go-ahead-it-ivness of the people, and how property had riz.

"Why," sez he, "Chicago and three hundred miles around it wuz bought for
five shillings not so long ago as your little town was founded, and now
look at the uncounted millions it represents."

And then he boasted about the Board of Trade, and said its tower wuz 300
feet high. And, sez he, "While folks all over the world are prayin' for
their daily bread, the men inside that building was deciding whether
they could get it or not."

And after he talked about everything else connected with Chicago, and
hauled up figgers and heaped 'em up in front of me till my brain reeled,
and my mind tottered back, and tried to lean onto old Rugers'
Rithmatick--and couldn't, he wuz so totally inadequate to the
circumstances--he mentioned "that they had 6000 saloons in Chicago, and
made twenty-one million barrels of beer in a year."

"Wall," sez I, a-turnin' round in the buggy, "my brain has been made a
wreck by the figgers you have brung up and throwed at me about the
noble, progressive doin's of Chicago, and," sez I firmly, "I wuz willin'
to have it, for I respect and honor the people who could do such
wonders, and keepon a-doin' 'em, to the admiration of the world. But,"
sez I, "my brain _shall not_ totter under none of your beer and whiskey
statisticks." And as I spoke I put my hand to my fore-top, and I looked
quite bad, and truly I felt so.

He glanced at me, and see that I wuz not in a situation to be trifled
with.