The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-02-19
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
[spseial cerrs,pead.nes q tle ea.s..s.l

Grim old Father Winter has at last taken US III
his freezing embrace; his snowy mantle futters
around US, and be whistles in our with icy
breath that chills the bone. The first day Of
the new year witnessed new leaf turned in the
meteorological record. The moderate weather Of the
past few weeks changed as suddenly as the trans
formation of pautomme, leaving us, not like
favored Harlequin and Columbine in fairy-land of
flowers and blue fire, but most euphatcally :" out in
the cold" The New Years Day callers found them
selves in the afternoon face to face with snow
storm, and no doubt the nipPing air furnished an
excuse for many " nip" of another sort. Be that
it may, thei records of the police stations show
somewhat of an increase Of drunkenness over former
years.
Skaters hail the advent of cold weather with de-
light and the ice-sheets which have covered the
ornamental waters Of our public parks crowded
with the lovers of the exhiarating and graceful
else. On New Years Day several thousand people
were on the ice in Central Park. and nOtwithstand-
ing the they seemed to be enjoying the sport,
fails and all. immensely. I spoke just of skat
ing being graceful exercise, 1 would qualify that
assertion by nterpOlatiug the words except under
certain circumstances" for assuredly cases may.
aud do arise where the term graceful would be
singuary inappropriate. For instance when the
legs of skater are possessed of SO much individu-
ality to have each will of its own, and they
insist upon going in opposite directions the resultant
position of the owner of those legs cannot by any
stretch of the ina gnatou be considered graceful
not of the famed trio of the daughters of Jove
but would turn up her classic at the predica-
nf ha MD ar thai iea
when his evident wish is glide ethereally it.
A few days ago witnessed sad. and am hap
py to say exceedingly unusual sight.-a minister
of religion publicly, Enthusiastically. and staggeringly
drunk. saw him in on the New York Ele-
vated Railroad, it early in the evening. not six
o'clock. and where he could have been to get in such
o condition was mystery. Fortunately for his per-
sonsl safety be had with him stalwart companion,
for be utterly unable to take care of himself.
He had not the to keep quiet either, but would
insist upon rising from his seat and talking apparently
for other purpose than exhibit the fex-
bility of his legs and the utter absence of it in his
tongue. At last his companion. out Of all patience
pushed the reverend gentleman back into his seat
and, much to the amusement Of the spectators, sat
upon him; not metaphoricay, but literally. and as
the companion man weighing probably near.y
two hundred pounds, while the reverend gentleman
was by no means bulky, the proceeding was quite
efectual the reverend gentleman remaining perfectly
subdued squeched in fact for the remainder of the
journey.
Speaking of ministers Of religion reminds me that
one of our daily papers has been publishing letters
from correspondents the subject of the necessity
of new religion. just think oft a new religion
As if tine world at this somewhat advanced period of
its life-history had religions" enough already
and to spare. The trouble is there are too many
creeds while there is too little real religion. Too
much precept and too little practice. Too much Of
an inclination to roll the eyes piously heaveuward
and cry Lord Lord and do nothing else. Too
much of aversion to acting upon such commands
as " Be charitable to all wen." Love your neigh
Dor as yourself :. Remember the poor" and many
others of like import. The old moral teachings are
as good now ever, what the world requires is not
SO much a creed as the elimination of hypocrisy
from among the professors of the old ones.
The hanging of the murderer Hunter in New Jersey
on the 10Th calls attention the bungling
manuer in which executions are often performed
in this country. Thecuiprt, who carried half
dead TO the scafod, the first trial only half
pleIe the operation. II the choking of u man to
deata be the best mode Of preventing murder that
the civilization oil the nneteenth century devise,
surely common decency demands that the ghastly
duty be performed by some one who knows how to do
1t. In some European countries the office of public
executioner is hereditary, and in England the hang
ngs in all parts of the country done by the
person the result is that the dreadful task of legal
ly putting fellow creature out OF existence Is at
least performed in Il wOrkman-like manner. Here,
~ tka
and in consequences the public is every and then
sickened by the account of sunh that wit
messed the putting death of Hunter last Friday.
Executions, ii they to take place. should be doue
ceany, otherwise sentiment Of pity for the culprt
is created which tends in great measure to weaken
whatever good effect The example produces. But the
thought arises that perhaps in some age of the dim
future, when our bOasted civilization has developed
INTO something really worth bOastiug about, the
crime of murder may he checked by some other
means than by the mere taking Of legal vengeance
upon the body Of the murderer.
New York is aesthetic in its tastes. If ything
appears in public calculated to offend the eyes of
lovers of the beautiful the of New York
ceive shock and New York fairly howls. Those
who have the wonderful specimens Of the sculp-
tors art which various times have been placed in
Central Park proiessedy with the purpose Of adorn
ing It, may perhaps be rather surprised at the above
statement but 1t Is true nevertheless man in the
artists materials line of business recently exhibited
III WluuOW VI slOIe Skull VI Oul-
pirate named Ching Chow Foo, or more cUrrect-
Iy speaking popier Hache model of the head piece
OF that distinguished gentleman. Although not the
original skull of the decaptated pirate it said to
be sol true nature that it would have deceived even
the who performed the surgical operation by
which the original itself obtained. Children
gazed upon that skull aud ran crying home to their
mothers. Women glanced at it and turned shudder-
ing away. while many people fattened their noses
against the glass seemed incapable of Withdrawing
themselves from the weird fascination of the CHASTITY
object. At last Broadway lawyer wrote to the
Board of Health about the Questionable head, aud
suggested the immediate removal of the scuH-as he
spelled it. Tie report the matter BY the counsel
OF the Board of Health to the superintendent stated
that until it had been officially determined whether
the scull " was of the most approved pattern he
declined to "put in his oar" J.J. K.
TcommunicatedJ l-1hE 80
. Temperance Reform.