Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14
NUMBER 25.
Our New YOrk Letter.

| Our New York Letter.
THANKSGIVING POLITICAL LIFE INSURANCE
AND SING sISG-TuE BABY suow-THE
TEMPERANCE wAR-BCsISEsS.
NEw YORK, Dec. 3, lo71.
To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
New York is about as much of q New
England city as Boston, and Thanksgiving,
the Presidents Sunday, is as religiously OBJ
served Business of every kind was sus-
pended, except the uptown drinking places,
which did a bigger business than usual.
| There were thousands of turkeys consumed,
acres of pumpkin pies, barrels of cider, and
the day was given over to m:rth and jollity.
The charities all gave their benefeiaries a
turkey dinner. The Newsboys' Home fed
over two thousand waits on turkey and
mince pies, and n pleasant sight it was to
see the homeless and hungry take square
meal, something they wont get again TIL
next Thanksgiving. The churches were
more than usually crowded, and altogether
the day was a success.
POLITICAL.
There is no question but that Tilden has
arranged a bold stroke for the Presidency
If Patterson and Conover stay with the
Democracy, giving them the control OF the
Senate, he expects to have both Houses
declare him the legally elected President and
will be inaugurated. Then he will have
both Houses recognize him, and thus elbow
President Hayes out OF the way. Of course
this would precipitate civil war, but little
does Tilden care for that. He spent five
millions to buy the Presidency, and he has
no more idea of giving up the chase than he
had last October. 1t is the ambition OF hrs
life, the one thing he has lived for, and this
is his last chance. The Democracy will
never nominate him again, and it il now or
never. But outside of the desperate poll
tciaus, who consider themselves defrauded
out of places, the scheme does not meet
with favor The respectable portion of the
party, in this city, believe in the honesty
and integrity of President Hayes, and they
know the effect his policy has had upon
trade The Southern trade has more than
doubled since last March, and it is increas-
ing daily The South is peaceful and quiet,
both races uniting in an effort to repair the
ravages of war, and restore it to more than
its old-time prosperity. The South is earn
ing something and has a surplus. Hayes
did what Tilden could not have done, and
the merchants of New York realize it. The
scheme of the great frand will find no en-
couragement here.
LIFE INSURANCE AND SING SING.
The scoundrelly president of the Security
Life Insurance company, who swore to
surplus of about a quarter of million when
it hadn't dollar, and who did all sorts Of
things in a most irregular way, has been
sentenced to five years in the penitentiary at
hard labor. This is well. Case was a man
of large property, and one of the class known
as "eminentiy respectable" lie stood high
in the church and in society, and, it is prob
able, didn't realize that in plundering
vast number of people by means Of life in
surance he was doing any wrong. 1t is
fashionable kind of stealing, this life insur-
ance and savings bank swindling. and the
respectable Case was an. astonished man
when he was pulled up to answer. He pro-
tested that he had never examined the con-
dition of the company. But the Judge held
that president who received l0,O0O per
annum to manage the interests of twenty
thousand widows and orphans ought to
know something about it, and so he sends
him up for five years, despite his respecta-
bility. Dr. Lambert, the president of the
swindling American popular, will 60 next,
and the law is reaching for Furber, the
president of the North American. A life
insurance president in striped clothes is
cheerful and improving sight, and there
ought to be more of them.
THE BABY SHOW.
An enterpfising genius has fitted upa hall,
corner of Fourteenth street and Fifth Ave
nue., and organized a baby show. He ad-
vertised for all sorts of babies. fat, lean,
large, small, single, twins and triplets, and
he succeeded in capturing a hundred or
more. There are a dozen pairs of twins,
some of them very handsome, and some very
ugly, and there are three sets of triplets,
which are the most unace0untahle specimens
of ugliness | ever beheld. The father of one
of the sets of triplots EXHIBITS them, and is as
proud as though he was entitled to some
credit for them. The show Is a success, so
far as attracting people IL concerned
throng of women stream through the hall
from ten in the morning till twelve at night,
and the babies are punched, felt of, kissed
and Rugged, according az they are dirty or
clean, pretty or otherwise. The exhibitors
are all poor people, who get from one to two
dollars day, with chance of winning
prize. The visitors all vote for
their favorites, and those having
the most votes in their class, get
premiums. 1t is u curious exhibition.
One man brought a baby to exhibit, very
Young one, the mother being sick at home.
The first night he picked up his baby, and
took it to its mother, when 10, it happened
to be girl, whereas his own child was
boy lie rushed back to the hall and got
another child, but that was not the right
one And he has been taking children home
ever since, but he has not yet got his own.
The mother, who could recognize her child,
is too sick to go to the hall, and so there is
trouble.
THE TEMPERANCE WAR.
The law and order league continue their
fight on rum. and they accomplish some
thing. Last Sunday the bars were very gen |
orally closed, and about a hundred of the |
worst class of doggeries have been closed |
They arrest and fine, and il |
the offender continues, they arrest and fine
over again, making it Improbable for all
who have not a big business. The hotels
and big saloons took it as a Joke at first, and
paid willingly, but they are getting tired of
it, and are organizing to resist 1t Is doubt
ful whether they can he forced to stop, hut
if the cheap "bucket-shops' can be closed, n
great thing has been done. In addition TO
nrnsecutinV the rnm-sellers tho leapue has |
organized Il temperance movement among
the workingMen, and thousands are pledg-
Ig themselves to abstain. Employers an
louncc that in all cases preference will be
given to total abstaincrs, and men are fol
owed As they are entering the rum-mills
md influenced to keep ont, and every posi-
bic influence is brought TO bear to keep them
traight after they have once quit The
work has plenty of money behind it, and is
,oing on Systematically and to some pur-
,ose. The rummies are having serious
inc of it. 1t was noticeable that there
vere fewer breaches of the peace Thanks
living Day than have been known Of hOl-
ay for years, for which the league claims
he credit.
BUSINESS
ontinues good for these times The South ,
buying very largely. and merchants report
ood payments. and everything sound and |
creme. Cold weather has set IN in earnest :
Yours, ALToN. :
General summary.
The Pope was better Thursday, and left Q
is bed