REMINISCENCES OF CHICAGO

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6867, 23 March 1929, Page 11

REMINISCENCES OF CHICAGO

ADDRESS TO WOMEN’S CLUB. “Reminiscences of Chicago” was the topic chosen by Mr L. J. Wild, M.A., B.Sc. of the Feilding Agricultuial High School, for his talk to tho Manawatu Women’s club at Messrs Collinson and Cunninghame’s tea rooms yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance, hostesses for the day being Mesdames McGregor, Bayli-ss and Oooksley. During the afternoon, the club was also entertained by Aims Howley and Mesdames T. Simpson and McGregor, who rendered musical items in the form of violin solos, songs and ductA Alesdames McGregor and Bayliss L.A.8., and Miss Browning L.1.0.L. wero accompanists. ... After introducing nis subject with a humorous anecdote concerning his first experience in America, when ho landed in San Francisco just over two yeaisago, Mr Wild said that the common impression of American people m e Zealand was quite a wrong one. One would gather that Chicago was a city where murder, bootlegging and crime thrived abundantly. There was a saying that Chicago was sick with crime and the only cure it had not tried was a rest cure. . „• “Chicago,” Mr Wild declared, “is a beautiful city.” The first thing that struck me m any large city, ho continued, when one was used to small provincial towns, was tne , tremendous size of tho place. Figures . were so vast as to be meaningless. In . Now Zealand there were a little more . than a million peo-plo in the country - in Chicago, two yoars ago, there wero [ three and a-half million and the number was increasing.

Enormous City. Chicago was an enormous city. One could get into a tram at the beginning of Western avenue and could travel 3miles in a straight lino without getting out of the city. Incidentally said, Mr Wild, the whole ride cost 7 cents, or Sid. There were three main, liites of communication—the ' underground railway, streets cars, and the elevated tram line. The last was just what its name signified being built above the level of hhe street and as the whole structure was of steel, it created a tremendous din j throughout the city, so much so that l the noise problem had become a serious i community question. One paid 10 cents (sd) to go up to the “L” and once ! one was up one stayed as long as one liked. It was quite a good system of communication. The street cars every week carried no fewer than three and a-half million passengers.

Very Beautiful. The next thing that struck one about Chicago was that despite all the hard things said about murders and crime ’it wrns a very beautiful city. All were 1 familiar through pictures of the geneI ral appearance of the skyscrapers of [New York where there w r as no pretension to beautiful lines and architectnral grace. Tho buildings of Chicago were different. Mr Wild instanced that of the “Chicago Tribune,” a beautiful structure in white marble wdth tho stories set back into turrets and terraces, the whole being most imposing and grand, while the Wrigley building, which when lit up at night, contributed no little to the general beauty of the city. Chicago was situated on the shores of Lake Michigan and in the summer time there could be no doubt it w r as a beautiful locality. Chicago Parks. The'next "thing the speaker had noticed were the parks. Christchurch,

ho said, was very proud at having 640 acres set aside to provide lungs to the city. In Chicago there were dozons of- parks, seven being especially large. There wits the Washington-park, containing 371 acres and the Lincoln park of 1000 acres and also 205 small parks. In the Jackson park was situated the Fine Arts building which had-been put up in 1893 for the world fair, in Chicago and which had been designed to last one year. It .was still standing and was to be beautified. Originally outside the city boundaries, it was now eight miles within its radius.

8000-Boom Hotel. The hotels were on a tremendous scale. One just being completed during Mr Wild's visit was tie La, Salle, containing 3000 bedrooms. Tho hotels wore interesting being run on a different plan to that met with in New Zealand. The rooms were most beautifully appointed and wcxo really bed-sitting rooms, very large and convenient. In an ordinary' American hotel every class of accommodation was provided. One could obtain a two dollar a day room in the. same building as a 100 dollar a day suite. Tremendous Business. . Chicago ..Was a tremendous business centre, seegnd only .to New York. Hero railway lines from all parts of the country converged. “There arc more trains go into Chicago every day than thero are trains in Europe," Mr Wild stated. The service was a very advanced one. One street comprised 19 miles of business houses alone. There was the great mail houso of Chicago, where 9000 hands were employed alone. It was stated that 200,000 orders were received a day and most wero answered the same day. The Marshall Field dc; partment storo was world famous, covering a block and a half with underground communication between the buildings. : The Loop.was the busiest centre of the city, comprising 30 blocks and no fewer than 300,000 workers were employed each day. The speaker also visited the five and ten cent stores.

Wonderful Hospitality. The people, Mr Wild said, were wonderfully hospitable. . The American man was known as a hustler or “gogotter”. When he asked what a “go-getter" was, the speaker continued, he was told that it was the sort of man who would go up a tree and start a branch factory. The American boy was a progressive young man. The American girl was very up-to-date. “As for the Amorican ladies," Mr Wild concluded, “they were very like the ladies of Palmerston North—charming hostesses."

A hearty vote, of thanks was accorded Mr Wild and also those who ha/ helped tu entertain.