Year: 1873

and Before the Great Fire--Rev.

 Robert Collyer Properly Scorches

 the Pharisees--MiningI Interests.

 CHICAGO, Feb. 23.-At this time of year, Californians should stay at home, unless they want a startling contrast to enable them to better ap- preciate their own side of the conti nent. For eastern people, now is the best time to emigrate to California j; no, 1t Is the best for California that they go at this season. They would be more inclined to stay there, or want to very much. But the snow blockade is bugaboo that must con- tinue to work against that State until the southern line is completed. The present overland should have ex- pended all its own resources, includ- ing that of the Credit Mobilier, in rendering the line snow-proof from the first. As 1t is, the road may be free for years, and the story of last winter will tell against it all the time. California looked better than any pie ture ten days ago, and here am with the mercury down in my boots and the most piercing blast-lncident to this section-raging since day before yesterday, with no sign of letting up. 1t IS one of the most sudden and severe cold spells ever known here, and that upon the top of remarkably cold winter up till the first of this month. But still I sort of like to contend against 1t for change, and 1 find 1 can get round with less bund- ling up than the average native. l don't believe 1t is good to take on the lungs as business.

 1 took occasion to go over to the North Side" to church to-day, and thereby 1 got the best view of the " burnt district ''-that part which shows best tor worst) at this late day ! Only fifteen months since this wond- erful city was literally wiped out, and now a stranger would hardly know there ever had been a fire in the main portion of the town A brief descrip- of the plan of the city may be ill place. It is situated at the west side of Lake Michigan, and not far from Il know. The Chicago River puts in from the west, and with its two branches forms the letter Ton a somewhat larger scale than I write it here. The main river Is about a mile in length, on the south side of which has always been and always will be the great center of business. The old center lost its grip about two blocks by the fire-the tendency being south ward. Madison is the main east and west street instead of Lake as before There are three sides to Chicago-the North, South and West; the East Is Lake Michigan or the floating side From my recollection, there has been a change. When 1 came here as a printers devil, I got turned round among these for those) six and eight story houses and the sun didn't rise or set to suit me-iust as in several mountain towns since; and 1 never could get the internal thing to go as I wanted 1t. But the big fire was too much for that orb, and thus again time sets all things even. It IS a great relief to have the heavenly bodies in harmony with ones self. l am very glad now of the fire and I guess the majority are; it made more work for the laborer, added new energy to this fearfully go-ahead peo- pie who point with refreshing pride to their mountains of brick, stone, mud, &c. As I was going on to say, the North Side is where ruin stares one in the face, after the manner of the old pictures, in the school geog- raphies, of Thebes, Palmyra, etc. The burnt trees look like the old pillars in the books. l don't suppose 1t is worth coming across the continent to see, but being here, it is a sight of a life time; moreover, l passed through it just @ day or two before the fire and took a good look at it by the way. Still if Is not so hard on second thought to account for the wonderful growth and enterprise of Chicago. ItI ought to be all 1t is in this aoe of