Wood County Reporter

"structures made the foundation for one of the finest avenues in the city."

After the noon lunch I suggested that we visit Lincoln Park.

"Shall we take a carriage or the street cars?" asked the duke, as we left the lunch room.

"Oh, let us walk," I said. So we started along leisurely, enjoying the different objects of interest.

"Do you know what that building is that is covered with vines and shaded by those great trees that seem older than the city itself?" I inquired as we came to a handsome stone building.

"No, but I think it must be some old monastery built by the Jesuits when they roamed over the western world," said the duke.

"And those fine buildings in the yard must be the different seats of learning," I suggested.

"Here is a man in uniform, I'll ask him," said the duke, stepping forward.

"Sir, what is this old building, covered with ivy?"

"Potter Palmer's residence, sir!" said the man, looking very much surprised that anyone need to ask such a question.

"And those outer buildings, what are they?"

"Potter Palmer's stables, sir!" said the man with a peculiar smile.

We had been the guests of Mr. Palmer's hotel and now we had seen his home. You may imagine our surprise, and, I must confess, chagrin, to think that we had mistaken a private residence for anything so grand and old. After that "Potter Palmer's residence" became a byword with us.

Lincoln Park is one of the finest in the city. It is the zoological garden of Chicago, and full of interest from the entrance gateway to the farthest nook. The objects that called for our special attention were the sea lions. They were playing in the water, diving and swimming or sunning themselves in the little artistic lakes and caves that had been prepared for their use. The little prairie dogs were a novelty to us. Their little mounds of earth gave me my first view of life on the great plains of the West.

"These animals we never see in the old world," I said, as we stood looking at them, busy at their play.

"They are found only in America, and then only west of the Mississippi river. Washington Irving has given a very interesting description of their habits of life in one of his beautiful sketches."

"Here are the bear pits. See that old fellow hanging by one foot to the limb of that old stump," I said, as we came to the caves of the black and brown bears. One of the brown bears seemed perfectly at home on the limb of an old stump in his pit, trying to catch the peanuts that the children were throwing to him. But the bear at the foot had the feast while the one in the tree was working hard for little pay. The great grizzly bear, looking up from the mouth of his cave, was the greatest curiosity. I had never seen one before, but had often read of them.

To be continued.