The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-05-23
The Pioneer Correspondence.
From our Regular New York Correspondent.
Matters and Things in New York.
New York, May 10, 1855

We are luxuriatiDg in the most delightful
Of weather, sammy and yet cool, delicate as the
breath of May born flowers, yet bracing and
elastic withal. The anniversary inundation
has subsidized and we are left at the low water
mark of hum drum common places. We have
spoken hopefully of business, anticipating it
would swell into its wonted proportions but
mid-May has come without bringing Gotham
its usual spring trade or any encouragement of
an increase. Nothing but the signs of warn
ing which appeared in the commercial horizon
in early winter Of last year, could have saved
from utter ruin great number of our mer-
chants, who, forewarned, prudently abated
their foreign ORDERS struck from their books
all names of doubtful customers, gathered in
with might and main their outstanding claims,
curtailed their expenses, and since have been
sitting with folded arms waiting for better
times. Look at the figures The total amo mt
OF imports of foreign goods at this port, for
the week ending last Saturday was VI ,935, l98;
for the corr, spending week of last year, SO, 1885,,
655, showing falling off in one week of the
present Spring of $l,l98,457, or over third
This fact will explain how our business men
can maintain themselves with two thirds the
amount of trade land the ratio of this Springs
business compared with that OF an ordinary
season is not greater) usually done. They can
prosper and sell less than previously, because
they have bought less. Country merchants
sustain the same relative position to their Gus
toners and the New York importers that the
latter do them and foreign dealers, and buy
less because they anticipate less active de-
mand. The customers of the country mer-
chant, farmers and mechanics, by buying less,
accumulate wealth faster, and recover from the
disasters resulting from the extravagant spec
ulations of the last two years, and the country
sobers down to its even pace, and in few
months all is we'll and sound again. But
am getting out of my depth into the mysteri-
Gus waters of political economy.
The annual reports of the various benevo-
lent societies show an encouraging condition
OF things in the moral world. 1t is refreshing
to turn from the sickening details of carnage,
which come to us by each steamer from the
Old World, to the records of the peaceful tri-
umphs of charity and disinterested love, over
selfshness and the proud disdain which has
made man callous to the suiferings of his fel-
lows. Some of the statistics offered by the
various societies last week were of startling
character. ] was, for instance, quite uupre-
pared to hear it. proved from the last census
returns that the city of Chicago had provided
church accommodations for larger proper
ton of its population than the moral city of
Boston, and was gratifed to know that in tbs
age Of mammon worship. halt dozen men
can be found in our city to subscribe $4,000
each TO the establishment of an Eye Infrmary,
and that business man volunteers his time
and thought to advance without prospect Of
pecuniary reward. the literary advantages OF
the young, by interesting the rich in providing
for their use Libraries and other means of in
which has sprung up beside the beautious wa
tiers Of Lake Michigan, as from the touch OF
an enchanters wand" with all its energies, as
il would seem. necessarily given to create the
material Of its growing life, furnishing the
means of moral goodness, and then so forward
in Imagination to the not far distant day when
the howery prairies of the new west, and its
deer-frequented woodlands, shall become the
swarmipg hives of grander civilization than
Greece or Rome ever knew, and we on the sea-
board shall dwinde to mere purveyors of the
inland peoples" and our b0asted cities become
mere entrepots of their commerce, and ware
houses of their multifarious products, control
led by their gigantic power, and enriched by
their overlooking wealth.
ssgoF
q.