The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-12-18

Matters i'm New York.
Sno66tshness and Charles Dickens Bar
NUNS Gorilia-The Play of "NorDood'-A
Great Storm.
New YORK, Dec Is, 1867.
To the Editor Of the Press:
New York is just now suffering under we'll
known American disease called "snobbish-
ness" That celebrated English writer,
Charles Dickens, has arrived. 1t is well
enough that considerable attention should be
paid to so distinguished a man; but the abso-
lutte furor exhibited is really disgusting. Seats
in Steinway Hall have actually sold for $25
and $50 premium to hear Dickens read his
own productions. The newspaper critics have
exhausted the whole vocabulary of fulsome
adulation. Some of them give up with the
exclamation-"Oh, the Dckens!" The Tri-
bune critic, however, wades through in the
following style of highfalutin:
1t is better world because of him. He has
won the love and homage of his generation.
The heart, the intellect, the wit, the sensibii-
ty, the beauty, the wealth, the industrial pow
er of the foremost OF American cities were
represented in that vast assembly. Irenlen-
dous.] Something of this affectionate feeling
was expressed by the audience last night [Oh,
dear!l In the mellow and musical voice, in
GHo bTduqull HldUueT, III b1e uQdHeCteQ HeS-
ture-in all the man does, this gentle refine
ment is conspicuous. There! lce'U stop our
pen ceases to trace such a confederation of
snobbish scintilIations.
There is an excuse, however, for the Tri-
bune; for long ago it openly renounced the
simple American style of typography, and has
patterned after the London Times ever since
in its solid paragraphless columns and ridic-
ulous Italic heads. 1t has tried snobbishness
now on Charles Dickens. 1t must be amuse-
ment for the jocose and sarcastic Dickens;
and when he gets home, if he does not use up
these American snobs in his keen, peculiar
style, then lie is not true English writer, or
Charles Dickens!
Inasmuch as have commenced this letter
as have, in an uncharitable way, and New
York has hitherto had pretty good degree of
commendation from my pen, and having done
with Dickens, propose now to take up Bar
NUNS "Gorila." The public have been made
acquainted with the whole story OF the capture
of this terrible fellow. He was caught on the
Eastern Continent; it required the whole ma
tive population of three villages to hold him
down long enough for Barnum's agent to leg
cuff (or rather hand-cuff him, as "he looks Just
like man.") Then he snapped the bracelets
like withes, and it was necessary to get cable
from man-of-war to bind him properly for
the voyage to America. Here, in New York
at last, the people were frightened with infor-
nation that the monster couldn't be got into
his cage, and he came near drawing out the
keepers arms in the twist of his tail. Some
said it was unsafe on Broadway, as he might
get hold of the foundation supports OF the Mu-
scum, as Samson did the gates of GAIA, and
raze to the ground whole block of that busy
thoroughfare. Others said the cage wouldn't
hold him, and he would twist the iron bars as
whiplash. Into the cage, however, he was
got at last, and the whole alarm has subsidized
under Barnum's assurance that the iron bars
of the cage are very large and of very tough
iron, some say as large as medium sized Gro
ton Water pipe Now, the long and short Of
the whole story is and it is well that the thou
sands who go to the Museum should know 1t,
this astonishing animal is nothing tut saw
age overgrown monkey, with baboon head
and very long tail, and about as much like a
man as toad is like nightingale!
My next topic is Norwood" Even before
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher had finished the
concluding chapters Of this pious and unexcep-
tionable novel, it was in preparation for the
stage. To accommodate the theatrical author,
and enable him to get his work in forwardness
the proof sheets of the last chapters were fur
nished him. The story ended-The romance
was finished. The fine stage scenery wa.
completed, and Norwood went onto the stage
Flaming bills appeared announcing that tn,
paxv III IL NJ
appear to delight the theatre-goers of New
York. Here was a case! Mr.. Beecher on the
stage! The deacons and sisters of the church
were amazed. An inquiry was made in Plym-
outh Church by pious brother as to the
meaning ofthis thing. Mr.. Beecher in reply
drew distinction between his efforts in the
cause of divinity and Plymouth Church, and
his efforts in literary pursuits, intimating that
in the latter line it was none of the brothers
business, or the business of the church. A cor.
respondence ensued. Mr.. Beecher wrote tc
Mr.. Bonner, and Mr.. Bonner came out with a
letter stating that he owned Norwood, having
paid Mr.. Beecher for it, and that he was the
man who furnished it for the stage. 1t may be
we'll to state that Mr.. Bonner has more reputa.
tion than as publisher of the Ledger, as he is
an accomplished horse jockey and owns the
fastest trotting horse in the United S States
which has more bets than any other horse
Finally, the whole matter was quieted by the
responsibility of Norwood on the stage resting
as Mr.. Beecher expresses it, "on the broad
shoulders of Mr.. Bonner" So the play goes
on, attracting crowds, not only on boards 81
respectable theatres, but by Hooley's bur.
lesque troupe of negro minstrels. IL is true
the feelings Of pious people continue to be
shocked at reading the name of Mr.. BeecheI
at the head of a theatre placard; that the first
thought is, that it is curious intermixture ol
sacred matters with ''the world, thu flesh, and
the devil;" that somehow, if one of the early
apostles should visit New York and Brooklyn
at tie present time, his first inquiry would be
who is this Rev. Henry Ward Beecher? Yet
on the whole, it is all right; for the response
bility rests on the "broad shoulders of Mr.. Bon
ner," and 100 men can stand it!
Excuse me for not opening another subject
at this time. Impressions on further interest.
ing topics will be given hereafter. We are
at the present writing, enveloped in one of the
most immense snow-storms New York has
seen for a long time. Manhattan Island is
blocked from Whitehall TO Mt. Washington
The snow comes down in great fakes, and the
wind whirls it around and piles it up in regu-
ular down east" style. 1 tell you, it is a great
storm-the wind cuts like knife, and the cold
piercing air shivers like the ague. What suf.
fering there must be among the thousands oi
thinly-clad and scantily-fed poor of this great
city! NASSAU.
AT the October election in Pennsylvania
the Democrats of the 18th Congressional Dis
trict elected Judge Woodward to Congress in
place of Hon. Charles Dennison, deceased
They came near losing the election, their ma