Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-04-27
philadelphia.

Philadelphia.
Our Saturday Letter. The Weeks Topics
In the Centennial City.
Special oOrrsspondenos Of the Commercial
PHILADELPHIA, April II.
Tho long expected order, closing the Gen.
tennial grounds to all persons except ofii-
cials, workmen and exhibitors, was issued
this week, and ~ . consequence compare
tive quiet reigns for the tino in the vicinity
Of LAnsdowne. All description would fail
10 give any idea OF the crowds wlnch have
thronged the neighborhood Of the build
ings on every fair day for tile past month,
and IL is wonder that tho order was not
sooner issued. C,n4iderHbl influence
w~s brought to besr upon the authorities
To keep tile grounds open; this urging came
frum the railway companies, aud other
concerns Interested in transportation. or
in caring for people in various WAYS. But
there had to be limit, aud foreigners Oh
duty vt tho Exposition say that the public
WAS admitted vt \ far later period than hAs
besn customary 1t other International Ex-
hibitions. Although comparatively derer-
tod, Duinbers u people are lsl by curiosity
70 ths grounds, knowing they will not be
admitted, aud being unable " gather much
profit from the visit. IL IL cleAr, Also that
Che rule is broken iu numerous cases by
persons who have no claim to enter under
either Of the privileged classes named
| above. There are As many interlopers with.
| IN the enclosure constantly ~ workers, but
this nort of leakage may be unavoidable.
CENTENNIAL BOARD or FINANCE.
Meanwhile the excitement Ia kept up by
the publication VI the reporU Of the Board
OF Finance, which body held its third an
nual needing yesterday. The report gives
y detailed aud satisfactory showing OF the
money status Of the great enterprise and
makes 1t evident that, whether stockhold.
ers are fully repaid or not, the Exposition
will more than make both ends meet Il
gives the figure %, 500, 600 ~ the cost OF
organizing and running the e1hib,uon and
acknowledges present receipts Of VI, SOC, 900
The sum Of u SOU, 900 will be thus re-
quired from admission fees to make up the
expenses. The report says the Board de-
clines to speculate upon the amount Ut the
gate receipts, but everybody believes the
amount will be far in excess Of VI, 600, ,0O0
The advances Of the stAte Of Pennsylveuia
and tho city Of Philadelphis are secured by
Machinery, Memorial, and Horticultural
Halls, 10 that al the admission money in
excess Of III sou, 900 would arst go 10 reim-
burse stockholders, and after that TO repay
the Government subscription. There IL
about "a, 10000 Of stock, aud the money
realized after the Exhibition by the dis
posal OF material, DC, would also be credit
cd TO it. There is u growing impression
that, II we have good luck and nothing
happens, the whole Of the stock will be re-
deemed, II it should go above par, what
triumph !
TIE GREAT CONSPIRACY CASE.
The trial Of Wishart, Burns and Calvert
for conspiracy has been the leading event
Of the week. The Developments have been
Of truly extraordinary kind and people who
~ > rule give the briefest attention 10 court
proceedings have followed this trial with
intense interest The central facts Of the
winding up Of the bogus "bafeHuar0" and
Peoples" Insurance Companies, whom 1t
became known that it's securities were main
ly composed Of forged bonds DO, oom-
mented on very fully some months ago.
The men now on trial are the persons con.
cerned in the rOgueries in question aud the
testimony gives the most direct and unim-
peschsbls details OF one Of the most shame.
ful outrages upon business confidence ever
designed horeabouts. 1t would appear in
credible, yet it il the fact, that there forged
securities were not only used in the first in
stance to enable the " Safeguard" to stand
the regular inspections provided by the law
Of the State, and thus 10 defraud the public
which was given to understand that tho
worthy, but that they were subsequently,
loaned to the d" Peoples Insurance Co.,"
there to;do similar duty ~. es~osiaAio..A
"a liio eonspirssOrs with Mr. Hit Of the
Safeguard" remind one Of nothing ese 80
much AZ tile scenes between " Peschum,"
Filch," and their companion worthless in
The Beg9dr's Opera. That such things
could be done in our midst, aud in this
very tune, seems more Ike fantastic
dream than reality.
