Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-01-05


the finest grapes were in the top of
tree and time was slipping along.
and we were unaware that the fog
60 was becoming more and more
dense. The result was that when
we started on our way homeward
we became bewildered and had diff
ficulty in finding our way to the
road. People began to complain of
their eyes hurting, ignorant of the
fact that vast area of Chicago was
being swept by fire.
Fifty years ago we were in Chi
cago for the first time. We were
like an old farmer and his wife who
were on their way west by the way
Ict Chicago. ''Why, Henry!" said
she, (we're calling him Henry be-
cause that was not his name). "Ther'
must be sumthin' goin' on in this
'ere town-ther's so many pepole. =
We have been there four times since
and there always seems to be
''sumthin' goin' on
But if there ever was time when
old "hayseeds,'' like the writer,
ought to be at home 'tendin' the
stock" it was this last time, the
days of the international live stock
exhibition. This great event, cou-
pied with the fact that the city was
doing it's decorating and people
were obeying that injunction, "Do
Your Christmas Shopping Early,
made the city SO thronged that it be-
hoOved pedestrians to "watch your
STEP" We were not especially inter
ested in the stock show, but while in
the city it was our intention to visit
it two days and night, but that in
sdious disease, cold, dealt us a
knockout blow, SO we were there but
one day. The day we were in the
amphitheatre was when the loud
speaker announced that the black
steer owned by Irene Brown, a IA
year old high school girl of Aledo
ILL.,, won the prize and declared
king of steers, the Grand Champion
That high vaulted roof over the
arena must have trembled at the
deafening applause. Her father, who
stood near, gave the daughter a con
gratulatory kiss. Evidently there
were others who would have liked
to do the same. She said the money
received from the sale of Mercer
(that was the calf's name) is to be
used in studying animal husbandry
in some college. 1t is our guess that
Irene will make good and she her
self will be prize for some enter
prising, or otherwise young guy to
try to win.
1t was Horace Milhone who pur-
(chased this steer for the Firestone
Rubber company. He is son OF
our neighbor here, Bert Milhone
When the sale was made we imagin-
ed that the nostrils of some high
hatters began to sniff something
like S4 a pound beefsteak, but they
ore going to have mercy on Mercer
and, for the present, he will not be
led to the slaughter.
You can go to Chicago by bus, OF
course, but in cold and uncertain
weather we prefer to pay a little
more and go by rail The street, OIL
surface, cars in the city are all that
could be desired, but we, on many
occasions, preferred to pay the ter
cents and take the elevated, com
monty called the a." as the dis
tance was so great between many
points of interest.
Now, Brother Elias Corn-crib
cont think that the Union stock
yards are all of Chicago; not by hun
dreds Of blocks; yes, acres of re-
claimed ground that not so many
years ago was covered by the blue
waters of Lake Michigan. There is
the Merchandise Mart, the largesr
building in the world, the Field mu
scum, Art institute; these are only
the beginning of list too long tc
be given here.
The largest, the most spectacular
the most wonderful Christmas dec
Grafton we have ever seen or expect
to see was in the Marshall-Field
store. 1t beggars description.
There are two words in our Eng
lish language that, it seems to me-
are decidedly overworked, "won-
derful' and "maryelous" Both, SO
far as we know, mean about the
same thing. In both cases the en-.
rhasis is all laid on the first syllable,
almost enough to stop clock. We
believe these words ought to be held
somewhat in reserve to be used in
describing such places as the Grand
Canyon of Colorado, Yellowstone
Park, View from Pixies Peak, Nj
agara Falls and other places where
nature has wrought wonders. AS al
ready intimated, Chicago certainly
has some man made wonders. bat
if they do not meet up with your eX-
pectations let's go to New York City
next year and see the exposition and
take a birds eye view from the top
Of the Empire state building, and if
this does not satisfy, you are hard
Boiled, lack appreciation, alse need
new glasses. AS for this old hill
billy he'd feel like a pigmire in ''The
Valley of the Giants ''-Silas Thorla