Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1859-12-17

N. Y. Correspondence Of the Minnesotian and Times
Death of Washington Lrvin0-Electiom Of Mayor
John Broson-Ntao Letter 6cces-Kurtns Losses
for Novem1er-NeW Style Of Bonnets-A O.s IN
Io,on, dc.
New York, Dec 1s, $50.
Among the incidents and excitements of
the past week, no event has sent back thrill
of surprise and sadness throughout the entire
community like the announcement of the
death of WASHINGTON IRVING. The great
author, as usual, had been spending the even
ing in the society of his family, and retired
about ten o'clock, feeling more languid than
usual, and complaining of pain in his side.
Soon after reaching his room, and while his
niece was standing by him, he suddenly fell,
and almost instantly ceased to breathe
Though he had been suffering from an asth-
matte affection for long time past, the imme-
date cause of his death was, doubtless an
enlargement of the heart He was granted
the privilege of completing the latest of his
works, the "Life of Washington" and then
passed away as peacefully as he had lived
Thus has been severed the last link that
bound the age of Moore, Campbell, Southey,
and Byron to our own, but the spirit of the
illustrious dead will dwell in our literature
with an influence as stainless and as whole
some as the remembered image of the sincere,
generous, affectionate, large-hearted man he
was, will be pure in the hearts of all who
knew him in the fish. The funeral took place
at Tarrytown, and was attended by the
city authorities, and large number of emin-
ent men.
Aside from this sad event, there has been
no death Of note to keep the public mind
awake. The great question everybody is just
now asking, is "Who shall be next Mayor ?"
Immense banners covered with patriotic SEN
timents, and American Eagles, fearfully de-
lineated, in red paint, stretched across the
streets on almost every square, keep the riv-
al candidates before the eye, by day, while
long serpentine professions, made up mainly
of smoky torches and small boys, brass bands,
and blazing tar barrels, regale the senses by
night. The papers are crammed with appeals,
statistics and slices of personal history which
have been dissected off from the unfortunate
opponent, and altogether the probability is
that on Tuesday next we shall have the most
delightfully."- miscellaneous scrimmage we have
seen for long time. The fight is sort of a
triangular concern. George Opdyke, a new
man, being the candidate of the Republicans;
William F. Havemeyer, an old Ex Mayor, of
Tammany Hall Democrats and Fernando
Wood, a lovely man, who has had considera-
BILE municipal experience, the irregular nomi-
nee of the Mozart Hall wing of the unterri.
lied and unwashed," and of himself in par
ticular. Money is being freely lavished, and
rot gut and Jersey lightning flows in streams.
The election will be over before this reaches
you, so that shall not anticipate the result,
by naming the fortunate man.
The excitement in reference to John Brown,
is subsiding. On the day of the execution
prayer meetings were held in one or two OF
the churches, DR.. Cheevers among the num-
Der, but nothing like that feeling has prevail
ed which has been manifested further East
and North.
A new improvement has been inaugurated
in the delivery of city letters, which is enjoy-
ed by only one other city in the Union
Philadelphia where it has worked admira.
bly,. 1t consists of iron letter boxes of an oc-
tangular shape, attached to lamp posts, and
so constructed as to be both rain and robber
prooff-a contrivance which entirely .obviates
| fvuo g., :,
style Of tin boxes, which so often lay around
loose.
A gentleman of this city has recently per-
fected an invention by which he is enabled to
print letters, figures and various designs up
on glass, with facility almost equal to or
binary printing upon paper, and at less than
one-thlrd the present cost of lettering The
lucky inventor has struck a gold mine, and
like good many other ingenious men who
have made their wits the servant of some
popular necessity, will reap rich reward.
Talking of printing there is probably no
man at present in the business in this coun-
try who has been vibrated up and down the
see-saw of fortune, and finally came out right
side up with care, more than an old New
Yorker, whose name is familiar to every typo
in the country, as James Conner, and known
to business men generally asst he head of the
firm of James Conner & Sons Commencing
as printers always do, poor boy at the case.
so long ago that New York was then com.
paratively in her swaddling clothes, he
has grown, and strengthened with her
strength" passing through all the gradations
of financial experience, until he has arrived
at the stage of life when he can epioy the
otium cum dignitate to which long years of in
dustrious labor have entitled him. Probably
no person in the country has more contribut-
ed to improvements in machinery for the
manufacture of type-which, by hand, is a
most unhealthy occupation-than Mr.. Con.
ner, and his United States Type Foundry is,
in this respect, as well as in the immense va.
riety of work done, one of the most complete
and extensive in the country. By 1.-The ma
chimes he has at present in use, he accomp-
fishes in days what was formerly the work of
weeks, and with perfection and economy
which it would be difficult matter to improve
upon. 1t is note worthy incident that Con.
ner published the first folio Bible ever stereo-
typed in this or any other country. To change
an old verse, one may say of him that his
"Type are the souls ambassadors. which 90
Abroad upon her errapds to and fro.
Providing themselves expounders of the mind,
| And correspondence keeping 'twixt all man.
| kind"
From carefully compiled record which l
find in the Courier and Enquirer, it appears
that the marine disasters which have occur
red in various parts of the world during the
month of November, reach the enormous ag-
gregate of $9,7O0,O0O-a sum greater than
has been reported in any one month for thirty
| years. Over 96 vessels were totally wrecked
and $50 more or less injured on the 9th and
2Sth of October, on the coast of Europe
alone.
The latest kink the ladies have got in their
| heads, or rather on them, is a bonnet-an old
fashion, big bodied, unsightly bonnet which
in its general style and appearance is about as
suggestive of the beauty we ordinarily ex-
pect to find under these interesting coverings,
as an inverted water-pal. The feature con-
sists in having the chapeau pulled we'll for
ward, so as to beon a level with the tip of the
nose the flange or rim of the same-I mean
the bonnet, not the nose-being equal in cir
cumference to small sized cartwheele.--
These fashionable atrocifiec aro collod UNo