St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-08

| POLITICS, HANDSHAKING, PEANUT
AND THE CORLIss ENGINE-OUR Flu
TURE DICTATOR-TRAIN AS A DE
CLAIMER.
NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 1878.
To the Editor of the Caledonian
The weather has been this winte1
even more than usually favOrite sub
ject of conversation. A long succession
of mild, bright days, varied occasional
ly by warm rains, have given the lie t.
the almanac, and seriously undermined
public confidence in its correctness
The buds on bushes and trees-whicf
never tCW learn wisdom by experience
have begun to swell and show traces
of the color of spring, and everything
has indicated that Winter was so pre-.
occupied watching the Eastern war anG
the progress of the Silver Bill that New
York was going to slip through his
fingers unObserved. But the present
state of things goes to show that the
old fellow was only waiting till we
should begin to congratulate ourselves
on our lucky escape, to give US con-
centrated taste of his quality.
The snowfall amounts almost to a
blockade, and was accompanied on
Thursday by gale and high tide that
will render the day memorable. The
water rose so in the Hudson that some
| Loft hn for ci1 do
were submerged. At HOboken, in the
waiting room of the ferry, the water
stood to the depth of several feet, and
horse falling upon the planked drive
way under the ferry shed, was actually
drowned before he could be got upon
his feet. The severity of the storm ex-
tended for an unusual distance along
the coast, as is shown by the simultane-
Gus wreck of the steamer Metropolis,
off Kitty Hawk near Cape Hatteras,
and of brig in Long Island Sound.
The former disaster in which a majority
of crew of $50 persisted, fastens a ter
rIble reputation upon the region where
so lately the Huron went to pieces.
II is the fashion lately for every news
paper man who can get him to talk to
interview George Francis Train, who is
temporarily quite numerous" just now,
with his lectures, addresses, and vari-
Gus communications to the daily press.
For my own part, | should never have
dreamed of hunting up this eccentric
parsonage tor the purpose, i'll reportOrial
phrase, of ''eliciting his views" but
chance having thrown me in his way in
Il downtown office, the other morning
| was favored with little of his edify-
ing discourse. When | came in MI.
Train was pacing up and down the
room with sort of imperial air, which
was rather heightened by Il huge fur
lined and fur-trimmed Overcoat, upon
the lapel of which was pinned faded
buttOnhole bouquet. Some ten years
ago, when | was a boy at school, | took
Il three days railroad journey in Mr..
Trains company, and on my recalling
this circumstance to his mind he be-
came quite affable and communicative,
but as is his custom, did not offer to
shake hands. Handshaking, in his opin-
ion, is perniciOus custom to lie shun-
Led and abhorred. He says that large
draft is made upon his psychological
force" every time any one touches his
hand, and that he would soon be drain
nary custom in this respect. While l
was there the proprietor of the Office
came in and insisted on shaking hands
with the ''great reformer." Train final
ly submitted, but afterward said with
the utmost seriousness that the opera
ton had shortened his life thirty years.
In spite of this terrible calamity, how
ever, he evidently does not anticipate
his early demise, for he informed me in
the course of our conversation that he
had discovered the secret of mans be-
ing, and should himself live 200 years.
All the reasons for his being so favored
he did not disclose, but laid great stress
on diet as a means of patriarchal Ion
gevity. "Never," said he, "did | smoke
cigar or drink a glass of liquor; and
never for years have l tasted meat
One ten-cent bowl of oat meal and milk
in the morning, and another at night,
that's all-all but this" he continued,
drawing forth a shelled peanut from his
pocket and holding it up impressively
before me.
"For the last few summers" said Mr..
Train, 81 have spent all my time in
Madison square, with children for my
only companions. In their. society |
have at last found my level. They, aud
they alone are my peers. Why" con-
tinued the psychologist, warming to his
lofty theme, eff | so much as shelled a
peanut the wrong way, little girl
would come and twist my nose thus
suiting the action to the word. "Do
you suppose" giving me threatening
glance, "that any one but my peer
would do that 2" Of course l modestly |
agreed with him on every point, and
he soon started off on finance and poll
tics. 81 am now engaged in delivering
a series of thirty lectures" said he, "and
by the time they are concluded the ma
ton will have become psychological
This favorite expression and this whole
country will be rocking to and fro like
an earthquake" l ventured to inquire
how these startling results were to be
brought about. "By myself he burst
out, striking himself OH the breast; "by
George Francis Train and by this,n
pointing TO a copy of his little paper,
The Dictator, which lay on the table.
SIN six months shall be the Dictator
of this country, with all the people at
my feet" At this point could not
faint smile, which caught the
quick eye of our future despot. 'You
don't believe it," he cried every well
just wait and see! Everything has hap
pened as | have predicted thus far, and
this is certain. know it. Here, +" he
went on without pausng for comments,
''I'll explain to you how it is. You go to
the Centennial. You go into Machinery
Hall and ask to see the steam engines.
You are shown one. How much is
this p Ten horse power Another.
Twenty horse power Another. "A
hundred horse power Then you come
TO the great COrliss enpine sHnw much