The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-28
From our Special Correspondent.
Our New York Letter.

ler,-Cornpopping ertraordinary.-
$50 900 per Month from The North.
ern PaciHc.--." Big g."
New YORK, Dec. "a, 1875.
MEssRs. EDrToRs New York, just at
present, is supplied with literary coebri.
ties, liberal sprinkling OF whom appear.
cd a, the unusually brilliant dinner given
by the Arcadian Club a few evenings
since Mt their elegant rooms on Fifth ave-
nue., Among the distinguished persons
whose presence contributed to the interest
Of the occasion were the venerable Peter
Cooper, one Of the few remaining land.
marks, so to speak, of old New York !;
NJ. d. Conway, Prentice d. Milford, Of
the Overland Monthly" Laurence Hut
ton, author of Plays and Players" G..
H. Webb, better known as "John Paul :"
and last, but not least, Joaquin Miller.
From the general drift Of newspaper par
agrsphs had prepared myself to sec in
this illustrous person sort of mixture
Of Lord Byron and Buffalo Bill" and
on entering the reception room looked
over the assembalge of black coats and
white tics, in peasurablo expectancy that
my eyes would be caught by long, coal.
black locks, flowing over the shoulders
of red hunting shirt, bounded on the
south by leathern belt. filed with in.
pemonta Of warfare, and supporting buck.
skin brooches, which in turn should dis
appear in high, big spurred boots, all in
accordance with the picture my fancy had
painted Of the Poet of the Sierras. :"
Not seeing anything Of the sort, at once
concluded that the lion had not arrived,
and turned to speak to an acquaintance,
by whom [ was introduced to several Of
the group in which found him Among
these was one gentleman whose name
did not catch, but who, from his general
appearance, | judged to be a business
man Of some kinda middle-aged person,
with hign check bones, reddish brown
whiskors, and thin short hair OF the same
color, who extended his hand in an absent
sort of way, and after word or two
about the weather, rolapsed into silence,
leaving me TO resume my search for the
picturesque poet at ny leisure 4 few
inquiries shortly after revealed the some
what staggering fact that | had been "on.
tertaining angels unawares," or words to
that effect, and that my business friend
was none other than the romantic genius
himself. On learning this, | Of course
regarded him more closely, to discover,
if possible, some outward signs of the
Promcthean fire; but beyond military
twirl to his poustache, and the wearing
of an immense cluster diamond ring on
his forefnger, must confess that l
found little to compensate me for the loss
Of my red.shirted ideal.
Seeking for simic to illustrate the
change which has come over our streets
during the past few days, I can only
think of the city as a big corn.poppcr,
which has but just arrived at the temper
ature necessary to the wonderful trans.
formations which accompany the opera
ton indicated. 1t may be n homcly com.
parison, | admit, but it fits the case ad-
mirablv. First one store would burst in.
to holiday display, then another, then
two, three, ten, fifty at time, till now
the whole retail portion Of the town is as
plump and tempting as the most success
full pepper full that ever was snatched
from the fire in the nick of time. For
these few exhilarating days, the retail
merchants are having rest from grumb.
ling and are feasting their eyes on crowd
ed counters aud plethoric tills, while the
thought of the little folks and big folks
which these myriad purchases will soon
make glad, is enough to warm the heart
Of cynic. Everybody is dong well and
in the case Of the largest dealers in the
different branches the volume of business
is exceptionally heavy. The Mason &
IIamln Organ Co., for example, who are
the leading house of the kind in the
world, report demand which is tempo
rarily beyond their capacity to supply,
though their case is, Of course. exception.
al, they having, in addition to this local
pressure, a regular trade IN nearly every
civilized country on the globe For
years they have enjoyed almost unques.
toned superiority a. home, while few
American manufacturers Of any kind
have reflected so much honor on their
at Vienna, wherever their instruments
have been exhibited, they have, by sheer
force Of merit triumphed even over ma.
tional pride, and received the highest dis.
tinc!ion in every case. 10 almost any
other Industry at least two or three man
ufacturers will be found whose claims are
so nearly equal that the foremost posi-.
ton is never definitely assigned but the
nnmo Of Mason & Hamln upon reed
organ is what tho stamp Of "twcnty.four
karats fine" is to the golden ingot. There
can be but one such, and that indicates
unapproachable excellence.
Not an unimporiant part of the bust.
ness that's now going on is the furnishing
Of Christmas trees for Santa Claus 10
cover with his mysterious blossoms
Thousands of them are arriving daily,
from the humble little shrub which one
involuntary associates with garnet lodg.
ings, to the large spruccs which will blaze
and glitter at more pretentious festivities.
But great or small, they all mean good
times for somebody, which, let us hope,
will be fully realized,
If any Of your readers HAYES invested
in Northern Pacific bonds, it may inter
est them to learn that Mr.. Jay Cooke
has just been heard from on the subject,
and that no is as confident as ever of the
future success Of the railroad which
swallowed up his great fortune and
brought him to bankruptcy. He says it
now occupies the proudest position of any
road in the country, being entirely free
from debt, and making on the traffic oil
IL t,,-a "a, SEA 0nA .