The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-03
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

evening.
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
NEW York. March /, 1875.
ST. JOHNS GUILD.
New York may be extravagant
but it is neither penurious nor mean
St. Johns Guild is n charity celebra
ted FOR the thoroughness and system
with which it does its work. Sup
ported entirely by voluntary contri
buttons, it aecomplisbes more for the
relief of the poor than r'.y dozeI
other charities in the city. II will
be remembered that last summer il
organized a series of excursions fol
the sick children of the verv poor
taking them up the river in barges
six or seven hundred at a time, and
giving the little invalids the fresh air
and nourishing food necessary tC
keep them alive. All this terrible
winter the Guild has furnished food,
fuel and clothing for four thousand
families, twenty thousand persons, al
deserving cases, sought out by its
officers. But the long continued cold
weather was too much for the Guild
aud its resources were insufficient.
Last Thursday morning it was an
nounced that the supplies were ex'
bausted, and that unless aid was rem.
dered at once the charity must close
its operations. Many a poor widow,
and many a poor man out of work,
heard the announcement with q sink
ing heart, for during the long, tedious
winter the Guild had been their only
reliance.
They were unnecessarily alarmed.
The announcement was made 10 the
morning, and by night $4,000 in
money and three enormous truck
loads of provisions were sent in, en-.
abling the royal charity to continue
in its good work of feeding the hun.
CRY and clothing the naked. And
money is still pouring in to a degree
that will enable the Guild to not only
feed its present pensioners, but to ex.
tend its benefactions. New York
supports its charities nobly.
THE RAILROAD WAR.
The railroads have got by the
ears, and the people are getting a
benefit. The Baltimore and Ohio
and the Pennsylvania Central have
drawn the sword and Il hope) thrown
away the scabbard, and the result is
cheap fare. These roads have re,
duced their fares to the West, and of
course all the others are doing like
wise. To-day tickets to Chicago
which were S22.5O, can be had over
any of the roads leading to the West
for $3.50, which makes travelling as
as can be reasonably asked.
If the fight could only last-but it
will not. When the fit of passion is
over compromises will be effected,
and up the rates will go as high or
higher than ever. The railroads have
Us. And speaking of quarrels be.
tween corporations, the
TELEGRAPH COMPANIES
are having a turn at it. The Pacific
and Atlantic got the control of GER
tain patents that facilitate the trans
mission of messages, and immediate
ly it attacked that monstrous mon
opoly, the Western Union. The first
shot fired by the p. and A. was the
reduction of ten-word messages to
Washington, Philadelphia, Albany,
or Boston, and to places between
those points, to % cents, less than
half the old rate, and the Western
Union was compelled to follow suit.
Now the p. and A. managers are ar
ranging for a reduction to all points,
and the Western Union is quaking in
its shoes. The fact, is, t~elegraphing
has been the most unmitigated swim
die the people have had to bear. The
rates have been three times what
they should have been, for the reason
that n company virtually controlled
the business, and the people had to
pay whatever was put upon them.
And this struggle, as in the case OF
the railroads, will result in no per-
manent good. After a brief fight, a
combination will be made. and the
old rates will be restored.
The postal package system is keep
ing the express companies within
bounds, and why should not the same
department do our telegraphing =?
That's u question to be considered.
BEECHER-TILToN.
Tl-.- : IT IL -