The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-05
LONDON GOSSIP.
The Duke Of Hamilton Allowed 100000 q
Year from His Estates.
A MOST FEARFUL FOG.
The Prince Of Wales and
Vanity Fair"
LONDON. Dec. Is. 1873.

Vanity Fair.
LONDON, Dec. 49, 1873.
In the telegraphic account OF the Duke OF Ham,
ilton's marriage which | sent you on Wednesday
last mentioned that among the guests was Mr..
PadwicK the great racing man. The exigencIes OF
the cable and the pressure Of writing against time
do not permit one to enter into all the detail one
would wish; so, Tor the Information of sucn OF your
readers as are ignorant the subject. may men,
ton that Mr.. Padwick is q kind OF sporting LAWYER
who has had 'transactionsn with most of our turf
supporting jeuneSse dOree and is the person in
whose hands the AFFAIRS Of three most cele-
DRAFTED plungers'-the Dukes OF Hamilton and New
castle, and the late Marquis Of Hastings-have
fallen for settlement. Although not without an
eye to the main chance, and with an elasticity of
conscience in regard to the percentage which he
considers his due, Mr. Padwick is considered a
man ofproperty, and has undoubtedly vast business
talents. 1t is said that he would have been able to
place Lord Hastings on his legs again II that IN
fortunate young nObleman mad only lived long
enough. The Duke of Newcastle has still hopes Of
recovering his patrimony, while as for the Duke or
Hamilton, his involved affairs have been so well
managed by Mr.. Padwick that, whereas after his
Grace's nr3t coming to grief few years since he
could only draw flO, 600 year. he Is now in re-
ceipt OF quadruple that sum, and before long viii
again be master OF the whole OF his magnificent
property. And for this he may be principally
grateful the skill and energy OF the short. stout,
quiet looking, gray headed man who formed one
OF the wedding procession.
1t Is the belief in America, as in France, that our
winters In London are passed in almost total
darkness, caused by the fog, and that, next to
the Esquimaux, We are the most practically
bengnted people ON the earth. I have always
frOwned upon this idea as gross exagger-
alton, but I am bound to say that during
the past week we have had reason to be
heartily ashamed OF our climate. For the last six
days London has been enveloped In q thick black
fog, the like Of which with tolerably large ex-
perience, have never seen. 1t has been 80 dense
that In all counting houses and merchants estab-
lshments the gas has been lighted just ct night;
that traffic has been Immensely impeded, most OF
the omnibuses and tramways ceasing to run that
trains on the railroads have been hours behind
time, and that such cabs as ventured to ply their
calling made their way with their drivers at the
horses heads, and in many cases preceded by
boy bearing q naring torch fog with Us is gen.
orally matter of few hours. 1t comes on In the
evening, makes the night hfdeous, and the next
morning is gone; but this, as 1 say, has endured
for days. Commercially 1t has been irightfuly dis
astrous. All building operations were suspended,
as was all work connected with the river and the
docks, whereby thousands OF persons were thrown
out Unemployment. The great Smithheld Club Cattle
show OF prize animals, which was being held at
the Agricultural Hail. suffered immensely, not
merely on account Of the diminution Of the num-
Der OF its visitors but from the fact that owing to
the extreme density Of the atmosphere the respira-
ton Of very many OF the animals was a1ected, and
they either died or had to be killed. ut may be
90 r.{v. OsvuI NJ No
show was gained by Mr.. Walter, M. p, the chief
proprietor Of the times. In the theatres the fog
filed the space between the audience and the
actors, and neither could see the other while the
number of lives lost at present incalculabe, but
b said to be very great. In fact oil the miseries
so wonderfully set forth In the late Thomas Hoods
lode to Fog" were perfectly realized. Of course,
the town is ringing with stories Of the adventures
which have happened during the darkness, one ci
which is worth quoting. An old gentleman who
had some business at Charing Cross made his way
as far the Strand, but there completely lost him.
SELF He crept slowly on and on without the
least idea Of where he was going until he found
himself descending some steps. On these steps he
pumped against man who was coming up them.
.'Halo |" said the old gentleman. "Harol' said
the man. "Can you tell me, said the old gentle
man, "where 1 am going or' "Yes," said the
river, for I've just come out of it."
All Englishmen who know anything about
American affairs are very angry with Mr.. Lowe
for having, in 9 speech made the other day at o
public dinner, attempted to cast y slur upon the
New York police in connection with the attempt
made to bride some OF Its members by the Bank Of
England forgers. This was done on the principle
which leads counsel when ne has bad case OF
his own to BLACKBOARD the plaintiffs attorney. Mr..
Lowe undertook the defence Of our metropolitan
police, and he had a. desperately bad case, mas
much as the force has rapidly and systemati-
cally deteriorated within the last few
years. 1t is very badly paid. The average
rate OF wages IL Is shillings week,
exactly the half OF what Is given to your New
York constables. It has no prospect of promotion
from the ranks and it Is ruled In FAR too striotly
military spirit. Mr.. Lowe instanced in proof Of
its excellence by how comparatively small num-
Der of men the property and safety Of this vast
metropolis are guarded; but that surely Is tribute
to the lawabiding qualities OF the population rather
than tine efficiency Of the force
We have had Mark Twain over here lecturing on
the sandwich islands, and Nevada" at the
Hanover Square Rooms. He made great hit at
first, but am afraid has rather overdone 1t by
lecturng every night. We are not much OF lee
ture-going people, and our pubhc-you remember
what Byron said about "hammering hoarse laugh
from q coarse throng'-requires educating to
comprehension Of the subtleties Of American
humor. I recollect hearing one Of our most cee-
brated painters complain that he saw no fun in
Artemus Ward, and that "the man evidently didnt
see any himself, for he never smiled once"
Vanity Fair, not Thackeray's great novel, but
weak dtendnte amateurish periodical, which some
OF your readers may know from seeing 1t In Bren-
tano's window, is about, after the LIST OF January
to raise its price to one shilling Its lefterpress
is OF the lowest order Of snobbish twaddle but It
has obtained certain amount OF circulation owing
to the caricatures of statesmen, people In society
and men OF letters which it publishes. The best Of
these are by Mr.. Peegrlni. little Italian gentle
man. in himself the essence OF caricature. who has
for long time been absent from the paper, but
whose services have again been secured. 1t Is ru-
mored that his cartoons OF the Duke OF Edinburgh
playinc at bowls and Of many OF the members Of
-. r,,,orou0n Climb which have l0nU been on.