Middletown transcript., 1876-08-26
Our New York Letter.
NEW Yonx, Aug. 18th, 1876.
OUR NEW CoL0asUs


and like Rhodes Of old, New York is [
have her Colossus. Right after th
Franco -Prussian war the French gc
vernment, to chow it's gratitude fl
favors shown that suffering realm an
in furtberance of the reciprocal goo
feeling which has existed between th
t~os countries ever since the struggl
in which the, American Eagle wa
hatched. voted to give to our metropc
lis colossal bronze statue Of Liberty
stand before our watery gates and bea
aloft in its mighty hand a beacon I
warn of danger, while it should gree
with symbolic welcome the voyage
to the home Of the Stars -Spangled Ban
ner. But great bodies move slowly
and thus it was not till last fall, or Sc
veral years after the passage of thi
laudable resolution that we began t.
hear much about steps toward its prac
tical carrying out. Then it was tha
after choosing Bedloe's Island as th
site of the monument work was &C
tveIy commenced, and soon the paper
teemed with paragraphs relating to tn
progress Of the work in the Partisan
studio, where the figure was beinl
modelled. So rapidly have operations
been pushed that there have been re-
ceived this week at the Custom House
eight enormous boxes, containing n
many sections Of the gigantic female
who is henceforward to preside ovel
our harbor At last accounts only tws
of these boxes had been landed, one o.
which contains the. right hand ani
wrist, and the second. the torch which
the hand will eventually hold. Thil
hand, while not exactly the sort that I
fond lover would yearn to press, would
be . positive godsend to any mother
with turbulent offspring for, beside
being fourteen feet long it is six OF
seven feet broad. and weighs good
many pounds, and l have no doubt
that in any little case of family discip-
line, little Of it would go good way.
I haven't been able to find anybody
who could give me the correct dimen-
sions Of the finished statue, but if your
readers are generally familiar with
comparative anatomy (as I doubt not is
The casey the foregoing figures, to-
gether with the fact that the thumb
nail on this little " flipper" is two feet
long. will afford them data enough to
enable them to calculate the total height
10 a nicety. The eight big boxes,
Iorming the first instalment. contained
one arm only. the freight on which,
from Havre to New York, was . trifle
nuder $500.
DISAPPOINTED THE. DOCTORS.
Probably at no time in bis long and
,ventfnl life has Commodore Wander
,ilt been the focus Of such general and
constant attention as now in his last
lours-or rather what all the doctors
Zeep insisting ought to be his last
lours. But as he has had three months
# them already, and shows no signs
'et Of an early relinquishment Of life,
hese wise descendants Of Galen are
to recall Mr.. O'Connor's re-
direction after their fellows had pro-
onnced him to all intents and purposes
dead mah, and are commencing to
hedge 2 little on their oracular
rophecies. Some weeks ago their re-
ular report was,s -" Mr.. Vanderbilt
an hardly last through the night"
After ten days or SO Of this they kindly
onsented to reprieve the old gentle
ian for "a week or more" I" and now
he learned brothers gravely announce
nat /" the patient may live for months
r even years." but that be has to 20
last Nov, it strikes an impartial
bservsr, that the anxious family might
ct as much information as that out of
It's Of fellows who would be glad to
and around and "predict at a
'uple of dollars day, instead Of pay
e these owls in broadcloth from one
} two thonsand per cent. above market
ties for very much the same kind of
ork. Not but what I" the patient /"
very old and feeble and liable to die
any moment, but when that is going
be, the doctors don't know apv more
ian I do.
During al this time that Mr.. v. has
zen confined to his house the news
lpers have reported his condition,
lrroundings, and conversation so far
they could by any means obtain it,
ith untiring zeal. varying the enforced
onotony Of these reports by reprint
6 all sorts Of probable and improbable
lecdotes Of his life. The Commodore
mself, to whom, one would think, all
is obituary-6avored attention might
unpleasantly suggestive, takes it all
good part, and even shows consider
lie interest in the public solicitude.
,e crowd of reporters and visitors
at throng his doors do not seem to
,uble him in the least. He directs
cir questions to be answered aud
metimes sends down to him his own
inion Of his condition
BEER IN THE ASCENDANT.
What With her fresh watsr and salt
tier troubles. the city has been hav-
3 hard time for two weeks. The
oton in the reservoirs has been faint
with decaying vegetable matter, ac-
mulated through the drought and hot
ather. and for days got worse and
rise, till the total abstinence men
uld have been driven clear to dis
'ction if they had not stopped at
er. This and kindred beverages
We been eagerly sought. not only BY
'ir regular patrons, but by the large
ss who have some small conscien-
US scruples on the subject, but are
isfed with a microscopic excuse for
ing over to the enemy.
THE SILK WORKS. STRIKE.
Let me advise your lady readers, if
y have any intention of investing in