Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-03-02

PHILADELPHIA, March 1.
Especial Correspondence Of the Commercially
One chapter of our Political Snarl has been
Strengthened out and apparently in very salts
factory manner. The appointment Of Mr.. Seth
l. Comfy as Collector of the Port has confounded
the "disalTected," and thoroughly harmonzed
and pleased all true and earnest Republicans.
Tho President steadily withstood the pressure
brought to bear upon him in favor of certain
third-rate politicians, and definitely recognized
the claims of the solid business and commercial
interests of Philadelphia. This action is thor
oughly appreciated, and Grant has one more
hold upon the respect of all citizens OF good
judgment. Mr.. Comfy was formerly President
of the Commercial Exchange, and no man stands
higher among our merchants He il native of
the town of Milton in this State where he was at
one time engaged in business. He removed to
Philadelphia about twenty years ago and since
that time has been prominent in the Grain Com
mission business, in which connection no doubt
many of your shippers and fOrwarders have had
relations with him. He was, until lately il he is
not still, President Of the Corn Exchange one Of
the wealthieet aud most powerful of our business
organizations.
The entire city, but more especially the West
ern section of il, has been greatly exercised for
some weeks about the bad quality of the water
furnished from Fairmount 1t has been vile
mixture truly, and deserved all the severe things
that were said about it. But il Engineer Graf
is to be believed, we have no remedy for this
state OF things in severely cold weather Mr..
Graf says there il nothing the matter with the
works. and that there is no unusual amount of
impuri.y flowing into the Schuylklll, but that
when the river is covered with ice as it has been
for the best part of two months, the water has
no opportunity OF freeing itself by evaporation
OF improper substances. He indicates that we
must grin and bear il but it is pretty hard case
to be told that there is absolutely no refuge from
fevers and dysentery when the river happens to
be clogged with ice. II the Engineer is right an
ESSENTIAL arm of the Water Department should
be force Of workmen to keep the surface clear
Water il one Of the primal needs, and it does not
signify what else or how much else we may have
that il good, il that fails us.
Attention has been called atteTly TO one OF
those matters which are seemingly of little
moment, but in which nearly everybody is con-
cerned and takes some interest. | refer to the
petty expenses that parents have been for long
time put to on account Of their children in the
public schools. Complaints have been many and
deep in private on this score, and now the Leiyer
has taken it up, and keeps putting the matter 80
pertinently and persiatently, that the chances
are that something will at last be done about it,
The charges are that the pupils are constantly
required TO furnish stationery. books and various
small articles that the schools are supposed to-
and should, supply-and that in default Of sup
lying such things, tile children are often forced
to go without and have even in some cases been
dismissed the schools from the inability of
parents to furnish them, or their dett rmination
not to do so. OF course there can be no excuse
for this. The Public Schools are for the free
sdTaftsd and the a% expressly states tnaE ed sned
only revenue shall be from the taxes leVelled
upon all classes for their support Anything
hevond this ia illegal and becomes small but
yexatious imposition. The teachers are placed
most irksomely, for they can only distribute the
:. A,tl.fl a a FonaiVp
odum from manyignorant or minimizing parents
. The school appropriation must be increased NO
child should be required to furnish as much as
copy-book or a sheet OF paper, and untl the rev
enues are sufficient to cover every outlay the
schools cannot properly be termed free.
One of our courts has been occupied this
week with the Koecker Divorce case, one OF
| those miserably unnatural social reVelatlols
| which make us wish that it was not necessary
that the operations Of justice In the courts should
| he entirely public. 1t would be much better
| avarv,yoy Il snch matters could be heard only
before the parties concerned, and II the NEWS new
| naDers could have no access to the tacts' Nlth-
ont going into the Koecker case at AT may
| simply say that it is one OF the most painiul ol
| domestic stories. Unhappy marriages always
nreaent distressing picture, but when aiteI
| wears Of married life, after the husband anu
| wife have grown together into middle e,when
children have grown up around theih'--then "
hear tales of fidelity, cruelty, and wronB M IL
I
gether for many years, and when well advanced
IN life discover their incompatibility. Ii humal
nature Is 30 weak what law avails
n ia not a pleasant thing to live permanently
nQxt door to menagelie. Inc ctlHeI,s vi rIaLih
tford regard this as an axiom. Mr. ForepauBh
(good name for menagerie man, mr.. Pore
NNSnqb'a Grand Exposition of Wild Animals II
proving too much for the quiet dwellers OF Una Una
suburb and they don't care how soon ne leSVe
with his Glorious Concatenation nor now lonl
| hag DeeO
since a family in the vicinage OF MIR. Eorepa!sh
, | Deii0ht of the ROYAL Families, while STUN
socially at tea, was considerably aslonisleu u y
seeing a leopard come flying through the WI
/ dow Of the room and take his station near I'll
table. Nobody expected the Leopard and nc
body was glad to see him. Ana now al lhS Pe'
r ple within mile of the menagerle, atter Delh
barrowed by the accident to the lion-tamer, las
week. are concerned IN nNey inanpet 10 V
a =, Nomeo" should take il in his head TO snap I'll
cables with which he IL bound and run mue
o | down Franlford road. The keepers are oDh6lu
4 | enouph to say that il the elephant CHOOSES
= | nnt lila strength out no chains or houses ca
D hold him and the only question ID tine eNnlllhI
r I'M, one whether Romeo" will or will not p
4 ont that strength The Frankford people thlr
l. there ought to be law about this. but sn'
is we abolish menageries Perish the thOuSh
p | Rather let all the houses in tranktord
70 knecked over. That is a philosophlc view OF !
10 matter, though admit that It so happens III
is FrankfordeIs are unpleasantly placed. But
can't have everything in this world, and as Tar
1s "Romeo" is concerned it will be somebody els
l. tnrn TO hear him yell soon. This is lie
or compepsations and the Frankforders should 10
n into the bottom of things.
O. The ''Union" is one of the tavorite street II
an vays of the City but the legislation it is now
he | deayoring Is effect at Harrisburg Is not we"
nd fayorably The company is trying to secure
re- massage of supplement to its charter giving
numerous valuable privileges, the principal
them being the power to lay double track
Market street from Front to Ninth streets
Granting of this privilege would be gross
=, fnstice to the Market-St. line A great part
en- ihe travel in the nj Idle of the day is local to
ne section indicated, aud the 4" Union cars We
w divide this business with Market street, WI
Ivy would be procedure quite outside OF talr a
ne- ing. More important still is the matter OF
- stTnction of the street. AS it is, with the
ick philadelphia tracks and the lines OF the Pei
'm- Railroad. the street is very much crowded,
an with another double line of rails it would pec
oI nearly impossible. All the public opinion pc
roy ble should be brought to bear upon the Leg
ual tnre to prevent this wrong being done, bu
ure has done wrong 30 often aud despite all prot
re- that we need not be surprised TO see the
W laid. There has been consideraDle sharp 7
tice already in the matter, and it Is too p
rlly that some . Union" lobbyist with long p
PAS PAS il operating at the State capital