The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-22
A Storm Which Promised Great Sport
for the Small Boy.
GOTHAM IN AN UPROAR.
Scenes in the Streets that
Opened Joyfully.
THE SNOW STORMS DEATH.

IT discounted Old Probabilities by ut least twenty
four hours-dealers entirely Disconnected by
the rush for arctics. rubbers. tips and gums that
made red letter day in the experience of trade
The first snow flakes small and fine. They gave
promise of long continued sequence and encouraged
the tradesmen to display their stock of skates to pile
sleds before their doors. to hang their furs in the
windows and to polish up their bells
During the darkness of the morning. past the noon
day hour and far on toward the booming of the
set the steadiness of the snowfall babe the poor
tremble and sent the red flush Of anticipation
the palld cheek OF wealth. The signals of caution
hannted in the breeze and ancient mariners
squinted at the vane, confident in their
knowledge. which is power, and declined to poke
the of their craft into the fog then
settling the harbor. The ships themselves.
whitened by the fallen reared their tall spires
up toward the clouds and looked like fleets of phan-
TOMS silent the tomb. The shrill whistle of the
ferry boats the deep diapason of the steamers. the
impertnent screech at the tugs and the long drawn
scream of the factories near tho river 'front.' COM
bincd to make the harbor and the ferry routes
either side OF the city noisy and DEMONSTRATING be-
yond precedent
OF TRADEsMEN.
The human and the equine races were in a peck of
trouble. Here and there thoughtful man with
umbrella overshoes and ulster, here and there
horse with sharpcned shoes. but q rule but
few men had calculated on the coming of the storm,
that wet feet frequent falls. muttered and
turned up collars were the "propah capah" for
the day. No words can express the happiness
of the boy of the period. In the first place.
it was Saturday, with school to occupy
the time. pedasogue to designate the
task. Then the packed well. and
every boy knows that that's the kind Of
snow to play in With whoop and yell the urchins
made the streets resound and luckless "peelers" be-
came involuntary targets for hundreds of well
rounded consistently packed snowballs, while stage
drivers, cartmen and other boys" in for their
full share. The shops and bazaars with boys
and girls. Parents and guardians felt how keen it is
to have skating child, and for few hours dealing
in mittens, seds, fur caps. rubbers and skates
active than in all the preceding It may be
doubted if Washington and Fulton markets were ever
drticr buster than they during the day. The
tramp tramp Of thousands of purchasers covered the
crowded pavements and blocksded thoroughfares
with nasty. sticky paste, that drabbled skirts.
soaked trousers penetrated soes and chilled marrow
in human bones. Bnt for all that there was a GER
tain seasonable oxygen in the very fact Of snow
storm, and it impaired to the poultry men, the
butchers the grocers and the unpretcntious sellers of
butter cheese. celery and horseraiish bright and
Jolly air that gave evidence Of abundant cheer and
prosperous business.
DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL.
Although the heavens were gray with the falling
snow although the white tipped masts the glitering
steeples and the white robed roofs looked attractive
to the artistic eye pedestrians another sight
did those who attempted to drive along the slippery
streets. All day long people poured into the city.
The ferries were particularly busy. Brooklyn and
Jersey City, westchester and the rural districts all
about sent delegations to the land of shop
dom. and every public conveyance was packed. All
New York's wholesale and many Of its retail
stores employ wagons-some many
ffty--to deliver purchases These the street
AL day Their horses. like those of the omnibus and
lines, unprovided. a. rule, with shoes pre-
pared for the emergency. Consequently rapid move
ment impossible and many horse slipped back
fusion worse COMPOUNDED reigned down town. up
town and in .all our borders This was particularly
the in the streets the ferries and the
streets leading to steamers and wharvcs. Broad
way was q sight to behold. From Bowling
Green to the HERALD Office 1t was virtually
blockaded all day long. From the HERALD building
TO Union square the crowd formed panoramic
hicuar chunk that moved in its entirety at the rate
of perhaps q mile in ninety minutes. The muddy
paste on which the beautiful show fell fast and with
imperceptibe effect. was more slippery than eel
and hard to walk in bed of slnsh. Horses FELL
policemen shouted, drivers yankcd men slipped,
women lodged, children screamed and poets-wopt.
OFF TO THE PARK.
All this time the boys and girls begging to be
permitted to try the ice IN Central Park. II made no
difference 10 them that the wise Commissioners did
not think y safe. rs yet. to Try The youths knew
and II ''somc, why not all? Such gossip flies fast,
and before ten o'clock every boy in the city who had
skates morally certain that superintendent Daw-
son would allow him TO try the ice. while the
boys who had fathers but no skates gave
skates were at least n the PARK ssf
there great excitement The lake carefully
watched. its icy surface was dcftly swept, the new
building put in apple pie order, and two heavy
men from NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Long and ex-Supcr-
intendcnt Ryan-werc expected to test the ice and
port. The Park restaurants were oycrhauled. and
the old time 50. Vincent Convent where Governor
Tilden, Mayor Ely. Sheridan Shook John Mat
Sheppard Knapp and host Of politicians assemble
DAY in and day out to talk politics. make sarcs and
look at the trotters as they speed ON toward the
bouevards, was stocked and lighted up in anticipa-
ton OF the jingng BELLS the light going cutter and
the family sleigh. The Park was in its glory. Very
few road wagons IL. But sleigh
passed the gate and that driven by Pap" Ryan
on his way to inspect the political symposium. But
yet the wind had taken liberties with its delicate
traccry and no drifts or eldics varied the unruiied
face OF s calm and suggestive purity The hills and
manted in virgin white. each statue had its glitter
ing helmet aud the gray-c coated policemen stalked
along their beats. their boards whitehead by the
storm and their patience tried by rolcking boys.
THE STREET BLocxADEs.
The trading peculiar to the approaching holiday
week received decided impetus. The great stores
Broadway, Grand. Twenty -third. and the Bowery
were throngcd beyond the possibility. OF attention
statesmen were worn out, shop girls longed for tho
coming of tho night. and proprietors rubbed the
palm OF joy against the hand Of prosperity
In all street railway offices there trcp
worthy of the occasion. Extra hands
notified. the snow ploughs woro gotten out. teams
were doubled upand salt sprinkers be II said. wcrc
contrary law. slyly some of the roads to
melt the snow and SOW the Germs of diphtheria ana
bronchitis. On the roads themselves there was like
wise trouble: also the In the first place il
was impossible 70 run on time so the cars became
overcrowded. The loads great that the
horses found great difficulty in starting them. Tho
slippery sush slid from under their smooth and
shiny shoes, while the ncrciless drivers and
their assistants piled the relentless whip New Yorks
streets In q snow storm afford unique sight. Par
ticuary this the case during the day. when tho
storm at its height Blockades were frequent.
and the driving blinded horses aud masters to
an extent that positively embarrassing 10 both
Still nearly every and all the looked Jolly
and Christmassy. All ploddcd along best they
might protected by umbrellas, carrying bundles and
heartily laughing when neighbor fell cachunk upon
the stones
ELEVATED ROADS.
The first snow storm on the elevated railroad