The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-04
Matters In New York.

Matters In New York.
Cold, Coal, Oil, and Peat-Fears of Cholera
-Workiug Women's Home-"Fallen Wom-
END Romance in Real Life and a For
New York, April 2, 1857.
To the Editor Qfthe Press:
1t is comforting to realize that cold, buster
ing March has gone at last, and the much-talk
ed of and longed-for April sunshine, showers
and zephyrs are near at hand. However, as
fortiication to our shivering population, in
case April should prove tickle, and as intoler-
ably intractable as its predecessor, We have the
good fortune to know that at the coal sale last
Wednesday, 72 900 tons were sold at rates va
rying from $4 ,O5 to 1926 per ton. An addi-
tional circumstance tending to allay all fears
of suffering from cold is the great interest ap-
parenfin the enterprise of extracting from the
earth that lOng-neglected article of fuel called
peat. Many are the marshes and bogs, once
considered worthless, that now TEEN with
vast fortunes in the shape of peat Oil was
once the highway to fortune, but it has had its
run-peat is coming forward to fire the specu-
lative heart. Thousands of peat-beds have re-
Gently been brought up, and embryo peat com
panies are coming forward to eectrify the
money-getting world. 1t was only just now
we got rid OF oil-"peat on the brain" is its il
lustrious successor. Immense and intricate
machines are being put in operation to meta
morphose the black, greasy, root snarled muck
of the peat marsh into genteel billets of wood
Of ebony hue, which are to move the machin-
cry and warm the aching-cold toes of the
world. But this is a progressive age and won
ders never cease in mOney-getting In as well as
other things. We would like to be informed
however, before we invest, how much peat will
pay with coal at ,O5 pei ton. l -. Cd"
There seems to be general apprehension
that cholera is to fix itself in this city the en-
suing summer. What this fear is grounded
upon, / am unable to say. The fact that it ex-
istsin places having commercial connection
with New York, and its introduction here has
always been through vessels from other ports,
may induce the opinion that its appearance is
arbitrary, and cannot be prevented. There
has been an increase of mortality in the
month OF March. In one week the deaths in
New York were 433; in Brooklyn 124. DIR
Harris, in his report to the Board of Health
says rs per cent. were infants under one YEAR
and that the low temperature and snow
storms were important facts in the sanitary
condition of the week. The greatest mortaIi-
ty was in the 4th, 9th, 7th and 10th wards. the
slums of New York. God only knows what
devastation will be produced if the cholera
gets into these localities during the approach
Ing warm season!
In acity of so much oppression, immortality
and vice as New York, it is pleasant to vie
ness efforts to ameliorate the condition of
the unfortunate poor, to to feed the hungry,
and reform the vicious and fallen, One of
establishing the "WofEing Womeff'ss so Homes.
designed to aid the poor women of the city
who work for small pay. A building capable
of accommodating 500 persons is now in pro-
gress of completion, where home OF comfort
and health will be provided, and where the
hard working seamstress will find friends to
look after her pecuniary interests and see
that she has good work and good pay. One
half of the cost of the building 1925 900, is al
1
ready provided.
Another philanthropic effort is being made
by the st. Bamabas Society, connected with
the ladies of the predominant Protestant sect
in this city, to reform fallen woman. MANY
OF this unfortunate class have been saved by
the persevering efforts of these devoted ladies'.
| who, despite the incredulousness of many
| good Christian people, have succeeded in es-
tablisbing home for the cast off unfortunate
and leading many from vice to Virtue, restor-
ing them TO family and friends those who had
been given up as forever lost. They have been
gathered from the streets, and by friendly
hand taken to home, when al. other homes
OF kindred have been aband on ed-pitied, and
wept and prayed over-encou ragged and aided
to begin new life-and finally saved from the
avalanche OF misery which at the end falls on
| the head of a woman lost to virtue.
| have to relate romance in real life,
partaking somewhat of the supernatural of
which have always been distrustful But
the principal actors are living and the partic-
ulars are vouched for. In the city of Brook
! lyn lives native of the Emerald Isle-mar-
ried-has three Or four children. Supposing
himself to be an orphan, he came to this
country years ago, and is now the possessor of
handsome fortune. His mother died before
he left Ireland-his father, having separated
from her, had gone to parts unknown and was
supposed to be dead. O'Neil, for that is what
we call the orphans name, commenced life in
| America as day laborer. He was industri-
GUS and frugal, and soon got married to an
Irish girl, Protestant, who belonged to a
church in Brooklyn. She was smart, sensible
and intelligent and made him good WIFE,
O'Neil was getting along well in his adopted
home; his wife's acquaintances and associa-
tions were the means OF introducing him into
good society and everything went on smooth
ly. Suddenly, almost unconsciously to her.
self, she became what is called medium, or
rather, at times she would lapse into condi-
tion of trance, when she appeared under the
influence OF unseen agencies, and talked in
comprehensibly to either herself or husband.
Being well-beloved sister in the church, and
known 10 be Christian in her walk and de-
pertinent, the demerit sometimes attaching 10
such singular manifestations could not be i'm
puted to her. In the peculiar condition of her
trance states, she seemed gifted with fore
knowledge of events, aad breatbed her
thoughts in language so pure and beautiful
that even those few friends who were cosniz-
ant OF her peculiar condition could but ex-
press their surprise in wonder and admiration.
A singular piece of information was impaired
to herby some unseen agency while in her
peculiar condition, which was that the Jdther
Of her husband, supposed dead years ago, was
liring in France. She described the street
and locality in the city of Paris where he hv-
ed The husband isbelieved-thOught his
wife was crazy. She however persisted, and
the information bore On her mind with such
weight that he finally thought seriously Of
the matter. Your father is living-he is very
old and infirm, and desires to see you before
he dles," was the substance of the incompre.
hensible message. o'Neil began to make in
quiries ofhis countrymen here who were from
his own native locality what was actuallv
known Of his father in his last DAYS at home.
and ascertained that the last known of him
was that he had gone to France, but that sub
sequent news came that he vas lost at sea-
The result was that O'Neil resolved to make
visit to his native land, ard he left New