Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-02

BUsINEss-AN UGLY FAfLURE-PoIITIcA1
THE VANDERBILT CAsE-THE TEMPER
ANCE RAID-FLIGHT OF MURPHY-rIE
WEATHER.
NEW York Dec. 90, 1877.
BUSINESS

WEATHER.
NEW York Dec. 90, 1877.
BUSINESS
is horrible dull, and will continue so till
the weather changes. Reports from all
over the country show a fearful condition
OF things. Mud is too deep for farmers to
get to any town, and consequently there is
no produce being marketed, and no goods
sold. The stocks are all on hand, and
there are no goods being bought in New
York. l saw one letter from an Illinois
town. which said that the few people who
came to town came on mud-boats. and
that the mud was so thin that navigation
OF ordinary country roads in skiffs was not
uncommon. The corn is sprouting in the
cribs, and farmers are suffering for the
the money they ought to have for produce
that they cannot get to market The out
look is anything but favorable.
AN UGLY FAILURE.
The house of Meter & Co., brokers
went under this week, for something over
four hundred thousand dollars, assets
next to nothing. High living is the cause
of it. The brothers-there were two of
them-kept splendid horses, rich cottages
at Long Branch and Newport, and indulg-
ed in all sorts Of extravaganza, which was
very pleasant rs long us it lasted. But
they could not keep it up, especially as
they met with some rather heavy losses ::
and so one fine morning they went up, and
stepped down and out.
POLITICAL.
The troubles in business have swampel
all political feeling. and very little is said
about it. The opinion in the party, as be-
tween Conkling and the president, is about
equally divided. Conkling has his adher-
ents among the office-holders, and those
who believe that the offices should be used
for strictly party purposes; but there is
another very large class that holds that
the offices should be disposed of without
reference to the demands of party, and
that President Hayes in his attempt to re-
form the civil service is taking the right
steps. Collector Arthur is massing his
forces for vigorous fight, and says that
he can beat the president in the Senate
any day. Altogether it is very pretty
fight. believe that the president will
win in the end.
THE VANDERBILT CASE
has got to be the most amusing thing in
the city. Cornelius. now on the stand,
gives the spectators a most enjoyable treat
every day. He goes into the inside of the
Vanderbilt family with utter recklessness,
and shows up their short comings with
jolly abandon. He has shown beyond a
peradventure, that if William did not &C
tually conspire against him, he did come
as near to it rs he could. 1t is also shown
that he, himself, spent money very freely,
expecting the old man to pay it. For in
stance, he owed Horace Greeley at one
time, as much as seventy thousand dollars,
and a great many other large sums, But
there was nothing singular in it. His
father was the richest man in America,
and one of the richest in the world, and
he naturally expected u sufficient income
to live about as he pleased He was terri
bly, disappointed, however; for by some
influence, which it is supposed this trial
will bring out, the old man cut him off
with q beggarly sum, which William II.
shows no disposition to increase. 1t is Il
nasty piece of business, and does no one
connected with it much credit. To have
the secrets of n family exposed to public
gaze is anything but cheerful thing, and
this especially when the head of the fami-
ly was u sensual, cruel, cold man like Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Sr.
THE TEMPERANCE RAID
goes on with the most happy effect. The
rum mills are shut up very generally
weekdays, and entirely on Sundays. Last
Sunday drop of liquor could not be had
except by those who were very well
known to the bars; and then it was with
difficulty, for the officers kept II very
strict watch upon side entrances and back
doors The Tammany people. alarmed at
the stoppage Of the rum traffic, and lis
consequent loss of power, demanded Of
Mayor Ely the removal of the board that
was bold enough to attack the principal
ally of Tammany Hall, and the mayor
consented. But alas! There is such II
thing as public sentiment in New York,
albeit it is slow of expression and not
easily aroused. But the fact that arrests
for drunkenness decreased Il half, and that
brutal crime almost entirely Disappeared
was enough to show the good citizens the
value of the services of the Police Board,
and they determined to sustain them
against the mayor. Mr. Ely. who is real
ly II good man, was very willing to accept
almost any excuse to retain them, and the
chase is given up The police Board will
not be removed, and the war against the
rum interest will go on. Speaking of the
Police Board, the excise commissioners
are not in overly good odor, The
FLIGHT OF MURPHY,
one of the board, with fifty thousand dol
lars of its money was II severe blow to
Tammany Hall, whose especial pet it was,
and for whom the flight on the Police
Board was made Murphy had spcculat-
ed and lost. and had lived in the regular
style of Tammany politician. lie could
not make his accounts balance, and so he
took all there was left, and got away with
it. 1t was clean steal, and the money
can never be recovered. He is in Canada,
and presumably comfortable. His wife
insists that he has not run away at all, but
that he is in the city, under cover till he
can turn things to square up. But he has
been seen in Canada, and will stay there
in safety, till the city gets ready to settle
with him.
THE WEATHER
is preternaturally pleasant. The days
come and 60 like June days; there has
been no rain, no frost, no nothing that is
disagreeabe, except the monotony of con
linued fine weather when it ought to be
bad. The poor enjoy it, for it does away
with the necessity of much clothing, aud
fuel. 1t is the most singular season that
has been known for half u century.
PIETRo.
The mud question, which annually
comes up for discussion in the west at this
season. attracts more attention than Gvel
this year, because of the unusual mldncss
and wetness of the last few weeks. The
country roads in Illinois are declared by
the Chicago Tribune to be practically i'm.
passable, and the consequence is that the
farmers cant get their produce to mar.
ket, merchants don't find the expected