Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-10-11
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
PoIitical-Tho Cost Of Cigars-New York and
the Csnals-Afore Rascaiity-- Business.
New York, Oct. 6, 1877.

Political.
The action of the state convention
under the leadership OF Mr.. Conkling,
is the principal topic of discussion.
The aggressive portion of the party
are those who hold Office, and those
who believe that they would have
been in Office but for the attempt OF
the President to inaugurate reform
in tho civil service. This faction of
the party applaud Conkling to the
echo, and are bitter in their denun-
Citations of Curtis. On the other
hand, the solid men of the city, OF
which class the Union League Club
are fair representatives, assert that
"Mr. Conkling's Convention, "as they
characterize the Rochester gather
ing, did not represent the party at
all, but that the people will sustain
Mr.. Curtis. They hold that not
only the best element in the Rep
ublcan party, bnt of the Democratic
as well, are in hearty accord with
the President, and that the attack of
Conkling upon the administration
was not only bad thing for the
party, but is the death of that gen.
tleman. There is no concealing the
fact that there is q deal of bitterness
in the organization, and it crops out
on ali occasions as naturally as it did
at Rochester. The Conkling people
insist that they have made the party
and have maintained il, and that to
prevent such q man from using his
influence because he happens to hold
an office, is wrong. The President
and his supporters take the event
very quietly. Evarts said that no
matter what the result of the cleo
ton may be. this fall, the people will
sustain the policy when they come
to see its practical effects. And the
President says that he is doing ex-
actly what he was pledged to do be.
fore election, and as he does not
want another term, it is q matter
for the people to do as they choose
about. And all Republicans, except
a few disappointed ones, say that
Conkling should have followed the
example of Blaine, and kept the
party intact, and reserved his per-
sonal grievances till moro fitting
time.
The Cost of Cigars.
A very pretty little history came
to me the other day. In 1870, a
broker named Abbey was told by
his physician that cigar were killing
him and his wife induced him to
stop smoking and give her the
amount each day that he was in the
habit of spending upon cigars. Now
this rich man did not smoke common
cigars-not he. He could not salts
fly himself with anything less
than imported Havanas, that
cost fifty cents and upwards, each,
and he consumed great many of
them. But he did quit, and he did
give his wife each day perciseIy
what his cigar bill had been, and he
kept it up faithfully. About month
ago, Mr.. Abbey went under, and he
was very sore about it. He had ne.
elected the usual precautions such
people take, and the house he lived
in was taken out from under him, as
well as all the pleasant accumulations
of life time. Mr.. Abbey, last Mon
day, was an astonished man for
Mrs. Abbey took him out of the
cheap hotel in which they had taken
refuge, and conducted him to very
neat and comfortable furnished house
on 10th street, with everything in
readiness to go to living, and all hersl
She had saved the money he had
given her, she had invested it, and
turned it over and over, until it had
amounted to enough to pay for de-
lIgbtful home, not much inferior to
the one he had lost; and this was in
in his wife's name and could not be
taken from her, and from this van
tage point, Mr.. Abbey feels quite
confident that he can go out, and re-
gain his lost position. He saved his
health by quitting 'to5acco-his wife
so managed as to give him new
start. A very comfortable wife to
have, is Mrs. Abbey.
New York and the Canals.
The Erie canal is, practically,
national work, and it is thousand
pities that it is not under the control
of the general government. 1t is the
only safeguard the people have
against rapacious railroad combina-
tions, and the farmer of Wisconsin is
Just as much interested in it as the
merchant of New York. The rail-
roads did their level best to keep up
the tolls, that the carrying of the
grains should be forced into their
hands. Despite their efforts, the tolls
were lowered, and the good effect
was apparent. The amount of grain
carried was largely increased, and
the canal assumed somewhat the APP
pearance of former years. Another
movement in the right direction is
beng made. 1t is to close out, once
for all, all the lateral canals that do
not pay expenses, and make the erie
free of tolls. If this is done, and as
an additional measure the canal is
enlarged so as to pass larger boat,
the city will recover its lost trade,
and New York will be again, what
it was, the great exporting point OF
the country. The Canadians are en-
larging the Welland canal so as to
admit large vessels, and Montreal is
working with all its might to make
itself the point of export and import.
New York has got to do something
to head her off. The erie canal is
the way, and New York sees it. A
free canal and larger one is what
New York needs, and the agitation
of the question shows an increasing
tendency to labor in that direction.