The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-10-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
correspondence Of the Times.

New YORK, Sept Is, 80.
Dear Colonel: While spending few
days in this quiet metropolis, think, per-
haps, may have seen some things and pla-
ccs, description of which would not be
Inintcresting to your many readers. ! have
been in the city but short time, yet long
enough to witness again and again the i'm
passablc barrier which, for a time, always
in a large city, separates the rich and poor,
and have wondered why, in the same streets,
the proud millionaire and the ragged beg
gar, but such is city life, and another gene
ration may witness the child of penury &C.
cupying these same palatial homes they
now look upon with wonder, and the chill
dren who are now petted in their luxurious
apartments, may be inmates of the aims
house or of beggars' graves; SO things
change in this country of ours where no.
bic ancestry is not necessary to make aman
honored or respected; but you know all
this as well as / can tell you.
New York is now in its busiest season,
and thousands of strangers are throng-
ing its streets, gathered from almost every
town and city of the Union, the most of
them making purchases to supply thcwants
Of their customers at home, and there is
enough here and to spare for all this CONT
ncnt and more. 1t is wonderful to witness
the immense piles of foreignssoods that are
displayed in the sales rooms of the thou
sands of merchants all over the city; too
many, I fear, for the good of the importer,
the merchant or the country at large, as
many are predicting another crash in the
financial world more disastrous than the
one we arc now struggling to recover from
Time will tell.
The most interesting place to strangers
at present, is the great Central Park, which,
when finished, will be the best thing of the
kind in America, and probably is not ex-
ccllcd in beauty and variety of scenery in
the world. 1t contains from eight hundred
to one thousand acres, and when the i'm
provemcnt is completed will have cost five
millions. There have been as many as four
thousand workmen employed upon it at Il
time, this summer, and now has three thou
sand; the work has been carried on for
near two years, and it will require two years
longer to complete it according to the de-
sign, as it is only about half done The
surface of the ground is very much broken
nv high rocks, many Of which have to be
blasted out and covered with earth, while
MANY are left in their natural roughness,
being cleaned off and vines and shrubbery
planted around and among them, in their
be found for them to grow, and in the parts
that are finished. ] am not critic enough to
find single fault, but pronounce it perfect,
and as being the most grand and beautiful
place in which to spend a leisure hour | ev-
or visited. The great Reservoir is within
its limits, and numerous fountains are to be
scattered among its many groves.
The man who projected this gigantic en-
tcrprise should long live to see the thou
sands who visit it and who will all speak
with respect and admiration of him who
conceived the idea Of furnishing place of
resort for rich and poor, where the pure air
Of Heaven is not poisoned by the sickening
stencil ola crowded city, and where all may
go,without money and without price.
The most singular circumstance relating
to the Park is: that the State helps furnish
the funds to carry on the work, as was
told, they had already made an appropria-
ton of million dollars, and at the next
sitting of tho Legislature, they expected to
get another lift This seems little unjust,
as, if was a taxpayer in Buffalo or any
other city of that State, should be hardly
willing to draw money from my pocket for
the carrying on of an enterprise SO entirely
local in its benefits. l hardly credit the
story, but if it is so, it only proves what an
influence little money, or something else,
has upon the "wise ones who make laws
f,r the people.
With regard to this idea, have another
item, showing what it requires to get laws
passed, here it is: | was told by man
here that thirty Of his friends had expend-
cd ninety thousand dollars, all together, in
trying to get a charter from the State for a
Railroad through Broadway, but have not
yet succeeded, although they thought lit
tie farther outlay would fetch the thing
aronnd," so you see what you see.
People here arc all anxiety as regards the
probability of the Great Eastern coming
here, but as yet nothing definite is known,
although it is thought she will.
1t is now late at night, and as the thun-
der Of carriages in the streets is growing
more and more subdued, will try to sleep
away the fatigue Of long days ramble,
and bid you kind Farewell.