The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-03-20
Auiuu aud j uurual.
Jofffn0s on the Way.
From our New YORK Correspondent.
NEW YORK IN WINTER.

SoU"Os oD "e Woy'
From our New York Correspondent.
NEW YORK IN WINTER.
Merrily, msrrily ring the bells, and the
sleigh glides over the snow like thing Of life.
Leaving Broadway, and rounding Washington
Square. Fihh Avenue Is reached; and here
opens to view such winter festival ss Gotham
has seldom seen. The run" TO Derby In Eng.
land never presented . gsyer throng. As far
as the eye can reach sleighs Of every de.crip-
tion are flying over the snow, fast horses come
fuming on In single teams, or four In ha0 J.
till the road seems like grand raoe-eourse.
For the Hrst time In eleven years, Father
Frost has locked u2 the Harlem River In his
Icy letters. and the votaries Of the skating art
glide over the crystal surface with the heetness
Of the winged.footed Mercury.
The ice in the North and Esst rivers greatly
impedss navigation. Fewer ferry boats run
between the cities, and the streets leading to
the ferries are often blocked with carts and
drays. that walt for hours to effect q crossing.
PaterfamilIas closes his pcnderous ledgers,
rushes to the landing In eager haste to join his
family at the evening neal. and after fruitless
efforts to reach the farther side, Is quietly In.
formed than he must wait ill the tide turns.
two hours after midnight, pleasant prospect
for o hungry man!
The aspect Of the Sound affords the specta-
tors an idea Of the intensity OF an Arctic win.
ter. Tho eye Is almost blinded by the dazzling
light Of the huge crystals. The ear Is greeted
with the crashing Of the ministure icebsrgs.
while the ses-birds perch on their SUBMITS or
whirl around their sharply defined edges, max
Ing scene for soms wizard legend.
Nothing more desolato can be pictured than
this restless 10y sen IS tho wing Of night nm
folds upon It, and the storm howls forth Its
blast. And no artist could transfer to CANVASS
the glorious beauty Of the scene. as the day.
god lights up the frost.csppcdl waves with
gems Of iris hue.
ANoRSIS1 AT STEWARDS.
Who shall say that merchant princes arc mol
magioians. Behold palace Of dry goods
two acrcs Of bazaar! A structure as large al
the Coliseum towers eighty-hvs feet above the
pavement, arch upon arch In stately grandeur
It Is unmarked by work Of sign-psinter. OF
shallowness Of gilt. To inscribe A. T. Stewart
upon It's marble walls. would be an empty van
ity. This Is the house or q segment OF H.
which conducts business Of fhy millions an.
nually. The other branches are In Philadel-
phis, Boston, Paris, Lyons, Manchester, Bel
fast and Berlin.
Some foreshadowing Of the magnitude Of the
whole may be seen In the towering front, but
no tawdriness Of color or inscription. Perhaps
no establishment IN the world illustrates 10 de-
cidedly the indomitable energy Of the present
commercial age. A firm. whose representative
are both in the old world and the new, whose
agents travel the globe continually, who con-
troll the markets, who WELD power that even
governments feel may well be regarded with
admiration.
Let us entc' the magnificent structure. First,
here Is the plaza. the vestibule Of the street,
which indicates aristocratic patronage In the
monogrammed equipages, at the curb, and the
fitting Of livried servants on the walk. Re.
gardng the thrcng for moment We open one
Of the two little doors. and the interior Of the
grand bazaar is before US. The vast floor Is
laid out in parallelograms by the counters,
around which Is picturesque throng Of ladies.
We pass along the avenues gazing In mute as
tonishment upon the pyramid Of silks that loom
up In costly grandeur. Our eyes are regaled
with six hundred dollar robes. Antwerp silks at
S2j yard. and velveteen walking suits Mt $3.50.
Satiated with the sight, we turn to the lace de.
partment. "fiere are the devotee, who wor-
ship at the shrine Of p,int de gaze, thread Of
which Is valued at Its weight In silver"
A lace shawl worth 50. 500. wholly bewilders
US with its intricate designs, and marvelonsly
fine web, not less so handkerchief at si75, so
in texture that II would answer
the original purpose Of this article about Ms
we'll as three-eighths OF cobweb
Close at hand Is the glove department and
here Alexandra rcisus king. Exquisite tints
borrowed from our own forest leaves are most
distingue.
Ascending flight Of stairs We enter the de-
OF the marvellous India shawls. Huge
camphor chests with heavy padlocks stand
with yawning mouths. ready to swallow these
insignia OF wealth at night-fall. Here are
Camel's hair shswls worth $500 and com.
posed OF almost as many prices, so skillfully
that the microscope fails to reveal
the joining. There are other India shauls
known as !"antique." made for. and by, royal.
ty at some remote periol when the trade was
prohibited. These have made their way into
the market by being left to favorite servants
and others, who In their extremity sold them
to Jews. They are faded, and sometimes worn
Ia appearance, but this fact makes age and
value more apparent. A pile OF Cashmere
shawls ranging In price from $50 to $500 next
arrests our attention. They are beautiful In
deed, aud to the novice far moro attractive
than the Camels' hair wonder.
Hurrying on. We bestow . glance upon Ia
dies and childrcn's fancy goods. bridal wells,
and orange blossoms. and emerge from the
palace walls In state Of rustic bewilderment.
Qui vivE.