Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-05-18
PHILADELPHIA.
our SATURDAY LETTER

III lfclssureb-In6 Yielt OF ADts Lto composer
7 o Germans in = -siermeAt-0ur backwardness
In relieving the Somerset sutfersrs-The Year
ly Meeting-Friends' First Day School, Etc.
Especial UorespOndenceof the commerclall
PHILADELPHIA, May 18th.
Councils took the initiative steps, yesterday
towards providing for the better utilizing Of the
City Squares, subject in which the public takes
great deal of interest. The Oldest inhabitant
can scarcely remember the time when there has
not been persistent and continuous grumbling
at the manner in which the people have been de-
prived Of the use of these plots of ground which
are the property Of all classes in common. The
rule has been heretofore to keep the squares clos
ed six months of the year, and during the rest Of
the time to have the gates locked after an early
hour in the evening. But party of agitators
has latterly arisen which claims that the Squares
should be open at all hours and all the year
round, Just as the Park is and as Squares in other
cities are, and Councils have apparently grown
to believe that this agitating party is right.
ReEelutions were offered in both branches, yes
terday, providing for the removal of all fences,
&c, from the Squares, and the probabilities are
that they will pass. Then, these public grounds
will be partially paved-A stone walk being laid
in the centre OF the grayel-so that they can be
used in all weather, and the old complaint that
they are mere chicken yards for few old PEN
sioners Of the city will be assuaged
Talking of fences, | may mention that the
Public Building Commission ndsitself in some
thing Of a.quandary resulting from its change of
plan from four ediices to a single structure
The contractor who took the job to put up four
separate enclosures has done his work very
thoroughly and at considerable expense. He
has Furthermore engaged with number Of adj
yeftisera to display their business cards in GER
tain specified places. The new action of the
board upeets all these doings, and what makes it
worse is that the poor contractor does not seem
likely to get much satisfaction AT the last
meeting the Solicitor was coolly directed to take
measures to collect the rent owing for the fsnc-
ing privilege, but nothing was said about reim-
bursing the contractor. You may believe that
there il at least one man in Philadelphia who is
opposed on principle to the intersection project.
Considerable attention has been drectei to
the fact that the process of the reduction OF
silver bullion 10 pure metal at the Mint in this
city 10 very extravant one, aud attended with
most mysterious leakage. Rumors to this effect
have been for some time current, and they at
tanned finally such shape that the Director has
felt it incumbent on him to say something. The
amount of his "say" is that the result is due to
unavoidable wastage owing to imperfect machin-
cry and want Of chemical appliances at the Mint.
1t may be 20, but 'waste" has queer sound as
applied to anything about such institutions as
Mints or Banks. 1t seems that in England this
sort OF bullion can be rsduoed without waste, and
even that the baser metals-lead &C., - which
are obtained in assaying pay the cost of the
whole process OF course the result is to drive
business from the Mint, and of course New York
who has always been jealous of our having this
important Government Institution here, will be
able to ring another change on its chime of dis
content.
Franz Abt, the celebrated German Song writer,
has received genuine ovation in Philadelphia.
1t does not take much, to be sure to excite our
Teutonic friends, but this time they were car
ried quite off their balance. Abt is man who
il heartily loved by all classes of Germans, and
the fact OF his being really in our midst is
enough to raise their enthusiasm to the highest
pitch. He is In this country, as you are aware,
to attend Gimore's great Peace Jubilee in
Boston next month, yhereat Strauss and other
famous musical people will assist as well. Any
thing suihces for an excuse for holiday among
the Germans, 80 it will not surprise you to learn
the whole German Element have knocked oil
work and is drinking boer and singing Herr
Abt's songs. And to say truth, these songs are
among the most beautiful ever written. Who
does not know and admire Sleep Well " "HOw
can 1 leave thee ?" or - When the Swallows
homeward fly" There are not many modern
songs that surpass these in melody, simplicity,
and feeling. There has been torohlight pro-
cession in Mr.. Abt's honor he has been SER
enaded and driven around to all the large beer
gardens within ten miles of the city and to-
night he is to WELD the baton at a concert of
the Singing Society, to be held at the Academy
of Music which is expected to be grand affair.
The disastrous fire at Somerset in this State
has not met with the instantaneous proffer Of
aid and relief that was to have been expected.
Proportionately it is even greater blow than
was the Chicago fire, and yet no general meas
ures have been taken for the assistance of
town in our own State. The fire occurred last
Wednesday week, and to-moTow-or ten days
after the disaster-a meeting called by the May
or will consider the matter. dollar sent last
Saturday would have been worth more than ten
dollars sent tomorrow will be. Promptness is
everything in these cases. Pittsburg and
Jobnstown held their relief meetings a week
ago. Every merchant in Somerset bought his
goods in Philadelphia, and to put the matter on
no higher ground, they had a stronger claim
upon our gratitude. 1t is only fair to say that
Phiadelphia has sent some aid to Somerset.
Without waiting upon the tardy action OF the
city official a few gentlemen in the Market
House hestirred themselves to solicit subscrip-
tions and yesterday sent some $500 to the suf-
ferers. This ia something, but it is not tenth
of the amount that should be sent, nor does it
clear the skirts of the local government in the
matter.
The Yearly Meeting of Friends (Hicksite
Braneh) has had its session this week, and there
has been q very full attendance and an unusual
interest manifested in the proceedings of the
meeting Friends considered variety of mat
ters in their conservative way and finally post
poned them ''until another year"-whiGb is also
ia accordance with the traditions Of the Society.
After all, it is not so much business, as the world
understands it, that draws these good people
together in their yearly session az 1t is the desire
|
communion of long separated and only yearly
/ rsjoined portions OF the flock. Regarding busi-
ness, however, Friends have the homely and
simple affairs Of their organization to look after
/ the same as any other people, and dare affirm
that more of the truly representative spirit is to
| be found in their meeting than IN those of al
/ most any other body Matters are not all cut
/ and dried in Committees and by arbitrary ruling
msmbers and forced down the throat of the
meeting whether or no. as we so often see in go
| called deberative bodies. A great daal of fun
has been poked at Quaker Meetings. because
| parliamentary rules are therein discarded, and
because there is no voting in form, but every
member can express his views and can enforce
them at all the length he wishes and with all
the power of which he is the master and, all
jocularity aside, the best men and the best mea-
| snres win, which is more than can be always said
And is not the quiet of the meeting restful after
the rush and hurry Of the world outside 1t is
no wonder Friends take week tosettle busi-
ness which they are told by light-headed people
could be finished up in day and quarter 81
should think they would take fortnight or a
month to it. That is true philosophy if you will
4 but think it out.
In connection with the Yearly Meeting there
has been an interesting meeting of the First
Day School Association, at which some facts
we're presented in the report read by Miss Emma
Worrell, which will astonish people who think
Friends are not up to the times as working
sect. Eighteen schools have been established
during the year, making total Of Forty-nine,
in addition to five Bible classes and Sewing