Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-06-11

II INCIDENTS AND REFLEcTIoNs.-Therea are
many things, ofdaily occurrence in a great
city like this, which, but for the hurry and
hustle in which all seem to live, might give a
moments pause to thought and reflection.
We offer two very dssimilar instances, yet
each striking In its way.
! Passing along Pearl street, near Wall
street, q day or two ago, we saw a large pile
Of elephants tusks, some indicating age and
almost decay, others Of fine hard ivory. Upon
asking the porter who was experimenting
the storage ofthem as to the number, he said
there were 400. There, then, before US, were
the ivory spoils of 200 elephants; 200 ofthose
animals, by the exhibition Of one of which,
through our country, fortune is made; and
these 500 hunted to death merely for the
ivory Of their tusks! Yhe hazards, fatigues,
and probably disasters Of the Indians who
had tracked to their death these noble and
more than half-reasoning animals-the burn
ing sun and arid deserts Of the region whence
they came-thc infinite ramification of par
suits, adventures, and interests, connected
with, and set in motion by, the purchase of
these masses OF bone-all, all seemed un-
needed by the thousands. and tens of thou
sands who passed along, and who only saw in
these huge spoils, one among the innumera-
BILE contributions to human wants and luxury,
of the Genius Of Commerce.
| Another instance Of the Indifference with
which those, whose thoughts and feelings
are employed in the daily routine ofbusy life,
and in the sharp competition of rival inter-
ests, look upon things extraordinary to other
eyes, is that of the huge column now on its
"a from 10 IN tic fi,tn in frnn
Of the Astor Hotel.
Passing through Greenwich street ycster-
day, we saw in the centre ofthe street n wind
lass, with horse turning the bar, and beyond,
an enormous mass of granite, cased in wood,
rolled along by means of the windassy on
ways laid on the pavement. This was a solid
column Of granite, measuring about nineteen
feet in length, by perhaps five feet diameter
at the base, and weighing some % or "a tons.
IT was landed at the foot of Jay street, and
having commenced its city journey the day
before, it had reached about midway between
that street and Duane street, in Greenwich
street 1t will require several days yet, before
1t finishes this, its first, and probably last city
excursion. Some half dozen men with their
crowbars, and a few blocks of wood, the wind
lass, and the horse, moved this enormous pill
lar along, with perfect precision; and without
exciting apparently more than momentary
interest, in the hurrying crowds that passed.
Now and then carman would curse the
obstruction it occasioned to his progress, some
utltaran would rdicule what he called the
folly, Of obtaining at an enormous expense,
a column in single piece, when "just as
good one," in two or three pieces, might
be had for half the money-and some of the
old residents along the track, expressed their
fear that the enormous weight would break
N the vaults under the street; as it passed
In the busy million, however, the triumph
,f mans skill in the moving, and the ANNA
ing, and far reaching influence of wealth and
enterprise in the demand for such gigantic
abric, awakened not even passing thought.
IN. Y. American. 4