St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-07-26
Our New York Letter.

MIsTAKE-TWO HEAVY EMBEZZLERS
CAUGHT-YELLow JACK AND THE
CHOLERA.
NEW YORK, July 20, 1873.
TO the Editor of the CaledOnian:
Wonder what Bob Ingersoll thinks
about it now9 g
AS a general rule haven't much OF
an opinion of a man who talks about
the weather, and as to the man who
arrites about it-unless indeed he be
Old Probabilities Meyers or some other
high meteorological muck a-muck-
why, he is simply beneath criticism.
Nothing in the world is SO utterly and
wildly exasperating as to have fellow
come up to you while you are hopping
your countenance OF wiping out of your
neck the beads that are rapidly whiting
your clean collar, and with his inane
grin ask, "Well, is this warm enough
for you?" | mention these facts to
prove that l appreciate the threadbare
character of the subject but what is a
man to do when this is the subject
uppermost III every mind, when the
papers are filled with nothing else, and
when even the dogs in the street pant
their complaints and cOmmiserations to
each other at every corner?
| don't know what the matter is,
whether the sun, in defiance of the
astronomers, has got twenty or thirty
million miles nearer to us than usual or
whether the blame is to be laid at st.
Louis door, for starting this abOminable
"wave." But settle the responsibility
as you please, the fact remains that we
are visited with most disgusting state
of the atmosphere. The story of Shad
rach, Meshach and Abednego has al
ways furnished one of the stock argu
ments to the literal minded scOffers at
Scripture truth; but, our survival
through the past week is almost enough
to shut their mouths, for it is not much
of an exaggeration to say, that New
York has been a fiery furnace for sew
eral days. Every pore in our bodies is
like an Artesian well, flowing night and
day and, to make our condition more
pitiable, the air, even with the mercury
humping its head against the top of the
glass, seems so saturated with moisture
as to have lost all power of absorbing
the perspiratiOn.
While our location so near the
ocean renders our plight more toler-
able than that of the western cities
from which we have such terrible re-
ports of suffering and death, the heat
has still pressed very heavily upon New
York city. Many cases of sun-stroke
are reported, but they represent only a
small part of the casualties. The ma
jOrity of fatal cases are not sudden
enough to be classed under that head.
They occur in the packed tenements,
where there is bad ventilation and
worse sewerage, and where women and
children and the sick of all ages and
both sexes have died by the hundred,
actually smothered to death. Business
is neglected as far as possible, and not
even the veriest Gradgrinds of the
counting house find it in their hearts to
complain that our humane Postmaster
James has temporarily intermitted the
midday delivery of mail matter by the
Overworked and underpaid army of let
ter carriers-something which has not
occurred before since the fierce spell of
the centennial summer.
But, whew | find it don't make me
any cooler to write about our burning
miseries, so let us change the subject.
On Wednesday morning that ever
youthful Aladdin of journalism Mr..
James Gordon Bennett, having gracious
ly decided some days previous to honor
his native land with call, stepped
ashore from the French steamer ST.
Laurent, and stood upon the dock in
gloomy magnificence during the I'M
loading and custOm-house inspection of
his baggage, which, Judging from ac-
counts, must have formed the larger
part of the ships cargo. 1t consisted
of no less than l23 pieces, consisting of
trunks, packing cases, bags, packages
of guns, umbrellas, canes, and sport
ing implements. His horses, carriages,
and Polo ponies and various other
cattle had preceded their lerd and
master, and were already enscOnced in
their quarters at Newport, whittier Mr..
Bennett and his sister, who has accom-
panied him everywhere in Europe, and
who now returns with him, Immediately
hurried.
Miss Bennett, it is said, is to be mar
ried in this city. 1t seems great mis-
take that Bennett was not born an Eng
lish lord, so closely does he initiate the
appearance and habits of that "effete
aristOcracy." He owns four or five
estates in different parts of the world,
including shooting box" in England,
and the regulation ''hotel" in Paris, and
evidently feels moIe at home III either
of the latter than in any part of this
country. His stay here will be short.
He cannot stand this ''blarsted country
more than few months ut a time, and
before winter sets in will be re-estab-
lished with all his retinue of men and
beasts in one of his foreign residences.
Two once noted fugitives from justice
have been brought into court to answer
fol- their crimes within ten days. The
first to be apprehended was William E.
Gray, the prince of forgers and conf
dence men, who in 1869 fled from anx-
ious creditors in Wall street, who want
ed some half a million from him, and
whose subsequent history in England
and on the Continent, reads like the
most wildly improbable dime novel.
He eluded the law for nine years, but
was at last unprecedented and brought
back to New York, where he now awaits
trial. Very shortly after the fight of
Gray, Edward Oakley, bank cashier,
was found to have embezzled $500, 900.
He was indicted in January, 1870, but
jumped his bail and ran away to Can
ada. Lately he ventured back to his
old haunts. and on Thursday uas ar
rested, and placed like Gray, in dnrance
vile. Chickens, curses, and criminals
always come home to roost.
The Home Insurance Company are
just out with their fiftieth semi-annual
statement; document which, as this
company has never been so much as
suspected of taking such liberties with
figures as corporations of the kind are