STEAM ON STREET RAILWAYS.
The question Of rapid street transit and
cheap railway fares seems in process of be-
ing answered bs the substitution OF steam
for horse power on the passenger railways.
The idea. to be sure, il not new one, but
until the trial on the Market street road
this week it did not seem practicable. One
form Of car made too much noise and
frightened horses another could not be
depended on to round curves without leav-
lug the track another had not, in the linn
1t Of engine space made necessary by the
small proportions OF the street car, snfh.
Cl6ut pU"0L W uOuuG AoANy t&uoo. out
there are dummies" aud "dummies," and
the Market street line seems to have
evolved machine which answers all re-
quirements. This little motor, which is
now expected to Danish the horse from the
street railway system, makes no noise
emits no smoke does not frghton horses;
is more perfectly under control than the
best team can be started and stopped
quicker than horses does not have to walk
Ia; nd hurE raaHiIv ~u n
ahead. With all this, such All engine does
not cost more than the full compile 3 ent
Of horses to = car (always six horsss and OH
some roads eght) its keep" is insigniti-
cant ~ compared with that Of horse he=h
aud it will outweAr many generations OF
trotters. There is, in fact. not point in
the game that the dummy" does not score.
Now then for four cent fares
CIRCULATION OF sILvxn.
Tie scheme OF redeeming fractional
currency III silver has been IN operation
two days and already people are doubtful
about IT, Far-on hills are blue, you know,
and it seemed very nice to realise that
we were once more to handle ''reAl"
money. Bnt now that we are in process
Of getting it there grows \ suspicion that
the fractional note IL, after ali, the most
convenient thing to have about your clothes.
Especially il this the case with the 80
cent note, the last issue of which il =
very comely and satisfactory medium of
exchange ;-better it has to be admitted,
than the half dollar, which is large and
heavy coin. Five dollars worth Of silver
ia quite 3 weight in the pocket, while .
package Of so cent notes Of that amount
is not noticeable. believe there will be
| general regret next expressed very
shortly over the calling in OF the SO cent
notes the change in the quarters and
dimes is not 30 decided. The new rule
has begun already to make itself openly
felt and silver passes from hand to hand
without occAsoning remark. Strange
enough to think OF, and Of ali that las
passed since we commenced to uhe the
little notes VIII ch have done such good
service.
GENKRALIrIEs.
A double suicide shocked the town, this
week,-the self-murder of q wife and hus-
band within few moments Of each other.
The parties were Dc. Schuh and wife, re-
siding in the north western section Of the
city, Mrs. Schuh was discovered by her
husband, dying from the effects Of prussic
acid. The sight was too much for him, and
in a>moment he had shot himself through
the heart. The cause, by one report was
jealousy and consequent unhappiness. aud,
by another rtory, poverty. Whatever it
WAS. it will now never he known. "Whut
| is life, aud what is love 7" When We know,
we will have no need to talk about it.
Not such great while ago the Society of
| Friends did not believe in Sabbath schools,
now that institution IL greatly cherished
and promises to bs one of the most valua-
BILE adjuncts Of the society. No one fact,
possibly, gives such proof Of the progress
sive influence Of Quaker princinplea The
18th annual conference OF the lst Day
School Association. Of Philadelphia and
vicinity, was held this week, and the re-
ports Of all kinds made to it were highly
encouraging. Friends do not all unite IN
this movement, but it has no longer any
vehement opposition, while the encourage
ment it has received is undeniable.
The production Of Meyerbesr's Star of
the Norh by the Kellogg troupe is the most
ambitious venture W English opera ever
made IN Philadelphis. The work il elabo-
rate and diflicuil, and that it is done ~
thoroughly M it is in this instance speaks