St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-09
Our New York Letter.


DE LEssEPs OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
BUSINESS COMPETITION = GROWING
RICHNESS OF DREss-CENTRAL PARK
ATTRACTIONS.
NEW YORK, APRIL 2d, 1851.
To the Editor of the CaIedonian:
Investigation of railroad and steam
boat accidents through long series OF
wears has shown that a considerable
proportion of such casualties occur
through the inability of train hands to
distinguish colors, and their consequent
installing of the Signals by which they
are to be guided. To remove this men-
ace to the safety of the travelling pub
lie. the aid of science has for sometime
past been invoked in Europe, and at
last the same precautions are Inaugural
fed in this country. An exhaustive
medical examination of 5000 employees
of the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad has been
bepun this week, the result of which
will doubtless be published on its COM
pletion. Each man is to be tested not
only as to his ability to distinguish red
and green 1.-THE colors mainly used in
railroad signals) but also as to the
acuteness of his sight and hearing.
Still another test is for what is called
astiematism. In this test the person is
directed to look at a quarter inch aper-
ature in screen twenty feet distant
with a strong light behind il, and then
called upon to state in what shape it ap
pears to him, whether round. oval, elon
gated, or angular, and to what extent
as near as he can say. This examina-
ton, however, is not necessary if acuity
of vision be found to be satisfactory.
Although the test appears to he simple
to the reader, it is by no means so to
many of the subjects under examina-
ton. What appears oval to the salts
faction of one is triangular to anO: her,
and each has u positive conviction as to
the correctness of his perceptive facul-
ties The faculty of clearly distin-
gushing forms at greater or less dis
lance is of paramount Importance i'll the
case of engineers and firemen. A sig
nal NAV he perpendicular, horizontal,
or ut an angle of say thirty or fifty de-
grees, and to discover its correct posi-
ton is Il point of the gravest cOnse-
quence.
All failing to reach the standard in
one or more of these requisites will Ell
Their he discharged OF transferred to
some position where his defect will not
| impair his usefulness. 1t is reported
that thus far one in sixteen is found TO
be color blind. Other roads are cOnsid-
ering the adoption of the same system,
which must eventually become unirer-
sal.
A frequent source of wondering admi-
ration to me is the perfection of busl-
ness methods, and The number of little
elegancies and couvenienceS secured to
the public by modern business cOmpeti-
ton. The great army of dIummers,
the prOfuseness and attractivenesS of
advertising, the magnificence of store
fittings, and the endless variety and low
prices of goods are all results of this one
cause. This feeling WIS excited at the
present time by an envelope which fell
into my hands day or two ago bearing
the card of ROgers, Peet & Co, prob
ably the most prominent clothing house
in America. This envelope and its
contents formed striking illustration
of what was said above. In it | find
samples of Seasonahle goods, with the
prices; illustrations of how garments
look when made up; the plainest posi-
BILE directions for self-measurement, and
even tape measure to do the measur-
ing with. To render the whole thing
complete there is handsome cOlored
! birds-eye view of New York, showing
the location of this firms establishment
as well as of all the principal points OF
interest, together with concise history
and description of the metropolis and
directions how to spend a week in see
ing it to the best advantage. This let
ter is a curiously complete little thing
interesting and valuable even to New
Workers themselves.
Despite the criminal laxness of the
|, Park Commissioners in keeping The
grounds of our beautiful Central Pari
in order, that spot seems destined t.
grow in richness and attractiveness
Already it has its nucleus of zoolog
zeal garden to which small additions ar,
constantly making, and already it ha
one section of the twelve which are t.
form the colossal and magnificent Amer
lean Museum of Natural History
Then, too, this last week the grand new
r building of the Metropolitan Muse
, um of Art was opened by the Presi
dent of the United States in the mids
of a company which for numbers an,
social, artistic and political renown /
= seldom equaled even in the metropolis
, and now proposition is made to estab
3 fish there a Winter Garden. This
nothing more or less than Il giganti
l dollhouse and conservatory where, un
der two acres of glass, profusion OF ex
otto and domestic vegetation shall def
the wintry blasts and form little par
! adise wherein the poor, as we'll as tn
rich, may enjoy the soft air and flower
perfumes of Summer throughout on
frost bound season. This last idea is
t very attractive one, and it is claimed
= would not be very expensive one t
e carry out.
De Lesseps, the hero of the Suez Ca
nal, and the would-be divider of tn
I American Continent, has just starte
= back to France. His departure wa
J.. amid the braying of brass, the cheers {
a motley crowd, and Il shower of bou
y quets. The Count Processes himse
: more than delighted with his treatmei
: from the citizens and Government {
o the United States, and lightly ignore
o all the crOaking-political, mechanics
= and financial-which has been emitte
+; during his stay among us. He promis
s es to visit this country about the last {
!. this year, to see how the scheme pre-
crosses.
Since Easter the papers are file
= with glowing accounts of the Sprin
U openings of our great dry-good shouse
s the introductions of which are said
be richer and more costly this year tina