The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-08-04
INNocENTs ABROAD

because there was too much of it and
mostly it would have to be seen to be
appreciated. The adventure began
unfortunately. Firstly, it was Fri
day, which might have taught us what
to expect. And Friday began to JUS
tify her reputation as the natural
home of the jinx right away. Aris-
ing at four, the first happenstance
was that we got our B. V. DIS. on
wrong side out. That should have
taught us to wait until the next day,
but it didn't. So the next thing that
developed was the toothache. Still
we persevered and when we got as
far as Montrose we found we were
out Of cylinder OIL Had to get our
friend Jack O'Rourke out for the oil
and touch six different kinds of wood
in the hope of side tracking further
trouble. The toothache subsidized and
the remainder of the ride to Grand
Rapids was fine, from Ionia on being
through the beautiful Grand River
Valley, with the shining waters of the
river in sight the greater part of the
way, flanked on either side by tree
clad hills. The roads were very good
and the country good to look at but
evidently not the best for farming.
We arrived at Grand Rapids at IL :
30, where we called on Mr.. and Mrs.
William English, their son Ray and
DR.. DeForest Hamilton. We also had
an opportunity of seeing in operation
the big machine, a glue jointer, in
which these people are interested.
The great machine, weighing possibly
ten tons and composed of thousands
of parts, worked to perfection. From
Grand Rapids we drove to Holland, a
distance of forty miles, where we
took the night boat for Chicago, at
which city we arrived at 80 next
morning. On our way up town we
nearly put a permanent bend in our
necks looking up at the sky scrapers.
But folks were kind to us. They
knew we were from the country
Honestly, never saw kinder or more
courteous people than we met in Chi
cago.
We went to the Graphic Arts Ex-
position and saw acres, literally, of
all kinds of printing appliances.
AS printers we were greatly inter-
ested. Also visited a type foundry,
where the courteous superintendent
took an hour and half of his time
to show us through every department
of thebig establishment. This was al
most as interesting as our visit to
the exposition.
On Sunday We attended church in
the Oldest M. f. Church in the city,
founded in 1880, when Chicago was
a mere trading post of few hund-
red inhabitants. We enjoyed this SER
uiaa uarxy Y,,,,ck anI ,,,au foil ahn,,E
sometime later on.
Our next visit was to the Pageant of
Progress where we saw five or six
miles of exhibits, beautifully arrang-
ed, and covering almost every branch
of commerce. At this time we saw
the famous Dewitt Clinton train, the
first railroad train in America, like
wise the first locomotive ever driven
out of the city of Chicago, taken
there on a sailing ship in 1885 for the
use of the Northwestern Railroad.
Nearby this little engine stood one of
the latest monster freight engines now
in use on the same road, also engine
999 of the New York Central, which
made a record between New York
and Chicago during the Worlds Fair,
which has never been beaten.
We visited the famous Art Insti-
tute, where paintings, statuary and
other articles of art worth millions
of dollars are on exhibition. Then
we went to beautiful Lincoln Park,
where we saw the natural history
the zoo, the aviary and the
wonderful display of flowers. Thou
sands of automobiles were coursing
over the shady, asphalt driveways.
Great place, Lincoln Park. One could
spend a whole vacation there and
have a good time all the time. On
our way back to the city we sat down
on the great granite circular bench
St. Gaudens' statue
of Lincoln, one of the best works of
sculpture in America, and looked up
on the bronze likeness of the great
We saw the lofty brow,
the strong face and the sad and pa
tient eyes of the martyr president and
tried to get clearer understanding
of his trials, his courage and his
matchless services. 1t was a priv
ilege.
We left the city at night and as
the steamer was pulled out into the
lake one of the most striking sights
was Iue STtdI WHlJe SHdlC VI the
Wrigley Building, % or 80 stories
high, built of white glazed tile, upon
which search lights were playing.
Against the darkness of the night it
was some picture. The shore line
Of the city, with its thousands of
lights and electric signs, extending
for miles and miles, likewise pre-
sented most striking and memoir
able feature. But the biggest ex-
perience of all was to walk about the
big city itself.
On our return we accepted an in
vitation of Mr.. and Mrs. English to
be with them for dinner. It was
a splendid dinner and we enjoyed
greatly our visit with these old
friends, who requested us to extend
heir best wishes to all of their ac-
luaintances in Clio. Mr.. English has
been in i'll health for year or more,
out we are happy to say is now con-
'iderably improved. Ray very kind
Y piloted us out of the city and the |
of the journey homeward |
vas without incident.