Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-12-29
Oar New York Letter.
WATCHES FOB THE woRLD-rHE HARD LOT OF
THE PooR-THE GAS 0RADGRINDs-PoLo IN
DooRs-BUcHUs DINNER-ALL SORTS.
New YORK, Dec. 19, 1876.

All our leading dailies have been publish
ing this week an address by one OF the re-
Gently returned Swiss Centennial Commits
sioners, who has evidently looked on manu-
featuring America with less prejudiced eyes
than most Europeans. The address being
delivered in the heart of the matchmaking
district, which for generations has produced
large majority of all the watches used in
the world, naturally treated mainly OF that in.
du- .ry and the conclusions Of the orator
who is high authority on the subject. are most
fattering to our country. He directs his
heare attention to the startling fact that
American importation of Swiss watches has
dwindled from 366 900 in 1872 to barely 75,-
900 in 1876, and, as q result of his observa-
tions at the Centennial, and especially of his
visit to the factory of the American Watch
Company at Waltham (of which he says
there is nothing like it in Europe), not only
admits that the American market is hopeless.
ly lost to the Swiss, but that the latter have
no time to lose if they would protect their
home markets against the aggression of the
American Company. He says also that he
brought home with him Waltham watch
selected At random from the factory, and
submitted it to the examination of skilled
Swiss foreman, who said, on returning it,
The result is incredible. You could not
find one such watch among fifty thousand OF
our manufacture"
At the Centennial the tests of watches were
SO searching that the Waltham company
were the only Americans who ventnred to
submit their work thereto. These tests in
cluded AS hour trial in refrigerator and
another OF equal length in heated room,
and from them all the American Watch Com
| panys watches came out first best the Swiss
being left far in the rear
All of your readers who were at the Gen.
tsnnial will remember the beautiful and deli
cate matchmaking machinery from Waltham
which piled its deft fingers just at the base of
the Corliss engine, and will be glad to learn
that the pre-emlnence in this industry OF
America, as represented by the American
Watch Company, is thoroughly. though re-
luctantly, recognized by Europe itself One
can see what folly it is to send one dollar to
Switzerland for goods which by her own ad-
mission are produced both better and cheap
! er on this side of the water.
| The cold snap. which since l last wrote has
so depressed our mercury that for day or
two it could hardly hold its head Up above
zero, has thoroughly impressed upon US the
facts concerning the poor and homeless Of
the city. According to reliable authority
there are in New York to-day between forty
| ive and fifty thousand idle workingmen,
nearly three-fourths of them skilled lsborers,
very many of whom have been so long out
Of work as to have exhausted every resource
savings, tools, household furniture, every
thing On these latter and their families the
bitter winds fell like devouring sword The
applicants for food and shelter at the police
station have since been numbered by the
thousand. the hospitals are overfowing, and
hundreds Of able-bodisd men have sought
commitment to the workhouse and other
penal institutions, in utter despair of being
able to keep body and soul together by hon
est labor. The Superintendent of the Poor
reports that no such state of things has been
seen in the metropolis since the crisis OF 1857.
Almost all the public institutions of the
character named are full already and the win
tor is still before Us.
We are on the eve of gas war which the
companies have provoked and IN which they
richly deserve defeat. The different corpor-
aticns have banded together to put up the
price for lighting the streets nearly third
over last years figures, and, having conquer
sd the city. the next thing will be TO play the
same game on the public. Why gas com
panies should be such Gradgrinds beyond all
other corporations is too heavy o subject TO
discuss here. but the fact remains that these
organizations never can be satisfied. The
stock OF our New York companies already
ranges from $50 TO 300. coal and labor are
cheaper than ever, and yet they seek to bleed
both city and citizens still further. But
- Boss Kelly, who has just been appointed
Com ptrOller, announces his determination to
fight the combination. and 1t Is Just possible
that their rapaclty may be checked. If not,
look out for kerosene casualties, for our peo-
pie will shut off the gas and use oil before
submitting TO raise Of prices in times like
these.
A good though. l believe, unintentional
Joke, was played Thursday evening at the
Santa rium Fair in the Academy Of Music
The afternoon papers had announced that
Governor Tilden would be present and would
address the children In view Of the politi-
cal complications curiosity was on tip-tos to
see the Governor, and as it CHANGED that an
elderly gentleman slightly resembling him
occupied the box. he WAS pounced upon and
import uned Tor speech, demonstrations
which the old gentleman received IL high
state of bewilderment. Fiudiu. that the
supposed Governor would not talk, the man
agers deputed young lady TO show him
round tho Fair which she did with great
Difference and respect, much to the delight
of the old fellow. who gave up trying to un-
derstand what it all meant, but accepted the
situation and went in for good time. The
laughter and profuss apologies which follow
ed the discovery of the mistake he did not
appear to relish as well as his previous i'm
portance.
The course Of our pugilistic statesman, Mr.
John Morrissey, in declaring bets on the
Presidential election ''of, is bringing down
on his head a storm OF wrath from men
whose money he holds, each Of whom feels
sure that he would ultimately have won Il
is rich to read the violent abuse Of Morrisssy
by our sedate and high-toned editors who
have lnvelghed all along against thesevilssof
gambling, and who, one would think, would
be Just the ones to rejoice over the returning
OF the money. II Is just possible that some
of these moulders of public opinion may
have been privately investing 4 triae il
"pools" and don't like to be cheated ont of
their chances any more than common folks.
novel entertainment was offered at Gil
more's Garden. the other night, consisting of a
trotting match under cover and an eIhibi-
ton OF the newly imported game of "Polo,
in which James Gordon Bennett has figured
conspicuously all summer and which he has
done much to popularize As an incentive to
ardor III this indoor match Mr.. Bennett pre-
sented a handsome silver cup to be taken by
the winning side The contest was witness
ed by an excited crowd of ZOO, and is to be
repeated.
DR.. II. I. Hslmbold, whose name is or
ought 20 be about as well known over this
country as George Washingtons. has got free
from the mad-house keepers, and last week
gave magnificent dinner at Delmonicos to
his friends and the press preparatory" as
he says, " to his resumption of business, in
New York" The newspaper men were out
IN force, not only from the New York jour
nails. but also from Philadelphia and Boston.
Another grand dinner of the week was that
given by the trustees of the Mutual Life In
sursnce Company at Delmonco's to Cover
nor Rice, of Massachusetts, and Governor
elect Robinson of this State, both of whom
are members of that body.
Still another at the same place was the
sumptuous banquet given by prominent
American Free Traders to celebrate the Cen
tennial of the great apostle of free trade
principles. Adam Smith. Park Goodwin pre-
sided, and William Cullen Bryant David
Wells Cyrus W. Field and host of college
presidents and professors were present and
spoke.
Christmas :" doings" progress in all direc-
tions Retail New York, which has been
budding for weeks, is now in full blossom
and the myriad gaudy show windows and
busy shoppers drive all thoughts of hard
times from their immediate vicinity. Trim
little spruces, hemlocks, frs and pines are
pouring into town, rsdolent Of the perfume
of the forest, and delightfully."- suggestive of
the strange, bright fruits-the like of which
no mortal trees could bear save under the
wand of Santa Claus which will soon hang
from their branches. DAIRY.
Returning Boards.
My friend says that returning board is
a new invention. beg leave to take issue
with him. Returning boards are older than
the Constitution of the United States.
There is no state in this Union that has not