St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-27
Our New York Letter.

NOVEL CHURCH NOTWITHSTANDING
UNDER DIFFICULTIES-RACIN IN A
sToRM-AsToR's NEW YACHT--ELEC-
TRIO FREAKS.
New YORK, July 20, 1877.
To the Editor of the CaledORian
Not since the torrid term of year
ago has old Sol been so condecsending
and neighborly to this portion of our
little planet as at present. If he only
knew how surely Familiarity breeds
contempt" in his case he would be apt,
l think, to keep his distance; but as it
is, he presses heavily upon us, and dur
ing the past ten days has led our Their
mometers and barometers into the most
frightful orgies. The latter has been
Keeling and plunging in condition of
disgraceful unsteadiness, raising hob
with rain areas and electric equilibrium !;
while the former has kept constantly
and disreputably "high," never once,
in fact, getting sober enough to realize
the mischief its long spree is working
upon the human race generally and
shirt collars in particular. Such being
the meteorological surroundings amid
which am doomed to hold forth to-
day, feel that no apology is necessary
for combining myself to cooling topics.
We have had, at various times in this
city, exhibitions of pretty much every
thing under the stars-hOrse shows, dog
shows, flower shows, baby shows, mon
key shows, merchandise shows and even
political shows, where the rare and
various specimens of statesmen which
the metropolis produces were displayed
for the editication of the public. But
never has there been a competitive ex-
hibitiOn organized In New York which
excited more genuine interest and en-
thusiasm than one which has just closed
and whose character shall be briefly de-
scribed. The perennial. jealousy which
exists among our numerous and wealthy
brewers has run high of late and at last
took the shape of an invitation to a
public competitive test which was ac-
cepted by about forty firms. The place
fixed for the beer show was the large
COncOrdia Hall on avenue A, which for
the three days, that the test occupied,
was by far the most popular spot in
town. The extent to which ''sudden
business" called everybody to that
comparatively unfrequented locality
during those days was something really
remarkable; while the stern consci-
entiOusness which forbade any visitor
to the Hall neglecting to sample any
one OF the forty different beers on ex-
hibitiOn, was simply sublime. For ev-
cry six glasses drunk, the drinker was
entitled to one vote which he cast for
his favOrite brew, and regret to say
that repeating" was carried on to an
alarming extent. By the time he walk
ed up to deposit his fourth or fifth bal
lot the average electOI was not only
not very particular who he voted for,
but in fact didn't seem to care much
whether school kept or not. An enor-
nous number of suffrages were poIled,
and the brewers who are found to have
received the highest number are to re-
ceive valuable prizes.
AT the same time that the interests of
the amber-cOlOred beverage are being
built up by such methods, the temper
ance agitatOrs are unusually busy, on
the other hand, in pulling them down.
The Murphy movement, which seems
III various degrees to be leavening the
whole country, has so far affected New
York as to infuse new life into its local
temperance organizations. which are
waging violent war under Oliver Cotter
and others, against drinking of all de-
scrlptOns.o As in every such spasmOdic
agitation, there is any amount of charla-
tanlsm and fanatical nonsense about the
speeches and actions of the leaders in
this movement, which, nevertheless,
will doubtless be productive of some
good.
The great dodge of the present cam
paign is exhortatioa by reformed
drunkards." Any old sot who can be
induced to stay sober long enough to
get up before an audience and ramble
on about his own disgusting life, is
eligible as speaker; and truly edi-
flying spectacle do a majority of them
present.
The most hopeful sign of this move
ment is that the refOrmers do not rave
and shrek about cider and lager beer
quite as much as has been their habit
in previous crusades, but are directing
their efforts mainly against the low
grOggeries and gin-mills which statistics
show to be the instigators of seven
eighths of the cty's crime.
In all the church rows and troubles
between fiocks and their pastors, with
which our courts and our newspapers
constantly TEEN, | do not remembe
ever to have noticed parallel to the
present case of fashionable Episcopal
church on Madison Avenue. Usually
the society "bounces" its pastor, but
here the tables are turned and the
reverend gentleman hangs out the red
flag and auctions the whole contents of
the sacred edifice to satisfy his debt of
$4,000. The result of the sale tends
to prove that ecclesiastical furniture is
rather drug in the market this weather,
for a $4,000 organ brought $500, an
elegant black walnut pulpit $21, and
everything else i'll proportion. Moral
to churches: Don't borrow of your pas
tor, unless you know how you are going
to pay him.
Out door sporting has progressed I'M
der some difficulties this week, but still
it has progressed. On Tuesday, during
the heaviest thunder storm of the sea-
son, race between representatives of
the Empire and Williamsburgh yacht
clubs, was sailed on Long Island sound,
which was one of the most exciting |
ever witnessed. In spite of the tenn
pestuOus wind and rain, and a constant
succession of electric bolts, neither craft
would change her course. or even slack
EN- sail, but plunged through the white
caps with every stitch of canvass spread
to the finish. Almost miraculously no
harm resulted from their reckless dar-