Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-01-28
Our New York Correspondence.
New York. Jan. II tn. 1854

New York, Jan, II tn, 1854
The subject of the most anxious conversation
in this city, and | presume elsewhere, at the
present moment, is the unfortunate steamship
San Francisco, which, when last seen, was strip
ped of her masts, her wheel-houses torn away,
her engines stopped, and her hull water-lodged,
drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves,
in the middle of the broad Atlantic! She has
on board about 500 soldiers, beside the crew,
and nearly 200 woman and children. The cap
tain is good seaman; and many persons have
confidence that he will contrive to rig up jury
masts. and take his dsmantled ship into Ber-
muda.-If not, the only hope is that some one
of the several steamers, revenue cutters, and
pilot boats sent out in search, by order of the
Secretary of the Navy, will succeed in finding
her, and rescuing the unfortunate people on
board 1t is a consolation to know that the San
Francisco is amply proyisioned for at least two
months from this date, so that there can be no
suffering among the passengers for want of food.
For several years the public were instructed,
or amused, or bored, according to the light i'll
which they viewed it, by the contest between
Goodyear and Day, the Indian Rubber men. A
treaty of peace, however, would seeem to have
been signed between these two daughty chief
tains, as their bellicose bulletins and procama-
of the Tribune and Herald. But there are ru-
mors of war in an other quarter, in which not
two, but dozen parties will most probably be
engaged each bound to annihilate all of the
Others 1t promises to be war conducted with
out any system, or rather upon the triangular
duel principle described by Captain Marryatt,
in his I" Mr.. Midshipman Easy" with this diffe-
renee. however, that there will be dozen or
more combatants, instead of three. I refer to
the great Sewing Machine War, which, although
confined up to this time to skirmishing, will
soon result in hostilites of a more serious ma
ture Every human evil, however, has its con-
comitant good; and the good that will result
from this war will be the bringing before the
world, incidentally, the great Importance of this
invention. The lawyers and newspapers will
make a good thing out of it, as without their
aid nothing can be effected. All the parties in
terested have plenty Of money; and the more
they fight, the more machines they sell, and
consequently, the more money they make to
carry on the war with. Sometimes one bellige-
rent was in favor with the public and sometimes
another until about two months ago, when a
new company, the American Magnetic Sewing
Machine Co., took the field, stepped at once into
the first place in public favor, and has steadily
maintained it. As the Magnetic Sewing Ma
chine is the very latest improvement in the art
of sewing by machinery, it, is, of course, sold
and used more extensively than any other, and
will continue to be, until some inventive genius
gets up something newer and better. The great
superiority of this machine over all others ap-
pears to lie in the fact that anything can be
stitched by it-from carpeting or the coarsest
sacking up to the finest cambric-while those
who use any other machine must buy one for
each quality Of goods -s
The Society for the Reformation of Juvenile
Delinquents, which commenced operations in
this city about year ago, has been very sue
cessful. The objects of the Society are, to re-
ceive and take charge of such children, be: ween
the ages of five and fourteen years, as may be
voluntarily entrusted to it by their parents or
guardians, or committed to its care by other
competent authority; to provide for their sup
port and to afford them the means of moral,
intellectual and industrial education. As might
have been expected, few children have been vol
unfairly entrusted to the Society by parents or
guardians but six hundred and twenty four
truants, Migrants, homeless children, rag pick
ers, organ grinders, news-boys; baggage smash
ers, and dock loafers-lads who, like the hard
ware merchants, sell iron and steel (steal for a
living-haye either been picked up by policemen,
or committed by magistrates. Being placed I'M
der the care of thiso Sciety, instead of being
sent to jail, they are withdrawn from evil assoc
Citations, and taught the value of cleanliness,
honesty, and reading and writing. The refor-
matory effect of the training received is shown
in the fact that, of two hundred pupils gradua-
ted, only eight are known to have relapsed into
crime or yagrancy. The institution was found
ed by private benevolence, but is chartered b y
the Legislature, and draws $40 per year from
the City Treasury, and the same amount from
the Commissioners of Emigration, for the sup
port Of each inmate. z7e -
Elihu Burritt, formerly celebrated as the
learned blacksmith" who knew all the langua-
ges spoken by the people of this world, and
50 the rest Of mankind" but latterly more ia
nous as delegate to the Worlds Peace Con-
vention." addressed meeting in this city, a few
evenings ago, in advocacy Of "Ocean Penny
Postage" In the course of his remarks, he
said that, in each of the one hundred and fifty
meetings he had addressed in Great Britain, ev-
cry person who was in favor of the project was
requested to hold up one hand: and that in no
instance within his recollection, was there any
evidence exhibited but that of the highest salts
faction. This is such ludicrous argument that
I cannot help ridiculing it. There can be no
doubt that, If Mr.. Burritt were to address a
meeting in favor of giving every man plenty Of
money and pretty wife, and to ask each per-
son in favor of the measure to hold up his hand,
| every man within the sound Of his voice wonld
stand on tiptoe, and hold up both hands. But
this would hardly prove the measure to be eth
er expedient or practicable. make this remark
to point out the fallacy of such reasoning, and
not to say word against cheap ocean postage.
On the contrary, think the present rates OF
ocean postage might well be reduced to two cents
letter. Capt. McSymon, of the screw steam
ship Glasgow, which plies between New York
and Glasgow. and makes her voyages in from
twelve to fourteen days, says that he will ssonly
be too happy to convey, at all times, full car
goes of mail bags, at the rate Of one penny per
letter, without asking the first cent of any far
Their grant from either Government" The truth
is that, if the business of carrying letters were
open to competition, like other businesses, we
should long ago have seen letters conveyed
from one continent to the other, for the smallest
possible compensation. There can be no good
reason why the two Governments should mono
| police the carrying. Of letters, any more than
carrying Of other freight. Yours Truly,
| ,St8ssTt@ .s8$, LOUISIANA. :
TIE GREAT REPUBLIC. The damage by the
burning of this noble vessel is considerably less
than was at first supposed. She was got aloa'
ON Tuesday morning. This was accomplished
by building q temporary stern that part of tht
vessel having been burnt away-and inclosing
| the whole after mart of the hull which was deem