Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-06-14

Our New York Letter.

10 the Editor of the Observer ::
: New YORK, june Jst., 1877.
spent half an hour in strolIing
aboRt this oldest of New York
cemeteries, attracted thither by
the beauty of the place, as well
as by curiosity to see what notice
had been taken Of its historic sep
ulchres in the general commemo-
ration. 1t produces quite a novel
sensation to step from the side
walk of Broadway, at its uoisiest,
busiest point, directly into spot
where the green grass is shad-
ed by trees of a century's
growth, and the gray stones
Iare crumbling over hearts that
ceased to beat before our great
Igrandfathers were born. But
Isucha spot is Trinity Church
yard, lying on either side of the
grand stone pile which bears
thatname. tits beautifully kept,
parterres of flowers and broad
leaved foliage plants lighting
up the long array of slabs and
head-stones, many Of which
have fallen apart through sheer
age, and have to be frequently
repaired to keep them in posi-
tion. One of these stones bears
the date of 1851, and most of
them seem to have been erected
between that time and the Rev.
Iolution. Think of the vicissi-
tudes upon which they have
looked! Many bear longinscrip-
Itions in prose and verse, which
rain and frost have rendered al
most OF quite illegible. These
Irecitc, in language simple or
ornate-according to the taste
of surviving friends,-the vir-
tues Of the dead, and their prob
a6fe condition in the world to
which they have gone. None
of these that | saw, however,
were sufficient striking to quote.
Here is the grave of Charlotte
Temple, whose sad story has
been immortalized in fiction;
the strong interest in whom is
proved by the well trodden path
about her resting place. Here
too lies Alexander Hamilton,
beneath an obelisk, the base of
which is sculptured over with
his praises, the love Of the peo-
pie for him and their indigna-
ton at his murderer seeming to
seek some relief in expressing,
ir the strongest language, their
sense of their great loss. Many
other honored and honorable
men of New York lie beneath
the green sward Of this quiet
island, upon whose sides break
ceaselessly the restless waves
of the city's life, but their names
are fading from the memory of
succeeding generations more
rapidly than from the messy
stones above their dust. | saw
none but those / have mention
ed which have a national reru-
tation. fa- Eh--''9s
On Thursday was he'd the
funeral of Fletcher Harper, the
last suviyor Of the iour brothers
who founded what is to-day the
greatest publishing house in the
Western world. The services
were attended by many mem-
bers of the family, by all the
employees of the firm of Harper
Bros, numbering nearly 400,
and by a general gathering of
citizens which was one OF the
ever assembled here on a
similar occasion. The house
of Harper Bros. passes by this
death entirely into the hands of
the sons and grandsons of the
members. All Of these,
however, are SO thoroughly
trained for their hfe-work that
there is little danger of its suf-
fering in management. Every
young Harper who aspires to a
position in the family establish
nent has ogothrough an appren.
ticeship well nigh as strict in its
discipline as that Of a military
organization, and commencing
in the printing office, where
the young candidate for a desk
in the private room has to be-
come proficient in type setting,
and all the details of the print
er's art, before commencing to
work his way up through the
business department.
Ex-Mayor Oakley Halls abb
sence, which it has all along
seemed must be temporary, is
given a permanent look by the
auction sale just held of his of
fee effects and large law libra