St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-04-05
Some Things in New York.

Dear Cal. Il shall not interfere with
the work of your regular correspondent
"Radix,n if | mention in hasty way
some things that have seen in this
great city. And if write nothing new,
it may remind some of your readers OF
things well-nigh forgotten.
Some five or six years ago work was
begun upon bridge to connect the
great cities of New York and Brooklyn.
To do this, the narrows through which
the water passes from the ocean into
Long Island Sound, must be spanned.
This is called East river. 1t was an i'm
mense undertaking, but finally money
was appropriated by the two cities
and spent then more was appropriated,
aud spout until NOW, alter years Uf
time and millions of money expended,
the bridge begins to look like fixed
fact. The immense towers are about
completed, the anchorages in both cities
nearly finished, and several large cables
already span the river.
The total length of this bridge
(which 1 should have stated is a sus-
pension)-is 5000 feet-or little over
a mile. Its hight above high tide, 135
feet-so it will not impede navigation.
1t is 1895 feet "span," or between
towers. The bridge is to be IS feet
wide, with two railroad tracks and four
wagon or horse car tracks. The central
span will be suspended by four steel
cables sixteen inches in diameter. The
towers were sunk to bed lock, which
was 80 feet on the New York side and
As feet on the Brooklyn side. These
towers are immense monuments of
masonry, 269 feet high, and 134 feet by
Sc feet in size.
If the appropriations are kept up,
this bridge is sure to be completed be-
fore many months, when Bro0klyn's
half million of people will no longer be
dependent upon ferry boats to reach
the outside world.
THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL.
While my pen is making large figures,
| may as well say something about this
remarkable hotel. And l do it with
pleasure as its proprietors and many of
its principal men are New Englanders.
Mr.. A. B. Darling, the senior proprietor,
is native of Purke, and well known
to many of your readers. Mr.. Griswold
is New Hampshire mau. Mr.. Elmer
Darling, a nephew of the senior pro-
prietor, is also from Burke, and is in
valuable in his place as purchaser of
supplies, and general manager.
With the latter gentleman took a
look through this vast establishment,
more particularly to see the inside
working of perhaps the best hotel i'll
this country. After going through the
store room, kitchen, pantry, dining
room, etc, and ''seeing how the thing
was done," l procured "a few figures
which l here transcribe. And here let
me say, that the success of Mr.. Darling
in the hotel business is ascribed largely
to his perfect system, more particularly
in the purchasing and kitchen depart
ment. For instance, a complete record
is kept daily of the number of guests,
cost of feeding, etc, and an inventory
made every month and balance sheet
made out. An example: The guests
for October, 1876, which was a heavy
month, averaged 500 day for the 81
days. 1t cost for food for them, 81 .69
each. This was the largest number Of
guests, as it was the lowest rate pei
person, for any month of late years
The price ran from this up to as high
as 50 per person just for food. When
the enormous rent is paid-which with
taxes amounts to $248, 900 year-the
bills for furniture, the pay roll of the
army of help (which always exceeds
the number of uests)-when these bills
are paid, it will be seen that it is not all
profit even at $5 day.
AS l intimated above, the perfect
system of keeping an account of every
thing, makes it "a very simple matter tC
find out what was done any day or any
month. By referring to the books Of
1876, l found the following among the
items consumed at this house The
heaviest meat item was 81, 597 lbs
beef, at a cost of $55,8f2. The poultry
bill was $38, $50; mutton $l7 ,221 but
ter 9,s96; eggs S9,425; wheat foul
3d. 1866 ice $8,325; coal $14, 470, etc.
etc.
The above are only few of the
heavy items. Besides these there were
consumed the same year 11,705 lbs
pork 37,173 lbs. bacon; 46,8i5 gallons
milk and cream 81, $3.50 lbs. fish; 4,s4l
gallons oysters; 10000 lbs. sugar
4,739 bushels potatoes and vegetables
fruits, berries, small birds, ETC., almost
without number.
But have already wearied you with
figures, and l will make but few more
Mr.. Darling goes abroad this month by
order of his physician. Mrs. Darling
accompanies him, and they expect to
be gone six months or more. Mr.. Oar
ling sold off quite number of horses
from his stock farm last week. His
best once Kentucky Prince brought
$1,000 at auction. C. M. S.
After consulting its exchange news
papers, the Washington Star Ind. Rep
says of Senator Howe's speech: awe
doubt if speech was ever made in
Congress that elected more uncompli-