Daily Republican., 1880-01-20
LETTER PROM PHILADELPHIA.
The Condition Of Ihs CitI-Osi
Versus Gaa-Tke Liabilities Of
Express Companies A Novel,
suit.

butas
81 lcclal Correspond snee Of the Republican.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. II. 80.
II il safe to assert that the publ
mind Of this city Is not little uneas.
with reference TO next summer, vie.
ing that season from sanitary stan
point. Every little while rumors ar
set aiioat of the prevalence Of small
pox up town, but SO far as can bs ascsf
tanned there is no truth in them, be
yond the existence of a few isolated
cases Of this nature. Whatever appre
hension may have been felt as to tn,
presence of this dreadful disease, tn,
recent action Of the Health Board
whereby that body recommends al
persons 10 resort Immediately to vac
cination as means Of preventing
the spread Of the contagion-hal
not tended to relieve it aud
1t is probable that the vaccine physi
clans will soon be- quite busy in their
line. While the Board deserve credi
for this timely advice, they should also
bestir themselves in the matter of Oul
muddy streets. Many persons are in
clined to think that the unseasonably
moderate temperature we are having is
geing to result in some troublesome
complaint next summer. 1t is import.
ant, therefore, that cleanliness should
be the watchword all around, and that
the street contractors In particular
should bs made to keep their respective
districts In a proper condition. A little
energy Ia this respect may save Us a
great deal of regret In the future.
Councils have passed resolution in
structing the Gas Trust to transact bu-
siness with open doors. What is to be
gained by this is not known, and II is
as likely as not that the Trust will
regulate that matter to suit itself; at
the same time it is becoming matter
of Indifference to many people what
the Trust does in its secret sessions,
having severed all business relations
with that body. once before stated
that oil was largely superceding gas in
this city as a medium Of light, owing to
the high price Of the latter, and, before
this movement comes IL halt, the Trus-
tees Of the Gas works will find their
quarterly receipts diminished by thous-
ands of dollars. The "Record" is about
to substitute oil for gas in Its composing
room.
The Supreme Court has decided an
express company liable in the following
case: A firm expressed certain goods on
a Thursday. The following Saturday
afternoon the consignee inquired at the
office of his town If the goods had arriv-
ed for him. They had not then, but
came that evening. The consignee was
a well known man, and lived only a
short distance from the express Office,
yet the goods were kept at the Office
until the following Tuesday, when the
establishment and goods were destroy
ed by fire. Justice Mercur strated that
express companies we're common car
riers, and generally held to do personal
delivery, and should deliver goods as
soon as possible during business hours.
The singular case Of a journeyman
suing his master forms efficient instruc-
tion occurred yesterday in court. The
plaintiff was apprenticsd to black,
smith to learn horssshoeing. His com.
plant was that while he had been
taught to WELD the shoes and fasten
them on horses feet, his master had
failed to instruct him in the art of fas.
tenipg the shoes to lit the horses hoofs.
The defence was that the plaintiff had
received the customary instruction
and had turned out better than the
average run of apprentices, and was
employed as Journeyman by the de-
lcndant. Verdict for the latter.
The policy business is yet at a stand
still. A payment was to have been
made on Thursday to number ofper-
sons entitled to ante-failure "hits,"
but the hackers were absent from the
shop" all day, and some of the irate
"yamps" talked OF prosecuting them.
Monday has now been fixed as pay day.
GUIIEIMUS