The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-13

Archaeological Treasures What the Past
Te eaches-selhshness the Main Spring Of
Action-Vanished Wealth-The Poor-Their
Staple Diet-The Potato Trade-The His
tory Of the Potato-Bond street-Real Es-
tate Changes-The Astors, etc.
New YORK, March o, 1877.
PANIos AND GAPS.
Every panic makes gap in high life.
The ruin of the Pacific Mail company emp
tied a number of Fifth avenue palaces.
Leonard Jerome, as a member of the high
est coterie, possessed great influence. He
had pronounced this stock worth 200, and
his friends invested heavily in it and were
ruined by his example. In the same man
ner John Taylor Johnston had vast in
fluence among the gentry of this city. Many
bought New Jersey Central simply because
he was its president. They can now cell
their stock for one-,welfth its cost. and the
| result is that next May an additional num-
Der of Fifth avenue palaces will be vacant.
| Look also at the silent influence of John
| Jacob Astor. He Is known to be judic-
| ious business man, and has more than
million invested in Delaware and Hudson.
| This fact has led many to hold IL alec, trust
| ing in the good luck which seems to inhere
In the Astor family. Here too is Moses
Taylor, who is leading man in the Della
| ware, Lackawanna and Western road. He
| is said to have a million in its stock and
bonds, and he has never been known to
make a mistake. His example, therefore,
has led many Of his friends to invest in the
same company. Astor is director in the
one and Taylor in the other. They had
good opportunities of learning the facts,
but they have been sadly mistaken. Again
is the public taught not to put its trust in
princes. Great men are the very ones who
make great blunders.
THE POOR.
All of these public misfortunes fall event
ually upon the poor, and this class is now,
both in numbers and in suffering, of un-
paralleed extent. An ocean of misery sur
rounds that portion of society which has
escaped the ravages of misfortune. This
misery is to large degree hopeless, be-
cause it springs from vice. Other cases
may survive the day of calamity if assist
ance be afforded. An effort to do this is
exercised to larger degree than ever be-
fore, and II will avail in many instances.
A very sad feature in the present distress
is the high price Of the staple vegetable of
| our markets, and thi, brings me to the inn
portant subject of
POTATOES.
Nearly 1900 barrels are used in this city
daily in ordinary times, but at present the
consumption is abated. Times must be
hard, indeed, when people cannot afford
potatoes, but such is frequently the case at
present. The wholesale price of peach
blows is $3.50 per barrel last year at this
| time it was $1.25. This extraordinary ad-
vance shows what the Colorado bug costs
in one year. 1t has taxed the poor in this
city $4,000 per day during the seSson.
Most of the Peachblows come from WASH
| ington and Rensselaer, counties. Saratoga
| county is also large source Of supply.
| Early Rose are quoted as high as Peach
| blows, while Chilis are So. Large ship
ments are made at Syracuse. The freight
from that city is $50 per car, the latter
| containing 375 bushels. The car is lined
with boards and heated with coal stove.
The largest receipts during any day this
| week were twenty-five cars. This is great
| falling off from last season, when the po-
tato train formed prominent feature in
Thirty-third street, which is the chief mar
ket.
FoRRIGN POTATOES.
The present high prices have led to an
extensive importation of foreign product
and in one day five cars came in from Mon
treal thus loaded. This was the first ap-
pearance of the Kanuck huckster in this
market, and, as the duty is only fifteen
cents bushel, there was a liberal margin
Of profit. The Canada potatoes are well
| liked, and, as the price is only forty cents
per bushel in Montreal, tho shipment was
| profitable venture, even though the freight
| to this city was $50 for each car.
HEAVY DEALERS.
Among the leading firms that supply
New York is Northrop Brothers. They
are Washington county men, and have an
Office at the foot of Jay street. They brought
an immense quantity in canal boats last fall
and have no doubt made profitable sea-
son. The railway potato market is, as
have said, in Thirty-third street, where
they are sold out of the cars, but a great
part of the supply is brought in by boats,
and Just before the canal closed 100 car
goes were received, averaging each 4, 90
bushels. These are Ietailed to the grocers
as convenience may require. Edwards Il
Wright are another leading firm in this
trade. They are also from Washington
county, but are now located permanently
| In this city. There are several extensive
| jobbing firms and also "potato shippers y
| who send large quantities to Cuba and New
Orleans, both OF which are supplied from
this city. BY The time potatoes reach con-
sumers In those markets, they must be cost
| ly luxuries.
OTHER IMPoRTATIoNs.
Large supplies have come from Nova
Scotia, tempted by the metropolitan quota
tions. Fifty schooners, each with cargo
of $500 bushels, have been reported. The
qualities were chiefly blue MERGERS and
Chill, and, as they were raised on wet land,
they were generally inferior. Halifax has
| also sent number of cargoes to this mark
| ct, and the returns have been profitable.
| French potatoes also are in market. They
| are much like the American Peerless y
but are of small size. They are sent In
sacks, and being a novelty have sold better
than might have been expected, consider
ing their inferior quality. The potato mark
ct opened last autumn at "a per barrel for
best varieties, and continued thus till the
snow blockade in January. The delayed
receipts, and the price advanced to $4. 80,
but as soon as the supply was renewed IT
declined, until 1t 10 now $3.50, with dull
sales. The consumption OF this vegetable
is not much more than half as large as last
year. The poor have been buying turnips
and mixing the two vegetables as matter
OF economy, the former being bur 81 bar
rel. Turnips are but a watery diet, but
they serve to stop the cravings of hunger,
which In the present extremity is so sadly
desirable,