Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1893 — BITS OF CHICAGO LIFE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BITS OF CHICAGO LIFE.

POINTS OF INTEREST TO THE WORLD'S FAIR VISITOR. Strangers Can Spend Several Days Sightseeing in the Center of the City—The Board of Trade, Water System, Police and Fire Departments, Etc. Few Historic points. Chicago correspondence:

F the visitor starts out ‘to see the town |1 and all its sights." he A II will find in the imme--3 H diate center of Chicago ' ■ jjl sufficient to occupy his iW time and interest for i \ several days. Thesky.ry scraping office structI f ures, the retail stores II I of State street, the I I wholesale district, the 11J produce quarter, the v\ lumber market all \ \ these may be taken in at a cursory glance; but the great grain el-

evatora, the Safety-deposit banks, the new Art Institute on the lake Iront, the lookout tower of the Masonic Temple, the press-rooms of the great dailies,

turning out over 50,000 papers an hour, are novelty of more detailed attention. Of commemorative pointe there are comparatively few, Chicago being too young as yet to boast of many statues, but the site of old Fort Dearborn, near

Rush street bridge, marked by a tablet, the bust of the railway postal service pioneer, Armstrong, at the postofflce, the Douglas monument at Kenwood, the Drake Columbian public drinking fountain at the City Hall, and the monument at Haymarket Square indicating the scene of the famous Anarchist massacre, are all associated with interesting reminiscence#, and pave the way for comparison when the sojourner later inspects the statues In Lincoln Park. The stranger seeking pleasure need only consult the amusement columns to find every kind and class of theater, a variety of museums and “magic maze" shows, cycloramas, panoramas and historical curiosities, such as Libby prison. If a day on the water is scheduled, theie are steamers leaving many river docks for points across the lake, such as an excursion to Michigan City in eight hours, at only 50 cents for the round trip, while land journeys may be made swiftly and with profit to the wonder'.ul industrial town of Pullman or to the military post at Fort Sheridan. Some of the best obtainable musical and dramatic talent will be found on the boards of the various theaters during the World’s Fair.

The Board of Trade. One great central point of interest is the Board of Trade; as famous as the Rialto or the Bourse of the old world. The headquarters of this aggregation of grain and produce speculators is found In the Chamber of Commerce, one of the truly palatial edifices of the world. Occupying half a square, its tower and entrance portal stand exactly in front of LaSalle street, where that thoroughfare ends at Jackson street, with an environment forcibly suggestive of Wall street. New York. The building is in two

sections, the one facing north being used for trading, the rear one for offices. Emblematic figures mark the

handsome doorways and projections, and the tower that caps the massive structure tapers in a pinnacle over 300 feet above the pavement The main hall has two capacious galleries, and to these visitors are admitted at all times. The view from the same, when 'trading is going on below on the main floor, is something never to be forgot* ten by the inexperienced spectator, little ' suggesting to him that the uproar and bustle, the hoarse outcries and frantic gestures are an accompaniment of transactions during which millions of dollars change hands in a single day. The building cost nearly $2,000,000, and it requires often as high as SIO,OOO to secure the privilege of trading in the wheat or corn pit. The clearings of a year have aggregated over $104,000,00 Trading is permitted in not less than 1.000 bushels of grain or 250 barrels of pork—all on paper—and fortunes are made and lost every day in the year, often nearly every hour in the day. City ta*rsvo»-k . A visit to the city waterworks is well worth a mile ride or walk over into the North Division. The system of which it is the foundation has grown to a remarkable magnitude. The main works are located at Chicago avenue and Pine street, and comprise a series of structures embracing a tower, free to visitors, affording a fine view of the city,

and a castellated gothic stone building, from which a tunnel three miles long extends beneath the lake, ending in the great, supply-well known as “the crib," which is *. isited daily by excursion botts. The new engine at the works has a capacity of 2.750 gallons at one stroke of the cylinders. The West Division of the city has also a water works at Ashland and Blue Island avenues, with a tunnel six miles long running to the supply crib. Its engineshave a capacity of 70,600,000 gallons daily. The combined daily capacity of all the city plants is 250,000,000 gallons, distributed through nearly 1,500 miles of pipes.and through 13,411 Are hydrants. The cost of the entire system was $17,000,000. No person visiting Chicago for the first time should neglect at least a casual inspection of the fire and police departments. The former has now some thirteen battalions, embracing 930 men. 72 steam fire engines, 22 chemical engines, three fire tugs and general apparatus lor reaching lofty buildings and rescuing people, such as life-saving guns and nets, ladders, and the like. Callers are generally welcome at any of the fire-engine stations scattered about the city, at the central alarm office at the city hall, and at the fire insurance patrol houses, where

everything is done by electricity, from the sounding of the alarm to the starting of the horses. The police stations are also open for inspection, and the patrol-wagon system will generally be courteously explained by the officers in charge when not on active duty. Police courts are connected with many of the stations, and an hour spent in one of these will give the stranger a very fair idea of “the seamy side" of life in a great city. He Must Hive Died Young*. Christian Helnecker, of Lubeck, when only 10 months old, could repeat every word spjken to him; at 12 months of age he had memorized all the principal events mentioned in the Pentateuch. Before he had finished his second year he had learned all the historical parts of both the Old and New Testament. At the age of 3 he could reply correctly to all questions put to him regarding universal history and geography, and in the same year he learned to speak both Latin and French. Oranges and Lemons for Cholera. The oraqge and the lemon are both said to be fatal to the cholera bacillus. Placed in contact with the cut surface of the fruit, the bacteria survives but a few hours. Even on the uninjured rind they die within twenty-four hours at least, so says the imperial health office of Berlin.

CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING.

THE CRIB IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

M'VICKER'S THEATER.

HAYMARKET MONUMENT.