St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-14
Our New York Letter.

MOhMONS-HOLOCAO IN "A fLlmol
BUILDING-A CROOKED BUSINESS
THE RIFLE TEAMs-A SMITH PICNIC
MORE sTRIKING-A THRIFTY TRAMP.
NEW YORK, August "a, 1877.
To the Editor of the Caledonian
The destroying angel has been busy
with the bearers of well-knOwn names
of late. 1t is an unaccountahle fact,
but none the less true, that Death, who
Gloves shining mark likes to wait till
he can get several such targets in line,
and then "draw bead" on them all at
once. 1t does not often happen how
ever, that he sends forth so successful
an arrow as that which has just winged
its way around half the circumference
of the globe, striking in quick success
sion six men who have for years moved
before the public eye. Theirs, Brigham
Young, Raphael Semmes, E. L. Daven-
port, Ben de Bar Alvin Adams and
"Crazy Horse" What a strangely as
sorted company to cross the Styx to-
gether!
Apropos of Brigham Young 1 must
confess to having learned something as
a result of his death. | had always
supposed that, with the exception of
perhaps a few scattered members, the
Mormon Church was concentrated in
Utah but the attention turned to the
subject by the loss of the prophet de-
velopes the fact that there is and has
been for over thirty years full blown
congregation of Saints" of good and
regular standing, in the moral city of
Brooklyn. This congregation number
ed four hundred, some years ago, but
has now dwindled three-fourths. Prob
ably the air of Brooklyn is too pure for
them. Further down Long Island there
is one other small society, which is the
only other in the state. All the rites
and Observances of the Mormon religion
are kept up by these Eastern societies,
which have been having memorial SER
vices and season of lamentation over
the loss of their crafty and powerful
leader. POlygamy alone, which by the
way, formed no part of the original
''revelatiOn," has to be omitted from
their programme. The laws of New
York allow every man to believe what
he pleases but don't countenance his
carrying all his beliefs into effect, and
there being no Young in this section to
intimidate the government, the poor
oppressed "Saints" of Long Island have
to get along with one wife or else ego
west"
The fire fiend allowed New York to
get through the month of August with Il
fire loss of only sly 900; the smallest
loss for any month on record. But in
order to make up the average he com
menced bright and early this month
with a half million blaze which laid
waste over block in the northern part
of town. This fire. though no larger
than many another, is worth some men
ton on account of the general row it
has caused. The chief building burn
ed, and the one in which the fire start
ed, was the piano factory of one Hale,
whose ears must Jingle if he has read
the papers since the event. His factory
was a mere fire trap, entirely without
protection against fire and so shabbily
put up that on the occasion of its cree
ton, few years ago, it fell down when
almost completed, burying several per-
sons in its ruins. 1t was run right up
again, however in the same slOvenly
way and has now brought about this
catastrophe, involving greater loss OF
life than before. The deep indignation
which is felt against Hale has prompted
some Investigation of his business, in
the course of which it turns out that he
is the manufacturer of most of the bo-
gus pianos which have flooded the
country fol many years. His plan is to
throw together the cheapest kind of
work, and then stencil on the name
board IA name apprOximating as closely
lis possible that of one of the standard
makers. He has thus initiated the
brands of all the prominent manufac-
turers, but has expended most of his
efforts in trying to pirate the reputation
of Steinway & Sons. To this cad he
has used no less than six different imi-
tavions of their name, to wit: "Stan-
ley & Sons ''Shumway & Sons
''Steinmay & Sons" "Steinmetz & Sons"
"Steinway's Patent" "Stannay & Co."
By means of this fraud he has sold
hundreds of wretched rattle boxes to
customers who supposed they were
buying genuine Steinway pianos. The
laws are so loose that it seems impossi-
BILE to stop these disreputable opera
tiOns.
At this writing it is not known how
many persisted in the disaster. AS soon
as the ruins are sufficiently cool, how
ever, excavation will be made aud the
worst will be known.
Rifle shooting has again doomed up
as an object of interest. The national
teams of England and America are put
| ting the last and most careful touches
on their practice at the CreedmoOr
range, preparatory to the grand match
on the 18th aud 18th inst, when it will
be seen whether American skill has de-
teliOrated since year ago when our
marksmen bore the trophy in competi-
ton with the world. Some of the best
scores on record have been made ON
both sides during this recent practice,
showing that the British marksmen are
going to make as desperate an effort to
''shoo" Victory fiOm its perch on the
American banner as our own boys will
to induce victory to stay where she is.
Teams from New Orleans and San Fran
cisco are also in the ground and doing
fine work.
A mania seems to be epidemic just
now for family reunions, at which con-
gregate all of name who can be in
duced TO attend. Two or three of these
gatherings have occurred near here
lately, but none that made much show
beside the big Smith conference and
picnic over in New Jersey "a few days
ago. One thousand representatives OF
that classic name were present-all res
idents of that state. Of course, JOIN
Smith was there in full force, about 8
hundred of him replying to any random
remark aimed at .JOhn.o Mary anG