St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-10-31
Our New York Letter.
AN AMERICAN zULU-THE est. NARY
HUGE MONOPoLY-ABoUTH HORSES
INFLUX OF CoRN-ALL SORTS.

John Dunn of Zululand, who has been
enthroned in part of the territory which
used to belong to King Cetewayo, is a
New Yorker, of Irish birth, it is true,
but grew up here, was a good plasterer,
studied law, and also made money as
an architect and civil engineer till the
time of our little unpleasantness, when
he Joined the CorcOran legion as cap
tain. Why he disappeared from among
his old friends, and buried himself
among his fat, forty, and not fair wives,
is something his old father, very re-
spectacle old gentleman, can give no
reason for.
New York is, believe, the only city
i'm the world that has a floating public
school. The st. Mary's training ship
is one of the regular schools under the
direction of the Board of Education.
1t is by no means refOrmatOry institu-
ton. On the contrary, the boys re-
ceived have to be of the best character
and no little education before entering
on their new studies. The commander
is ALWAYS an officer of the United States
Navy, and the instructors are excep-
tionally able and carefully selected
men. The youngsters are put through
a regular course of sprouts as common
sailors. and take at least one long sea
voyage each year. When they gradu-
ate they usually find little difficulty in
obtaining responsible positions as mates
i'm the merchant service. The ship is
somewhat an expensive style of school,
and on that account there is always
more or less opposition to it among
large class of tax payers. But others
are very strongly in its favor and its
examination days, one of which has
Just passed, is always a great occasion.
The Chamber of Commerce, which
claims the position of patrons to the
school, always turn out i'll force, with
their sisters, cousins and aunts, and the
boys have Il gay and festive time IN
deed.
The good people of Brooklyn are very
angry and disguised with the ways that
are dark and tricks not in vain of their
various gaslight companies, which have
consolidated, and now threaten to put
up the price of gas. They have long
been an offense to people, and the way
in which they have been accustomed to
charge for gas during the summer, when
houses have actually been locked up
and empty, has been regarded as ex-
tremeIy cool. They have not had it all
their own way, however. Numbers OF
citizens and storekeepers gave up their
meters and took to kerosene, while a
few got small gas machines for them
selves, and now the "strikers" went for
them. A gang of unsavOry politicians
actually got Incorporated and secured
IL charter for new company, and for
months have been tearing up the streets
to Law mains. They have been bought
out, and now it turns out they laid
their pipes only two feet under ground,
where frost in winter would make every
one useless, so that 1T was evident the
whole thing was nothing but a shrewd
bit of blackmail.
One of the sensations of the day is
the announced unreserved auction sale
next week of fifty-six horses, brood
mares, colts, ETC., of the famous trOtting
stock of Mr.. Robert Bonner of the
Ledger. He does not surrender the two
or three supreme marvels of his stable,
but the records of some of the horses to
be offered are rarely approached by
those of even what are usually cOnsid-
cred first-class trotters. The value of
the fifty-six is probably as many thou
sand dollars but the notice of sale
plainly states that there will be no re-
serve, even if they don't bring $40
head.
Speaking of which reminds me of an
other current item of news which in
terests lovers of horses and which runs
after this wise: The purchasing offices
of the U. S. army are located in this
city, and an enormous amount of sup
plies of all kinds are absorbed by them.
Pursuant to the orders of the Board of
Army Equipment at Washington, the
agents here are soon to give some very
heavy orders for the Whitman Saddle,
which after official tests and eXamina-
ton has been decided by the Govern
ment to so far surpass all other English
and American saddles as to warrant the
abandonment of the kinds now in use,
and the exclusive adoption of the Whit
man throughout the mounted branch of
the service. The new saddle is the in
ventiOn of Col. r. E. Whitman, of the
regular army, and has for the basis of
its absolute superiority tree, the I'M
der side of which is SO modelled as to
conform exactly to the constantly vary
ing curves of horses back, which it
fits like IL glove. The result is that all
the hot and irritating pads necessary to
English style of saddle are dispensed
with, slipping is made impossible, and
there is produced the lightest, coolest,
tirmest, most compact and above all
the most comfortable saddle, both for
horse and rider, that was ever invented
Since its adoption for our own cavalry,
foreign governments are examining it
with view to its introduction abroad.
The new saddle is equally adapted to
general use, being made both for ladies
and gentlemen in all styles, and must
displace all others wherever it is
known.
The British gold, against which
Fenian leaders have spoken so elo-
quently when administered in recent
brides, is pouring in openly by millions,
us we'll us other foreign gold. In the
last six weeks no less than $55, zoo, 900
in hard cash has come over. Every
steamship is loaded down with gold,
and the wisest financiers say that now
the country cannot help prospecting.
For the first time in the history of the
country we have a currency on a gold
basis, and there is nothing but the
widest speculation that can hinder our
attaining degree of prosperity as
brilliant as the adversely we have strug-
gled through has been dark. Hurrah
for the foreign gold
Missing men, women and children.