Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-09

formerly occupied whole house, now
content themselves with half, and il
very many cases with even less room. A
great many apartment houses have beer
built, in which seven rooms can be hat
for from S25 to $50 month, and they are
taken by the people who formerly pait
$4,000 or $4,000 for whole houses. The
depression in business has done part of il
and the permanent loss of trade to the
city has done the rest.
FASHIONS.
Common as dolmans," is n saying
about some features of dress which were
new two months ago. Every Biddy in the
streets has a dolman, and every cheap sui
has the back of the bodice in seven pieces
Il style little less than torture to an eye ol
any cultivation, but, happily, so overdone
that its popularity promises not to live
with the season. To sec the back of Il
woman's dress cut into narrow strips is a
painful waste of goods and a deformity,
making the figure mean and stiff looking.
The best models in fine dress eschew this
fashion, and the basques have almost the
simplicity of the French form with bold
side cores which fit the figure with the
ease and elegance of glove without
troublesome and dsfguring cross-seams
or more than one dart. The best Breton
habits are fitted in this way. Fine i'm
ported toilets show a notable simplicity of
design, very different from the fashion
plates common among us. The Breton
jacket, or the simplest fitting French jack
ct, the same length all around and just
well covering the hips, buttoning diagon-
ally, or the large ficbu ruflled with lace
are the favored wraps in t ese costumes.
Overskirts are close as possible, draped
easily, or plain in thick goods, and the
trimming is Il mere piping fold, or fac
ing of silk three inches wide stitched
twice on the inner edge-a quarter inch
apart-for finish. There is an air about
these easy, perfect garments which at
once marks them us the attire of II lady,
among the ovcrdraped, twisted and bediz-
ened dresses called " the style"
PRICES OF GOODS.
Before the war " is not the COMPARE
son for cheapness any longer. With
bleached cottons down to cents II yard,
and silks of desirable grade at $3.50 II
yard, there is little more to hope for in the
way of cheap goods. With suits to order,
such as gentleman can wear, at $25, and
ladies' wear to correspond, it is evident
that the baleful influence of initiation is
Withdrawn, and if the Russian war does
not hurry prices up, common people can
get some good out of their money again.
Silk suits are selling ready made for $22;
and long silk house-dresses i'm princesse
shape with founces and drapery for $l2
to $l7.
THE POST OFFICE CATASTROPHE.
Can the government get honest workP
New York has Il post Office said TO be the
finest in the world which looks MS substan-
tial and solid as the pyramids. But Tues
day the roof covering one large room in
the east side, fell in and buried five men
in the ruins. 1t was supported by iron
girders, filled in with cement, and Of course
The poor fellows in the room were killed
instantly. And now the architects are
fighting us tn where the blame should rest.
An investigation shows that rascally
contractor put in defective girders, which
IN equally rascaIIy inspector passed,
which rascality cost five men their lives.
1t is the age Of shoddy and the govern
ment gets more than its share of il.
LIFE-INSURANCE.
The officers of the swindlng "Ameri-
can Popular" have been indicted, and
there is decent prospect that some of
them will wear the stripes at Sing-Sing.
There are dozen other companies which
need Just us thorough an overhaulng, and
there are enough of the swindlers who
ought TO be in Sing-Sing to organize Il
life-jnsurance brigade there. These scoun-
drels ought to be pursued remorselessly,
for they bring disrepute upon really good
companies, and weaken public confidence
The effect of these failures has been dis
astrous. The business of Reinsurance
has come almost to z stand-still, for with
the exception of few companies whose
strength and honesty is beyond question,
no one knows who among th'm to trust.
The defunct " Popular made magnii-
cent show upon papr, but the expert COM
missioner showed that it was II fraud from
beginning to end. Others will follow it in
u few weeks.
BUSINESS
is getting better every day. The mcr-
chants are doing better. Collections are
more satisfactory and everything looks en-
cpuraging The policy of President Hayes
has given back bone to the trading inter
est, for there is, finally, a certainty of
something Whether his policy be right
or wrong, it is policy, and men know
what TO depend upon The South, relieved
from uncertainties that have so long hung
over it, is plucking up courage, and pre-
pairing for business, and the effect is OBJ
servable. Her merchants are buying
goods and paying for them, confident that
they will find their account in the general
revival they hope for. The Russian-Turk-
ish war has frightened up matters, for the
price of bread-stutfs has gone up, the
farmers are paying their bills to the coun-
try retailer, and he, in turn, is coming
here to make good his stock. In short, we
I'LL feel encouraged, and hope that the
good times we have hoped for so long are
here at last
PlETRo.