The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-21
From our Special Correspondent.
Our New York Letter.


hESSRS. EDITORS 40 err Is human,
especially as to the amount Of "a very rich
mans property. Hardly two weeks ago
public opinion as to Mr. Astor's wealth
crystalized at $l00,000,000. His will,
recently admitted to probate, reduces that
figure just about one half, but still leaves
a sum tlat the average man would be
tolerably well satisfied to possess. OF
this, as was generally understood would
be the case, John Jacob I'd gets the lions
share, or some S35,000,000. The re-.
mainder was bestowed in miscellaneous
bequests to remaining members Of the
family, charities, etc., the latter, how.
ever, being but feebly represented.
One OF the sons, who committed the
objectionable sin of marrying below his
station" was cut off with $50, 900; but
happily in this instance the ends of poetic
justice were served by his having been
already made a millionaire through his
grandiather's will.
The Hon. VIM. NJ Tweed has been
suddenly called from the city on urgent
business, and his present whereabouts are
not known with any great precision. The
papers say that "Dothing has been heard
about him." but it seems to me that we
have hardly heard anything about any
one else since his departure. But seri.
ously, it looks as though this were to be
the end of it, and as though with the
Bosss escape the curtain had fallen on
the long and tedious farce called "New
York Justice Previous to his incarcer-
alton on Blackwell's Island, Tweed main
tanned the bland smile and what.arc. you.
going. to.do.a .about.it air, with which his
carcatures have iamiiarized the public !:
but once within the striped suit, he realiz.
ed that the game had been more earnest
than be had supposed. Then he com.
mcnced the fight for liberty, which ended
as we have seen. laugh by the history
of his previous life to regard money as the
one only force that is universal in appli.
cation and irresistible in operation, this
was very naturally, the agent which he
selected TO aid him. Nor we're his cal
culatons at fault; for the result has
proved that money is stronger than the
intense and righteous indignation of q
whole people. the steps in his progress
toward freedom are known to all. First,
when the law had deliberately and finally
pronounced him convict, and had sent
him to live among his kind, money
brought the craftiest legal locksmiths to
pick his prison locks and set him free.
Re arrested on other charges and again
imprisoned, tho same powerful ally once
more came to .he rescue, and once more
1t was shown to De invinclble. For
while it only procured him extra luxuries
OF living, but it was not long before bolts
aud bars began to be worn away by its
corrosion. Gradually as his case pro.
gressed the mass of testimony and deci.
sions was piled higher and higher against
him, but apparently just in proportion as
the meshcs Of Of tho law drew CLOSER about
him, werc his liberties and privileges in.
creased, until at last, all the plans for his
flight having been leisurely perfected and
the eyes of keepers and detectives tightly
bandaged with greenbacks, our bulky
hero quietly vanished, leaving New York
staring vacantly in all directions in help.
less Indignation at this humiliating and
exhibition of official corrup.
tion. OF course something has to be
done to allay popular feeling, and so
tremendous hue and cry is raised by the
police, and great deal of talk made by
the higher powers, who blame ard
threaten to remove their subordinates,
but all that looks rather thin as day afte.
day goes by, and the prospects of Tweed's
recapture grow beautifully less.
But even should he never be retaken,
there is some consolation in feeling that
the Boss has by no means escaped retri-
button. His terrible fall from power to
a prison, and the trials of the last two
years, would 10 themselves be expiation
fur uiiuics less great than his, while 10
man Of his age and habits, ignominious
exile and the consciousness that he must
leave behind him name SO stained and
blackened as to be burden to all who
bear it, form punishment to which i'm
prisonment or loss of wealth could hardly
add much severity.
Our metropolitan journals are not
particularly celebrated for living together
in harmony at any time, but there has
been little mill recently between the
Times and Graphic, which was rather
lively even for New York. The Times
commenced the attack. and in the course
of week or so had so covered its advcr.
sarv with mud that the Graphic thinks
it will have to have bath in the courts
to get back its pristine purity. The pro.
pretors think their character has been
damaged to the value Of 100000, and
desire the Times to pay that sum for re-
PAIRS. If one half of the latter's charges
arc true. five cents would fully cover the
loss.
Trade is beginning to show holiday &C.
tivity. The market is filling up with
everything, but with nothing more largely
than books, which have for some time
been coming as thick as snow. fakes. Out
Of the mass a few, as usual, will be sue
cessful, The one which promises to have
the largest sale of the year, and probably
of many years, is "The Peoples Common
Sense Medical Adviser" by DR.. II. V
Pierce, of the Worlds Dispensary a
Buffalo, ont Of the most prominent ply
sicians and best popular writers on medi
cal subjects in the country. This work
already in its third edition, is a large
i
and price, and cannot fail to add to DIR
Pierce's high reputation.
Amusements are attractive and wei
patronized. The only novelty that bid
fair to be a striking success is "Boson
Friends" with Mr.. Jno. Gilbert as "star,
at Wallack's Mr.. Fechter holds t
French drama at the Lyceum. "Might
Dollar" and "Our Boys" are finally with
drawn after very successful runs. TIL