The Devil In The White City Ding-Dings & Timeline : Part IV

1. Pinkerton's National Detective Agency, Fidelity have hired Pinkerton's to search for Holmes, Page 339.
2. Detective Geyer, man who is in search of finding daughters of Mrs. Pitezel and finds them dead in Toronto, pages 339-370.
3. Communication methods of the time, through letters, newspapers, and others, they were able to spread the in formations to the people faster than having to talk, pages 347-350, 360, ...
4. Law enforcement methods, characters were such hanged due to criminal acts, pages 370.
5. National Newspapers, it was able to spread news about Holmes to the world and to Mrs. Pitezer, page 360.

To fill up lack of historical facts, I have also made a timeline for PART IV.

December 29, 1893 - The jury finds Prendergast guilty of the death of Harrison; then, was sentenced to death.
November 16, 1894 - Holmes is arrested by the Pinkerton Agency and police.
June 1895 - Detective Geyer given the case to find Pitezel's children
June 1895 - Geyer follows the path that Holmes had taken with Mrs. Pitezer's children in his custody, using the children’s written letters as clues.
July 1895 - Alice and Nellie Pitezel's bodies are found in Toronto.
July 19, 1895 - Chicago detectives search Holmes's castle then finds multiple dead bodies and evidence of other murders are found.
August 27, 1895 - The body of Howard Pitezel is found, and his death is placed around October 5, 1894.
September 12, 1895 - Holmes is put in jury for the murders of the Pitezel children; however, founded not guilty.
May 7, 1896 - Holmes was found guilty by a grand jury and hanged at Moyamensing Prison.
November 22, 1896 - Ferris dies.
1901 - The Fuller Building, along with multiple department stores, is designed by Burnham.
August 28, 1903 - After suffering from dementia for quite a while, Olmsted dies.
May 11, 1906 - Ferris wheel is dynamited.
April 10, 1912 -  Millet dies on the Titanic.
June 1, 1912 - Burnham passes away after getting into a coma due to depression,  diabetes, foot infection, and food poisoning.
January 10, 1917 - Buffalo Bill dies.

Discussion Q's Part 4

1.What makes Geyer suspicious about Holmes and how does he go about finding him?

2.Why do you think Larson included the story of Holmes to go with the story of the Wolds Fair and how did the two stories represent the overarching theme of the Gilded Age?

3. As the book concludes it describes some of the overall impacts of the fair. What do you believe was the most important thing the fair did for the nation as a whole?

4. Although many of the characters at the end of the book died, what were some of their most long lasting contributions to the nation?

5. How do you think the capturing and sentencing of Holmes paralleled the end of the Gilded age and symbolize the start of a new period of prosperity?

Outside Facts Part 3

1. The warship Michigan  fired its guns at the begining of the fair. This ship was the first ship to run on superimposed type turrets.(pg.239)

2. The panic of 1893 played a significant role towards the begining of the fair. Due to the stock market crash, very few people were coming to the fair and there was fear of the fair being a failure all together.(pg.240)

3. At the time there was an obvious class sepertation as portrayed in the novel. It makes the comparison of the black city to the white city, where the black city is the slums and cluttered houses of those less fortunate and the white city is for the people that had money or at least acted like they did.(pg.247)

4. Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope which put a step forward in to making modern day motion pictures.(pg.247)

5. There were many new inventions during this time period at the fair including the telephone, zipper, electric dishwasher, Juicy Fruit, and Cracker Jacks.(pg.247)

6. The people at the fair were able to see the first electic chair which although morbid, it played a major role in the debate of whether an alternating or direct curent should be used when channeling everyday electricity.(pg.267)

7. The Ferris wheel proved to be one of Americas greatest architectual achievments at the time. Although there was an accident it portrayed America's rising attraction to amusement rides.

8. Due to the overcrowding of the fair and the poor condition in transportation, there were many cases of minor injury and sicknesses that were accounted for. Although the fair was supposed to be almost a perfect place many people had to be cautious of hazardous items or sickness.(pg.284)

9. The helium balloon the Chicago also became a main attraction ot the fair next to the Ferris Wheel and along with the wheel proved to be some of the great engineering of the time period.(pg.299.)

