Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-09

The middle increases. William
II. has gone of to Europe, no one
knows why, Mrs. LeBau, one of the
daughters, has commenced the con
test over the will, and Cornelius has
sued him for q million. Aud to add
to his trouble, Tennie Clatlin and
the Woodruff come up and sue tOl
money which they claim the old
Commodore owed them for commits
sions when they were brokers. II
il a well.knOwn fact that the Como
dorc did furnish them with money
on which to do their business, and
that it was his money that run that
scandalOus sheet, Woodruff and
Clatlin's Weekly, which precip;tated
the Beccher scandal. They now
claim 800, OOO,and have commenced
suit for it. Cornelius is about til,
best abused man in America, .jul,
now. His atfectionate brothers
friends, and q man with hundred
millions always has plenty of them
are spreading stories that be is ;
drunkard, a spendthrift, gambler
and addicted 10 women. Probably
at one time of his life this was par
tally true, but for years he has beel
rs correct as any man IN the world
lie was in his childhood struck with
epilepsy, and only recently recover
ed from it. He did spend some mon
ey. and he does now owe the Gree
lev estate $4,000, which his father
refused to pay. But he is a kind
well.meaning man, and, in spite Of
his long continued iIl.health. II MAI
of much more than ordinary ability
Everybody here hopes he will sue
coed, in getting what would seen
to be little enough ont of so great
IL fortune. Speaking of
Woodruff AND cLAFLIN,
This is their first appearance for
some months. They lost their gri |
upon the public, about two years
ago, and have never been able tC
regain it. Once they were very
rich, but they did not know how tC
keep their money, and they went
down, down, till they are living
now in abject poverty. Woodruff
make spasmodic attempts to lee
ture, but the public take no interest
in her, and Blood has deserted her
following his notion Of standing by
an affinity only so long as it is pleas
ant to him, and Tennie was always
a disagreeable person without any
point at all. Thrown off from d
very nasty surface, they lived about
as long as such flies usually do. and
have gone az such flies always do.
They have had their very short
Summer.
DECORATION DAY
Was generally observed in the city
Business was entirely suspended
the stores remaining closed all day.
The procession was very fine, com
prising all the military, the police
department.. all the societies, and "A
vast host Of citizens who took this
way of testifying their respect for
the memory of the fallen brave. Ii
seems but yesterday that Lee sur
rendered, and yet that years have
flown was shown in the aspect OF
the orators and the survivors of the
war, who took part in the exercises.
Men who went into war boys, and
came out young men, are now gray
haired, and the middle. aged soldiers
of 1865 now move very slowly in
the procession. The increased age
of those who made orations was es-
pecially noticeable. One whom l
knew at the beginning of the war
as bright. quick, active,moving
man of thirty five, who wore his
shoulder-straps as proudly and gal
" as II cavalier, and who came ont
of the war, a rather portly, but still
active and handsome bri gadier,
there was more silver in his hair,
and his figure had lost the clean
symmetry of youth, but he was still
a splendid.looking man. Yesterday
he read IA poem at Il monument in
Brooklyn, an old, decrepit. gray
haired man, who looked as though
he might have been a veteran of
the war of 10, instead of the great
We have lived at a kill,
ing pace for the last twenty years.
FLETCHER HARPER.
A great many years ago, four
brothers, sons of a Long Island
farmer, came to New York and learn.
ed the printing business. Getting
through their apprenticeship, they
commenced book printing in small
way, which, as they were sober, in
and shrewd, soon got to
be very large way. These boys
were Joseph, James, Wesley and
Fletcher Harper. Fletcher, the last
of the brothers, died this week af.
ter a business career of over half a
century. The family was a remark
able one in many respects. They
never had a difference or quarrel
With business amounting to mil
lions per year, with the largest pub
fishing house in this country, and
one of the largest in the world,
everything in it went like clock
work, each brother managing the
he was best fitted for
without interference or suggestion
from the others. If one had doubts
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of a move
ment, a council was called, land what
ever the decision was it was carried
ont relentIessly, and failure or sue.
cess, it was all the same. AS sons
were born to them, they came into
the firm, all being literally born to
the business. Every male Harper
was educated first, and then com
PEELED to learn his trade. If his
taste run to printing, he was put in
to the office the same as any other
and learned the trade
sid a Nv side with the humbleSt boy