Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-19

New York Letter.
OUR NEW GOVERNMENT LIFE ISsURANcE-PIs-
Tolls AND COFFEE FOR BARIow-CoMMOpoRE
vANDERBILT's DEATH-S60, ,000, 600 OF PROP
ERTY-TuE MAIL ROBBERS.
NEW YORK, Jan. ., 1876.
To the Editor ofthe Free Press and Times.
1877 came down to us in a snow drift. and
We are still busy trying to shovel him ont.
l don't remember seeing New York so clog
ged up with the tleecy nuisance since the
winter of lS72-73, when we were caught in 1t
even worse than now. The rain, on Sunday,
made everything worse. The flat roofs be-
came small ponds, and thousands OF houses
wers flooded.
With the new year comes III new city
government. Mayor Wickham leaves his
comfortable chair for Mr.. Ely's occupancy.
Sheriff Connor, through whose fingers MIR.
Tweed slipped SO easily when he wanted to
travel in foreign parts. steps out of his otf-
cial shoes, which are found to fit a successor
by the classic name OF Reilly, while ex-Boss
John Kelly is just beginning to get his seat
warm in the Comptrollers Office recently
vacated by grouty Andrew Greene. new
municipal broom usually sweeps pretty clean
among the small offices, but thus far civil
service reform has been so far regarded that
present incumbents of minor positions who
perform their duties satisfactorily are being
detained TO an uncommon extent.
The New York Superintendent of lnsu-
rance has announced his intention Of exam
lining every life insurance company In the
State. This is a move in the right direction,
and while it may result in the extinction OF
more weak companies, it will also re-estab-
l,pt, tha gtr NJ r.
several companies left in New York about
whose permanent stability there can be no
question. The old " Equitable" for in
stance, with its assets of between thirty and
forty millions and its careful management Is
one of the safest Us it is one of the largest
companies in the world. Of course. in the
case of this and the few similar institutions,
the efforts o. the designing can have no seri-
GUS effect, but they are still greatly TO be dep
recated.
1t is hard to lift fact from fancy in the
Bennett MAY sensation. That Bennett Is
fast and proiiigate millionaire, who has fire.
quent sprees, in one of which he was recent
ly arrested by the police and taken to the
station house that the Mays, who are fash
ionable but not wealthy people, could stand
his character, but could not stand his ire-
quent postponements of the wedding day;
and that the whipping and duel followed,
are the main facts Among the latest ondits
are that a quarrel between Mrs. May and Mr..
Bennett in regard to the brides dress and
some details of the wedding was the occasion
and cause of the castigation Of the young
millionaire. Mrs. May desired her daughter
to be married in wedding dress, and MIR.
Bennett insisted on a travelling costume
Mrs MAY said it was usual to leave such de-
tails to the brides mother, and Mr.. Bennett
in his wrath declared that things should be
as he wanted them, and he was going TO be
married privately, and would not have any of
the May family present anyhow. and more to
that effect. This happened the day preced-
ing the encounter between Bennett and Fred.
May. The real cause of the postponements
of the wedding, and of the latest proceeding.
is said to be something not yet disclosed and
of delicate nature.
We have also had another quarrel in high
life. This one was between ex-Attorney
General Barlow and Mr. Elihu Root, another
limb of the law of some local prominence.
The trouble originated over law case IN
which the two men were opposing counsel,
and commenced with an arrogant letter from
General Barlow to which the other made
brief reply. much more forcible than elegant.
This fired the lofty soul of Barlow,who there
upon wrote him o challenge i'll which he
threatened if it were not accepted, he should
take the liberty of shooting his legal brother
on sight. The latter laid the matter before
the District Attorney. and when the sanguinary
Attorney General found that instead of hav-
ing the excitement and glory of pistols and
coffee he was likely to be fined and bound
over to keep the peace like any common
brawler, he changed his tactics and tined to
laugh the matter of as joke, saying that he
was only in fun There is little doubt
that Mr.. Barlow's absurd talk about fighting
was culpable foolishness, and that he ought
to be punished for it, but he has got too
many friends among the judges to be IN any
danger. But he knows he has cut most
ridiculous figure.
1t is not every nation that can bury citi-
zen worth fifty millions, more or less, every
wear for three years but, with the passing
away of Commodore Vanderbilt, America
accomplishes the feat Vanderbilt's wishes
regarding his funeral were singularly oppos-
ed to display of any kind. No flowers were
to be permitted, no eulogy to be spoken over
his remains, and while some unobtrusive
token of his decease was permitted to be dis
played at the stations along the line OF his
railroads, he expressly forbade all draping OF
locomotives or cars, and all ostentatlous
signs that the greatest railroad monarch Of
the world had passed out OF it.
Discoveries having been made that the
mails were being systematically robbed in
this city, Postmaster James has been having
the matter worked up by special agents with
the result of breaking up an organized gang.
who, having got in as drivers on the transfer
wagons, had been helping themselves liberal
ly TO the contents of the bags entrusted to
their care. Some 5000 letters have already
been recovered. The total amount Of loss
incurred is not known, but it must be n small
fortune.
The amusement furore just now is skating
The waters Of Central Park present broad
surfaces of ice winch the crippled Park Com
mission. with money from nobody knows
where, keeps free from snow.