St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-10-03
Our New York Letter.

GHOSTLY ORCHESTRA.
-a- NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 1879.
To the Editor of the CaledOnian
A peculiar phase of the walking ma
MIA is the appearance of so many &c
centric people on the sawdust and
tanbark track. The ex-champion Wes-
ton, father of long-distance walking, is
a prominent specimen once sort of
journalist, he has acted SO strangely
before the multitudes watching his per-
Torrance, that very general doubts
have been expressed as to his sanity,
and his mountebank tricks have been
anything but dignifed. Another mans
reputation seems chiefly to depend on
his capacity for eating pie, and another
on his long hair, and so on. One thing
is certain, that to win prize, grit and
bottom are necessary, and that no
amount of antics or catch-penny de-
vices to attract little cheap notoriety
are worth a cent. The Englishmen have
been singularly modest in their behav-
ior, looked on the whole affair as bust
ness, and went at it in steady, bust
ness-like way. This walking must be a
terrible task. They say the fitful slum-
bers of the wretched pedestrians are
haunted by the most terrible dreams,
and that when they resume their pacing
after them they suffer untold fortunes
in every limb till they warm up to their
work. The prizes for the foremost
have certainly been very large and
tempting, but the losers who lost their
entrance money seem to have under
gone even more bodily pain. Very good
order prevailed on this occasion, the
only noticeable exception being the
hurting of stone at Hazael by ruffian
who feared to lose bet.
The rush back of residents from the
country and of visiting strangers with
pockets full of money continues, and
cheering indications of positive and
general revival of business on healthy
basis are multiplying on every hand.
Cricket is grand old English game
which has somehow never got quite
naturalized among us, except at Phila-
delphia. An Irish team has been among
us, and played havoc with the best
men we could put up to meet them.
There is some consolation that in fly
ing trip to Canada, where the game is
very much more generally played, they
had equally unvarying success.
1t is probable that the daily running
races and steeple chases on the Brigh-
ton race track at COney Island, will
shortly be brought to close. A num-
Der of valuable horses have been de-
strOyed in these constantly recurring
contests and even the jockeys have not
escaped unscathed. But. the sport is
popular, and the public must be pleas
ed. Next year will no doubt witness a
repetition of the saMe sort of thing.
We are all agog with expectation.
Talmage the Great is coming back, and
the mouths of the faithful are yawning
agape in emulation of his own. He is,
it is understood, laden with shekels
spoiled from the Britishers, who listen
ed to his talk and witnessed the gyra-
tions of his wonder0us extremities. But
the Tabernacle is, alas, not that peace
full home the good man might wish to
return to. There are discussions there
in, and no less than four prominent
officials have manifested symptoms OF
serious dissatisfaction with the way
things are, and have been, carried on
And then there is the more than prob
ability of another trial by the assem-
bled Presbytery on appeal from the de-
cision of the former council. And then
the newspapers, illustrated and other
wise, will not let the man alone. PoOl
Talmage
Talking of Talmage makes one think
of Beecher. The Plymouth pastor has
lust lost one of his staunchest friends
old Freeland, the Brooklyn Interna
Revenue Collector firm, not to say
obstinate patriarch who has been re-
peatedly turned out of Office and has
simply declined to go. There has beer
an uproar for day or two, and the1
Beecher would go down to Washing
ton, see the President for the tim'
being, and after good laugh come bacl
victorious. The deacon used to TAX
the matter very philosophically, quit
as thing of course, and one reall.
wonders if, in case Beecher had eve
failed, the entire army and navy coul'
have succeeded in Ousting this mos
tenacious of officeholders.
The only American nobleman, Georg
the Count Joannes, as he calls himself
has been celebrating the centennial O
, the victory gained by his alleged rela
tive, Commodore Paul Jones, over til
English line-of-battle ship Scraps
} IL
turedly allowed by the Mayor and Al
i dermen to hoist a flag painted by him
! self and stated to be fac-simile of th
one used on the American ship durin
the action, from the roof of the Cit
1 Hall, and has been boiling over for day
}, with Joy and patriotism. His contr
buttons to the press have been volum
nous, and really interesting as we'll ;
comical.
A very tall story is told by the vel
@ cradle father of Gen. Daniel E. Sickle
It of much matrimonial and army fam
n II appears that the old gentleman
:, very fond of music, and that on sever
u occasions of late, a ghostly orchestra
II surprising merit, led by most poll
d and accomplished disembOdied spiri
n have visited him in broad daylight al
- played enchanting airs, to his great d
. light.
"a That jolly joker, Senator S. S. (Su
vs. set) Cox, has earned the gratitude
j. those friends of all of us, the Post Off
r carriers, by getting their pay raise
and the New York boys organized
TO little surprise for him the other da
se and gave him superb watch, which
ut acknowledged in as good a speech
+ even he ever made.
:, Mr.. Bergh, of the Society for t
~ Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is
he the throes of conflict with the dc