Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-05-03

..+ tt PHILADELPHIA May End.
The case Of Mr.. Grambo, the particularly fast
broker grows more interesting. As fact after
fact becomes known there is divulged series Of
reckless not to say rascally proceedings, such As
we are accustomed to associate with stock gam
bling in New York but which have q sort of un-
fitness here. The gaysGrambo made, in fact
mistake at the outset. He should have chosen
Wall street as his hunting ground, for with his
eminent talents, and among congenial rogues,
he might there have both won distinction, and
escaped detection. He obtained the one here
but he could not long escape the other,-al-
though he managed to defer the exposure long
enough to victimze number of very respeota-
BILE people. For year and more 1 have heard
hints OF this thing on the street. Passing bis
Haunting office. sober citizens would say to one
another :-"Who is that mani what do you know
about him ? how does he do all this
do YOU supposeY"-and the answers we're always
by shrugs and winks more expressive than words.
The wonder is that such wholesale swindling
could have been carried on 30 long and with such
impunity. The evident deduction from the case
Ia that parties having money to invest should
look closely into the character of their agents.
Many OF Grambos victims were undoubtedly ta-
ken In by his flaming sigp-boards and cheap
mHgnihcence generally. lie was simply quack.
but his customers, deceived by his pretence Of
enterprise and public spirit, did not detect the
quackery until too late
The shocking death of Mr.. r. d. Petit, well
known citizen, on the morning of his intended
marriage, created great excitement and may
almost be called the event of the week. You
have doubtless been informed that, early on We'd
nesday morning, Mr.. Petit was discovered in his
room, at his boarding house, with q pistol
bullet in his heart, and that for some unaccout-
able reason he had committed suicide only
few hours before his contemplated marriage
with an accomplished and wealthy lady. 1t is
easy to zee that there are here the materials for
genuine sensation, and they have been abund-
antly availed of. rhe news was especially thrill
ing In church circles, as there was to have been
grand wedding at st. Marks, on Locust street.
The church had been decorated, and so great
was the desire TO attend that those only we're to
be admitted who held printed Invitations. The
approaching nuptials had been the choice morsel
of society gossip for weeks; the couple were in
the highest extent distinguished" and they
we're going abroad for heightened tour 20
Vienna and elsewhere. And in the midst of all
came the news that the bridegroom had killed
himself do not know when the very often
heartless opinion of the public has been more
poiDtedly expressed. At once, and by univer-
sal consent. it was agreed lobe q suicide and
yet there is every reason to suppose that it was
no such thing. Not single fact points to such
q Likelihood, and the argument against 1t il
overwhelming. Ibeeye public sentiment will
eventually turn 10 the proper direction, Wis that
the shooting was entirely accidental Mr.. Pottit
had undoubtedly been examining the pistol or
else was about to pack 1t in his trunk, to take
it with him on his journey, when the disastOr
occurred which has overwhelmed two families,
and measurably the whole city. We read of
similar accidents every day, and there is no dis
position to take an uncharitabl6 view lit Is
hard TO understand the bias taken suddenly and
without reason in this case. There was the
,s.uk MF OF nd
Miss Staley, and the skies were brighter for
them than for the majority of young people.
In short, there is nothing to be said for the one
theory and everything for the other.
There have been sometimportant political de-
velopments. or hints at developments, this week.
Mr.. Mackey appears to be united on by the Re-
publican managers for the State Treasurership,
and Judge Paxson, now OF the Common Pleas,
for Justice Of the Supreme Court. The latter of
these nominations would especially, meet with
the approval OF the party. l mention Judge
Paxson In particular, because the N. Y. Tribune
has letter to-day from Philadelphia, in which
he is spoken OF as being q Judge mot above
suspicion" That charge is a most slanderous
one. No man in Pennsylvania has clearer rec
ord than Judge Paxson, and the people know it
very we'll. The letter in question has the evil
dent earmarks OF Mr.. Aleck Mcclure. This
trickster has some'reputation for "smartness,
but it Is little strange that with al his news
paper experience he should not be BILE to cover
his tracks more skilfuly than he does | can
recognize one OF his inspirations as far AZ can
see It. He has had several letters disparaging
the Republican Party in the Tribune lately, and
also an editorial article which did not In the least
hoodwink any readers in this State. Mcclure
has an unbushing effrontery; it is impossible
to phase him. have seen in newspaper Of
fees, articles in his own writing and about him
self Of the most complimentary character He
has no senstiveness in that way; not particle.
The building season has commenced, and 1t is
not pleasant to observe that the modern "cheap
and nasty principle is the main rule Of action
The city is noted foIits specially OF sma houses
for people of limited means, and 1t has been
often said that nowhere else do 30 many families
occupy houses alone. This is very we'll, but of
late years an extremity OF hurry and cheapness
has been reached which threatens to make the
new class of Philadelphia tenements anything
but desirable. Hundreds Of rows of houses in
the last few seasons have been erected that are
go flimsy in structure that how they should have
passed the Inspectors verdict is mystery, and
in living in which the tenant may be said to con-
tnually hold his life in his hand. This is espec-
ially true of the suburbs. l am told the state
ment will apply to all the outlying sections, but
of West Philadelphia, which is more particularly
under my eye, can speak from personal knowl-
edge. The rage for cheap building has there
gone SO far that it is safe to say that fair half
Of the houses put upiduring the last two years,
West lof Darby Road, should never have
| been built at all. Scarcely week passes
without tumbling in in some direc- %
4 n
unfinished over winter, and the uncommonly
wet spring has 30 demoralized chalk foundations
and three inch walls that there is disaster on all
sides. Many of these buildings have brave front
/ ings of brown or green stone with bay windows
| porchea, &c.,-but they are mere traps winch
/ should Justify an Insurance Go. in inValldating
/ the policy on the life of man who might live
| in one Of them It is a sin and shame that many
| of the finest neighborhoods Of our choicest su-
burb are disdgured and endangered in this way.
i l could show you noble avenues lined near
| the city by villas and beautiful grounds
Il vet built further-out with shabby card board
i houses, which have the immediate effect OF stop
/ ing enterprise in those directions. even II they
| succeed in standing upright. In no other way
i does money making Iehow itself 30 very mean
/ The Capitalist" may cheat in his business bul
i the shoddy wears out or the trick in some way
| finally Silks from view but fine neighoor'
| hood ruined, stays ruined. Yet there seems ne
help.
The Public Square War has reached point
where there is a natural cessation Of hostiitie
for the time being. TheI1st OF May having arrived
the keepers Of the squares consent to open th'
gates and to confne the chickens and othe
| small game which appropriate tie enclosure
during q half OF the year. These breathinI
places are kept locked for six months out o
twelve ON no better pretence than that tn
gravel would be cut up in wet weather. Th'
plea is so delightfully."- absurd that 1t would sur
prise no one to hear that they were to be shu
the other six months because the dust from tn
| paths interfered with the chickens and thei
aged custodians. You might go . good des
further without finding completer instance Q
the Philadelphia ruling spirit.