The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-03
M Il VIZ O r z Z S M s.
From. Our 0i0n Correspondent

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 1869.
Gone TO the East Indies.
This is the case with Mr.. George H. Butler
formerly dramatic critic of Wiltes' Spirit of the
Times, and now Consul General to the East
Indies The question is which, in every sense
is the most lucrative position. Perhaps he
makes little larger salary as Consul, but is nc.
that counterbaianced by the disordered liver
which, sooner or later, is imminent? 1t is
very pleasant to crush the crisp greenbacl,.
or clink the glitterng specie, but heo,,tb IA
better than either and the Amerca AN who goes
to the East Indies as a resi.Ient leaves health
behind linen, agar, are Mr.. Buffers duties as
Consul much more burdcnsome or honorable
than .uose of a truly good and great dramatic
critic? If they are, am glad that the capacity
for higher and more important trusts has been
recognized in a journalist who spent some years
of his life in advocating the interests of art be-
hind the footights, and that conscientousness
in consular duties has been argued from con-
scientiousness in critical ones.
Music at the Empire Rink.
At the Empire City Skating Rink monster
concert is in progress which shames that of Bos-
ton and renders nugatory all the efforts of rivals
III the Beethoven centennial. l refer to the
fowl exhibition there, an occasion which has
been seized upon for the display of various
kinds of small-winged animals and any guam
tity of dogs, pigeons, and poodles, bantams and
bulldogs, shanghaies and Shocks" black
Spanishes and brass bands are mixed up to-
gether and fill the air with their various meo-
dies. Fawns and fishes, ponies and pullets are
visible on either hand, and amid chorus of
COOS, crows, quacks, and cackles, brass band
Eliminates music and splits the ear like powder
blasting rock. 1t is worth going to hear, even
if Mr.. Greeley does not join his language to that
| of the other curiosites.
Indian Summer.
It is now the Sd of December, and every day
for the past month have heard the question
asked, "Ain't this Indian summer" Is this a
delusion peculiar to New York For my part
believe Indian summer to be fraud. l have
tried hard to imagine that was surrounded by
the dreamy langour and the brilliant air of that
supposititous season. 1t is in vain. We have
had no such experience here this year. One or
two days have dawned which promised an un-
usual touch of balm; but the promise was not
kept. Indian summer, so far as this locality is
concerned, is a dream of the past. Only as lately
as yesterday afternoon saw some one looking
about for Indian summer in the midst of that
sick snow-storm which began about o'clock.
The fact is, we live so fast here that we give the
seasons no time to correct their mistakes, and if
summer forgets to give us all the golden days
that are our due, we give her no chance of recti-
flying the mistake at the middle or end of
autumn.
The Pavement of the Period.
The failure of the experiment on Fifth avenue
has awoke the city to a consciousness of the
necessity for some new and more suitable pave
ment. The Commissioners of the Park, to whom
belongs the credit of occasionally doing a good
thing, have imported one of the small irrigating
machines at present in use IN Paris along the
Boulevards. Hitherto this machine has not
proved extremely successful, and tbs Commits
sioners have for some time past
been engaged in examining into
the merits of certain deliouescent
salt said to have been lately brought into
use in Europe with great advantage. At any
rate no disgusting odors arise from its use. and
it has therefore, been experimental with as DOS.
sibly holding out hope of some relief to dis
traeted New York. The kind of pavement, too,
which the Park Commissioners regard favorably,
and which, sooner or later, promises to supplant
the pavement of the period, is hard crystal
lizedI mineral substance, of rocky formation,
found in abundant quantities at Seysel, Switzer-
land. 1t is made into a sort of plaster, and ap-
piled to the pavement with rollers filed with
Ted-hot iron.