The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-25

Fro,r Or o,cn Correspondent
NEW YoRK. Aug. 81.
Tho New HoteI

From Or O,cn Correspondent
NEW YORK, Aug 81, 1870.
Tho New Hotel.
OF course you have heard of our new hotel.
You know that its name is the Grand Central, that
its value, including the cost of the ground, the
furniture, and the building of il, is two million
dollars, that it is ten stories high and will ac-
commodate fifteen hundred people. 1t was
opened to- day, and the scale of terms has been
fixed at three, ree-and-a-half, and four dollars
per day. Upon such occasions as the opening
of a big house like this, venerable newspaper
custom requires that the local department of the
respective metropolitan journals should blossom
with congratulations. Setting compliments
aside, however have but little doubt that the
new hotel is very well worth the patronage
which it will receive, and which it has
begun to receive already. Its influence
has already been felt by the proprietors of
other hotels. The daily charge at the Metro
politan Hotel, for instance, was some weeks
ago, put down to four dollars. A corresponding
deduction went into effect at the Astor House
last Monday week. There is going to be
superb inaugural dinner tomorrow night. OF
course we all know what these inaugural din
ners mean. Every newspaper man who gets
an invitation is expected to pay therefor by
more than photographic puffery. So far as
know and believe, however, the Grand Central
deserves most of the good things that will pro-
ably be said of it. If size is claim to merit,
\ its claim is less disputable than that of any
! other hotel in New York 1t is buut of four
lmillion bricks, has about twenty thousand gal
Aons Of water in tanks, contains five thousand
chaira, ood nearly seven hundred rooms 1t is
carpeted with seven acres of carpet, and mir
rors, lace, aud damask are ''slung around
with an extravagant audacity that causes the
country cousin to breathe hard.
The Theatres.
| The improvements which Mr. DAILY has made
and is making at the Fifth Avenue Theatre will
render it as perfect in its way as Booths Theatre
is in its. All the United States knows by this
time that Days little theatre is pocket edition
of the dramatic temple. 1t will hold scarcely
thousand people, but the lessee and manager is
determined that these thousand shall be provided
with as many means of luxury as the patrons of
any other theatre in the city are. His company
will consist of Agnes Ethel, Fanny Davenport,
| Fanny Morant, Mrs. Gilbert, Kate Newton, lone
Burke, aud Messrs. Harkins, Polk, Davidge,
Parkes, Bascomb (formerly of the old Walnut
] Street Theetre, PHILADELPHIA, and Holland Mr.
Holland may be termed Honorary member for
| he will probably not make one appearance
during the entire season, and the mere fact of
4 mis- engagement speaks very well for Mr.
4 Daly's goodness of heart. The season will
open with Nan and Wife, and progress with the
reproduction of Frou- Frou and Fernando, and the
. introduction of adaptations of La Princesse
George, EAmO,T sur la Branche, Les Girls
. 6e Cotin, and Fricoche and Cdcolet. The last
one is by yictorien Sardou. One of Molieres last
comedies is also to be revived. Oakley Hall and
! MIR. Daily have likewise been working together
on Sheridan's fragment entitled Afectdtion, and
have raised upon it a superstructure in which
/ Newport and the yachting season are made to
. figure. One very singular addition has been made
to the orchestra. 1t consists of a very handsome
water-hydrant, which appears beside the con-
ductor's seat in full sight of the audience, and
in case of FIRE, is calculated to give the public
assurance of safety. Six large Partisan private
boxes have been built at the extreme rear of the
orchestra new and very agreeable fea-
ture and Que that will commend ITSELF in the
winter, to the theatre parties that are becoming
so fashicrable.
Driven to Do IL.
''Sad Case of Suicide is the favorite head
king of local paragraphs which describe the crime
SUf taking ones life. Was there ever case of
suicide that was not sad l wonder. There are
degrees of sadness, of course, and one of the
most mournful | ever heard of came
under my notice to cay. 1t has relation to
man named George Au, who, with wife and
four children, lived on the third floor of tene-
ment house in Ludlow street. About eighteen
months ego Au suddenly became aware of the
fact that he was a consumptive. The discovery
2preyed 30 upon his mind that he took to drink
and from being sober and industrious he be-
came dissipated and idle. This sad change, of
: course, still further injured his health. So wide
{ and deep grew the ruin that in time he be-
i, came incapable of work, and had to be sup
! ported by his wife. OF course the poor woman
had to work very hard, and the fact that she
| was obliged to do so weighed still more heavily
n upon Aus mind. He began to talk about suicide,
! but his wandering remarks were regarded merely
= as the meaningless threats of morbid and un-
! strung mind. Late in the afternoon of Tues
! day, however, he went up stairs to their COM
Amon ROOM called his wife and children around
/ him, and, shaking each by the hand, deliberately
\ babe them farewell. How his wife, knowing
that he had often threatened suicide, could have
permitted him to proceed so far without calling
| for help, cannot explain. 1t is one of the in
explicable things that any one would say could
not happen. but which constantly do happen.
His fsreWells spoken, he proceeded, in full view
; of his wife and children, to cupboard at one
! side of the room, and took from one of the
shelves loaded pistol. At this point indeed,
his wife ran to the door and shrieked for assist
ance. The effort was too late. Before her
screams reached those they had been meant to
summon, the fatal shot had been fired, and her
husband fell heavily back into the cupboard a
corpse. Anything SO full of calm despair on