St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-01-25

/ the path of rectitude would result in
their consignment for eternity to liter
al lake of fire and birthstone, in which
the height of physical torture should be
prolonged forever.
Another doctrine which was strongly
urged is that of the annihilatiOn of the
wicked at death. Another still is that
of graded punishment, adapted to the
Offenses of men. The discussion which
the simultaneous definitions of conflict
ing doctrines have raised, has spread
into the papers and we are promised a
protracted ventilation of the matter.
gave last week few figures regard
ing the city's money matters. Perhaps
few additional facts may not be I'M
interesting. The most obvious point
visible in our statistics is that we are
taxed to death, largely the result of the
Ring steals, by which the city was run
millions in debt fol so called improve
ments which were needless, and the
contracts for which enriched thousand
thieves. The amount of assessment
bonds now outstanding from the city
for public improvements begun or COM
pleted is over twenty-One million dol
lars.
The amount of taxes annually raised
in the city is somewhere in the neigh
borhood of $33, 900, 900, and of this vast
sum the outrageous proportion of SlO,-
700,0 900 goes to pay officehOlders, many
of whom hold sinecures, aud nearly all
of whom are Tammany supporters. The
total valuation of real estate in 1875
was 49,, 633 SIS the valuation now is
1895, 063, 1913.
The Bureau of Arrears of Taxes shows
that millions are due to the city for IN
paid arrears, and this will in time result
in the total confiscation of the property
thus involved. which is simply legal
robbery under the circumstances.
At the Park Theatre Raymond has
dropped "Col. Sellers" for the time and
is doing the equally cheeky and genial
life insurance agent in ''Risks."
Lester Wallack has revived at his
own theatre his last seasons success
"My awful dad" Mr.. Fechter, after
being hid from the public eye for sea-
son, has reappeared at the Broadway
Theatre, where he airs his good acting
and bad English in "The Thorough
fare" He brought this out i'll London
some time ago, and it was said that he
personated the wretch Obenreiser so
perfectly that Il mob of the audience
waited round the stage door, to stone
him as he came out. That is a compli-
ment to his acting, but l presume Mr..
Fechter would have chosen some differ
ent recognition of his ability.
The regular theatres are nearly all in
full blast. At the Fifth Avenue Nine
MOdjeska, a talented foreigner, Hunga-
rian or Bohemian | believe, is astOnish-
ing the critics and captivating large
audiences by her impersonation of Il
round of characters of which the latest
and most successful was that of "Ca-
mile" made famous in this country by
the late Matilda Heron.
Maggie Mitchell the marvellous is
playing ''Fanchon" over i'll Brooklyn,
as girlsh and sprightly as at any time
since the Revolution. We have long
since given up all idea of Mrs. Mitchell's
ever growing old, despite her years and
her children, but fully expect that our
grandchildren will enjoy the same priv
ilege of witnessing her graceful acting
that our grandparents did before us.
The City Assessors, who, by the way,
are said to be Il body of veIy question
aCle utility to the city, ale now busy
making up real estate valuations for
1873. These assessors never make, as
they are bound to do, personal in
spectIon of the property they propose
to assess. There has been no reduction
in the assessed value of up town lots
since 1873, notwithstanding the tremen-
dous depreciation in property that has
occurred in the mean time.
What Il shameless fraud these salaried
barnacles thus commit must be evident
to any one who has owned real estate
anywhere during the last five years. |
suppose we ought to be thankful that
official plundering and extravaganza is
Il little less fragrant than they used to
be, but it is plain that it will be many
years more before anything like justice
and economy are considered by those
who rule over us. RADIX.