The Republican journal., 1870-01-20
LETTER FROM BOSTON.

IFOup6-"-f eCnteF.
BOsToN Jan. Is, 1870
Rainy and rough is the day
and as for that matter so have been all the
days of the week A succession of shine and
shadow, with Il great deal more shadow than
shine. Days of snow, sleet and rain. mixed
up with an occasional ''spelr of fog-dnll,
drcary and desolate, drifting around us The
atmosphere has been dull, heavy and unbear-
able. The walking horrible Colds uni1er-
sal, It might pass for January thaw, only
that we haven't had 4 December freeze But
enough of the weather; pass we to more
pleasant topics.
And first, something about fashionable
'tressmaker's bill. The unnitiated some
/ ilmfS hear OF dresses costing the fabulous
sums of two, three, four and five hundred
dollars but it isn't often that one octs a peep
behind the curtain TO see how the thing is
done recently developed case in this CITY,
pretty plainly explains chow the money
goes A gentleman, who with his faii and
fashionable wife. inhahitcth a fine suite Of
rooms at the Revere, had presented to him
on New Years, a bill amounting to > 900,
which was for dress maxine done for his
wife by Miss II, for three months The
gentleman disputed the bill, and the dress
maker has brought a suit to rccoyer her pay
The item Of one dress serves ~ an example
of the whole. First The material Of which the
dress was made cost $l2S trimmings $50 !;
commissions for buying the same, 500 max
ing the dress, $50; six days labor on the
dress by an assistant, $50. Other dresses
were still more costly, being furnished with
more expensive trimmings 1t isn'tany Won
der that times are hard and money tight,
that men grow old, gray and haggarl be
fore their time, and women are false, vain
and snowy, with such eXtrayagances.
! The same fondness for display and fast liy-
ing, shows itself in the case Of one John
| Colhns--an attachc OF the City Treasury.
The case is involved in some obscurity as
| yet, but it is known that he has cmbeZzled
some $4,000. -, 900 Of this he had gam
bled away, and had with him when arrested
between three and four thousand with which
sum he intended TO have started for Europe
the next day.
| A clerk in the employ of Mr.. H. c. Clay
ton, Is another victim to . good dinners and
. fast iving''-haying been arrested yestrl-
| day, on charge Of embezzling from his en-
| ployer nj different times, sum- amounting to
| 81, coo. He was committed for trial, in de-
fault of bail, in $4,000
| Among the petitions t. the Legislature
| this week, is one by John A. Lowell and
! oil els, to By Incorporated as the Trustees OF
the Museum of Fine Arts The establish
mant Of such a Museum has been a much
| talked of subject in Boston, both in public
and private circles. Especially has one heard
tae wish expressed for better opportunities
tor the qualification Of artistic tastes in visit
ng the art galleries already established in
the city which offer no mean advantages.
! Last spring the American Social Science As
, ISOLATION appointed committee to inyesti-
| gate the matter, but not until recently has
| the subject taken definite shape. Ii is now
| brought into immediate notice by the hcqlest
| OF valuable collection of medieval armor
by the late Col. Lawrence to the Boston
AthenHnm and the generous offer Of 49,
900, by Mrs. Col. lawrence towards the
erection of suitable building in which to
| exhibit their art treasures Hearing that the
trustees OF the Athennum had under consid-
Grafton project for the erection Of such
building, the committee appointed by the So
cal Science Association obtained II confer
ence with them, but without coming to an
understanding. Since then they have had
some OF the most prominent citizens Of Bos-
ton-including representatives of Harvard
University, The Athenpum, Public Library
and Institute of Technology. This meeting
happily resulted in the formation of 4 distinct
association, and q petition to the Legislature
for a charter. As soon rs they obtain the act
of Incorporation it is proposed to ask the
city authorities for the transfer Of the lot on
which the Coliseum stood to the new cor
poration This lot was given to the city by
the State, on condition that ii be used either
for public park or an ant building The
public will be appealed to for funds to help
carry on the enterprise. and ii il reasonable
to expect that Boston will soon be provided
with Public Art Gallery, which viii do
credit to the city and the country
The Boston operators connected with the
telegrapher's strike have succumbed and
gone to Work-haying become assured that
the result would be disastrous instead of
beneficial to themselves In connection with
this and other similar movements one of our
papers remarks that the city clocks only have
not agreed on strike
Thursday afternoon quite 4 company off
the Boston Press visited the Miantonomah |
now lying in this port. They We're courteous
ly received, and delightfully."- entertained by
the officers. They talked with the command
er, inspected the vessel, looked at some
sterescopic views, had a nice time generally !
and returned in the tug iamlin, which was
kindly placed at their disposal by Collector
Russell. SO says the Advertiser Who
wouldn't belong to the press?
1t is proposed to erect a statue of Christie
pher Columbus in some part Of the city, and
q meeting III tilrtherance Of the object was