Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-01

| ARCH ST. IMPROVEMENTS.
| Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
| PHILADELPHIA, April 80.
| The House of Correction Investigation has
as far it has gone, fully borne out tie CHARGE
made by the disafected manager, Mr. Il. A
| Barlow. The members Of the Board have no
az yet denied that they were, many o
them interested III furnishing supplie
| to the institution nor that they served at thu
same time on the purchasing and auditing com
| mittees. These are The main points OF tn,
charge and IL can be seen that they are suf
| ficlently damaging. All that has been done ii
| rebnttal OF MIR. Barlow is an attempt to show
that he was no better than the rest, and that Ia,
was until very recent period actively concerned
| i'll the irregularities. But il this ia true, ant
| however slight respect one might have for tht
witflehs III such all event, his evidence II unim
peached would remain none the less important
| Ii guilty he may have repented,-and We arc
| told with what JOY repentance il received-anG
| at all events it il of the utmost consequence
| that we should know how our public institutions
are administered, no matter whose repItationf
| fall In the inquiry.
The I" mind reading discussion has taken a
| radical turu. The phenomenon il now declared
by various respectable gentlemen who have CIV
en- the matter their attention to be due not to
direct mental action but to Il delicate sense OF
touch Oh the part OF the operator by which he
ments made by the "subject." or course the
mystery has some explanation and it s easier to
believe this than that the unspoken thought can
be interpreted by the mere clasping OF hands.
1t amounts after all, mainly, to what we call
this thing, II it is termed " muscle-reading is
scarcely less strange than before. and ii Brown
in cheat it il only i'll the choice he has made OF
the title of his exhibition. That he docs what he
attempts il certain and even from the muscular
point OF view the term "Menta Tele-
Olan a
be unobjectionable, since the force given to the
muscles comes through all operation or the
mind. "AIuscle Readers are becoming devel-
oped and at least two have shown their ability
to do the Hame things done by Brown. One Of
these parties a Mr.. Whitehonse, has made cap
tal cleverly out of the excitement and ia already
announced to give public exhibitions at Woods
Museum. Mr. Whitehouse says that the con-
centration of the mind on secreted article, or a
perso. in the audience, acts unconscously and
rresistably on the musclep which incline
without knowledge of the party to the spot cho-
sen, who infallibly guides the "reader' to the
place without knowing that his hand ia other
wise than entirely at rest. He says the thing
can be done by anybody who tries it, 80 that an
interesting diversion for the home circle is at
once devised. 1t must be 'honor bright Of
course-and no Intentional and confusing mo-
tions must he given to the hand, which should
be allowed to remain Rtterly passive, while the
mind liz ntenty fixed on the spot, or person, or
article chosen. But II we are to call 1t muscle
reading. and despite tha confident assurance of
MIR. Whitehouse, it must require conslderabie
hard work to turn oneself ont as medium. The
ncety of touch requisite to Success il certainly
not possessed by eyerybody-on the contrary
must be one OF rarest of possible gifts.
We have graduated from the Spelling Bee in
to the Pronouncing Bee. very interesting ELL
tertainment of the latter character has been Civ
ell, at which-it may be right to inform manas-
ers on the look ont for 'sure things some
one probably lost good deal OF money. But
the people were not up to the pronouncng idea,
and there was band of music, expensive prizes,
and considerable advertising. Another attempt
might he more successful, but it II already shown
that the entertainment does not make as much
fun as the Spelling Bee. The words
to be pronounced were. at the Bee OF thursday
evening, printed i'll large characters and dls-
played to the audience. 1t was AZ astonishing
as in the spelling matches TO mark how well-in-
formed people could trip over little difficulties
which they have never brought themselves to
think worthy OF notice. These latest turns
OF public amusement are certainly very sugges-
tive. Mr.. l.. G.. White, the once noted teacher
OF elocution-one Of the men OF original genius
who never do ANYTHING years ago, a
little dictionary OF English words i'll constant use
yet liable to mispronnnciatlon. 1t IL curious
volume and almost out of print. III the luck less
Professor were living he might, for once, make
money His dictionary went with all his other
unfortunate ventures now that there might
be chance for him he and his work are forgot
ten.
The conservation of Rev. Thos. A. Jaggar of
Trinity church as Episcopal Bishop OF Southern
Ohio was one of the principal events OF the
week and one of the most interesting religious
ceremonies ever held here. Mr.. Jaggar was a
successful candidate in the remarkable series
of contests which included the defeat of DIR. De-
koyen, the Ritualist. Ills name has thus been
kept prominently before the country for many
months, and Wednesdays ceremony attracted
more attention than even the august occasion OF
the Conservation of Bishop usually exctes.
" Holy Trinity, you may be aware, il our lead
ing Episcopal church. 1t is not as High as
St. Marks and st. Clements, but it is in the very
choicest part of the West End and it's members
are among the richest and most aristocraflc OF
tile favored dwellers in that locality. Rev. Phil
lips Brooks was once the idol OF this conSrega-
tion, and Mr.. Jaggar has succeeded not only in
keeping the worshppers under MIR. Brooks to-
gether, but in so adding to them that Trinity y
was never 70 thronged and popular
as now. The music at this church is the
best in the city, apart from a few of the
Catholic churches and all the appointments
are of the most liberia, even luxurious kind. Many
Of the most eminent clergy of this and distant
sections assisted at Bishop Jaggars consecra-
ton The was esrh5ed BY Bishop
munon benediction was given by Bishop Bos-
worth Smith of Kentucky. The proceedings
were throughout very impressive.
A passenger railroad controversy OF a pecu-
| the Northwestern part of the city. 1t grew
| out of an effort of the Race 4 Vine Street COM
| pany to checkmate the new Peoples Line now
| building on Callowhill street. and which
may naturally he supposed to have
| ambitious designs upon the new
Fairmount Bridge. No railway running
| east and west is now imagined to remain satis-
fed with the territory east OF the Schuylkill, and
| the Peoples Line OF course desires to run into
West Philadelphia. But the Race and Vine
claim TO have exclusive jurisdiction over the
territory commanding the bridge. Its directors
say this right was given by the Legislature
years ago and has never been disputed. When,
therefore, they saw the Peoples Line commence
| ing to build they tore up the street leading to
| the bridge, preparatory to laying additional
! tracks for their own cars which should effect
nay bar the street to the Callowhll street
company. Then naturally followed an ap-
plication for All Injunction by the Peoples
authorities. 1t has yet to be argued but the
| Race a Vine st. managers are meanwhile en-
| Joined against proceeding with their high hand
ed work. The dispute brings mp anew the ques-
| tion of who owns the streets, the railways Oh
mere citizens? Here company has made al
entire section impossible for vehicles, and all to
no end except to inilict great annoyance on nu-
merous people. 1t csnnot hope to keep the new
| railway from using the "double deck" bridge
it Processes to, but the effort is 30 opposed te