The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-03-12

The house OF Macy is probably SO
widely known as any in America,
and its reputation was Won by one
cent.
If any other house sold q certain
grade Of goods at o dollar, Macy
marked his ct 80 cents. Sometimes
for oddity's sake his prices wonld he
sig OIL for 8 given article, or Sl3 80
A price at even money was as rare
as sn honest politician. and this peeu-
liarity, more than any other cause
probably. brought bis store into no
torie.y and him into a handsome Tor
tune.
Bot the grim B~ook-keeper has been
balancing rapidly With the
old firm of r ii. Macy & Co. Two
years ago Mr.. Macy died ia Paris
leaving an inebris,e son on an allow
ance of q few hundred annually rot
LONG after Mr.. Laforge. the second
mariner. died. and this has now been
followed by the death of MIR. Nalen-
tine. The sole remaining partner oil the
original firm. The son alluded TO
also died q few weeks ago. The I'M
mense business now passes into the
hands of Mr.. Webster, who came in-
20 the hrm after Mr.. Mscy's death.
aud suddenly fbds himself ma TER OF .
retail business often amounting 10
fifty thousand dollars 10 one single
day.
WET TO ORDER.
After every large dry goods hfe
the smaller class of retailers get up q
tremendous u on "wet goods from
the late FIRE; - and even larger houses
have done more or less iu this par
ucular line. 1t has long been q mys
ter TO some people how 50 much
goods could be damaged in any lire
without breaking ali the insurance
companies. Some other people dldot
stop to speculate intellectually, but
~prcceeded vigorously to financial
speculation 10 these goods, thinking
that materials which were damp q
dirty, without attempting to hide
their shame, must be cheap. The
recent heavy fires gave fresh impetus
TO this particular trade; and though
wiseacres winked and biinked and
biuted about good chances to work
of unstable goods, the desr people
were blind To blinks and desf TO
hints, for they scented-"bsrgaiOsl y
1t was left for an Eighth avenue
Israelite to let this exceedingly black
cat out of her hitherto very shady
bag. He had neither been TO auc
ton and bought real wet goods, nor
pulled out bis unstable merchandise,
wet it and dragged il about his floors,
and when be saw the people a0cking
past his store TO those where the
wet goods game was being played,
his rage knew no bounds. He re-
solved TO give the coup de grace TO
the whole humbug, aud took his re-
venge 90 his e%nterprising rivals and
che aocking people at q swoop, by
painting a huge sign Tor bis store
front, bearing the inscription F.:
Goods tcet 10 Order at Short No
kice ~
A sUBTERRASEAN MONSTER
Down beneath the psvements on
Spruce street, there is painting away,
day and night, every hour 10 the
wear, g huge iron slave, running bis
eiaut arms out beneath side walks,
across streets, under massive build
ings and blocks. grinding away Sam
son like in his dark prison house, a
perfect marvel of strength. and with
out a parallel on the Continent IL on
the Globe.
He grips with one of bis long hn
gers the Bullock presses OF Horace
Greeley's greatest monument, ana
throws of 1000 ITibnnes an hour
from each Of several presses under
the famous Tall Tower. With an
other, be grasps the lightning presses
of the paper which "shioes for ALL
aud prints q hundred thousand Sans
before you have tasted your morning
coffee.
Down Spruce street ruos another
giant arm which turns out The mon.
strous edition of the NeU York Led.
ger ; another drives the presses of the
Sunday Dispatch; another RUS down
into JOAN SCOTS cellars and prints
over forty weekly papers Of Lesser
fame.
TO both sides of Spruce, both sides
OF Frankfort, both sides of William
snd one side Of Beekmsa, yet other
arms stretch out and run handreds o.
devices for printing, ruling. cutting,
perforsting aud binding in that busy
nest of types and csrdboards fronting
on and adjacent TO Printing House
Square.
His fires never go ont aimanaeS
and clocks, seasons and cycles, dynas.
ties and electoral commissions are not
for him.
He heard the booming guns at
Sumter aud told the world what they
meant. bat his painting quickened not.
Lee laundering st the gates Of Get.
tysburg and Lee surrendering at APP
pomattox were one 10 this slave.
He heard the tramp of armed men
above bis head 10 'el, and listened IN
'G5 to the heavier tread Of thinner
ranks bearing back those tattered,
riddled banners, which make the yer.
lest dotard's blood Jingle 10 his veins
as be looks; be saw Tweed's daugh-
ter wearing diamonds for shoe but
tons, and looking sgain saw the de-
throned robber dying By inches 10 g
felon's cell, nor this nor that meant
anything &c him.
Old Time, to whom We mortsls
bow most r~evereptislly, looks down
through these grimy gratings and
gets no mere attention than u con-
temptuous puf of steam in his face.
This is the Slave Of Commerce not of
Tine; be knows no Law but The de-
mands of Trade and acknowledges no