The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-18
Chicago Letter

Chicago, June 1S.-Spurred by
Americas record OF 5,6e3 Fourth oi
jury casualties in 1908, 4,413 in 1907,
and 5,4G5 in 1906, Mayor Busse has
OFFICIALLY declared for sane
Fourth" for Chicago, but the suburb
of LAGRANGE has outdone that, hav-
ing taken the lead in trying music
as substitute for firecrackers in
celebrating Independence Day. Band
concerts. orchestra concerts and
chorus singing are TO be pitted
against the sound or powder. The
deadly work of the giant cracker and
toy pistol, as summarized by the
Journal of the American Medical
Association shows $50 deaths upon
the last five Fourths, $40 being
fdoni tetanus--lock1aw. Twenty
five thousand casualties of various
kinds is the total for five years of
pyrotechnical, detonating oeleb'a-
tions. Chicago's tiles will attempt
TO bar cannon crackers, toy pistols,
any fir works containing explosives
more violent than black powder, and
dealers found selling or keeping the
tabbooe.l noise makers are threat
ened with fines and the revocation
of their licenses. The limits of the
Fourth ore strictly prescribed and
fireworks or noise makers OF any
kind are under ban except on the
one day when the dog hides in the
basement and the parents vainly long
for peace and quiet. All the whole
sale AMI retail dealers in the city
have been Informed concerning the
exact provisions Of the ordinance,
and the police have been instruct
ed to be on the lookout for the dis
play or sale in any store of the pro-
hfbited variety of explosives. The
appearance OF these explosives
in the hands of any per-
sons also will be the signal for a
police investigation and the arrest
of offending citizers and dealers.
"Old Fourth Avenue one of the
last landmarks of early Chicago and
once called "the wickedest block in
the word" by William r. Stead,
the English editor, is disappearing
TO make room for am up-to-date
busines building. This marks the
passing Of a street which for years
whs notorious in the annals OF
American criminal life from one
end Of the country to the other. The
center of the worst resorts In the
city and a harboring place for
criminals OF every description,
Fourth Avenue at one time was
known to the police as an unfailing
breeder of disorder at any hour of
in the world, not even the Bowery
In New York could approach this
narrow alley for the number of
drinking resorts in one block, and
murders, suicides and robberies
were of frequent occurrence in the
panel houses that lourished on the
Avenue. There were at one time
26 saloons on the west side of the
street in the block given over to
vice. Ore of these was the famous
resort OF Tom Curley, which used
to be headquarters for prize fighters
and where John l.. Sullivan used
TO spel1 much of his time when
visiting the city. There is a tradi-
tion that after winning a big fight
one nigrt Sullivan laid $1,000 bill
down on the bar and treated every
body until the money was gone.
Anthony Connolly's saloon on the
corner OF Founth avenue and Hhrri-
son strHet was another resort of
worldwide notorietyl in the early |
sos, until Connolly was shot and
killed one night by Bob Bruce.
'Shang' Andrews, editor OF a SPORT
ing sheet, Dam Scott, negro gam
bier and race horse owner, and
score of Others were Gmong the in
teresung characters who lived in
this unsavory neiShDorhood. Even
The name of the thoroughfare has a
history. Before the Civil War It |
was called Buffalo street and con-
dlneu TfduenteS OF some or the |
pest families. After the great fire
which swept the city In 1873 it was
invaded by resort keepers and was
'echristened Fourth avenue. Later
me name was officially changed to
custom House court and again to
federal court but The old name has
lever been quite displaced. Fourth
venue began to wane about six
ears ago when Mayor Harrison
made Ire "red light" dead line
outh Of Harrison street. Three
ears later Mayor Dunno made
'ean sweep by compelling the resort
'eepers to move - the Twenty-sec-
nd street district. Since then the
Id frame buildinys ys have been ocm-
led by Italian families. which are
ow Obliged TO move 10 make room 4
Or mammoth printing estaibliGh- ,
lent which Is to occupy the site.
Girls meager wages and the white