Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-03

EASTER DAY-ITs WEATHER, FINERY AND EGGS
SALE OF THE ERIE RAILROAD-ITs INIQUI-
ToUs HIsToRY-DKATH OF WIN. oRToN-A Po-
LICE COURT SOLOMON.

EASTER DAY-ITs WEATHER, FINERY AND EGGS
SALE OF THE ERIE RAILR0AD-ITs INIQUI-
ToUs HIsToRY-DKATH OF wN. oRToN-A Po-
LICE COURT SOLOMON.
NEW YORK, April 29th, 1873.
To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
Easter Sunday, this year, was about equal
ly noted for magnificent weather and mag
nifcent costumes. music and flowers. From
casual glance, should say that the value
of the new bonnets, clothes and jewelry in
which feminine Gotham performed its devo
tons on that occasion. would amount to
about the sum of our national debt Cen
trail Park was probably never so thronged
before. 1t is estimated that during the
day about four hundred thousand
vain mortals aired their spring ffnery
in its verdant paths and grand promenades.
The display Of fancy Easter eggs was aston
ishingly rich, this year, reminding one
strongly of Partisan shop- windows at this
season. Easter eggs in the United States,
until few years ago, were tie product of
barnyard fowls, hard boiled and colored at
home in bright but solid hues, or printed by
boiling in bags of calico warranted not
to wash New Orleans was one of the first
of American cities to introduce the French
fashion of artificial Paschal eggs highly or
namented and rich with hidden bon-bons.
New York city began to cater to the little
people in these highly decorated and tooth
some toys scarcely more than five years ago,
but it has made rapid progress in the art.
Every conceivable form of confectionery or
fancy knick-knack is now served up in the
shape of an egg. Some big ones open to
display to the eye of the delighted recipient
fully equipped work-box, jewel case,
beautiful wax doll, or some costly trinket'
The most sensible Easter egg have heard of
this year was one which Wall street nabob
had made for his daughter. 1t was plain and
of ordinary size, but when broken by the
curious young lady. poured into he- lap
yellow stream Of genuine gold dollars
with which the doting parent had filled it
full.
After prolonged and costly wrangle and
full half q dozen postponements of its sale,
the Erie Railroad was brought to the block
on Wednesday last, and publicly auctioned
for six millions of dollars. Ex-Governor
Morgan was the Ostonsible purchaser, but
was only the agent of reconstruction COM
nittee, who have plan by which it is ex
pected that the plundered victim of Jim
Fisk and Jay Gould, the unfortunate road
that has for years been the football of Wall
street, will be again placed on a sound basis,
and made good paying property. The
road which Was here nominally sold for
Sc ,O00, 900 has stock liability of over
$50, OO0, 900, and bond liability of about
$4,000, 900 additional, large proportion
of which Indebtedness will have to be wiped
out in the Encouragement 1t is also pro-
posed to change the name of the road,
although nothing definite has been de-
cided on that subject. The Erie Rail
way has been scandal to Ameri |
can financial management. 1t has done
more to destroy confidence at home and in
lure our character abroad than any other
enterprise undertaken. Its affairs were in |
yolved in inextricable confusion, and after |
sinking the money of Woodworking people |
who bought shares in it, and the bonds it |
put on the market under false pretences,
the creditors of the road found its Affairs in |
a hopeless taugle of complications, which no |
lawyer could possibly unsnarl. The quar-
rels at the Erie meetings. and the contests |
of its litigants in court, have been disgrace
full, and the operations of Gould and Fisk |!
in manufacturing stock ad hbiiuni and use
ing its funds to demoralize our politics and |
dehauch legislatures, were simply infamous. |
The history of railway management fur
nishes no parallel to the chicanery and |
iniquity that have been developed by |
this road and the men who have con-
trolled it. Its sale to n new com
pany. with prospective change in its
entire management, awakens the hope that
a new leaf is to be turned in its history, and
that this great road will hereafter be CON
public benefit If its now purchasers redeem
the promise they have made to the public, the
people of New York will have reasons to re-
jjoico that the road has changed hands.
In the death of VIM. Orton, President of
the Western Union Telegraph Company,
this city has lost one of her creates. business
geniuses. So strictly did Mr.. orion con-
fine himself to his own affairs and 50 little
ado did he make in the discharge of his i'm
meDse duties, that public attention was sci
dom fixed upon him, and it was not until
the whole Press began to ring with his
posthumous praises that We realized
how important man he was Ills
of the Western Union
was an almost unparalleled success. On his
election to the presidency the company was
bankrupt. and it was not until
several years of his skilful and laborious
that it came out INTO com
paratively clear sailing, and gave signs OF
becoming what it has since become. ono OF
the most powerful and wide-reaching cor
porations in the world. Mr. orion death,
which was from apoplexy, the result OF long
continued overwork. was very sudden, he
having been in perfect health up to within
a few hours of his death. His funeral,
which took place on Thursday, from the
Episcopal church of which he was devoted
member, was attended by grand concoursc
of eminent mourners. Roscoe Conkling was
one of tho pall-5earers, and among the
throng that assembled to do honor to his
memory was included almost every man OF
local political, commercial, or social promi-
nence.
The town is just now chuckling over
rather a neat thing in police court justice
One day, this week. man was caught IN the
act of carrying off II valuable lot OF lead pipe
from house belonging to wealthy ana
we'll known carpet manufacturer of tho city.
lie was arrested and taken, plunder and all.
before the nearest police justice, who, on
hearing the facts, ,sent messenger to the J