Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-09-10
s1Usg -
PHILADELPHIA.
our SATURDAY LErrER.

|
OUR SATURDAY LETTEE
OPENING OF THE scRooIs--oLD PEOPLES AN
YOUNG PEOPLES FREE EycuRsroNs-THF PHIL
DkLPmA cRICKErERa AT HAlIrAx-DIsREPuTI
BILE BASE BALL-THE CENTENNIAL OF THE AMEl
| fcAN coNaREss--DEArH OF DIR. 4. II. SLACK
| AIMS HOUSE BTATIsTIcs-AMusENENTr, ETC.
Special Correspondence of The Commercial.
f.. ,sr''nprHp w." PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4.
. The beginning Of the school year was an ever
OF the week. The effect Of this ro-opening
always very decided in city life. 1t is an ever
which concerns almost every household. Tn
streets at oncc grow livelier. trade 1t once get
better, upon the opening Of tho schools tn
season adds immediately to the resident popula
lation, inasmuch as a large number OF persons
parents very often ss we'll ~ children, remain on
of town until the beginning Of the school set
sion. 1t WAS the general remark on Tuesday !
.'how bright the streets are to-day ~ and thi
brightness seemed to react upon business OF q
sorts.
The children's free excursion scheme Inspire,
some Of our benevolent citizens with the idea o
providing q similar relaxation for old people
who might be too poor to pay the expenses o
such holiday or too infirm to enter upon /
without companionship and assistance. Th
excursion was given to-day, aud ali things con
siderod was fairly successful. There are Difficult
ties in such project which are not encountered
in the care Of chifdren's excursions The little
ones accept charity without scruple, while il il
difficult very often to obtain Of adults the co
operation desired Again, children only ask thu
opportunity to carry such holiday through with
will. There Is nothing like drag or dullnes,
with them and 30 that tho managers take care
that the youngsters shall not run dangerou,
risks in their hunt for fun, the machine runs il
sell. such an excursion AZ that OF to-day, how.
ever, II It does not impose so much responsible
~ as children's party, requires kind Of stim.
ulus even more difficult to administer. II was
feared the affair would prove rather tame and
uninteresting, and 80 it did. The mistake was
made Of deferring 1t to 80 late day in the sea-
son. The weather being not very favorable the
attendance was not a. large as was snticipateil,
Many Of tho old folks declared, however, that
they greatly enjoyed the excursion, and there il
no question but that the generous citizens who
furnished the funds did al in their power to
make rather difficult affair pass Of pleasantly
The children's excursions closed for the
season this week, the last of the series
being given on Monday. Ten, in all, were given.
The enterprise WAS not - successful as in form
er years. The weather not being ss hot N in
other seasons, the need was not felt to be no
pressing. The numbor Of subscribers WAS more
limited, aud few wealthy people virtually bore
the whole expense. But while the number of
oxcursionlsts was smaller than heretofore, the
summer was 30 exceptionally pleasant, that 1t is
ground as at other times. 5000 children were
provided for, as against 2l,OOO last year. and
Tho Philadelphia Crickoters have returned
from Halifax, having carried on all the leading
honors Of the international tournament. The
Englishmen admitted that the PhiladelphiAns
beat them at their own game. Our boys won
every game they played, and in no instance went
in for their second innings. The result is . Sc
ries Of victories without parallel in cricket rec
ords in the United States. The game with the
M, E,nsiish M Eleven was especially noteworthy.
itsry men, stationed with their regiments in
Canada, and who have breathed cricket at school
and college az they did their Latin and
Mathematics. The philadelphians have not
given tithe of the time to the game which
their opponents have devoted to 1t. Yet for
some reason the result is az have stated. The
prize Was secured by the Eleven,
and members Of IT carried on in addition prizes
for the best bowling, the best general play, the
highest score &c. Altogether Germantown ia
hugely elated, for Germantown as suppose you
know, is the favored homo Of the game.
: Base ball news is not 80 pleasant. The Eng
issh eXcureionisis will reach home only to learn
Of grave charges affecting professional players,
which cannot fail to Affect the integrity Of the
sport: The Philadelphia club is on trial for the
swindling conduct of several members Of its
nine, and particularly Of Radcliffe, the catcher,
in 'selling out game with the Chicago club.
