GREAT BEGINNINGS, 1789
“Captain Carpenter rose up in his prime
Put on his pistols and went riding out
But had got wellnigh nowhere at that time
Till he fell in with ladies in a rout.”
(the beginning of the poem “Captain Carpenter” by John Crowe Ransom, 1888-1974)
CHICAGO SHOOTING GALLERY
Through Aug. 7, there were 487 homicides in Chicago. This compares with 470 in 2020, 432 in 2016, and 430 in 2017. Fou…