THE CHICAGO FIRE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 53, 27 January 1872, Page 17

THE CHICAGO FIRE.

HUMORS OF THE SITUATION

The Chicago "Times" of the 18th instant is responsible for most of the following. It is itself an illustration of the " humors of the situation," being printed on a sheet nearly twice too big for its letterpress, and leaving a large " margin" for economy in paper. An excited compositor in the New York " World" office is responsible lor the statement that " there are 800,000 homeless people in Chicago." When our susceptible English cousins, in their eagerness for news of the calamity, read this, they will be in a condition of stupified wonderment as to " 'o\v many hinhabitants the blarsted city contained, hany 'o\v." A Bangor, Me., journal lets the Pine Tree State into an idea of our frightful loss when it says :—" When we think that nearly three hundred millions of dollars, or one-third more than the whole valuation of Maine, has been laid low, we begin to know bow it is ourselves." Says the New York " Herald"—" Best time on record—a mile a minute on the Erie with relief stores for the sufferers of Chicago." A Peoria paper tells of the uncanny adventures of a prominent merchant of that city, who undertook to promenade around burnt Chicago at night. He was three times arrested as an incendiary ; by Sheridan's Eegulars, by the police force, and by a citizen patrol. When there is another fire there this discouraged gentleman intends remaining at Peoria. The St Paul "Pioneer" takes the " Despatch" of the same city to task for its hurriedly prepared head lines, in which it was announced—";' Despatch' reporter on the grounds—Killing an Incendiary," and adds that they have sent a man to Chicago with instructions not to be beaten if he has to kill two incendiaries. This arouses the dormant energy of the "Despatch" proprietors, who state that they have telegraphed to this city for their reporter to slay four men, including the " Pioneer" correspondent. Of all the printed humors the best is from St Louis. It is the story of an understanding genius living in that city who, hearing of the magnificent desolation of our ruins, determined to visit them as a worthy curiosity. Finding that he had but ten minutes to catch the next train, he started, pellmell, for the depot. He was stopped by an astonished friend with the enquiry : •' Where are you off to in such a rush ?" " Going to Chicago," was the panting reply, " to see the ruins." " O, hold on,'' said the friend, "wait until to-morrow. There is a party of us arranged for the same trip, and we will go together." But our puffing hero had experienced doses of Chicago's enterprise in the past, and was not to be cornered again. "You may wait if you like," was his answer, " but I don't. Give those chaps a chance and they'll have their d d old city built up again in twenty-four hours, and then there won't be any ruins to show." You can buy relics of the great fire now for five cents apiece. Several members of the Police and Fire Departments have signed a paper agreeing to submit to a reduction of twenty-five per cent on their salaries for the remainder of the fiscal year, provided other members of all branches of the City Government do the same. An enterprising Bock Island paper is determined to take the foul wind out of its contemporaries' sails. It commences the fire on Friday evening, the 6th instant, two days ahead of the actual occurrence. The prize-fighters of St Louis, in their anxiety to do something for the common cause, announce a sparring exhibition for the benefit of destitute Chicagoans. Wben professional bruisers rally in friendly strife, and put heads on one another in behalf of charity, who shall imagine that the scope of this greatest of virtues has limitations of cast or culture '? The New Orleans " Picayune" tells the following story: A lady was reading to her servants an account of the Chicago fire. The incident of the burning of the Emancipation Proclamation, which cost that city 25,000 dollars for its Historical

Society, arrested the attention of one old colored woman, a slave all her life, who viewed the proclamation much as the Israelites did the ark of the Covenant. " "What dat," she said, " burnt up?" "Yes, aunty, burned up." "Den whatgwine eomo of us again?" " I don't know; may be you'll be slaves as before." " Den dis chile gwine to die right now." And throwing her hands in dismay, she left the presence of her mistress, visiting dire imprecations on the head of the man " What sot out dat fire."