Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-01-01
LETTER FROM NEW YoRR.
Special Correspondence.


Shopping commences about ten days be-
forehand, rather languidly at first, but
growing in volume and earnestness till
the last day or two, when the belated |
buyers in one mad general rush fairly |
sack the glittering stores. Then the
position of salesman at a place like
Macy's or Stewards ia hardly an envia-
BILE one. From opening to closing. an
eager, solid and largely feminine mass
push and struggle through the establish
ment. fighting and scrambling for places
at the counters which it often takes half
an hour to reach, only to be crushed
nearly to death when the desired point
is attained.
But then it's Christmas time, and no
one take any .Offense, such is the vi.
flying effect On the esmper. OfaSiSg
something to make others happy. 1t is
the one time of the year when not even
the most foppish sristocrat is ashamed
to be seen carrying bundle. the one
time when the surly, ablivious company
of strangers that man the upward bound
horse car at evening glance, at each
other over armfuls of suspicious looking
parcels, and smiles, broad smiles, of
conscious brotherhood. | actually be-
lieve from ocular experience, that on
Christmas eve the most confirmed old
grumbler on Manhattan Island would
stand up in one of these unsocial con-
veyance from the Battery to Central
Park with the handle or somebody's toy
cart poked into his ribs, the claws of a
Christmas turkey resting peacefully on
| his shoulder, and some fond father S
and 6sveeFq Tgs fOrEss VISITING between his legs
at this time that stay shut tighter than
an oyster the rest of the year, for the
Star in the East draws up the bump OF
benovlence as the moon does the ocean.
So it's good day, and | wish your
readers Merry Christmas and much
JOY of it.
The holiday display in the bazars
this year Is gayer than ever. There is
an endless assortment in toys for chill.
dren.
The show windows are, of course
gorgeous beyond all the rest of the stores
In most of them Santa Claus. snow Gov
cred, white bearded and jolly. with {
small Christmas tree in his hand OIL
growing out of his nose or head, stand.
guard over an array fit to drive all tn,
children to distraction with admiration
"ua iOustus.
Owing to recent financial reverses the
largest private collection of paintings il
America has been brought to the auc
tioG block this week. This gallery wa
the property of Mr.. John Taylor Johns
ton, late president of the New Jerse
Central Railroad, the stock of whicl
took tumble last autumn from l60 t
, less than 40, in consequence of tn
breaking of the Coal ring which motto
ed al the time of its occurrence Tn
, sale has thus far occupied two evenings
and realized for the owner S3l9,00C
All the works sold have been oil paint
, ings, the water colors being reserve
for separate sale. Some picture
brought prices which are pretty larg
! for America, and all averaged abor
4 $1,000 apiece. The figures placed o
these canvases were totally dispropcl
, tionate to their apparent values. the rel
a utatiOn of the artist being apparent
the sole criterion.
One little picture by Moissonnier
i Paris, hardly moro than foot squal
+. brought $1,000, and Turner's "Sla'
e Ship" canvas that looks as though
!, had been painted by the novel proce
:, of throwing eggs at it, was knocke
= down at $4,000, and yet it was consi'
v cred to have been sacrificed. Near
" twenty-five different works brought ov
$1,000 apiece.
1t The work of charity inaugurated aft
h the Brooklyn calamity still goes on {
s. Thursday afternoon a grand Uni
'r Matinee was given by the combined {
forts of the eight principal New 70
o. theatres, tickets sold for which bel
D. good at any one of the eight places
s. entertainment. This plan resulted
al adding some $4,000 to the fund
rs ready accumulated.
he Another interesting result of t
c. Brooklyn catastrophe is the series
!; experiments now progressing with vi
a of learning how to render theat
; thoroughly and cheaply fire proof Q
day this week the Fire Commission
at received an invitation from Lester W
a lack to come to his theatre for the p
sr, pose of witnessing an experiment c.
I'd Quoted by Mr.. Dion Boucicault, the e
m, inent actor and author now under
he gagement in his play of the "ShauI
ne raun." This experiment proved to
he the rather startling one of turning
elf immense gas fame upon lot of can
drop scenes and flies. To the great
led constituent of the audience 10 perez
The BILE effect was produced upon the inf;