Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-08-24
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
iCorrcsPoad,ncs ., tie R.ci.mond ER5"r".I
NV Y,Lr .,,y;,,t -. 1873

| dI,apn-.tance il much -Er-tted II hhu iouF ltah-
,s,ent faces which w-r- Illuminated ~ night ana
,ia ,h. s,r.a, wand.,.r ON dark and stormy nights
,ha .x,ct hour The large FIRE bel! AS" NJ noon h''
Al nine O'Clock, F. NJ, toIIed the hours 10 tne ou-l
world in the lower end vi the city Now all - se"'
and gloomy. ,, - .;,, 49,,
an ingenious self taught mechanic on Long leland
It's chief peculiarly was the new material Oh "hich
| liz pendulum Wa constructed. Inc Grehl oNlcui'!
| IN regulating time with large clocks hh- been iouhd
| N their ptuduums When cnnstrncteu oi h-thi T.
| usual by their contraction IN winter, the CLOCK runs
too fast, aud by their elOngnilon III summer tir'
move too slow. In short p-uduiuui' 'hese Variation
| are more easy regulated and provided against uu
IN large town clocks where prndnlums are Id Or :"
feet in length, the case is different Inc mechanic
who constructed the lse City Hall clock whose name
regret | cannot at this moment Gail 10 mlhd' trltd
various experiments on materials Tor pshuuuih sha'is
TO ascertain which least affected oy VARIATIONS III
| temperature The result was that he found well sea
-oned oak ashwood to be less changed than any
thing elee lengthwse it's grain Hence ne made me
long pendulum shaft OF his clock {" Well seasoned
wood and found il to work better than any thing r-"
When completed he erected l. tor efhiolinh Tor some
| tine in the rounda of 10" Merchants Exchsns-
where it excited much attention ior lt1 novelty h'id
| beauty of workmanship II was ohy ABOUT 'hree
| years old when destroyed.
| Nothing, however, ee,ms amidst the destructive
character of the population Of The city, IL he exempt
| from destruction, except the subsrauns o! granite
aud gnes rock which underlnes the irregular surface
| OF Manhattan Island
| The massive granite built Merchants Exchange,
| with its magnificent Corinhan columns, would long
since have been demolished, and lighter structure
erected On its site, and better pdytHS structure na'
il a. been for the fact that il would not pay to pun II
down.
| rae Investigations regarding the burning OF the
cr3ola of the City Hall not yet concluded, and
although the assistant os the bell ringer has made ou
favorable for himself, yet, II will take deal OF
additional proof TO convince the public mind that The.
accident not most palpable and gross piece ct
carelessness.
In my las, letter gave you some account of Cyrus
w. Field "a OF The American Directors o Tue Al
iantic Telegraph Company. ,
The next in order aud deserving OF notice, IL w IL
son G. Hunt. He is believe Il native OF TINS cry
and has risen fortune aud influence from ali humble
but respectable position in life.
His first prominent entrance INTO business lie was
az retail and iobbng dealer in wooen goods, CON-
prisng cloths, cassinrres, &c.
He finally opened large store on the corner OF
Maiden Lane aud William Street. lie haaly extend
I'd his business into the ne OF wholesale Joooer ahd
importer aud rapidly advanced his fortune.
Since the "Hegira" vi the dry goods houses 10
| the West side Of the town, Mr. Hunt followed suit
and occupies d splendid new store, III Barclay
Street, corner Of Church Street.
Mr.. Hunt, is now, perhaps, little turned OF nifty,
OF medium height and somewhat stout aud square
built. He lie Democratic aud national III bis poiitics
and has generally acted with that party Some three
years suce he consented to ran on the reformed party
icket rs candidate for mayor This party WIS head
cd by Peter Cooper and other wealthy citizens, TOR The
purpose OF reforming The city government irrespective
of State or national politics. There were three cand
dates in The field viz Fernando Wood, Ohm H-rrlck
and Wilson G.. Hunt. Mr.. Herrick ran as an indie
pendent Whig candidate.
Mr. Hunt made 4 very good run, and was only Dc
feated by Wood. in consequence OF derricks draw
of reformers votes OF the old WING stripe.
Mr. Hunt, believe, has filled the Offices of Al.
dermaD, and Governor Of the Aims House, with ere
dit and usefulness. He is d prominent member oi
the secret Order known az Odd Felows aud Is gene
rally supported by that fraternity III all his move
ments. He il quite popular with all Glasses who know
him. aud promises yet to receive many tokens o their
esteem. H. is we'll fitted 10 be the associate III en-
'arpri-e of Peter Cooper Moses Taylor and Cyrus
W. Field.
The late announcement Of the death of Anne Bon.
