Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-08-09
Communication.
Our New York Letter.

] a y tftt A@tttOOf " thC CBott tCf
New York, July 9th, 1877.
Nothing like it been seen since
war times That's what every
New Yorker has said to his neigh.
Dor every morning for a week,
and the remark, though getting a
little stale now, has been an emi-
nently just one. When the vast
labor agitation which has only
now begun to subside first loomed
up upon the horizI IN, the few items
in the papers which indicated The
difficulty were read with only the
transient and distant interest
which attaches to local disturb
ance among miners or some simi
lar class, which is last before the
news reaches us. But this time.
instead of being speedily forgotten,
the uprising was kept more and
more prominently in mind by tel
egrams which, within twenty four
hours from the first news, gan
to appear with increasing lrequen
cy upon the bulletir-boards. At
first we read these with the calm
curiosity with which disinterested
spectators are wont to watch any
fight in which they are not called
to take part. But pretty soon
troops were called for, aud our
dispatches told us that blood was
commencing to flow and vast fires
to burn, and then we began to say
to each other that they were hav-
ing quite a little row out there in
Plttsburg and BIltimore. Then
trains began to stop, and telegraph
ed requests for our militia to be
received. The trunk lines run
ming out of the city began to sell
tickets cautiously and lor short
distances only, and TO refuse
freights altogether. Incoming mor
chandiso failed to arrive. West
ern mails, containingimp important let
ters and anXiously expected re
mittances, delayed their coming.
The army of country bug which
the opening of fall trade htd just
brought to the city, paused in Civ
ing the orders that were already
halt out of their mouths, and tete-
grams from everywhere counter
manded the orders, previously be
slowed. BY this time New York
began to think that she had some
interest in the troubles Of the less
er cities, especially as the wave
of dlsalfeoiion was evidently creep
ing around and toward her. Then
the members of our crack regi
menss dropped their pens and
their yard sticks, donne1 the fer
oclous trappings of war, and stalk
ed about their armories with an
infuite rattle Of bayonets and
olanking of sabrcs, Two regi-
uents even kissed the girls they
left behind them, and marched a
way mid hurrahs and tears and
waving handkerchiefs, to brave
the brickbats of distant strikers
and the revolvers of their ruwly
allies.
In proportion as the excitement
waxed, business waned. Freight
movements grew less and less, aud
finally ceased, except by boat
and toward New England. Steadi
ly the mass of vehicles, whiChusu
ally pack the streets, thinned out
aud disappeared, until by Wednes-
day Broadway looked like Sunday,
except for the 'Cusses, which alone
piled undisturbed On the side
streets, idle trucks lay ranged a.
long the shady spots, while team
Sters, pOrters and loalers lined the
walks, discussing the situation or
reading the papers. And here,
by the way, is one OF the points
wherein the week has most resem
bled war times. Never, since
Lees surrender, has there been in
New York such a pTotraoted and
Unsuitable thirst Tor news as dur
ing these days. Edition has fol
lowed edition, almost without in
terval, only to be snapped up by
q hungry public. Merchants
pause in their work to devour the
latest particulars, and clerks hur
ry along the streets caromlng n
glinsi half the people they meet,
but still keeping their eyes bent
upon some one OF The numerous
extras which the clankins presses
throw off in quick succession.
The newsboys seem to think this
is the fullilment ol tie old pro-
verb, "When the sky Calls we
shall all catch larks," and they
are improving their opportuni-
ties accordingly. | believe they
arc 10 truth the only class
which has really benefited by
the insurrection, and they "wisb