The daily gazette., 1879-01-25
Philadelphia Letter.

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N. s. Pinatore--7heatrica Notes.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. "a, 1S79.-Pbila-
delphia having laid aside her holiday at
tire, has once more donned the sober
brown clothing for which she is so well
known. The name "Quaker City" given
at first because of the numbers of Qla-
kers who made their homes here. is now
an exceedingly appropriate one for
another reason. The city has become SO
staid and dignified that it seems to par
take to considerable degree of the hab-
its and customs of Friends, who are re-
markable among many other things for
their transformations habits. Walking
down Chestnut street this morning, we
found our touleuard full of people not
withstanding the slushy nature of the
pavements. The men walked straight
ahead rs though they meant business,
which by the way is giving unmistakea-
BILE signs Of Improvement. People seem
to take a more cheerful view of things
and we have no doubt the Spring trade
Will be unusually brisk.
Notwithstanding the general quietness
of the city, we are sometimes aroused
from our sedateness by happenings quite
out of the ordinary run of events. The
people in the upper part of town were
awakened from Ihe,r sleep at three o.
clock on Monday morning by the burn
ing Of Browns mills, Eighth and 1asker
streets. The principal building owing to
the conclusive nature of the structure,
was entirely destroyed, entailing a loss OF
S22J, ,000 which ia fully covered by insur-
ance. Had the wind been blowing in
another direction much of the surround
ing property must have been destroyed.
II is surprising what widespread loss is
occa-oned by such a disaster AZ this. The
building destroyed is SAID to be the larg-
est OF its kind in Philadelphia, employed
over 600 hands, all of whom are thrown
out of employment, with prospect Of
remainingso TOR some time. Upon the
wages earned by these people whole
army of grocers, shoemakers, butchers,
and other ratail merchants in the neigh
borhood, depended for their livelihood,
and now that the means for making the
wages is taken away widespread destiiu-
ton must follow Thus Is the folly of the
mad rawlings of kearney and the rest of
his motley followers use more established
by actual facts. There can be no hostility
between capital and labor, because they
arc necessarily dependent upon each other
and must rise or fall together
Another event of the week was the
closing of the "Arcade," vil- deu of in
iuuity on North Eighth street, by order
OF the Mayor. The chief of police, with
squad OF men about twice the size of
Wilmingtons entire force, raided the
place on Saturday night last, and captur-
ed the performers, managers, all minors
in the audience, and women who were
sent out to cutice men ln'o gambling
dens. These were all marched TO the
Central where various punlshmcnts were
m.ted out to them. This is "A step in the
right direction and our Mayor il applaud
ed by all good citizens for the strong
measures he took for the suppression OF
one OF our most degenerating sins. There
are several more such steps which might
be taken by way of shutting up score OF
such dens which are nightly ending their
victims down the road to rum. The low
variety theatres seem to be pretty gener-
ally in trouble now. Fox, the proprietor
of the Chestnut street hell, is II fugitive
from Justice having forfeited his bail.
| The Grand Central where the brutal
sparr,pg exhibition lately held forth, was
| closed last night because of an alarming
scarcity of funds with which to pay OIL
the peiformers Would that funds were
as scarce with them all,
OF course the common topic OF conyer-
sation this week has been the lnaugura-
| ton of onr new Governor, harry hoyti
and the election of IA U. >. Senator 10
serve (or cheat his country for the next
six wears in the Legislative halls al
| Washington. The Inauguration need not
| he mentioned here, as full accounts OF
the cercmony have been given in the pa
pers, We really Iclt quite strange here
| without the presence of the lower order
| of machine politicians, who, OF course
| had all gone to Harrisburg. For once
Philadelphia breathcd freely. But har
| risburp was-wcll, we once heard good
| Joke which will illustrate the position il
which Harrisburg was placed when
South Carolina was creating such hub
hub at the time of the last general cleo
tion. some one said that " II would be 9
yood thing were South Carolina To b,
1ropped down into China" 3" But ther
think of the poor Chinamen" some on,
else exclaimed. The moral is plain
James Donald Cameron once more take'
his seat in the U. S. Senate, and he Cam
lrron DYNASTY has once more asserted III
lpower.
good deal of latent charity which only
needs something forcible to bring 1t tt
the surface, has been strlkingly illustrated
here this week. The Times" came ou
lin a minute description OF the suherlnR'
of family in Ogden street, the fathel
of whom had been out OF work io
some time, and he and hi'
wife with their six children, had finally
reached the verge of starvation. Ih'
man became almost mad in this terrible
extremity and laid hold of fine turkey
which he saw hanging before a grocerl
store, and with which he hoped TO Keel
alive the feeble spark of life in his dea
ones. He was detected, arrested, an,
sent to prison for two months. Mean
while the Constable after several warn
linp-, cana TO the house to sell the good
f for nop-paym-nt of rent He found TIL
mother with five of her children hud
died about the stove, while III her arm
: she held the dead body of the sixth
which investigation afterwards PROVED
literally starred 10 death. When the new
was broken to the husband iii prison tn
{ scene can much better be imagined thai
described. This terrible tale OF humal
suffering and death, in the midst OF wealtl
: and plenty, at once had its effect. IN
r mex, day Ogden street was blocked VIII
Handsome carriages, and the poor tamil
were supplied with enough provisions
clothes and money to last them Ior
wear or two. But the charity, goou as
l was. came TOO late to brihg BACK IN
i breath of hte to the thin body OF th
: dead child. az,
The Philadelphians always Were COZ
ceited enough TO believe that 1t woul
:, take more than one gun boat to captur
i, our fair city. In this idea II seems W
. ha.n fxy