to
have enjoyed several previous existences, recog-
nized in the New York lecturer an old acquaint-
ance One of them, for instance, was positive
that she was the Roman lady in blue toga who
touched him for a oned8y loan some twenty cen
turtles ago while he was toiling ND the Appian
Way, and who seems to have evaporated before
he could collect Thereupon he politely sent her
by telegraph the following message: II remem-
der distinctly meeting you two thousand years
"ago. At that time you borrowed twenty pieces
"of silver from me- I need the money, and
would be obliged if you would send it on be-
fore you again evaporate."
With a generosity that is a notable departure
| from the custom of money lenders, the sender of
the telegram makes no reference to the interest
which has been accruing for two thousand years,
and which would cause the original loan to look
like an insurance policyholder's premium COM
pared with the salary of an insurance president.
He is apparently willing TO send receipt in full
as soon as be gets the principal, perhaps upon the
| theory that the interest may have evapOrated,
as 1t Is sometimes known to do even In these
modern days. We don't know what reply, II any,
has been made to this demand, but the incident
carries disturbing suggestions to the future
| exactions of Chicagoans they awake to the
knowledge of their previous existences. 1t is even
possible that one of them may already have
forwarded TO the King OF Italy demand for
| the throne of the Caesars discovered the other
day among the ruins of Rome.