10. People gathered at the lakefront to hear Samuel Gompers speak. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor a successful labor union which is still around today.(pg.315)

Discussion Questions : Part 2

1. How was the invention of light bulb significant to the World's Fair?

2. How did the excitement for the fair contribute to the success of Holmes's plans?

3. Throughout chapter, once again, Holmes murders many more. Why do you think Holmes mainly attacks women?

4. In what ways did Chicago's world fair of 1893 change America?

5. In what ways did the fair served as catalyst for the visitors from other cities?

The Devil in the White City Part 3

WELCOME TO WORLD FAIR 1893 in THE WHITE CITY, CHICAGO!
Finally get to see the opening of the Fair; also, the first success on the rotation of the Ferry's Wheel, woots!
Of course, we get to see Holmes murder more people D:

Austin - Ding-Dings
Madhia - Discussion Qs
Eun - Answering Discussion Qs

Outside Facts : Part 2

• Foreign labor discrimination was high during this time period. Fifity Italian immigrants were hired by McArthur Brothers to work in Jackson park. When the news of work spread union workers stormed into park and drove American workers off, They also start bringing sticks along with them and began beating the foreign laborers. (pg 119)
• Labor unions began to come into power during this time period. The city's union met with officers of the fair and demanded to limit the workday to eight hours, pay union scale-wages, and hire union workers before all others. High unemployment rates and labor demands requested from fair directors led to conflicts. (pg 119)
• The Gospel of wealth- When National commission wanted financial control , the exposition company refused to do so , stating that the company had raised the money, and by God the company would spend it in whatever way they want. According to them God had blessed the "company" with this money.(pg 119)
• women were given many opportunities in this new era. Inventions like typewriter and telephone created more roles for women. Sophia Hayden of Boston won the contest of designing the women building for the fair (pg 120) , Minnie williams(who was in love with Holmes) got job as a stenographer for a law firm and then later worked for Holmes as his personal stenographer (pg 202)
• Patrick Prendergast grieved when Harrison lost the election. He hoped that if he helped Harrison in his re-election he would recieve a job in reward. This can easily be related to the corrupt spoil system.(pg 130)
• J.P Morgan who beacme powerful by eliminating his competition took over Edison's company merging it with other major companies and created General Electric company. It competed with Westinghouse Electric company on who should wire Jackson park. Having cheap but effecient electricity Westinghouse Electric company won the bid.This shows the power and tactics that corporations used.(pg131)
• Exposition influenced many inventions of Thomas Edison also known as the wizard of Menlo park as he invented light bulb, phonograph and motion pictures(131)
• Many magical stories and production by Walt Disney, son of Elias Disney told stories about the construction of this magical realm beside the lake. This was all inspired by the exposition. (pg 153)
• Foreign relations of United States were strengthning slowly - Japanese delegates attented the fair. (pg 157).
• Pledge of Allegiance for the United states was created for the exposition by Francis J. Bellamy. It was a symbol of patriotism and unison in America. (pg181)
• George Washington Gale Ferris proposed his plan for out-Eiffeling Eiffel by creating the Ferris wheel. (pg 185)
• Numerous jobs formed by the construction of the fair helped decreasing the effects of Panic of 1893. (pg 206)
• Pullman railroads were used to carry visitors to the fair as the rates of new order had fallen sharply (pg 206)

The Devil in the White City Discussion Questions : Part II

Picture of H.H. Holmes

1. Hoe does Emiline reflect the changing role of women in society?

2. How do women's retraction and attitudes towards Holmes show the new role of women?

3. How do the repeated strikes of unions in the World's Fair reflect the current national issues of Unions vs corporations?

4. How did the electricity took its role in the fair's construction?

5. How does Burnham, Holmes, and Olmstead represent the three different social classes and the transition to industrialization?

6. How did the new technologies such as electricity and the Ferry's Wheel reflect of the new and powerful industrial America?