The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-21

Gothamites ON Their Shape Neutrality-suspicious.
Up and One Downs-A slippery, Slushy
Day In tho Metropolis.
New Workers were subjected yesterday to one Of
those little 'spels'' OF ugly weather which always
DO SO much to deprive winter OF its 'charms'' and
give the admirers OF perennial summers chance to
growl at their friends or hbernal tastes Saturday
night set in cold and "snappyn with o beautiful
clear sky, studded with glistening stars and bur.
nished moon hung like horn against background
OF deepest blue. giving promise Of CHEEKY Sabbath
day. Sunday morning came and the sky was OBJ
scured with vesture OF dun coored clouds and low
hanging vapor; while drizzling rain fell lstlessy
and without ntermssion, freezing as 1t fell. The
streets on the preceding day and evening were frozen
hard as frost is capable OF making them, and were
roughened and belonged with the friction Of the
weeks traffic and travel. But yesterday morning
remarkable change was found to have been wrought
within few hours. Everything out Of doors was
covered with coat OF icy mail rs smooth as the
polished surface OF god-llned punch bowl and as
slippery and wet the hide Of newly hooked eel.
Everything animated that ventured into the streets
walked agog or trotted 'ginQerly" over the 1rost-
encrusted pavements, and with contracted brows,
wrinked forehead and nose upturned in despicable
streets with sort OF staccato movement like
locomotive in q theatrical railroad scene. stranger
In the city, II person whose equilibrium was not
easily disturbed BY natural causes might nave pre-
the public tnoroughfares had lot OF bad debts
owing to them. Several locular individuals who
were figuring down Broadway with arms linked,
and presented an appearance much resembling the
angular and bestriding figures In the bass-relieis
George this is rough p but unless the expression
be construed ironically 1t Is difficult to presume that
they were aware Of the meaning OF ordinary English
adjectives. The arched sole and Jay-bird heel OF
an ultra Grecian bend gaiter boot would have
been found incapable 0fclutching safe fOOhOld any
police it would have been profitable to have imagined
ones self In Holland and don the skates in "New Am
sterdam" for oil purposes OF open air ocomotion, as
It's early settlers did hundreds OF years ago IN old AM
sterdam. Men squirmed their way to church IN an
exceedingly dubious manner, and in cases where
unmarried daughters told their fair partners to lean
on their 1.-THE men's) arms. About one minutes clean
ing" was sufficient for In trice they could be seen
prOpped together like letter or riven individually
to a resemblance OF an X. Trees houses, vehicles
all were encased in the same coat OF ICY sheen, and
myriad pendants OF Ice hung from everything
The rugged ranges OF snow and filth which, by the
kind permission OF the authorities, are allowed to
fringe the tracks Of the different street railways to
the obstruction Of all other vehicular traffic. were
soon coated with ice and transformed into gittering
glaciers which called forth occasional expressions
OF admiration from lovers of the picturesque who
beheld them from their parlor windows and frequent
muGterings or lmpotent wrath from the unfortunate
That yesterday was Sunday is fact to be rejoiced
over, and II we are to have any more such weather
Vic iuOlC CuuudyS VIC nave III D WcCh CuC ucetci.
Hundreds or "hlghy respected" and mOre or less)
useful citizens are enjoying the free use OF their
limbs to-day and attending to their respective busi
nesses who, had they been obliged to venture out
doors yesterday would now be complaining
OF broken bones, sprained JOINTS bruises, abra-
sions, and, In TACT, all the dsagrceable
consequence likely to result from having divers and
sundry portions OF their bodies brought into sudden
and violent collision with the different kinds OF
stone with which the sidewalks and roads are
paved. Only the sure-f0oted, the bare-footed and
such as were drawn about by the f0ur-f0oted were
able to take outdoor exercise yesterday, and they
had to be very careful, for, once down, it required
considerable skill and deXterty to lie the ground
without holding fast to something.
Toward evening, however, the temperature mode
rated somewhat and the encrustation OF Ice assumed
the delightful condition and consistency oil villa
nous slusl. number OF Commissions and some few
fractured bones were reported TO have occurred In
the city and suburban towns.