Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-31

The CHISANEN IN A FIx-hKLICAN MAN LAW
-rKTBR CoorER's TRIAIs-"GROUP TWENTY
FTvI"-THR STENCIL FACTORIEs-CoLuMBIA' 5
foUR-A COSTLY FAILURE.


NEw York, MAY 81, 1870.
To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times.
The Chinaman still remains one of the
subordinate questions with which society has
to deal here in New York, and he is with Us,
a, with every one else, puzzler. Despite
his taciturnity and his childlike blandness,
he is always getting, innocently or other
wise, into any amount of trouble. For in
stance, here are three full-blooded Celestial.
who, according to the traditions of their
race, engineer a wash-house over on the East
side. They had some misunderstanding
with customer. about week ago, owing
to delay IN finishing up the lattcr's work.
The customer. by way of making his dissat-
isfaction known, overturned everything
movable in the place, and wound up his ex-
PLANTATION by breaking burning lamp over
the head of the pigtailed boss. Then, when
one of the dazed washcrmen had got enough
of his breath and his senses to start for pO-
liceman, the iratc customer would not per-
nit him, but, lodging out of the door, lock
cd it on the outside, and left the luckless
Confucians Gagged with 4 fire which the oil
from the broken lamp had started, while he
himself went of for reiniorcements. Re
turning shortly after with several boon com
panions, the insatiate customer aided his
followers to break all the windows of the
place and lombard the idoatrous amateur
iremen, who were still struggling with the
flames, with aged eggs, deceased cats, ragged
brickbats, and other assorted missiles. AT
this juncture there happened an occurrence
about as rare a. total eclipscs
of the sun. A policeman actually
came along and arrested all concerned.
Arrived at the station house, the official in
guired of the Cinnamon if they wished to
mako charge against their adversary. No
answer being rendered, the question was
repeated till it was ey ident that none of the
three spoke English enough to say what WAS
necessary.
The riOtous customer took in the situation
at glance. lie stepped boldly up and pre-
ferred charge of assault and battery against
his well-nigh martyred victims, alleging that
while no was in their shop they had sought
to STAY him with fiat iron. The charge
was duly entered, and the unfortunate wash
ermen, after having suffered thus grieyously
in mind, body and estate. were remanded for
trial and led spoechless away. while their
aSsailant walked off with his friends, the
picture Of injured innocence. At last ac-
counts the poor heather were still trying to
figure out the situation and to get the hang
of the Mclean mans law.
1t is hardly probable that our venerable
philanthropis., Peter Cooper, will want to
run for President again. Not only did he
find his following rather scanty in 1876,
but now he is being dragged over the Goals
in law suit for libel, brought by Wallace
p. Groom, who was his henchman during
his canvass. Mr.. Groom wants so 900,
which il the amount. in his opinion, to
which his feelings and character were dam
aged by Mr.. Cooper's accusation that he had
msappropriated certain Of the funds belong
ing to the Greenback party. The suit will
probably amount to nothing beyond showing
what u queer set of politicians the worthy
old gentleman fell among and how they
handled him.
And now through the stir and hustle Of
tho new Worlds fair comes tardy echo
from the centennial. For two years the
publication Of the official report on Group
%" has been delayed, thus rendering |
possible the controversy which has ragged |
between the two most prominent manufac-
turers Of pianos. Finally, however, the |
document has made its appearance.
Tho judges, after their long sitting. are
unanimous in their verdict not only that |
the Steinway piano was first in all respects,
but that there was wide distance between |
it and its next lower competitor. The in |
eyitabc conclusion upon reading these re-
ports is that there have been considerable |
misstatements by certain rivals of Stein
way. since tho Fall of 1876.
A couple of weeks ago mentioned tho i'll
odors that had goaded fashionable New York
into general uprising against the nuisance.
Tho good work still goes braycly on. One
Of the stencil producers has Just been tried
before jury, convicted and sentenced, and
scven others are now waiting their turn at
the mill of Justice. More than this, the
Grand Jury have been instructed to find
true bill against our kid-gloyed Board of
Health. who up to quite recently have
treated publco opinion with the most con
tomptuous Indifference. There is hope. on
the whole, that before the present crusade
spends itself 1.-THE city will be in good