St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-03-21

and railway Trucks. Inc eHpeIoI hdo
contributed a further relief fund OF
S4S. 900. and lac will visit Szegedin.
Szentes is now the only place III danger.
The international" Affair in New
York.
The result of the walking match
which has been for a week the one
theme of metropolitan conversation and
journalism is now known. The proper
thing for the patriotic American, as we
are informed by the best Irish authOrl-
| ty, is to abuse the Englishman who has
won the champion belt for pedestrian
| ism, and takes it back whence it came.
We have got SO far down from the orig
inal idea of the republic that we must
pick out our citizenship instead of in
viting all the world-as the Chinese are
now learning,-and that nobody but an
American must win any stake or honor
here-except an Irishman. This is one
lesson of the contest.
Another lesson is that barbarism is
not expelled by our gloss of civilization.
The exhibition of these six days at Gil
mOre's garden was as purely brutal as
bull fght,-the bulls are eliminated,
that is all the difference. There are a
good many stories atlOat, of course, that
the race was sold, that O'Leary was
bought, and his retirement humbug.
Certainly there is basis for suspicion
in the fact that the man whom every
body counted first should break down
with nothing done, that the man least
thought of should come off second best,
and the one expected to be second
should turn out poor third. But 1t
seems certain that the champion Irish
American entered the contest a sick
man and was inhumanly outraged with
stimulants to keep afOOt so long as he
did. Every participant in the match
suffered a physical wrong that must
shorten his life. 1t was thoroughly
brutal show.
And it was carried on with brutal
surroundings and appurtemances. 1t is
triumph of debasement that taints
our civilization. The place in which
this boosted athletic contest was waged
was miniature hell of drunkenness
and profanity. By posting policemen
two yards apart around the arena, the
riot threatened by race luminosity was
prevented, but the threat was there,
and the evil passions of the lowest
vi bhS AhO Niiii
inal class of New York, were pandered
to 10y sale of liquors never surpassed
if indeed ever equaled in this country.
The week ut Gilmore's garden was a
disgrace to the great city and to Am
erican character.
The pettiness that captures New
York journalism at times was never
more noticeably illustrated than in the
way the great newspapers gave up their
space and their attention to this per-
formance. There seemed to be no 9th
er interest under heaven worth consid-
Grafton except the question whether
the Englishman, the American or the
Irishman should win. This is the one
great international competition of the
year 1879. The character, the resourc-
es, the future of countries hung upon
it. The beer and whisky and cham
payne was in the heads of the editors
and reporters and publishers. 1t has
been quite painfully amusing.
The interest has not been confined to
the roughs and reporters, however, but
all the city was agog with feverish
anxiety; Rowell and O'Leary, Ennis
and Hartman were household words in
the mouths of all New York Wall
street ulu not watch the rise and fall
of stocks more closely than the hourly
record of their respective miles, and
streets, hotels and social gatherings
were invaded by this barren topic. 1t
is evident that the public mind has lit
tie to busy itself with of serious con-
Germ when this primitive sport. COM
mon to red Indians and black Africans,
and only Improved" among us by the
vivacity and vulgarity of the gamblers
who are chiefly concerned in it, can alb
sorb the attention so thoroughly. The
public mind is as vacant and trivial as
a child's.
TheIe is certain legitimate interest
in human endurance and achievement,
but its limit, in a trial so speculative,
inhuman, profitless and vicious as this
has been, is altogether passed. Spring
field Republican.