The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-18
PRICE THREE CENTS.

makes another attempt at journalism. LEI
them take Hierocles as their pattern ard
travel among that class of mankind which
is so largely in the majority.
FOOLS OF THIS CITY.
Speaking of fools, it may be said that
this city contains so many, and OF such va
riety, that cannot do justice to the sub
Ject in this brief paragraph. There was
once nonsense club" formed in London.
but here a hundred such clubs could be
formed. Some instances of a surprising
character could be given, but in referring
to them one must of course be brief. Here
is an opulent merchant who has been for
years experimenting on the construction of
flying machine. Another business man
of high reputation for shrewdness has in
vested 5000 in an effort to make iodine
out of sea water. The folies of mature
business men show the truth of the poets
words, "a fool at forty is fool indeed"
There are the specializing fools, the build
ing fools, the picture fools and the fools of
fashion. 1t is sad to think that number
OF the finest buildings in this city are mon
uments of folly and are continually re-
ninding us that 'fools build houses and
wise men live in them" With regard 10
speculation, / may refer to such a case az
that of Otis d. Swan. This man was left
with fortune of $4,000 all of which he
has fooled away in the stock market, leav-
ing him now on mere salary, while others
have lost heavily through him. Here, too,
are the crowds OF office-seeking fools, who
carry long recommendations signed by pol
iticians who sign everything. Then look
tho Inttarv fon1u he lei. II. 4
other varieties of the general crowd, and
we may say Of New York in the words of
the satirist-
-roubtless thou was meant
nurse of fools to stock the continent
PERSONAL REFERENCE.
l cannot entirely exclude myself from
the category, having had my own share of
folly, part Of which was to seek my for
tune in such place as this. No more pit
liable fools are to be found than those who
come hither for wealth. have previously
alluded to the demolition of $50 Broadway,
where first found employment and may
add that since then Broadway has seemed
very unattractive. The last tenant of this
well-remembered store was S. X. Wells,
the phrenologist. He was compelled TO
move after eleven years occupation, and
opened a new establishment farther I'D the
same street at a rent of $1,000 year. Be-
fore this change was fully consummated he
was carried to another house-that ap-
pointed for all living. He was cut off by
a brief attack of fever and his death ex-
tinguishes the old chronological firm of
Fowler & Wells. These men were so long
before the public that an outline of per.
sonal reference may be of interest.
1t may be that phrenology is
among the fools of whom l have been
speaking. This point cannot be discussed
here, but the fact that this establishment
has fourished for forty years, gives it a
fixed place in the chronicles of the city.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PIONEERS.
49, The firm of o. S. & L. n. Fowler open
They were among the progresaives of day
which abounded in such men, chief OF
whom was the young enthusiast Horace
Greeley. Fowler's office was in Clinton
hall, in whose lecture room the noted re-
former, "Owen of Lamark," held worlds
convention about that time. | wandered
in by boyish curiosity and well remember
the gray-headed old man who had called
the thing into existence. The convention
was intended to assist in reform measures,
but, like all such meetings, it failed of its
purpose. 1t was gathering of fools, the
largest had thus far seen. The schemes
presented on that occasion for the reforma-
ton of society were of the most ridiculous
character, and into none of them was chris
tlanity permitted TO enter. | have some
times thought that the irreligous notions
of this class of reformers left their influ-
ence in the very building, for it was here
that Theodore Tilton was first led into err
ror. The independent was then published
in Clinton hall, and TIlton having become
its editor, soon displayed those vagaries
which have led to his ruin. Here first
saw him, and the impressions made by some
of his opinions indicated what | considered
to be foolish as well as erroneous.
MORE ABOUT FowLERs.
To return to phrenology. In 1888 the
Fowlers started their journal, and the senior
| %. S. become popular lecturer on his
special theme, and this with head exam
nations, was very profitable. Soon after
ward their business so increased that 5.
r. Wells was taken into the concern. O.
S. Fowler is now retired from close appli-
cation to business. He was born in 1909
in Cohocson, and was the first native child
(other than Indian in that town. The
manner in which he got interested in this
specially is peculiar. lie attended Amherst
college and was a fellow student with Henry
Ward Beecher. Another student at the
same time was Montgomery S. Goodale, Il
veteran preacher of the gospel, long resi-
dent at Amsterdam. At that time Spur.
helm was making h great sensation with the
new theories, which he clothed with the
name of science, and the subject became
rife among the Amherst men. 1t came up
in college debate, Beecher being on the
affirmative, while Fowler was TO argue ad-
versely. He examined the subject care
fully and became convert. This led TO
his adopting it as profession. He made
so much money that like other fools of the
day he went into ''folly" which gave him
a new and costly experience. He built a
grand house at Fishkill, and here sunk all
his earnings. This was in 1850, and since
then he has recovered much of his lost
wealth. He now lives in Boston and lee
lures frequently on his favorite theme.
LONDON BRANCH.
In 1860, l.. N. Fowler aud his partner,
S. w. Wells, went together to London, to
try their success in that wide field. They
did remarkably well, and the former be-
came so much pleased with London life
that he concluded to make that city his flu
ture home The firm was dissolved, and
Wells returned and became the sole pro.
prietor of the establishment in this city.
He remained as have said, eleven years at
my favorite spot, and moved this spring,
Just in time to meet disease and death. His
estate is worth $50, 900 and the business is
now in the hands of his widow, who will
carry II on under an expense of $4,000 a
year for the store alone. The success of So
costly an establishment shows what a hold
phrenology has upon the public. The
manager in whose hands the establishment
is committed, is Nelson Sizer, who has been
connected with It for more than quarter