Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-31
Our New York Letter.
THE GAS wAR-A CONTUsAcIoUs COMPTROLLER
MUSICIANS AND MUSICAL EDUCATION.
New YORK, March 81.

| MUSICIANS AND MUSICAL EDUCATION.
New YORK, March q.
To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times
The war on the gas companies still con
tinues and is spreading. Both here and il
Brooklyn-but especially in the latter city
kerosene is used with such success, and i
driving out the gas meters so rapidly thai
the companies have had to yield and CONT
down in price to save themselves. Philadel
phia is having similar time, and, if the re-
bellion becomes general, gas stock won't be
quite as gilt-edged ~ as it was. That i:
to say, it won't be unless all the president;
have the genius recently displayed by one Of
ours here. The Office of his company, being
besieged by a crowd of indignant consumers
clerk entered the inner Office to acquaint
him with the state of affairs outside, and to
inquire if he should accede TO the demand
for reduction of IS cents per thousand
Certainly, sir" replied the worthy man
GO make the reduction by all means and, y
with benevolent smile as he turned back
to his desk" Just add couple of thousand
feet to every bill"
| Another disgraceful incident at our City
Hall has been added to the long list. Comp
troller Green, who has economy of pecu.
liar kind on the brain, has for months re-
fused to pay to certain city employees their
legal salaries. Getting tired of starvation,
these persons sued the city for the amount
due, and as the Comptroller had no de-
fence, got Judgment at once. Green still
held out, and so a day or two since, the
| judgment was put into the hands of sher-
if. who wonptly levied upon the furni-
ture and pictures of the Governors room at
the City Hall, and will sell them at auction
unless obstinate Green comes down. The
popularity of the latter economy was well
shown by his recent report to the assembly
recommending a general slashing of city
salaries from Mayor down-excepting only
that of the Comptroller
| Rumor whispers that the enterprising
Strakosch has captured one of the sbyest of
European lions in the person of Offenbach OF
Opera Boufe fame, and proposes to exhibit
him in this country during Centennial times.
He is reported as having labored manfullv
also to add Wagner and List to his collec-
ton, but without avail. His failure in this
latter effort is to be deplored, for having got
them over here, after a moderately rough
voyage, America would probably retain the
three great apostles of the Emusic of the
future" till the end of their DAYS. Won
| Bulow, remembering his two weeks of sea
sick misery, says he "vill cross no more the
ocean, and it Is fair to suppose that the
stomachs of these other illustrious gentle
men are constructed with similar delicacy.
Perhaps a stronger reason than sea-sickness
for Won Bulow ; determination is the high
and general appreciation of him shown by
our public. Ii Is remarkable to note the
progress made by our people in this ari
during the last ten wears, in spite of panic>
and politics.
Music is now an almost universal accom-
plishment, and it, appliances are plentiful
and cheap and more than anything else, il
is this very cheapness which has given il
its recent impetus. The great publishing
house Of Boosey y Co., London and New
York, who were the first 10 break down the
high prices of musical publications, now sup
ply England and America with their very ful
and constantly enlarging catalogue, embrac
ing the choicest standard works. old anC
new, at rates hardly one 1.-THE of the ordi
nary prices. Through their iar-sighted lib
erality they have not only greatly plospereC
themselves, but by bringing the classici
within the reach of the poorest student hav'
aided and are still efficiently aiding tht
cause of musical education. Won Bulow
by the way, after swinging ROUND the cir
Gle" is now about returning to this city t
give another series of concerts. which ar
looked forward to with delightful anticipa
tion. And aproPo, Of Wagner, report jus
reaches US that he has consented to inter
rupt his labors sufficiently to compose
Grand March for the opening OF the Cen
tennial This promise was gained by on
own Theodore Thomas, who Is one OF tn
most intelligent and valued friends of tn
great composer
The huge silver nugget which arrived a
this port a few DAYS ago from Vera Cruz
and which is to be placed on exhibition a
lhe Centennial Exposition, Is lodged in tn
Central Safe Deposit vaults in the Masoni
Temple, for safe keeping. This nugget
valued at S64 900 in gold.
Among the elegant books lately from th
press of j R. 0sgood Il Co, L" Modsr
Painters" illustrated BY their new Hello
type process, is most valuable contribu
tion to art literature.
Nours D.EfN