plaud which went the rounds OF the ncwspaperr
elected much regret at the time-snd many unworthy
speculations were put forward regarding The piAce
and manner of his death. Some went 80 lar n 10
assert that he had, for years lived retired and shut
up from the world as hermit; communicating with
none beyond his sequestered home; and that he had
actually forgotten the French language, and had
finally TO rid himself of lie, committed suicide. The
association of Humboldt and Bonpland. anidst the
wilds of South America, and The rX;ent and value o
their discoveries together with the of ther
observ atoms will be forgotten The fret lives
ut 80 years of age, monument ct universal Teniu-
and wonder of the l9h century while his wonderful
Communion, after having suffered the hhrd-hps ana
rgors long aud iytannica captivity. IN ParaguhN
under Dr. Francis, was, when as heard ron over 81
Years of age, aud 10 good mind aud spirits krpnd'
of his death deeply Effected his senior partner III labor
and fauie. We happy to learn, however from
the following Interesting letter, recently ~rtien by
Baron Humboldt 10 friend. Regarding bonplanl''
decease that hc not only 7purns tho urdtes uf te
reports referred but that be still enter;ans hopes
the, his ancient friend it alive and we'll. Here is the
letter referred to:
Anne BONPLAUD.
BERLIN, July 70 1858.
Aware OF the deep sympathy io tor me by many
of my friends in great dstrrss u. the death OF my
beloved, noble friend and travelling companion.
Bonplaud, have considered it my duty TO publish NJ
sny rate, II short preliminary communication on the
suhiect for which em indebted TO The friendly zeai
of Dr. Laemaut lauhor OF work on the diseas-s
Of Europeans i'll tropical chma'esl. Tbs accomplish
e4 man. thinking thereby 10 civ. me pleasure after
leaving the Imperial Austrian Expedition, on board
the frigate Novara undertook quincy in February
last from Rio Jaueo Ia Rio Grande and from thence.
by Porto Alegre aud the former Jesuit Mssion San
Bord, where he err oneOusly supposed that BnDplsnd
waa stil residing, he had einc- the Year 1881.
am in poss-rson OF two letters ot Dr. L4leman'; one
from San Bora, OH the Uruguay, dated The 10Th Of
Apr another written from The Vale d. Crugualana,
the 18th OF April, 1893, after having conversed
with Bonpland AZ Santa Anna.
whilst at San BoIja" writes DR.. Lal,emsni, II
resided with an intimate friend OF BOnpaud, the
vicar Gay, in whose company vislted the formerly
well kept garden OF the botanlst bur which is now
dssoiate and overgrown. Nj. Gay had received the
iass letter from Boup!aud towards the end ot the year
1857 Subsequently news was received ol his serious
iluess Letters written with view 10 learn the state
OF his health remained unanswered. and IN spite ut the
short distance was stii uncertain a. San Boz whe
iether should fnd your travelling companion alive.
Bouplaud had lett San Bot in the year 1855,
cid. on his large estate at Santa Ania, where he long
occupied blmee III cnltIvhting orange trees oil his
own planting. The residences ut the old man of sci
ence lin the Esanca vi Santa Anna) consists of two
large cottages, the mud walls OF which are secured by
bamboo poles aud few beams on the thach. Both
cottages have dOOre but no Windows, IN the light IL
admitted by the crevices between the bamboo sup
| norris of the wall. | received in hearty and
friendly manner. In spite Of ihs desp lines which
stirring lie had imprinted upon the beloved counts
nance the eye still piercing cleHr and iu OF ex
! preston. Spirited conversation, commenced by him
| SELF seemed 10 weary him much, and he suffered
| much from chronic Rheumatism OF the bladder. The
| privatons which he RI wonderfully imposes OH him
sell not in consequence OF want or necessary re
| trenchment, but rather ui lung habit CREST ssi
| command and characteristic individuality. The
| Government of Corrientes has presented him with
au estate worth lO000 Spanish piastres; he alo EN-
iowa q pension Of 3GU0 francs per ADDum from tn.
| French Government. He has always practised
| as a physician, with the most perfect dsln
terestedness. He 10 universally respected greatly
| prelere however. solitude and especially avoids
| those who come TO him for advice and assist
! ance. His scientific Zeal remains unabated; hi-
collections and manuscripts are deposited at Corr
entes. where he has founded national museum. On
the following morning l found him considerably
| weaker. The night had been n painful one. ear
n.stly eurea,ed him to tell me it could in any
be of services to him bu, il with mo rs with al
| his triends-.he was in need OF as-istance
took leave of him with sorrowtul heart. How
| gladly would | have prevailed Oh hun to return Ia
the civilized world! but | ieli, with him, that his
time past. lie belongs TO tbs first period of ''-
nineteenth century. not TO the second. Ii appeared
! TO that your friend himself affected when
| took both his wriukird hauds i'll mine In bid him
adieu. Those who surround him have found his
| powers failing him much during the last three
months Perhaps the old man experienced the
feelings at parting as myself, who would probably h.
| the last messenger OF European birth sent 10 him
from alar off into this wilderness to a1nraas him