The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-12-18
Our COrFeSpGfaalesace.
From Regular New York Correspondent
Matters and Things in New York.
New YORK, Dec. 5, 1854.


weather and the Presidents Message are upon
US. The streets and sidewalks are Slippery
with ice, and there is general freshness in
the atmosphere that quickens the pace, whilst
quires constant attention to ones hat. Last
night was hard night upon the water, and
the new boat plymouth Rock" from StCn-
ington, had its strength and ability to cope
with the waves, thoroughly tested, during All
ordeal of FIVE hours running in rough water.
and when she came up to the place of landing
at nine this morning, her guards and exposed
decks presented perfect glare of ice. 1t is
said to have been the severest night in many
years, and it must be exceedingly gratifying
that the fastest boat floating, has proved it.
self seaworthy and Independent of storm, since
it is often times found that the boat which
cuts the water the best, swamps the easiest in
Il heavy sea.
There has been rest in the developments
of bank defalcations, though there is something
to day about difficulty in the Chatham bank
finances.
The reduced amount Of sales offorcign goods
is having its effect in making the money mar
ket less deplorable than it would have been
whilst at the same time the importers who are
obliged to realize fall are trembling in their
boots, and if this state of things continue they
must go down. The loss will eventually fall
| -, Eurnpo hnra fbo nrofitc boyo oocu,puIo to-
for the last six years. The opposition to for
cigners for Office, and the attempt to infuse a.
more American spirit into the people, has had
the effect to reduce purchases somewhat OF i'm
ported goods, and if Know n othngism does
nothing else, it will help the country, in this
particular and cut off some OF the expensive
luxuries in which the great mass Of the city
residents, have been indu!.Sing for the past two
years. The extravaganza and princcy luXu-
ries of New-Yo rk had become proverbial, and
too many of our small fry Goldfish aristoc-
racy were swelling to compete with foreign
born lords, so that at last many Of them, like
the frog, have burst.
The hard times are bringing rapidly to light !
many facts heretofore hid from daylight, and
inducing men to resort to expcdients which
but for the strngency would not be thought Of !
Y GU, doubtless, observed in most Of the city
papers that broker by the name of Potter
has been arrested by Isaac r. Barbour for re-
fusing to give up bonds to the amount of
$4,000 which had been deposited as security
fer 5000. This same Mr.. Barbour has plead
usury in another instance in order to avoid the !
payment Of four or five hundred DO .ars. Sc
| There has for a long time been question in
the minds of the inquisitive whether i was
not quite as noble, to knock a man down and
rob him. as to extract none, from lis pocket !
by q pin-hook whilst you Was taxing lobster
and chicken filings to his face. The latter
way is that generally resortcd to in Newly ok,
and on the whole, since the days of cilivalry
have gone by, is perhaps the safest and best
They have way of locking up those who
show muscular strength, whereas the cunning
watch stock, bond or real estate stufTer usually
escapes, scot freewith his pockets full of rocks,
when in fact the pebble stones ought to fall
| thick as hail around and against the respecta-
| bic scoundres head. It's estimated that fifty
thousand people live in this metropolis by their
wits. Regular birds of prey upon the 100000
among whom they live. No wonder the city
is poor. No wonder we are hard up, when so
many consuming elements are in our midst
without producing one single thing of value to
"life, liberty, or the pursuit Of happiness, but
are continually draining from all three, and,
as generally happens in all enormities, making
themselves miserable in the end besides.
The case of the Vitriol Man, who has been
arrested for destroying ladies' dresses at places
of public amusement shows that in the way
Of cost, our wives and sisters have made Wall
street bleed pretty freely, it being quite COM
mon to find ladies wearing dresses &C sting for
ty, seventy and one hundred dollars, fur capes
$500, and handkerchiefs $25.
One day last week, through tine politeness
of Mr.. SaxtoD, the architect, was permitted
to visit the princely mansion just being fin
shed by DIR. Townsend. Oh the corner of 9Th
Avenue and Saith street. There are six lots
included in the plot of ground on which the
house stands. 1t is of Connecticut brown
freestone, four stories high. The main hall is
20 feet wide, with columns each side, and bal
ustrade all the way round; Is feet long and
ca feet to the ceiling Or roof of the louise -
The first floor is divided into parlors, reception
room, dining room, picture gallery and other
rooms in keeping. The next floor, which is