Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-01-12
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MoNIroR.]
NEW York. Jan. 5. 1880.

an Icy sort OF way and IN Its last week
took off with it two prominent New York
citizens. Recorder Hackett is dead. So
is George (Jones) the Count Joannes.
The former was the terror of burglars
and snipe. The son of prime actor,
his father being perhaps the very best
impersonator of Falstaff who ever APP
peared on any stage. he had the GOODNESS
of the boards about him. AS he deli
cately pared his nails, he would pleas
antly remark to convicted culprit that
he was the biggest rufian he had ever
met, and then jerk out the dreadful SEN
tence Twenty years. His life was
threatened almost daily, but he took his
walks abroad with pistol in each pock-
ct of his velvet sack coat and it was we'll
known he was dead shot. To get the
drop on him required more nerve and
consciousness of right than is possessed
by the average thief or murderer. Hack
EFT was great sportman, and while not
popular man had many warm friends,
and retained his responsible office under
any and all changes of parties in the
municipal government. No higher COM
pliment could have been paid to his ster-
ling merits, for in New York the prac-
tice of victors seizing all the spoils is
carried out to its fullest extent as rule.
Hackett could have claimed the title of
Baron Hackett in the peerage of Ireland.
Count Joannes, the one American noble
man who bore title, who was really
nobleman, having received genuine IL
tie from some petty German Prince Pal
atine, was at one time very fair actor.
He then became fair lawyer, but some
bee in his bonnet so influenced him that
he became very eccentric, and of late
years was "guyed" in the most outra-
geous way in everything he undertook.
His peculiarly shabby genteel attire,
stilted tragic walk, gloomy brow and
| portentous wig and dyed mustache, his
blazing decoration and lofty mien were
familiar to every one, from the newsboy
up. Sothern caricatured him, and the
San used to publish his preposterous
nonsence with an air of solemn awe and
exaggerated respect that was very funny
in itself. He died attended by his
adopted daughter, Avonia Fairbanks,
whom he had befriended with his usual
Quixotic chivalry. He hadn't real
enemy in the world, and many who
laughed oftenest at the poor, harmless
old man will feel sorry now he Is gone.
Even the rowdy persons he occasionally
assaulted as he asserted his dignity new
er bore malice.
! | spent part of the holidays in Hart.
ford this year, and while there had the
good fortune to meet the man who has
probably given more people the luxury
of a good laugh than any other individ
ual on this distracted globe. This de-
scription ought to be enough to identify
Mark Twain, but to avoid all possibility
of mistake | will mention that he is the
individual referred to. Twain has now
in the press of the American Publishing
Company, of Hartford, new book which
is going to add largely to his already
enviable fame The title of the new vol
, umeis "a Tramp Abroad" and it is Fl
companion to the now world-famou
"Innocents Abroad" It is in the au
, thor's richest vein which you know i
{ saying good deal, and shows his mar
, velous resourse and versatility. On
would think that the "lnnocents' hat
about exhausted the possibilities 70
Twain's peculiar fun in connection witt
European travel, but you will all Sc
when the present book appears that Their
were plenty left. The latter deals wit
higher ATTITUDES than the former, bein
mainly devoted to Germany and Swift
zerland, of which Twain sees and depict
the humorous side exquisitely. Th
| book is profusely illustrated and has 70
a frontispiece the only existing stee
portrait of the author. I should nc
r wonder if the new volume should repea
: the wonderful success of "Roughing 1t,
/. of which, 10000 copies were sold th
y first week of its issue. Like its predt
j. cessors, the new book will be sold b
]. subscription exclusively, and is going
: furnish lucrative employment to a sma
}, army of agents.
J. Charity allied with the light fantasti
[. toe or the leaders of fashion in any otl
It er way, is apt to rake in more none
than when like violet blushing unseel
The remark is suggested by the figure
8 in the case of the great Seventh Reg
~ ment Armory Fair which wrote abo,
while it progressed. The natty youn
6 militiamen got $4,000 toward fifth
'e up their new club house and drill room
( Hospital Saturday and Sunday was
new idea over here at any rate. Box
t. with little yellow flags were placed
r all the ferries. stations of the elevate
+ railroads and the public places, whe
people were supposed to drop in the
odd pennies, and collections were take