St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-03
Our New York Letter.

Our New York Letter.
THE STRIKE IN NEW YORK-GROwTH OF
THE ENT-INTERRUPTION OF
BUSINESS FEARS FOR THE CITY's
sAFETY-A COMMUNIST EFFORT-PREs-
ENT CONDITION OF THINGS.
New YORK, July 81, 1877.
To the Editor of the Caledonian
"Nothing like it been seen since war
times" That's what every New Yorker
has said to his neighbOr every morning
fol week, and the remark, though
getting little stale now, has been an
eminently just one. When the vast
labor agitation which has only now be-
gun to subside first doomed up upon the
the horizon, the few items in the papers
which indicated the difficulty were read
with only the transient and distant in
terest which attaches to local disturb
ance among miners or some similar
class, which is past before the news
reaches us. But this time, instead of
being speedily forgotten the uprising
was kept more and more prominently in
mind by kilograms which, within TWEEN
| ty-fOur hours frOm the first news, began
to appear with increasing frequency
upon the bulletin boards. AT first we
read these with the calm curiosity with
which disinterested spectators are wont
to watch any fight in which they are
not called to take part. But pretty soon
troops were called for, and our dis
patches told us that blood was COM
mencing to flow and vast fires to burn,
and then we began to say to each other
that they were having quite little row
out there in Pittsburg and Baltimore
Then trains began to stop, and tele
graphed requests for our militia to be
received. The trunk lines running out
of the city began to sell tickets cautious
~ and for short distances only, and to
refuse freights altogether. Incoming
merchandise failed to arrive. Western
mails, containing important letters and
anXiously expected remittances, delayed
their coming. The army of country
buyers which the opening of fall trade
had just brought to the city paused in
giving the orders that were already half
ont of their mouths, and kilograms from
everywhere cOuntermanded the orders
previously bestowed. By this time
New York began to think that she had
some interest in the troubles of the
lesser cities, especially as the wave of
disaffectiOn was evidently creeping
around and toward her. Then the mem
bers of our crack regiments dropped
their pens and their yard sticks, dOnned
the ferOcious trappings of war, and
stalked about their armories with an
infinite rattle of bayOnets and clanking
of sabres. Two regiments even kissed
the girls they left behind them, and
marched away mid hurrahs and tears
and waving handkerchiefs, to brave the
brick bats of distant strikers and the re-
volvers of their rOwdy allies.
In proportion as the excitement wax
ed, business waned. Freight move
ments grew less and less, and finally
ceased, except by boat and toward New
England. Steadily the mass of vehicles,
which usually pack the streets, thinned
out and disappeared, until by Wednes-
day Broadway looked like Sunday, ex-
cept for the 'busses which alone piled
undisturbed. On the side streets, idle
trucks lay ranged along the shady spots,
while Transfers, pOrters and loafers
lined the walks, discussing the situation
or reading the papers. And here, by
the way, is one of the points wherein
the week has most resembled war times.
Never, since Lees surrender, has there
been in New York such protracted
and Unsuitable thirst for news as during
these days. Edition has followed edi-
ton, almost without interval, only to
be snapped up by hungry public.
Merchants pause in their work to de-
YOUR the latest particulars, and clerks
hurry along the streets, caroming against
half the people they meet, but still keep
ing their eyes bent upon some one of
the numerous extras which the clinking
presses throw off in quick succession.
The newsboys seem to think this is the
fulfilment of the old proverb, "When
the sky falls we shall all catch larks,"
and they are improving their oppor-
tunities accordingly. believe they are
in truth the only class which has really
benefited by the instruction and they
"wish there was strike all the time"
No wonder, poor little chaps. A cent
is as big as cartwheel to them, and
while they are making perhaps half a
dollar day extra what should they care
if it requires the burning of millions of
dollars worth of railroad property to
bring them such profit?
1t has been the occasion of much
wondering comment that we have had
no violent demonstration here in this
city. 1t is perhaps somewhat remark
able that there should not have been
even the smallest disturbance in this
city while so much of the country has
been cOnvulsed but the fact only goes
to show that the strikes were not pre-
concerted, but were started without
general generalization and then ran like
a prairie fire or a cOntagion. Had the
contrary been the case, the first and
most serious outbreak would in all prob
ability occurred in New York where the
working and idle classes are so much
more numerous than anywhere else and
where the necessary preparations would
have attracted the least attention. There
was indeed one effort made to fan into