, 1872-11-07
Fifty Thousand Horses Epizootically Ailing
....SiX Millions Of Loss from
the Distemper.
The Tribe OF Humorists Passing AWay---
A Melancholy Vacancy to
be Filled.
Successful Stock --- A
Once Famous Poet
Dying.
From Our O,cn Correspondents


Great as is the inconvenience entaled upon
our citizens by the equine epidemic, and detri-
mental as it has proved pecuniarily, everybody
must admit that the distemper has added to the
pIeasantness OF the city.
EFFECT OF TIE D1sIEMPER.
You would hardly know the town now, 80
quiet is it, and SO free are the business-streets
from the usual crowd Of cars, carts, carriages,
and vehicles Of every description. Broadway
has q strangely unfamiliar look. ALI days seem
like Sundays the merest tyro or timidest
woman can cross the thoroughfare without
trouble, or the aid of policeman. South and
West streets resemble the streets OF Philadel-
phia- The piers and docks are densely crowded
with produce and merchandise that cannot be
removed for want Of carriage.
We see now how good q friend and
faithful an ally OF man is the generous
quadruped upon which va usually bestow SO
little thought. It is estimated that fully so, 600
horses are, at present, disabled BY the epizootic
disease; and those that are in use bear an invalid
appearance from the blankets and fannels in
which they are carefully wrapped. The poor
beasts are taken such good care Of that one would
suppose they had suddenly been given the elec-
tive franchise, and with the Old-Tanmany priv
lege OF voting early and often.
have spoken OF the increased pleasantness
Of the town; meaning that it is SO quiet COM
pared to its wont, and so much easier for pedes-
t1ians to get about. Living, as do, in Broad
way, can hardly accustom myself to the change.
I find myself pausins, every once in while, to
Listen to the silence; forgetting that TIE dwell
in the midst Of an epizooty. They who need
xest for their nerves, and noselessness for their
ears, must be enjoying the true Sabbath. But
4hnEa vi tTmnt
in its normal state must ind great lack in e1-
listing conditions.
FINANCIALLY,
che loss to the community BY the epidemic is
very great. Not only do all the large CONNER
cial and mercantile houses suffer, but the retail
t1adesmen the theatre an4 amusement mana
gers. and the vast class having anything to cell,
suffer likewise. All these are complaining Of 8
perfect dearth OF customers: and the play
houses, concert and lecture halls. reveal q dis
agreeable paucity of attendance. It is reckoned
that the entire commercial loss to the city, since
the hippo-Satarrh besan.some et ten days ago.
will not fall far short Of SC 600. 600.
NEEDED HTMo21sT.
It must have occurred to you that We are,
just now, in want of popular humorist,- "a
man who makes himself and his audience miser-
able By constantly striving to be funny. Moth
ing is so drea1y as q professional droll nor is
anything more unfortunate for poor fellow
than to have the reputation Of being wit. He
is always expected to say something ludicrous,
be can be serious. He carries about the NELL
ory Of his fame, and feels the urgent need Of
uttering something to keep himself up. to
his own standard: When he wishes
unable to do 80. His ea1nestness il mistaken
for q covert joke, and his sincerity for delicate
irony. To explain his melancholy mood, he says
his mother has just died; and the announce
uent is received with bursts of laughter.
THE LINE OF OUR SUCCESSION
Of hurnorists has been for some years unbroken.
Before the war ne had Mortimer Thompson
C"Doesticks'), whose eztlaragances created .
fshsa ds af the ser fGF for hsaoaaa Es aaa
volumes. He passed from public ate
entered upon it, and many persons supposed
him dead, when he was only doing regular work.
He is now toi1ing at the oar of the Journalistic
galleys in Northwestern town.
Charles F. Browne e. 'sArtemus Ward y wrote
himself into favor on the Cleveland Ptdindea{er,
though he had not the slightest notion
create sensation He came to
New York he grew famous he lectured to
audiences saturated with laughter his phrases
passed into the currency Of tnlk; he went
abroad; he forced even the English to app1e-
ciate joke without the aid of surgical instru-
ments and there he died, . careless, clever,
generous fellow to the last.
Robert H. Newan e. Orpheus G. Kerr y BIOS
eomed into conspicuousness during the War by
his clever satres, in city weekly, on the Army
of the Potomac, and the mastery inactivity OF
Mcclellan. When the Rebellion ended, he de-
voted himself to poetry and serious labor, and
was almost forgotten in consequence. For some
time past engaged upon the Ford, he is rarely
mentioned, because be has abandoned the once
notorious Mackerel Brigade"
D. r. Locke e. Petroleum Y. Nasby') mig
spelled himself into popularity by ridiculing
ssCross Roads" In these days, he is
neglected. Even the personal paragraph col
u1an seldom mentions him, and he can afford to
do without mention, since he has IN annual in
come Of $50, COO or $4,000 from lecturing, and
his interest in the Toledo Blade:
Samuel L. Clemens E: Mark Twain J tickled
book, containing "The jumping Frog Of Ca
laveras" and other bufrooneries, had 3 very
small SALE. He went abroad LII With i tho plous
hz fonnaed po7ffsans innocents Abroad The vous
has sold 900 copies, and fixed his fate as 8
humorist. His third book, Roughing It." has
falline-of. @ IL IS not likely again to do any
thing half so good as ''The Innocents ABROAD" "
Cts unfair to expect man to be constantly re-
peating his trinmphs) but the reputation n he
ie now in Europe, seeking new material for still
another insertion between covers.
Bret Ha1te revealed his deep fund Of hunor
to the great mass BY his :: Heathen ChInee, >
though It is insignificant compared to much else
he has done. Great things were expected OF
him when he came to the East; but, weighed
down by his consciousness OF reputation, his
vigorous intellect appears to have been lncapa-
Biz of perfect exercise. He may be collecting
his forces for q grand mental assault; or he
NAV have won his brightest victory, and lostth
old cunning of attack.
Josh Bng5 Whose name sn Shaw stu,
nut+iDr them off upQn g. large number