St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-03-23

Ny own experience with this article
has been we're slight. In fact the only
case in which l recollect watching its
operation was in church, when was
small boy-no matter how many years
ago. At the top of each window on
the south side of this church was set
small disk of colored glass, put there l
feel safe in asserting, purely on Orna
mental grounds, the PleasaDtOn theory
not having been conceived at that time.
This row of disks embraced all the col
ors of the rainbow, and among them
was one of deep purplish blue: the
light from which, if my memory serves
me, used to strike somewhere near the
pulpit at the opening of morning service
and as the sun moved on, crept slowly
down the church. Right in its track
used to sit one of the deacOns, venera-
BILE, pOmpOus and pOrtly, on whom cen
tered most of the interest of the morn
ing, so far as my youthful mind was
concerned. From long observation l
could calculate to a nicely when that
circle of blue would reach him, and |
watched its stealthy approaches with
secret but intense delight. Shortly after
the sermon commenced it would creep
gently over the back of the pew in
front of the unsuspecting deacon, and
tackle him. Its first and perhaps most
striking effect was to give the worthy
man a nose like Cronin's, nose which
could he have seen himself he would
have Indignantly repudiated. But he
couldn't, so he sat quiet till the cerulean
halo had completely envelOped his
aged mob, giving it a peculiarly equivo-
cal appearance which filled me with the
widest joy. Whether owing to the
soothing influence of the blue glass or
not, | can't say; but l know that he
always went to sleep under the treat
ment.
For some reason or reasons not fully
made known, the various disappointed
heirs who commenced what promised
to be lively contest over Vanderbilt's
will, have suddenly drawn in their
horns, and have, by their attorneys in
court, pronounced with singular unan-
unity in favor of the will in IFS present
form, stating that the Commodore was a
gentleman and scholar, and that his
requests were eminently just and prop
er. What has come over them all so
suddenly is, as | have said not distinct
ly known. 1t is not, however, beyond
the reach of conjecture, and | am in
clined to believe that the affair from
beginning to end may be summed up
in the one word ''divVy." The other
heirs wanted VIM. H. to come down
and he has probably ''came." Thus
endeth what might have been a mem
Orable struggle.
spoke last week of the burning of
the great jewelry building on Bond
street and of the dozens of safes full of
valuables which lay buried in the ruins.
The raising and opening of these was a
matter both interesting and anxious to
the prominent safe makers, all of whom
were represented, and who felt the test
to be a terrible one. The work has
just been completed and its results show
the Marvin Alum safes to be the victOrs.
Every one of this manufacture came
out III good order. saving in all, hun
dreds of thousands of dollars. In one
case, Marvin was found lying directly
underneath safe made by rival
house, the latter being utterly ruined,
while the former though more severely
tried, came out uninjured. AS might
have been expected after this expert
ence, the more prominent firms involv-
ed i'll this disaster have since provided
themselves with these tried safeguards
to property.
Peter B. Sweeny, Tweed's chief con-
federate in the Ring days, arrived in
New York on Thursday, after over five
years of judicious absence from our
shores. 1t is rumored that he has eff
fected or will effect compromise with
the city regarding his share of the Ring
plumber.
The city and surroundings have filled
their usual quota of murders and sui
cides this week, only one of which of
fers sufficient novel features to merit
notice. This was the suicide of an old
Pole, editor of small Brooklyn paper,
who getting tired of life, went into
Prospect Park, sat down on one of the
benches and took dose of poison.
While waiting for it to operate he smok-
ed his pipe and then got out pencil and
paper and occupied himself in writing
down his symptoms until overcome by
the drug. He died shortly after being
discovered. RADIx.