Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-08-22
FROM LONDON
Foreign Correspondence Of the 1ntellissn

i l.UNu"X, Ist Aug. 1850
confess to p great liking for genius
! That man or woman who can, bv some
clever coup Gs ntaia do what nobody else
ever thought of attempting, who makes
tn.""&S'btAii:ss possible. whether in the re-
/ gion Of mind or matter, such arc the
vcritaLlc objects of n.y hero worship. l,
/ is lam"ntable fact, however, that gsmua
Is, for the most part, lowlv born, and has
| to fight its way to fameaud wealth. Too
late" should Ge tue motto entwined in the
laurel wreath now covering the brow of
many whose names are highest in the rolls
OF fame. This being IAN intellectual
! age'-so / beard it called last Sabbath
morning by DR.. Wordsworth, in the pulpit
OF Westminster Abbey-pcrhaps there is
less danger now to neglect q qtnius of the
BRAN, than one whose gift MOVES the c4u-
1ting hama and ministers to our phYsicgI
lnhrmities and necessities. Such were
some of my reflections as, waiting for q
/ the workshop OF Mr.. John Gray, IS 'UIu
| Burlington street. We went armed with a
note of Introduction from George Cruik-
/ shank, Esq, and found our way through
! tie magnificent avenue of brilliant shops
| called Burlington Arcade, into the little
street lying back of Burlington House,
! Piccadilly; thence, after a few steps to the
right and turning to the left. we found our
destination. 1t was dingy looking, re-
! spectacle old brick mansion, with high,
! plain front, just like its neghbors, but
/ bearing modest door plate, with ':Mr.
Gray" simply inscribed upon it. Giving
the visitors summons on the ponderous
old fashioned knockcr, we were at once
admitted and shown into the front parlor.
| BY the way, knocking is here reduced to
/ Nd l.n
necessity of the darkey's question, Who S
dat knocking at dc door?" for the servant
and tradrsman give one rap only, the post
man ftro, the visitor three or more. True,
| the modern bell tells more uncertain
story. and is something OF lsrciIrr, but
even the house bells are made to eonforn
TO class limits, and one cannot help being
Eamused to observe how family they tinklc
out the weak pull of the street bpggar-
how carefully is pulled the wire for the
waShcvwoman, the baker, &c.-how sharp
and hasty is the letter carriers ring; aud
there is still another song of the bell for
the friendly caller and honorcd guest
l-But we have wandered from Mr.. Gray's
tparlor, and must return, or rather, follow
the gentleman into his sauctum adjoining
Very unPretendiuG this little seven by
nine corner room, very odd and stiff and
old-fashioned are the few pieces Of furni-
ture therein, and those pigeon holes in the
hanging shelves on the wall are full OF
queer jew-like fixtures. On the little
mantle over the fireplace is the huge
tooth of hippoPotamus. The floor is
baTc-tle one window looks ont on the
brick walls-there is nothing wasted in
adornmcut, not an article of luxury in the
room. But sit you down with me, and
hear the old ScotchmAn talk. NJ friend
has come to consult him for dental de-
ficiencies. and Mr.. Gray has for more than
.1ortu years been Consulting Dentist, &c,
in that very house. y poor subject, and a
common one, perhaps, you say to write
about. So it wonld be ordinarily, but We
hadn't been in the little room five minutes
ere we were aware we were in the presence
chamber of n genius, and Us he discoursed
of his art with all the enthusiasm of a
lover, and pointed to living trophies of his
skill IS Illustrations, we had to ackuowl-
edge there could be high arr displayed in a
set Of artificial teeth. Only y certain
class of medical men are called Doctors in
England, and therefore it is Ifr. Gray; but
II shall observe the Yankee custom, and
give him the benefit of the title. Sit
ting before his old chest of drawers, be
opened first one, then another; showing
hundreds of sets, whole and half, and in all
variety of form and condition These all
were ON gold plates. spiral wires, and had
been in the mouths of Dukes, Duchesses
Lords and Ladies, &c, and having failed
to serve their original purpose, were sup
planted hy the Doctors works of art and
lay i'll his drawers fine specimens of me-
chauical bungling. for each of which he
had an anccdote to relate, an amusing or
sad history would he unfolded in the next
turn perhaps, and as one after another
were exposed to our curious view, with
the Dr.'s comments. it seemed almost like
revelations from the dead. Uumbug anG
quackcry arc here made to expose theil
I'D n Cr,v ,rorks by, a method Anf