Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-10-26

Disease-The Girard Avenue Bridge Question,
Etc.
Special Correspondence of The Commercial:
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. %.
The trial OF Hugh Mara came off rather unex-
pectedly this week There has been 30 much
backing and filling in the case that it seemed
doubtful whether the man was to be brought to
Justice at all or not. When he was finally ar
raigned il was done 30 suddenly that he public
the report ers, especially, were taken by surprise.
strong effort was made to prove that Mara
was cra2ed from drink when he shot McMullen.
Mr.. John Goforth. who ably defended the pris-
oner, took this view, and argued that Mara had
every reason to feel grateful to the Squire,
and that if he had been in his right mnd he
would rather have shot himself than the best
friend he ever had. The effort was useless, how
ever, and Mara WAS found guilty by the jury,
after very short deliberaton Of Assault and
and Battery with intent to kill This form of in
dictment, it must be remembered, is more
severe, il less high-soundlDg than simple
manslaughter, for a conviction warrants SEN
tence extending to fourteen years imprisonment
with a minimum limit of four years, while the
penalty for manslaughter reaches only from two
to four years. 1t is to be hoped that Mara may
get the full extent of the law, and that one of
the most reckless disturbers of the peace may
be put where he cannot imperil the lives of cit-
Zens. 1t is reported this afternoon that Mara
has made a full confession of his relation to the
Whiskey Ring, and blackguarded politics gener-
ally, but am unable to gain any particulars.
Affalrs,l oil ically, il the "old Fourth are in
disorganiZed state. Yuu have heard that the
Democrats read McAlulln and other famous
leaders out of the party. AT least they essayed
TO do 1t, but the esquire has since called
meeting of his own, declaring that has party
represents the true Democracy and reading, in
turn, Mr.. Culley and the other dsorganizers
out of the fold. 1t is a most ridiculous quarrel,
| in which it does not matter the toss Of penny
who wins The alderman dares the Curley men
to a showing of strength in the delegate cleo
| tions in January, and the fight will be a lively
| ono
The Exhibition of the Horticultural soci ty
| this week has been fairly successful. The
| weather has been bad, for two days past, the
| evenings have been particularly unpleasant and
/ the attendance was affected thereby. but the
managers nevertheless congratulate themselves
upon the result. The Exhibition is allowed to
| be the finest yet seen hero. 1t closes this
| evening. but | wish it was possible to make such
a show permanent There is something re-
finng 30 real and yet poetic about fruit and
| flowers. 1t is good sign for the taste and cul-
ture (there goes word hate) of community
that can support aud take delightin 30 pure and
simple all exhibition:
| at sting OF Flora and the county green,
| Dance and Pr, vencal koDg,
And sun burnt mtrIh
The changes in Horticultural Hall were first
seen during the Fruit aud Flower Show, and
they meet with general approval. The
ceiling and unsightly galleries have been chang
gu Nhl lbdel lue HuuI uhb Dbbil eO lhisbu hb u
make the ceiling much lower) the Hall has heen
| finely frescoed and various other matters have
been attended to, all resulting in magnificent
| assembly room.
Yet another fine Hall is shortly to be erected
| by the Young Mems Christian Association, at
the S. L. corner of 10Th and Chestnut SITS. Two
| of the old style dwellings which formerly stood
| in stately row from Broad to 10Th Sts.,
(but among which the march of improve
ment is now making sad havoc) have been
purchased by the Association and will
| soon be torn away to make room for the
| new Hall. The accommodations will be
| of an incomparaby better sort than the As4ocia-
| alton has heretofore enjoyed, Fine parlors,
| reading rooms, chess rooms, libraries, and 1t is
said billiard room are included i'll the plan,
the design being to make the place 40 attractive
that young men will be naturally drawn to it, to
the abandonment OF Vicious companions and
doubtful pleasures. A great many people have
been preiudiced against the Y. NJ. O. A., thinking
it bigoted, al while erming itself nen sectarian,
really bound in the strlctest church forms, but
hberality of sentiment and purpose such as this
enterprise would seem to foreshadow will enlist
the sympathy of every true man or woman. We
all know what wide field there il for the Asso-
citation here If it will but enter upon ii in gen
timely humane spirit. With a truly generous
| plane snch as is above intimated, more converts
would he made IN year than in a generation of
etiaight-laced psalmsinglng and declarations of
81 am holiGr than thon' 1t warns the heart to
hear of such earnest and practical work.
The special excitement to-day has been the
choice Of a Chief Engineer OF the Water Depart
ment by joint caucus of Republican members
| of Councils Other appointments came before
the caucus, viz Commissioner al d Assistant OF
| Highway, and Commissioners of Markets and
City Properties but the principal excitement
centred around the Chief Engineer-ship. This
was owing to the fact that MIR. Frederick Graf hat
held that position for some years, being thought
| by many people to have a life tenure upon it
and because there has been steadily growing
| dissatisfaction with his administration i'll sOmt
quarters MIR Graft ls a son of the proprietor OF
| the Philadelphia Water Works, Che whose monu
ment graces the public garden at Paramount atC
there has been disposition to admit that the
office of Chief Engineer belonged to the Gran
family as long as it should be so claimed. Poll
ties has of course been brought into the discus
sion, WHEN it has no manner of connection with il
rightly. MIR. Graf and his c. tmpetitor DIR. VIM Me
Fadden, are both Republicans and the making oi
any changes within the Party at this juueture ha,
been deserted, The Buietih had strong arti
Gle OH this subject this afternoon, but the pape
was scarcely on the street before the caucu
met and elected MIR. Fadden over Graft by ma
jority of one vote, MIR Graft seems to have los
caste by his proclivlties for New York mechanics
1t is claimed that he has put a vast quantity o
| New York machinery in oar water works (notabl,
the WOrthiugtun Pumps) that could have beeI
/ | improved on greatly in Philadelphia shops
and finished here much more ebeaply
i The New York pumps are pronounced failures
| doing their work in much less satisfactor
manner than those OF home manufacture b,
/, their 81 de. He owes his defeat very probably Il
: this cause. DR. McFadden appears to have tn
/ | requisite qualifications for the office. He ha
i | been Engineer of the Germantown Gas Works
. and is at present Chief of the Camden Ga
a | Works
: The Horse Disease creates no little uneasi
+ ness, but as yet = despite some attempts ii
. the panic creating way - there have beel
4 no evidences of the disorder reaching
this city. The fact that it is ragin
i? so fercey in New York. while here we are ex
=, empt can only be explained on the ground O
u the care taken with stock in Philadelphia San
itary regulations may be fairly supposed as effeC
tive with holses az with men, and it is well know
to all those conversant with such matters tina
the car and omnibus horses Ito which the dit
cases is principally confned) of New York &c
J. the least attention possible. If this is not tn
It reason of our exemption it cannot be explained
/ The progress of the contagion ID so rapid tina
6 tomorrow may have a different story to tel
/, just now, however, if you start conyersatio
a with car driver on the subject the chances al
10 that you give him the first information he ha
10 had upon the matter.
g. An ebert is being made to have the Girar
10 Avenue Bridge built OF iron. and the Phmnixvill
II Bridge Co. has agreed to put up such structure
1t 100 feet wide i'll years time to cost 81 800
l. 900. 1t would take at least three years to bull
a stone bridge. As a consequence of this move
ment, we have stone and iron party,-eac
ls positive that his own way of thinking is the onl
true one. MIR. j. l. Shoemaker has got motto
,r through Select Council that the bridge shall
It of stone, but he has yet to run the gauntlet {
the other Chamber. l think the opinion is gel
hat fRN1, t1I