Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-01-25
FIRST EDITION..
600 p. M.
PHILADELPHIA.
our SAT RDAY LETTER

INAUGURATION.
Special Correspondence Of DE Commercial.
PHnADELPHLA, Jan. "a.
The proposition of the Legislature to lay
streets through the Girard College Grounds
excites great deal of feeling. The popular
voice is decidedly and almost unanimously
against any such action. The argument OF the
needs of growing city has only seeming
strength, for even growth must stop in some
directions. Here is a case in which it is wrong
everyway to proceed in which bad faith would
be shown towards one OF Philadelphia's great
est benefactors, and in which the capacities for
good Of our great charity would be seriously
curtailed. The Tyranny Of the Streets must be
sometimes quelled,- elise we must "move on
forever. When the College was established in its
present location ii was far out of town there
we're no streets in the neighborhood and
il interfered with nobody. That being the case
it was the duty Of the city surveyors TO make tho
after conformation of that section agree with the
College grounds ana not run the streets squarely
against the walls The College has much OF
a reason for being as have the shop keepers who
cry ''no thoroughfare,' and because the blunder
was made OF going ahead blndy and without
regard TO consequences, America grand Orphan
Asylum is not to be disintegrated and it's useful
ness imperilled. Cemeteries and public nstitu-
tions occupying much ground continually front
this problem; 1t seems impossible to avoid it
without locating far in the country, which would
be often to defeat the end in view. As regards
Girard College the present area is now too large
for its growing needs. The intention is to erect
various other buildings on the,ground for the ac-
commodation Of greater number of pupils and
the whole space at command can be utilized.
The strongest legislative safeguards have been
thrown around this property, and il they are now
oyerridden, the shame to Philadelphia will be
lasting.
The Harbor obsiructions at Horse Shoe Shoals
continue to be a theme Of excited comment and
an outlet for much popular Indignation tcom-
mittee of citizens has been at Washington try
ing to obtain Government influence OF a 'practi-
cal sort. Evidence was offered to show that the
commerce OF the city was being fatally impaired
by these distractions, which operate in Summer
no less than in winter,-the trouble being in the
former the forming of sand bars which are
almost as troublesome to navigators ice. 1t
cannot be that the Government will not do the
city Justice now that the case has been 30 fully
and strongly stated We have every claim upon
Washington for large apI ropriation, and il it
il not obtained Phlladelphia may as well resign
all preteDsiOns port OF entry.
About this time-as the almanacs say-loOk
out for Passenger Railway schemes Besides
the West Philadelphia project that mentioned
last week, three other bills have been introduced
in the Legislature, giving the projectors large
and valuable franchises in various important
streets. One OF these. named the Continental
is Kensington Route, running through York
Cumberland. Lehigh Avenue &c. another is the
I" Commonwealth" traversing goodly portion
OF the North Western section, and the third is
suburban route running to Manayunk and parts
adjacent Many miles of track are here proposed
to be laid without even as much AZ a F" thankye"
being demanded in return. For the most part,
these lines q include the West Phadelphian
project may accommodate the public and go
far nothing is 10 be said, but the accommodation
would be tue sameif the companies wonld offer
to pay something into the City Treasury for the
privileges of making money which they ask.
Nothing Of this kind however is hinted at, As far
the Companies gO,it s mere grab game and
thequeston il il is not game that should be at
once and summarily stopped Beyond doubt
the companies should pay, and pay roundly, for
the favoTs obtained. To deliberately give away
such rights is faulty that no community hut
this is guilty Of. Baltimore has paid for it's
magnificent Park from its city railway tolls and
such tolls are important items of revenue in
New York and other cities. We commenced
wrong here. Certain companies were given free
rghtsl OF way and new comers now plant them
selves firmly on precedent. The custom should
be changed all around new companies should
be charged rental, and 30 should from this time
out all established lines. Should be,-but will
they be Probably not while the present Legis-
latiOn holds,-to go no further into the future.
A iirst-class piece of scandal has Just come to
light which agitates society not little. | do
not often dilate OIL such subjects, but this IL a
remarkable case and deserves some notice. DIR.
Edward Sharp, OF Philadelphia, married some
two years since, young lady named Hall, ares
ident OF Nashua, New Hampshire, but at the
time referred to visiting in Philadelphia, where
the marriage was performed, at the house
Of Mr.. Washington Bladen wel-known
citizen. 80 far it would seem that avery
thing was as lovely as could be desired; the
Doctor was well connected and in good prac-
ice the lady was beautiful and we'll to-do,
aud nothing seemed wanting to perfect mari-
monial condition. But soon cloud arose.
TnII
ty on his daughter of $1,000 year. This he has
lately declined to pay, although he had put his
hand to a bond to that effect His son-n-law
brought suit, and the old gentleman was
forced. though unwingly, to come down. MIR.
Hall said in his defence that ON the morning of
the wedding his daughter came to him and said
that DIR. Sharp refused to be married unless this
settlement made. He claimed that II was a
conspiracy to defraud,- the claim could not
be allowed, seeing that he had voluntarily given
his bond. The excitement such an exposure as
this creates, after such a brilliant wedding at
the West End assisted con dnlOre, may be well
imagined. 1t has no moral that am aware OF,
unless it be that no man need be afraid of
his father-in-law.
Another meeting in furtheraucs of the Gem
tennal scheme has been held. 1t is rather hu-
initiating to see such desperate efforts made
to keep up the popular interest in the enter
prise. People are asking what is the secret OF
the apathy which (all the frothy talk OF orators
to the contrary does undoubtedly prevail
Ihey see New 1Ork moving III flYal bcneHei Dy
means of which that city hopes to divert atten-
tion from the rightful headquarters of the cele-
bration, and they see nothing genuinely effect
i've being done here to prevent fruiion of
Gotham's hopes. The spectacle is neither pleas
ant nor assuring. 1t is clear that unless this
city moves speedily and with will, moves alto
gether and with irresistible determination, that
the Centennial Exposition as far as we are con-
cerned will be failnre.g There will be Worlds
Fair-but it will be in New York That is the
prospect we have to face, and yet we do nothing.
nothing to speak Of The meeting to which 1
have alluded, although managed well, did moth
ing toward waking up the people. number of
subscriptions We're reported, but there were many
more promises of leading individuals and firms
that the trades and lines OF business with which
they were connected, would furnish certain spe-
cited amounts. And not only were they but
promises and not money down, but they were
amounts Insignificant to those which shonld be
furnished. Take dry goods, for instance one OF
the largest interests Great applause arose
when MIR. Strawbridge pledged that trade for
$50 OOO 1t seems tidy sum, and 1t is in its
way, but it il little compared with the amount
that wealthy trade could afford to-not gtue, but
invest. A couple of our loading houses, say
James, Kent, Santee Il Co., aud Riegel n Co.,
could subscribe the whole amount and never feel
it in their business. The dry goods men could
give half million easily. That is the spirit that