Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-01-18
FIRST EDITION..
goo H. M.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sATURD LETTER.

Ofice-Miss Neilson-Dr. Lords Lectures, ets
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. II.
Special Correspondence Of ate Commercial
After snow comes thaw. There are not man
certain things, but that is one of them. Th
thaw may be delayed shorter or a longer perio
but it is sure to come some time and Just nov
it has come to us with a rush. The streets ar
sfloat, but that is not the worst of il the riv-
ers are rising, and alarming reports are coming
OF damages at the wharves and up the Schuylkill
As write, people are swarming out to Fair
mount and beyond, as they did during the no
ted freshet of 1869 when the river was higher
than 1t had been for a quarter Of century
There is no apprehension Of such freshet al
that this year, but there is reason for dread
notwithstanding. The centre OF interest Just now
appears to be the Girard Avenue Bridge, which
is reported as gradually giving way under the
combined influence of the swollen current and
the huge ice blocks which come sweeping down
the stream. The bridge has already been moved
five feet out Of plumb" and unless the freshet
subsidies it may all be in the river and over the
| river and over the dam before morning. 1t is
| heartily to be hoped that it may go, and thus
finally end its botched and bungled life. II it
should be swept away people will breathe freer
for while it stands there will always be dread
| that something fearful may happen at the Park
The city is to be congratulated that the old rat
tie trap is likely to go in this way, with plenty
OF warning to pedestrians.
There is prospect, at least that the very con-
| siderable portion Of Philadelphia lying West of
| the SchUylkill may have a street railway of its
| own-not line running into the city proper but
one parallel with the river and connecting the
| two outlying districts of Hamilton aud Mantua
| A bill to this effect introduced in the State
| Senate yesterday and It deserves to pass. There
ls very wide section there that il entirely with
out travelling cOnvenences, not only by means
of cars but even by omnibuses or stages With
the construction of such line as is now
proposed, many people will move into
West Philadelphia who have as yet been deferred
from doing 30 on account of its " magnificent
distances" 1t is to be hoped that il the road is
built that Mr.. Slawson's ingenious patent may
obtain no showing. Already West Phfladelphians
are dreading the nfction, fearing that, as the
neighborhoodis ID of partly rural character, the
argument OF economy may be brought to bear
But If that game is tried the scheme will be
swamped from the outset. The Z" Slawson is a
detestation to all right-minded people. 1t makes
every man conductor, and is as dangerous as it
is annoying. The " Union Lins is getting into
bad odor because it insists on retaining it against
the expressed wish Of its patrons know plenty
of people who would rather walk several squares
to get into a car properly oficerad, than take q
' slawson close at hand. This may be borrow
ing trouble however.
The Constitutional Convention has had yari-
ETY. OF important matters before it this week, and
has done something decidedly pi actical in regard
tahlgydN q SfAe ofTinS 6rate r1lecudn n from DC
tober to the first Monday in November,
that being the date of the Presidential
election and the day upon which most oil the
States hold their State elections The avoid
ance of two contests in Presidential year, but
a month apart, will be greatly to the advantage
Of business and the public peace and quiet, and
will tend to simplify political movements we
will lose little prestige from the credit we have
been supposed to get in deciding national cleo
tions, but there is more "hurrah in that than
anything else, and with nothing to compensate
for the loss Of order, bu 5lness and general CIVIC
comfort Regarding Philadelphia local electio ms
the change proposed is not so satisfactory
True it has not been decided but from appear
| ances ii will be accor ling to the program me-
making an entirely new election day-the third
| Tuesday in February, for the choice Of city ami
county officers. The avowed object here is to
| separate local from State and National analrs,
| and while it is thought best to range Pennsyl-
| vana, as a State, with the other leading states
| Of the country many Of the delegates esteem
/ that the city election should be as far removed
4 from political entanglements as possible Inc
good policy of this movement is questionable;
Most men of all parties think 1t best to have all
the worry and excitement of elections OF what
| ever character over at one time and not TO Keep
| up the fever all through the year
| The news of the loss of the famous old packet
| ship, the TuscdrOrd made deep impression
here this week. great many people took
| personal interest in the matter The Iuscdrord
was not 30 very old, either, only having been
built in 1S4s, but uneonsciously take that term
| in speaking or thinking OF noted cTaft.-the
amount that is lived taking the place OF srteHt Of
| experience. One great peril seems 80 give age
/ to man or ship, and the Tusodrord had gone
| through 30 much, had brayed 30 many storms,
| had so suffered from wreck, collision and every
| other calamity that can befal floating thing,
| that the impression was that she must have been
| a century old to say the least Scarce ~ cltl-
| zen but who has often seen her mighty DOW
| aurt extending far over the dock as she lay
| quietly at Cope's Wharf, at the foot of Walnut
street. 1t must be remembered that the line to
which she belonged was (and is for that matter
the only one composed OF ships OF her class reg
| ularly coming into this port The loss OF sucI
a craft is as sad as it is severe II may be fur,
ther noted that the fact of the last voyage ol
the IttScdrord being made from Mobile (she
having foregone her regular trip from Phlladel
| phia) Is point more formidable than any argu'
| ment against the Delaware distractions whlcl
| are fast making our harbor reproach. large
ship forced to sail for milder waters because hel
y own port offered her ne assurance OF sAiety ~,
That was a very painful loss sustained III tne
burning OF the Forrest Library, painful both u
| fact and in imagination, for thought and feehnt
q can have their shocks we'll as the material IN
n | terests BY this untowArd fire the "forres
a Home.n il Il is ever established, will lose wha
was intended to be it's bright particular orna
~ ment. and Shakspearean scholars generaiy WI
= be deprived of collection entirely unique. Ool
= lectors say there is nothing OF the KIND eAtah!
u and further that it would be almost impossible
I; get such a one together again. IL was the wotk
y many men in several generation the combine
10 storehouse of tho Kemhles, OF Burton ana
| other distinguished people, and finally completes
50 by man whose enthusiasm and means :. u.s. "er th
b alike great. BY wretched fatality ~ was u
N irreparable portion of the Library, the Sha.
speare collection that was alone destroyer.
Ar Is not often that fire works such real havoc az
did here. and the reflection that the tragedian
y tendery priced these books is one OF the saddles
d, elements in the loss Forrest lived in hts nprar;
pit his books were wife and children to him
81 seems cruel, after so much love and care, thl
II all should finally come TO naught,
U. The week has been, among other tmnRs, on
70 of statistics 1t may be one OF the evidences {
le the demorazation of the time that people 9
t not place as much reliance upon hgures as the
y, used to. Gan this be because they see that tw
ct and two does not always make four, according
ht the modern arithmetic, and that, unlke 9l'
Of fashioned figures, the figures OF to-da
can lie, and with most extraordinary facll
tyr Certain 1t is that statements" do mot TO- con y
mand the unqualified respect which once attacl
ed to them, and we not seldom hear the Wol
"doctored" applied to these carefully prepare pGesnt
lists. Among tho elaborate tables resent RESENT
ynblia,ad ara tine city reoeiDts and expenditure