Year: 1871

CsuNfaoo. OeA Bs-tbe generous Vmpaeny VI sno
ssSalry hAs aTled Chicago With grssser plonty OF
uTOviSoDs than h SbSOlntely Required for the feed
Iaa q The dsstit1te. Thare has never boen single
Iipnu.snL Of absolute WanA On the hrst day and
naAt cf The re the pAaic and confusion made tt i'm
pobls for every one 20 Be supplied with food, and
tAare was some hunger and suAerings but -
son as tho FIRE was over the churches were
sOsupied By the homeless. and every train
tAat arrived brought in abundant stores foz the
hungry. There is now plenty for all, and the i'm.
;DsdiaEe pressure Of want 10 over. The Winter is
eonzine ON, however, and sonae Trustworthy system
sf fOrEaniGaOn should Immediately be pat into Oper-
stiOn for anordinG reasonable degree Of relief to
The deserving and industrious poor. The suggestion
b made by the Mayor, in his proclamation Of
yesterday announcing that after consultation
with Gen. Sheridan, he has placed the
whole matter Of the distribution o4 SuceOr'
Of ell knds in the hands Of the Chicago Relief and
Aid Society an old and firmly eStablshed OrganizA
ton composed Of men Of known capacity and beneY-
Olenoe This step is universally commended, the
moro 30 as the former indisCriminate system Of
giving to all who applied, while ct first unavoidable,
WAs nevertheless not entirely satisfactory.


THE QUESTION OF LABOR AND sUBsETENCE-


The dfcultproblem Of the correlation of labor and
Subsistence received no light from that system Of
Wasteful charity. certain class OF the population
thoroughly enjoying the enforced holiday, developed
each appetite for the wages Of ideness that they
refused to work for fair wages long they could
be fed for nothing gentleman who was straining
every nerve to put up building found on Friday that
his work must come to stop on account OF the alb
Senco Of two-thirds of his workmen, who had
drawn provisions for g week from the public
vtOroS and would work no more until they had
eaten it up The lavish freedom born of generous
impulse with which railroad passes were given to all
who wanted to leave the city also led to similar
abuse. Hundreds applied for passes who bad bust
ness or family visits to make In adjoining States.
gentleman in Wabash-ave. found one morning that
his servant girls had availed themeves OF the oppor
tunity and INDUCED in ticket to Milwaukee. One
lebodcd blandly requested pass to SAP Fran
cisco. All of these people will beg or steal their
way back and apply as boldly ever for new relief


Under these circumstances the best citizens join with
the prominent newspapers in insisting that relief
shall henceforh as far possible, take the form of
furnishing employment to the able-bodied 1t is
certainly not desirable to build community of
lazzaroni in Chicago. There is already plenty of
work for most of those who willing. There isHo
reason why all should not be employed before long


Mr.. Pullman Of the Relief Committee to-day re-
ceived an order from the Chamber of Commerce for
200 laborers to clear away building ground.
Hereafter neither passes nor relief will be given to
Able-bOded men who refuse to work. 1tsis useless
to deny the fact that Chicago has suffered heavy.
loss Her young and vigorous rivals are straininge
every nerve to overtake her during this
halt. Intense activity and most hopeful
promise is evident in Milwaukee, for In
stance. She will, Of course, reap great benefit |
from this enforced disturbance Of traffic in Chicago 81
Int altar ALL of the PrOSerty OF Chicago yet
remain She was greatest in her lumber, grain, and
provision trade. Her converging railroads poured
into her lap the treasures of the Northwest. Her
dry goods trade, her infant manufactures,
her enormous stores and splendid residences
were merely the result of the prosperity
achieved by those three important branches
The material facts which brought about
that state of things still exist The lake is not dried
up tho railroads not burned up the grain still
loads the warehouses of the interior waiting ship
ment, and most of the elevators stand ready to do
their work The town will be rebuilt unless sud
den and widespread depression should attack West
and East alike and render all great efforts of capital
and labor Intellectual This does not seem at present
possible. - ..--..


There is no lack of energy and pluck among the
merchants and capitalists of Chicago AS an in
stance of this, John B. Drake, whose losses are
enough to appal an ordinary man, has already con-
tracted for the rebuilding of bis magnificent block
for the third time and all along the burned district
where the rain has sufficiently cooled the ruins, the
clearing away Of wrecks has begun. The country will
best assist Chicago in standing by her in her effort
TO restore her crippled commerce and industries
The city is quiet and orderly, thanks partly to the
good will Of the citizens and partly to the coolness
and energy of Gen. Sheridan. The panic OF disaster
should already be over and the long, steady pull of
stubborn determination to retrieve past losses is
now to begin.


PROCEEDINGS IN THE CHURCHES.


The few churches which are still Open have
teen crowded. The sermons all turned upon the
Vreat calamity Many of the pastors Of the de-
Stroyed churches held services in the open air IN
front OF the ruins DR.. Ryders congregation met in
Wabash-ave and almost the entire congregation OF
Unity Church came together in Dearborn-st at the
call Of their pastor the Rev. Robt. Colyer. The exer-
eises were simple and touching, consisting merely of
q PRAYER and hymn and . few words OF
manly sympathy and exhortation from the wArm-
hearted orator Street and sidewalk were covered
with men, women and children who were moved
sometimes to laughter by the quaint humor OF the
speaker and sometimes tOi tears BY his deep and
earnest pathos The day was clear aud mild and the
October sunshine fell softly his gray hairs Is he
stood in front of this once beautiful church. now
wholly in ruins aud talked to his people in cheer
ing way He said God would not ask Of them irn-
poosiblities The calamity % vast that the peo
ple were stunned and dumb They could not yet lift
themselves up into that higher atmosphere they yet
hoped TO reach where they could thank God for this
visitation. All this in good time they would hope
and pray for; but God would not demand this to-
day. He then referred In plain and touching lam
RuaRe to the terrible losses they had suffered. but
ooon changed to the more hopeful aspects OF the
case, showing how much they had yet worth living


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