Litchfield enquirer., 1872-05-16
wooDHuLL. CHAPLIN 4 co.

4 correspondent of the Springfield Re- publican gives the following account of the Woodruff and Clafiin establishment in Broad St.. N. r.. It seems. to be more just than anything else that has been printed about that queer firm.
 have long curiosity to see with my own eyes the members of the Woodruff establishment, and so the other day called at their Broad street office with letter of introduction. I had previously heard much about the members of the firm, both defense and denunciation of their acts, and felt disposed to learn the truth concerning them. The result of my visit I shall now relate, letting nothing extenuate nor setting down aught in malice, for the day is past for ostracising any person of either sex for the peculiarity of their opinions. The counting house of the firm of female brokers is at No. A Broad street. and nenupies the whole of the ground floor, running back to the rear of the building It is dark and gloomy place, and IS made still more so by the high black-walnut desks which fill most ofthe space, sufficient to accommo- date twenty clerks, but occupied by but single individual, who looks as solitary as solitary as the last rose of summer. Behind these desks is second room, and divided from it by glass partition is an other inner sanctum. This last is occu- pied by Mrs. Woodruff in person, while the intermediate one is used by her sister, Tennie Clafin, and Col Blood. It is al- so dingy apartment, lighted only on one side by three windows looking out on comfortless and narrow yard, shut in by the high walls of adjoining buildings. Two desks. q table, some chairs and long sofa were the only furniture to be seen; rather worn green carpet covered the floor, while on the walls were hung two or three cheap pictures, one carica- ture representing the bulls and bears of of Wall street being captured by the women brokers, while the strangest of all were two huge blue window shades, each bearing text of, Scripture emblazoned in gilt letters. At one side self-acting tel egraph clicked away ill a monotonous manner, and the whole effect of the place on my senses was intensely depressing in contrast to the bright April sunlight out of doors. At one of the desks when en- tered was seated Col. Blood, an ordinary appearing gentleman, with rather fierce black mustaehes, whose manner, however, quite belied his uncommon name. The renowned Tennie was near by, and was recognizable at once. She is short and thick set, and wore dark blue walking suit, with a stiff, ugly hat, of monde script character. Her features are mas- culine, and her movements of the same character. She walked heavily and lounged about on the edge of the table in a dlsagreeably free and easy manner. It was evident at once that she was a coarse woman, "of the earth, earthly" and her familiar, rowdy manners could only in splre disgust. She was not doing any, thing in particular at the time, but mere ly loating about, now idly scanning the stock quotations on the telegraph tape, or giving sudden directions to Col. Blood to attend to certain business matters, or calling in sharp, grating tones for s'Jim- my to deliver some letters when she had herself just sent him ont of the office with message. If this unrefned,. aimIess, whimsical being is type of the coming woman, 1 said to myself, may the Millen- nium come soon. But I had not seen all yet. Presently the door opened and two supercllious young Englishmen entered, and asked to see Tennie. Their, errand as they stated was to get her picture which they had seen in some other place, but it was patent they had simply come to gratlfy vulgar curiosity. Tennie, however was blind to their object, or to the cool assumption of their stares and remarks, but lounged on the side of the table and chatted with the young cubs, one of whom had the rudeness to stand with his hat on and cigar in his mouth while talking to her. It made my blood boil to think that any woman, calling her. self respectable, should be subjected to, let alone endure, such insuferable inso- lence. Tennie, however, did not mind it in the least, but listened to their shallow hattery with evident relish, while trying to induce them to buy a set of her pub lshed books and those of her sister, first for BIO, then 8, next $4 30, and finally at the greatly reduced price of $1. .5O, while the youngsters, despite all her beguiling speech, ended by purchasing ten-cent picture, and went off in evident glee. And this is the representative womanl Faugh! I VOW will become a Benedick If ever lay eyes on another like her!
 Meantime, while this disgusting specta- cle was going on, singular old man was seated between Tennie and Col Blood, though almost unnoticed by either His beard and hair were white with age, and he looked like man of some cultivation. His dress was peculiar, and of 8 semi military cast, while gentleman who called and engaged him in conversation called him General" but I could not find out>who he was or where he came from, except that he was not connected with the Woodruff establishment. He sat in dignifed position and indulged in a continuous mOnologue in the Cole ridge style, such as 1t has never been my fortune to listen to before. He seemed intelligent, lively and voluble, and at home in many subjects, but his remarks were more mcoherent and desultory than anything I had ever conceived of before. George F. Train was tame in comparison to him, and Daniel Pratt rational being
 He mixed mp Spiritualism, Grant, the Commune, the coming presidential can- vass, woman suffrage, the republican par ty, cooperation, social reform, free love, and twenty other subjects in the most sin gular medley, and quoted scripture with huency and irreverence which was only rivaled by his familiar use of the words hell and devil. I sat and listened while hardly able to believe my ears, to this watery flood of sense and nonsense, shrewdness and fantastical utterance, un- till became quite bewildered and con- cluded the man was cracked, and gave 1t up. This mans idea seemed to be to found cooperative. spiritual fishing and boat-building association, which should erect stations along the coast, take charge of the coast survey and train women to build and manage yachts, and he con- stantly returned to the discussion of this scheme, after wandering away to talk on other themes.
 All this was like a, dream, or some mon strous fiction of the Edger Poe order, so that was glad when the floor of the in ner office opened, and Mrs. Woodruff came out and introduced herself to me in graceful and refined manner, in marked contrast to that of her sboisterous sister
 She is somewhat taller and slenderer than Tennie Her hair is black and straight, and dishevelled as if from intense occupa- tion, which prevented all present thought of her own self or looks. She wore a n; ofy1rocn11o and well -Gtfino, ;ookot hoIf