Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-06-07
FIRST EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sATuRDAY DAYsLETTER.

THE HEATED TERM, &c,
Special Correspondence ofthe Commercial
| PHILADELPHIA, June 6.
| Public anxiety has been relieved in the case of
the steamer "Pennsyvania, but one trouble has
only given way to another. We know there has
been no disaster 80 10 speak OF the chip, and
all ON board are safe and we'll but there il
something more than modification felt that the
accident reported to you should have happened
No one cares to say much about this disappoint-
ment the newspapers being particularly reticent
but we all feel it Apart from mere sensitive
ness, II such contre temps do not injure the
reputation Of the vessel and the line at the
start we shall be very fortunate.
But what is the use Of being mealy-
mouthed about 30 important matter2 As it
happened there was no disaster, but how easily
there might have been That is the gloomy
fact lying behind, of which the press, in its anx-
iety to further the interests OF the Company,
gives no sign Suppose inst cad of quiet vow
age the Pen syloani1 should have had a stormy
one 7 II three blades of her propeller wheel
wore swept away with the oteau almost as calm
as river, what might have happened in a hurri
cane, or even in an ordinary stress OF bad wealth
er The question cJnjures up hosts of horri-
BILE possibilities. 1t may not be fair to say that
the tatal defect IN the propeller blades argues
corresponding weakness in tho steering appara-
tus and other portions of the exposed michine-
ri-though unfortunately there must remain a
doubt Still. such doubt is scarcely fair for
tle reason that the blades were an Improvement
over the usually adopted style, consisting of
movable pieces, screwed on to the post OF the
propeller. The usual model believe is to have
ihe apparatus in one solid piece. Surprising
however. the rest OF the machinery to bs as
good aH man can make, those blades might have
la lrsrf
certainly would have parted with the remaining
one, and though her sails might possibly have
seen her through, there are dreadful doubts
which everybody can uuderstand-and which we
all do understand. Under the circumstances
OF course no questtons OF testing the PeaHsyL-
cdaid with the Cunarder Russia and other stealri-
efs that sailed about the samet time. arc in issue
We are only too glad to hear that she is safe re-
gardless Of the time she mada
The Rec rd claims to have dlstanced the Lell-
Jer, and to have nov the largest circulation of
any paper published in Philadelphia. 1t gives
III part the bsures to prove this City circula-
tion is m utter dllijut to got at, but persevar-
q co among news agents aud at post OH les. will
enable any individual disposed to take the
trouble to learn the extent Of the circulation of
his contemporaries in outlying towns. This the
hecJTd processes to have done in over 30 com
mumies, returning circulation OF &c 947
against 800 for the Ledger, and 55l for all
other Philadelphia papers combined in the same
places. You know, probably, how this so-called
circulation" WAS obtained. 1t was by no means
got IN the line OF regular business or upon any
merit of tue paper itself The districts were
1Htively cauvasHed by hgrnta authorized to pre-
ont every person subscribing for tue seoord |
with a handsome map OF tho United States
There il nothing real in such circulation. Peo- |
PIE anxious to get .Sss " t t@4p s4EclqBtRR paper
on rjJihiug hem to pay six cents week, as long,
AZ II suited them to do 30. The agreement Is |
hat the subscriptions shall stand for year,
,ft,0s Ia m
People have fashion OF getting used to certain |
papsrs (aud most singular fancies arc entertain
cd IN this respec ~ 1t may vary well hap-
pen that portion OF the fierce thus re- |
riultGd by the Record may regularly enlist, |
hut to regard circulation thus obtained as endur-
ing and " dependable" is great mistake The
bulk of it will all away. and if what remains
-nuuld reimburse Mr.. Swain for the cost OF hir
maps he will be lucky. The Records annonce-
meat therefore neither startleb nor decelyes III
the Ledger were TO offer premiums to subscrib-
ers it could not satisfy the demands that would
be made upon it's establishment. People have
uot forgotten, and will not forget the disersdl
that attaches to the Public Record Such delib
efale .poachiug on another mans manor as ii
has from the first practiced on the Ledger, was
never known III the newspaper BUSINESS. 1t IL
wrong OILY equalled by the generosity Of Mr.
Chds. The Ledger has noticed these manifold
wrongs but Once,--yhen 1t spoke OF the " grave
discourtepy Of the new venture. such forbear-
ance is noble, but people in whom combatiye
ness is developed would enjoy seeing new tack
taken.
Apart from this additional grave dlscourtesy'
(for the lists published are really intended as 30
nIany attacks upon the bueiuess OF the Ledge'')
the Record Lgures give some interesting facts,
now irst o5tnlable. One OF these refers to the
extent qf Philadelphia, Newspaper circulation IA
PenIisylvania and adjoining states. The princi-
pal tisures l give You as follQws Harris
burg 1890; NorristowI1, l472; Easton, 1918:
HllhesDalre l52ii LaHcastor, l5l5; Trenton,
1857; Reading, 1859; Chester, 2O24
be considerably the heaviest customer in the
list In properly estimating these rhgnres, how
ever, it must not he forgotten that the Records
swollen and manufactured subscriptions, are ll-
Cluded. Wlth these latter, (neally third) do
dncted the result ID not particularly complmen
tary 10 olir press. And u twin fact from thls
statement of eighty towns (nearly all of them IN
Petinsylvdni4) IS. ithat exclusive OF the Record.
olr daily papers circulate therein but lI,4l6
nlpios all told, while journals from dl-tanI NOW
York circulate in the raue towns A. 1874 copies
There is n whole sermon here for those who cane
road between the lines.
Our detectives are pluming themselves this
week upon tho capture of the mall robbers,
Wales aud Dudley. Aud it Vas rather neat
thing. This rascnlly finn, which it y supposed
has robbed the mails of over s50,0oO i'll two
years. contested of the two men named, tue
former OF whom by iGtimacy with clerks on pos
tai cars managed to steal drafts and clecks, ,Whle
the latter of therogues "'negotiated' the same
in Philadelphia aud other cities. 1t Is hard to
say which end of this work was tho Iet diff
cult but either terminus of the line was well at
tended to. Dudley was the hEe gentleman for
upon him degolved the more delicatetaek OF as
sluing the banks and express companies that he
was the proper perzon TO draw the funds. Tho
tricks a maneuvres of these precious rogues
would ill many of your columns, and then doubt
less would not be fully told. The point around
which thciI deteotloa centred, ID curious enough.
Dudley had been operating here successfully Tor
some time, iisvipg rented an oifi1e on Chestnut
street above 81, where he was looked upon by
most people as a prosperous gentleman. one
Sf our detectives, however, named FRANKLIN, "a
regular Nidocg in his way) had lis suspicious dl-
rected to Mr.. Dudley, but not until the bird had
flown In searching the quarter he had left there
was apparently nothing found to tho purpose,
except an old botting pad soiled and linked to
| the last degree. Yet this list of apparent rub
hinh held tile clue to the brilliant captures that
! followed BY care the addresses of various OF
| Dudley's correspondents were deciphered aud
| both TIE principals arrested, The evident moral
for all gentlemen in this or similar lines of bus
| mess is. always burn your old blotting papers.
Mayor Siokley aud Judge Fnletter have won
sspulisn oplnions' this week il not exactly from
| :. all sorts of people," at least from all those
| whose opnious are worth having The Mavor
/ following np bis war upon the gamblers, has in-
| tereEted d himself iii the wretohed condition OF
the Alaska sti cot district, making personal and
| complete inspection of the region. He saw
thlll.s az bad and shameful anything in Lon
| don or Paris H5 declares there can, must, aud
sball be reform. Ii is to be Hoped that some-