Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-19
From our Special Correspondent.
METROPOLITAN ECHOES.
New YoRK, March 13. 1

You would scarcely believe it, but to-
day we actually found blooming along
one of the more sheltered walks of Cen
trail Park some few of those small but ad-
venturous flowers which, in this strange
climate, thrust their bold heads up through
the frosted ground and proclaim the ad
vent of spring. And spring is indeed at
hand. We stand just on the threshold of
that fresh, bright season which is ever
most charming in the city. And from
now until the heats of July shall drive US
seaward and mountainward, the great me-
tropolis will flash and glitter, and attract
and fascinate, as at no other time, and
just as if no anguished human souls or
breaking hearts were hid beneath its tin
sci cloak.
Speaking of the Park, which we New
Workers regard as sort Of earthly para
disc, recalls the practical and far from com
plimentary estimate placed upon it by an
old Western farmer whom we encounter
ed in one OF its grander avenues the other
day. "All very well-all very well, said
he, in dubious admiration; but it's
thunderin' pity to waste so much nice
ground just for lot O FOLKS to knock
around in, when IL 'ud make such bully
farm %
1uClC 10 SlOWl Ill Jul CezlS JO-O6y1 IIOu
which the city appears now never to be
wholly free, respecting the dullness Of
trade; but only to us tireless "news-
mongers," who Give beneath the outward
seemings of metropolitan life, is the cause
apparent. New York has, like Paris, the
happy faculty of presenting always
fair exterior; and, whatever may
be its hidden financial suferings, the
idler and pleasure seeker within its
walls catches no echoing wall thereof
To the superficial observer, the great
city's career is one long holiday. The
brilliant colors of recently displayed
spring fashions lend peculiar descriptive
charm in this hour of commercial distress,
for who stops to think of prosy, dull, un-
pleasant things when Broadway rolls be-
fore us with its drifting tides of gaiety and
beauty, and the grand old thoroughfare
seems transformed into long and lovely
green n-house, filled with animated boquets?
You would hardly think 1t Lent" and
this city which counts its pretended OBJ
servers thereof by tens of thousands!
Certain mysterious movements on the
part of our metropolitan "Sorosis are
reported, the exact purport of which can
not yet be definitely divulged. We shall
direct a sharp look out after them, how
ever, in the interest of our readers, and
keep the public posted.
Trains remarkable "open" letter to
Vanderbilt is much discussed in social
circles about town, but it does not appear
that the severely severe" epistle has ami
hilated our thorough old Commodore, for
we saw him on Broadway yesterday, look
of his many fast teams had q race with
velocipede on Harlem lane a few days
since, which, though Fquite an impromptu
affair, attracted much attention from
Ioungers at Luf's, the Club House, and
other points along the way. One Wander
bilt steed became unmanageably fright
ened, and as the other was scarcely less
alarmed at the novel and peculiar competi-
tor brought against them, something very
like runaway resulted and Y. Locipede,
ESQ, was easily distanced. Still, the
novelty-loving world of this metropolis
persists in believing in Velocipedes, and
so the mania continues to rage in spite of
frightened horses, to say nothing of bruis-
ed humans in scores, who have been its
willing victims. Central Park is occasion
ally oYerrun with these odd, two wheeled
machines, and accidents of q serious nature
have become SO frequent that some official
measures must soon be taken TO regulate
both the speed of the "go.devil" Gas it is
sometimes called) and the localities where
it raay be used. There is great fascina-
ton in velocipede exercise, no doubt; but
poor pedestrians should have some securi-
ty against destruction by enthusiastic
riders in the Park, and they will soon de-
naG71d il.
The feeling Of intense Indignation which
was generated here in consequence of the
desperate and fool-hardy Ocean race be-
tween an Inman and Cunard steamer -
the I" City of Paris and the Russia -
has about subsidized. We do not have
chance to linger long over any one excite
ment in this Gotham of endless sensations;
but it is pity public opinion would not
in some way reach and chastise such heart.
less trifers with human life. But how do
we do it? Why, the steamers Of these
two lines are better patronized than ever,
and probably the two identical Captains,
who each declared that he would brett or
| go 10 the bottom, will hereafter be the IA
vorltes with European voyagers.
New York is to have tunnel under the
East river, At what point is not yet de-