St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-11-16
Our New York Letter.


Our New York Letter.
GOLD, SILVER AND GEMs-LARGE JEW
ELRY OPENING-soME ANGLO-AMERI-
CANs-THE ERIE's TROUBLEs-LoCAL
POLITICS MoRRIssEY AND TAMMANY
ACTORS AND PLAYS.
NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 1877.
To the Editor of the Caledonian
The most important event of the
week here was the opening, on Tuesday
last, of Mr.. Theodore B. Starts jewelry
and fine art establishment, preparations
for which have been in progress for
some months. The interest connected
with this occasion is not merely that
which always attaches to the display,
in profusion, of the richest treasures of
the earth. These attractions were of
course present in high degree, but the
peculiar significance of the opening is
given it by the unique business princi-
Piles which it is understood will prevail
in the new establishment.
Mr.. Starr was the senior member of
the firm of Starr & Marcus, who re-
Gently dissolved partnership after many
years of business by which they had
acquired, not only handsome fortunes,
but reputation perhaps the highest
and widest of all similar American
hOuses-their name being familiar as
well in London and Paris as in New
York. The ideas which he proposes to
carry into full effect, governed to less
but considerable extent the course of
the late firm and contributed most
largely to its foreign fame; and thus
although somewhat novel in statement
and strange, as yet, to American ears,
they are evidently the reverse of Wis
ionary at least in this case. Mr.. Starr
is an enthusiast in the occupation he
has chosen. His feeling amounts al
most to a passion for the precious stones
and metals, not for their money value
but for their unapproachable beauty.
He feels that to regard jewels or finely
wrought brOnzes as so much groceries
or hardware-me merely something to trade
upOn-is entirely unworthy the artist
jeweler, who has an educational as well
as commercial work to perform.
To the sincerity of his views upon
this subject his present establishment
is testimony enough. He has chosen a
location at the intersection of Broad
way and Fifth avenue, the representa-
tive abodes, respectively, of our bust
ness and aristOcracy, and has so remod-
eled the dignified old brown stone
mansion which he occupies, as to obtain
a frontage on both these streets, that on
Fifth avenue containing the main en-
trance. And although, of course, great
changes have necessarily been made in
the building, it has in some manner
preserved the air of the elegant dwell
ing, in place of the unsympathetic bus
tie inseparable from the "shop." All is
quiet, leisure and refinement, and every
appointment accords with the high con-
ceptions which have outlined.
1t should not be necessary to add that
the gems, the canoes, the bronzes, and
the manifold handiwOrk of gold and
silver smith, which CLEAN through the
crystal cases of three entire floors, or
hide their radiance in the darkness of
the brick and steel-guarded vaults be-
low, are of the most perfect form, or of
the most chaste design and dainty exc
NueiOht hiSb PitiCbNC VI tuC
and the diver can discover, OF the skill
of the artificer produce. Nothing of
less perfection would be tolerated in
this collection. Every object charms
the eye and elevates the taste, and the
whole impresses the appreciative OBJ
server with an effect which is not the
barbaric splendOr of an Inca's treasure
room, but penetrating beauty, born
of the marriage of the rarest in nature
and the highest in art.
James Brown, of Brown Brothers &
Co., London and New York, who died
in this city the other day, left fortune
ranging well up into the millions. An
interesting episode in connection with
the business of his house occurred dur
ing the panic of 1887, when, being in
need of cash to large extent, they
went to the Bank of England, and, such
was the confidence placed in them, OBJ
tanned loan of $25, 900, 900 gold, all of
which they repaid within six months.
Brown Brothers have held in England
a position second to that Of no other
Americans, if we except George Pea
body & Co. The present head of the
latter house, Mr.. j. S. Morgan, is now
in this city, and was on Thursday even
ing last the recipient of a banquet at
Delmonico's gastrOnomic palace, the
mere accounts of which are painfully
appetiziug This banquet was rendered
by the prominent bankers and citizens
of New York, Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, and Washington, and was
attended by two hundred guests.
Application has been made for an
order of sale of the Erie Railroad under
foreclosure by the first mortgage bond
holders, who want $50, 0OO, 900, and the
sale is said to be likely to take place.
What a fall is there FOreclosing on a
trunk line of such dimensions The
road operates $4,000 cars and almost
500 locomotives, but as it owes over a
hundred and forty millions of dollars it
will probably have to go. Of this enor-
nous sum eighty-six millions are due
stockholders, who, if the sale takes
place, will lose every cent, as the prop
erty of the road will not bring enough
to pay its fifty-four millions of bonds.
election day. was an unusually
an off year in politics generally there
was great deal of feeling and interest
excited by the contest for the State
Senate between John Morrissey and
Augustus Schell or, more accurately
speaking, between Morrissey on one
hand and Tammany Hall and Boss
Kelly on the other. 1t was strange
sort of combat in which party lines
figured very little; and the overthrow
of the ''Boss" faction was unexpected
Fand complete. John Morrissey is the
most utter anomaly existing in present
American politics. He presents the
spectacle of man with considerable