Chicago Herald Building I

Chicago Herald Building I
Life Span: 1881-TBD
Location: 120 Fifth av, 30 N Wells
Architect:

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884

Chicago Record The

Commercial and Architectural Chicago, G. W. Orear, 1887

The Chicago Herald, 120 Fifth avenue, is a bright, short paragraph, full-of-news, morning daily at two cents a copy, the kind of paper to give you the news while waiting for your coffee to cool, and not only the news of the world but editorial expressions on all the leading questions of the day in a concise form, that he who runs may catch the gist.

Inter Ocean, October 16, 1900

BEER DEFEATS THE WOMEN.
Female, Democratic Club Turned Into a Saloon.
The two fractions of the American Woman’s National Bryan league are making history rapidly, and incidentally are surrounding Bobby Burke, the Democratic statesman of Chicago, with a very torrid atmosphere. When the Democratic boss heard yesterday that history had repented itself, and that the feminine Bryanites were again on the verge of a hair-pulling match, he gave up the little hope that still remained to him for carrying Cook county in the coming election. However, Bobby is nothing if not resourceful, and he decided to make one final effort to disentangle the party from the petticoats and flowing draperies of the Democratic dames.

A trusty follower told him that the larger faction of the club had decided to open headquarters in the offices of a defunct Democratic daily at No. 120 Fifth avenue, and so the wily Burke laid a plot for the unsuspecting women. He bad no sooner heard that the women were going to open headquarters there than he was visited by a committee headed by Mrs. Susan L. Jenks and Mrs. O. W. Dean, both leaders of the new organization.
The committee started to tell Bobby of their troubles, and ended with a description of their plans about opening the new headquarters.

“We are going to hold a meeting there this noon, Mr. Burke,” one of the women
trustfully told him, “and show those other women that we can get along without them just as well as not. What we wanted to ask was if we can have a few chairs for the headquarters until we can get things fixed up?” This was much easier than the Democratic leader expected, and he promised them the chairs with a sigh of relief.

They Get the Chairs.
So the women left, and early yesterday morning a large wagonload of chairs were sent over and the man in charge of the building allowed them to be put in on the word of Mrs. Dean that she had leased the premises. Things seemed to be getting along swimmingly, according to the ideas of Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Jenks, and they started out on a round-up of their followers to hold the meeting which was causing so much dread to Mr. Burke.

About noon they had gathered enough together to make a considerable showing on anti-expansion, free silver, and other things which the women knew to be doctrines of the Democratic platform, and they proceeded in a body to No. 120 Fifth avenue. They were met at the door by a man who told them that he had just leased the place for a saloon; and that under no circumstances could they hold their meeting there. And they were told also that they would have to take their chairs out, as work was to be commenced immediately on the beer pipes, bar fixtures, and the other necessary details of a saloon. Tha news was such a shock for a moment to the group of women that they were uncertain what to do. Then their tongues were loosened and they proceeded to air their opinions of Mr. Burke and the entire Democratic party without reserve.

“I just know that Bobby Burke got that saloon-keeper to come and hire this place just to keep us out of our meeting.” declared one of the women in a firm and decided tone. This was the prevailing opinion, but meanwhile the women realized that they were facing a condition and not a theory, and that they would have to hunt up other quarters.

Calls on the Agent.
But Mrs. Dean determined that she would pay one visit to the agent and learn if possible how the misunderstanding had occurred. The agent is Itha H. Bellows of No. 527 Stock Exchange building.

Mrs. Dean called there yesterday afternoon, and demanded to know why the women had not been allowed to retain their lease on the bullding. The only explanation that Mr. Bellows would give was that the saloon-keeper had come forward with the money. and that he wanted a long-time lease, so Mr. Bellows concluded that he would better not overlook a good thing for something that was only temporary.

“I knew that it would be that way.” said Mrs. Dean indignantly. “You did it just because we are Democrats and tried to break up our meeting.”

Mr. Bellows told an Inter Ocean reporter yesterday afternoon that there was no intention on his part of doing an injustice to the women, but that he felt that it was his duty to rent the premises to the most promising tenant. He said that he had talked with Mrs. Dean about the lease, and that she promised to call at his office with money for the rental in advance. However, she did not do this, and the hall was rented.

The warfare between the two factions is increasing with the greatest rapidity. Democratic women in all parts of the city yesterday were wondering how it was that Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Jenks who, four years ago, were the bitterest enemles, were now united and apparently the best of friends.

Have a Personal Encounter.
Four years ago the division in the club was so serious that Mrs. Dean and Mrs. Jenks are said actually to have come to blows in the Sherman house. This was on the occasion of the meeting of the larger faction, after the club had been rent in twain. Mrs, Dean, at that time, according to reports, openly said things about Mrs. Jenks, and a mixup propmtly followed. In the language of the ring both ladies went to the floor together, and the animosities stirred up at that time kept the club apart during the entire campaign.

Mrs. Jenks is well known in political circles, and it is said that campaign managers. before the opening of a campaign, are haunted with a dread that Mrs. Jenks will ally herself with their party. During the last ffteen years, which is about the length of time that she has been engaged in the game of politics, it is said that she has successively been at the head of Republican, Democratic, and Populist clubs. Her changes have been executed with such lightning-like rapidity that many of her friends have been unable to follow them, and have been obliged to inquire from day to day what cause their venerated leader was espousing.

But the two former enemies are friends once more, and, as stated, women who have known them in times past are wondering what influence bridged the yawning chasm.

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