The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-03-26
SCRANTON LETTER.
,orespondence Of the Je6esonian.
SCRANTON, Pa, March oath, Is

DEAR oEfF.-DesiueS the rapldlty OF It's
growth and developcment and the excellence
of the newspapers, there is much in Scranton
that is worry of note. Not the least of these its
belongings arethe business and social charac-
teristics of its inhabitants. Made up as Its
population is of representatives ofnearly every
country under the sun, one would naturally
suppose that clanishness would prove pre-
4 dominating feature, and so it does to certain
extent We have our claims and castles and
stations in society, and we maintain them toe
in spite of constitutional provisions and civil
rights bills; but we have common ground to
which all come with cheerfulness and stand or
an equality and that is the ground or point
from which we all start out in pursuit of the
almighty dollar" In the race for this great
stake none of us are too high or too low, toe
rich or too poor to mingle. From the nam
moth corporation down to the pussy Teutor
or the red faced son of the Green Isle, who
I lords it over the Lager Beer Saloon or the
more pestiferous Gin Mill, all start on the
level even if they do not come ont on the
square. Trade, trade, trade is the watchword
of all, and to come out at the end with a com
petence the aim of all. This is business, and
as business it is better understood in Scranton
than in any other place with which [ am
acquainted. And the reason for this is appar-
cnt. Every body comes here to make money,
and there are therefore but few drones among
! Us.
| Socially Scranton is different. Your columns
would hardly afford room sufficient for even a
touch upon the symptoms which go to furnish
complete diagnosis Of Scranton society. The
number of classes is almost beyond computa-
tion-nearly every body in the city consider
ing himself little better than every body else.
The amount of " blue blood" coursing rampant
here is absolutely appalling. And yet all who
indulge pride over the possession of the pre-
cious liquid do not at all times meet on a
common level. There is difference in the
intensity of the blue you know, and quantity
does not always indicate quality, and hence,
while there are occasions when all the blood
fdrored may come together, there are the
ordinary run of times when the line of demar-
cation is most stringently drawn.
1t is not confessed that the dollar marks the
class. The "ton" of the place affects literature
and general knowledge above the common run,
and protest that the stepping-stones to upper
tendon are refined taste, gentle breeding as
consequent upon it, and the mental faculties
as farmers would say it, under the highest
state of cultivation. You are reminded of this
at every town and yet the shop holds predomi-
nance, and business proves itself the best
studied theme in every conversation INDUCED.
Doubtless the theory is genuine for the class,
but the place of business arranged with the
greatest care and ornamented in the most
pleasing manner to catch "the nimble six
pense" as it passes by, and the dwelling with
its palatial adjuncts and surroundings smacks
too strongly of the Goldfish" to induce belief
in the presence of the genuine whale.
The next best class of society here, taking
for granted that the class which l have just
described the best, Though no one is compelled
to admit this)-I mean the class composed of
those who fail to see sense in arogating to them
selves position of questionable standing to
say the least-the small traders, mechanics
and laboring classes will compare favorably
with those of any other locality. Their row
may be harder one to hoe than that of their
more favored fellow citizens, but they are not
a wit behind them in all that constitutes the
good citizen. Indeed taking them all in all, L
do not see but that they are measurably the
superior class in our community. The dollars
of the rich are source of comfort, but it was
the skill of the mechanic, and the muscle of
the laboring man which thus far developed
and made available our hidden wealth.
Aristocracy and dollars, ofthemselves would
have left Scranton remain the Socum hollow
of forty years ago, our coal mines unheard Of
and our immense manufacturing establish
ments the fabulous creations of some crazy
visionary. 1t is some compensation to these
latter most useful classes that wealth is compel
led to appreciate their goodness and, in shape
of wages for labor to degree at least, reward
their deservings.
Of that class known as the dregs of society
Scranton has its full share As these are
neither ornamental nor useful to the city, one
hardly sees why they are permitted to abide in
it. They are probably necessity, however,
upon the supposition that it takes all kinds of
people to make city, and our city of Scran-
ton would not be so complete without them.
The parade on st. Patricks day did not turn
out SO grand affair as was expected. The
Catholic clergy threw damper over it because
of the desire of the Society of the Ancient
order of Hibernians to join in the parade.
This society, better known as the "Mollie
Maguires," is under the ban of the church and
even denied christian burial for unlawful
practices. The members are all IRISH Catholics
and claim that they are vilely abused and
slandered-and that they are associated under
the laws for mutual protection only. do not
known how that may be, but do know that
they are roundly denounced for such unlawful
indulgences as association, house burning and
other past times of like pleasant character
Hardly day passes but what some house is