The man who umpired the game testifes that he
was approached by Radcliffe in tho matter, and
offered a sum OF money to give decisions of
character favorable to the conspiraton. The
umpire declined the offer but says the Philadel-
phians purposcly lost the game, Notwithstanding,
by dropping balls and playing ''loose" generally
Observant people havo long seen what profes.
sional play was coming to and are not surprised
ati n race Ia hag rx,
succeeded in running thoroughly noble sport,
but perhaps they are now at the end of their
tether, and the game may be relegated to the
sp here to which it belongs and from which it
never should have been taken.
The Centennial season is upon us. Prepara-
tory to the celebration OF the Independence of
the United States it is proposed to commemor-
ate tomorrow, the Tooth anniversary of the first
meeting Of tho Continental Congress. This
body met in the hall Of the "ancient and honor
9Th Of September l774. The Congress con-
tinued to meet ut that place for some time but
finally removed to the State House building.
Carpenters Hall, ss most readers doubtless
know, is situated at the end Of q by-way run.
ming south from Chestnut street, below Fourth.
1t is q handsome. old building and has been
kept in good condition by tho Carpenters
Company which has been in continuous possess
sion since the revolutionary times. The prem.
ises although substantial are very contracted,
and the contrast between them.a and the present
lordly quarters OF the American Congress is
great indeed. The old hall has been variously
occupied since its legislative career closed At
one time by tho Philadelphia Library, At others
by tho Custom House and the United States
Bank. 1t has also been used for various busi-
ness purposes, and for number Of years was
occupied for All auction wareroon. The feature
Of to-morrows celebration will be an oration by
that somewhat pampered young Demosthenes,
Mr.. Henry Armitt Brown. The old hall will be
illuminated in the evening and opened to the
public. .lt.. .a... .5.. .fz
Tho death has been reported Of DR.. J. Hamilton
Slack, person who held most peculiar posi-
ton in fhiIadelphia society. DR.. Slack was q
kind Of Admirable Clichton. Most men Of taste
have one or at most few s'hObbios' but the SUBJ
ject Of this notice had hobbies innumerable.
And ho not only took interest in various agreea-
bic pursuits but lie found time 70 practice them
ALL He was an ardent naturalist, . painter. q
sculptor, o musician, and musical composer, .
printer, a writer, translator into ard from for
eign languages. These are few Of the
lines in which l have heard DR.. Slack's
friends say he was proficient. He was a man Of
wealth and labored i'll all these ways only for his
amusement. He had printing Office in his
house, aud when he had written poem would
put it in typo himself. His studio was also there
and his music room. He was we'll known At all
the clubs aud libraries aud WAS . constant
frequenter Of the Academy Of Natural Sciences.
It would not be at all fair to call him mere
smatterer. or course he could not be thorough
in all he undertook, but he had a very decided
grasp Of all. In Natural History he was perhaps
strongest His latest work was an effort for the
artificial propagation OF trout, in which he seems
to have met with considerable success. F..r
Do you know that we have good sized town
confiued within the walls Of single building in
Philadelphiap Such community, such wheel
within wheel, is our Alms-house, By the sta
t;stics Of 1873, just completed in book shape,
the average population of the house for the
year is seen to have been about $500 persons.
Towns Of that population have daily papers
and Opera Houses. 1t ia a tremendous
insltution. sure enough, and 1t will give any
sensitive individual the horrors to walk through
it, $40 people died there during the year lin
that one house "a larger number have no
doubt than died in Wilmington during the same
tims. Over 1000 children were kept in the
house during the year. The cost OF keeping
house on this scale was nearly halfa million, and
without any Injuries to speak OF.
Miss Olive Logan has made her reappearance
upon the stage at the Walnut Street Theatre in
; comedy Of her own Her piece is botter than
her aoting. 1t ID difficult to see why Miss Logan
should have taken this step. Tho best only
takes the high place on the stage; mediocrity in
women il often successful on tho platform
whore the supply Of material at all presentable
Of that kind iS limited. Owens IL acting to pret
ty good audiences st the "Arch." Everything
In the amusement line however has to make way
for Barnum. He eactually crowds out all oppo
sition. INDEX
..1s DarksneA Lrae. 'sLi
In Nashua, n. r., resides young girl who's
whom sympathy can do but little in alleviation o
| the sod misfortune which has dArkened her life
| When . child she was terribly scahed about til,
bead and face, and although she survived he