This book has been very intriguing to me to say the least. As I have started reading I really believe that biggest issue that is going on in the United States is corruption. Everything was changing so fast skyscrapers were being built cities were growing and everybody wanted to be the best and whatever it took to get there. Cities were fighting to see who could be more impressive and build the grandest of buildings. Political beliefs really just relied on more about who you knew with such buildings just being thrown up without any really proposed planning. Things were happening so fast people were being introduced to so many different ideas. Some being grand and others being a little more sinister. So many were working on being the best that they would do whatever it takes at any costs.

I feel as though having the two stories come together really helped the book keep going. I really felt as though Holmes was the perfect example of what kind of issues were being created. Holmes lacked many ethics and found that he could prey on the others. As the fair was being brought to Chicago so were a lot of people were coming as well. Which allowed him to hide all of his wrong doings because people would be concerned with something else.

Sol Bloom is very innovative at coming up with new ways in making money. “At the Alcazar he inserted into scripts the name of popular products, bars, and restaurants, including the Cliff House, and for this received another stream of income.” (136) Based on this excerpt he was doing product placement and advertising local businesses for a fee, the way that radio and TV stations do nowadays. “He also organized a cadre of professional applauders,”(136) Much like the screens at TV tapings that say applause. I feel that these were revolutionary at this time in America’s history. I think that he was given the opportunity to be the “czar” of the midway was because of his innovation and tenacious attitude.

 

Frederick Law Olmsted was a man of great strength and resolve. He was a man of great forethought. All of his ideas were meant to be realized 10-20 years into the future. It takes great strength and resolve to not let people change your vision, but to have to keep people from changing your ideas for 20+ years is proof of his resolve.”, he learned of another attack on his beloved Central Park.” (169) He was under constant pressure to let somebody put buildings on the Wooded Island. “The island had come under repeated assault, promoting a resurfacing of Olmsted’s old anger about the compulsion of clients to tinker with his landscapes.”(168) After all this he finally relented and let Japan build a temple.

 

H.H. Holmes valued power more than anything else. “What he craved was possession and the power it gave him; what he adored was anticipation – the slow acquisition of love, then life, and finally the secrets within.” (200) He wanted to control the women that worked for him and the women he courted. These were usually one and the same.

Daniel H. Burnham- the values and beliefs that stood out to me in Burnham would be that of reputation and status, both for himself and the city of Chicago. Even though he was a very accomplished architect within the City of Chicago with his own firm and innovative buildings he designed, the fact that he wasn’t able to get into one of the prestigious schools of the time and earn a degree made him an outsider. When he was named Director of Works for the World Fair, people did not think it was possible to complete it and have a successful fair with such a short amount of time. With this, he would do whatever it took to make sure that the fair was the greatest of all times and complete by dedication day. It did not matter how much money, lives or employees it took to accomplish this. “ Burnham in particular embodied this insecurity. Denied admission to Harvard and Yale and the “right” beginning, he had become a self-conscious connoisseur of fine things.” (210)

Frederick L. Olmsted- the values and beliefs that stood out to me in Olmsted would be that of environmentally conscientious, liked things natural along with being controlling with his work. He liked to use landscape to bring out the natural environment and beauty within an area and make sure that everything blended well together. His style was not flashy, as he did not like to have the landscaping calling attention to itself. He was a perfectionist and wanted to make sure he took the time to do things correctly and was very assertive in not letting anyone get in the way of his vision or even delegating tasks to others. “His frustration with Ulrich grew, his distrust depend. Later, in another note to John, he said, “Ulrich is unwittingly faithless to us. The difficulty is that he is ambitious of honors outside of his proper line; cares more to be extraordinarily active, industrious, zealous & generally useful, than to achieve fine results in L.A. [Landscape Architecture].” (224-225)

H.H Holmes- the values and beliefs that stood out to me in Holmes would be that of kindness and an entrepreneur. These of course were not used in a good way. He used kindness to manipulate people for his own selfish reasons whether it was a creditor, lover or family and friends. “Pitezel had exaggerated Emeline’s beauty, Holmes saw, but not by much. She was indeed lovely, with luminous blonde hair. Immediately Holmes deployed his tool of seduction, his soothing voice and touch and frank blue gaze. (162-163) Most of the businesses he started or items he sold where to solve a “problem” and he was able to sell most of these ideas to people for a quick profit. He did not think of anyone but himself and his urges. “With Emeline gone and neatly disposed of, he now was able to concentrate on his growing web of enterprises. He savored his scope: He owned a portion of a legitimate company that produced a machine for duplicate documents; he sold mail-order ointments and elixirs and by now had established his own alcohol-treatment company, the Silver Ash institute, his answer to Keeley’s gold cure; “(198)