Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-16
MANHATTANISMS.
PRIVATE RIGHTS AND THE LATEST
MONOPOLY.
A Story About Criticism with a Moral-A
Clerical Coxcomb- "reminiscences Of
Caleb Cushing-Notes.
NEW YORK. April S. 1850.

NEW YORK, April S, 1880.
The decision of the General Term of the
Superior Court, just made here, that the
elevated railways should be required to
pay damages to property holders, where
private rights can be clearly shown to have
been invaded, has been earnestly welcomed
by hundreds of property owners on and
near the route of the roads, as well as by
lovers of justice throughout the city. 1t
is pleasant surprise to most persons, as it
is a reversal of former decision, and in
asmuch as there seemed to be no hope of
obtaining justice against this
COLOSSAL MONOPOLY
And aggressive corporation, for the roads
are now, as you know, consolidated into
one company. l fear that injured prop
erty-holders are unduly elated by this
decision, which will not, in all probability,
| do them any good, because the case will,
of course, be carried to another Court, and,
in the event of decisions adverse to the
roads, to another and another Court, with
the special intent to exhaust the patience
and means of the plaintiffs There is very
little doubt, however, that if the question
of their rights should ever come before the
Supreme Court of the United States, their
rights will be sustained. The ablest dis
interested lawyers say that the State
Legislature has no constitutional right to
grant any such charter as it has granted to
ba rao1S on1 hat ra,fhar hos 4ho
any right to give them the privilege of
making themselves nuisance, as they as
suredly have done. Right of way and occu-
patton of the streets is one thing, depriva-
tion of light, vile odors, binding, begrim-
ing smoke, continuous deafening noise, are
another and all these the roads constantly
create. The Metropolitan Railway, against
which the decision mentioned has been
obtained, has injured property far more
than the New York Railway, as the former
runs through Sixth avenue and one of the
best quarters, while the latter runs through
Third avenue, occupied mainly by beer and
liquor saloons, and the German and poorer
population, naturally less sensitive to
odors, din and other annoyances, than are
people of different class The roads have
done
MORE THAN $50, 900, 900 DAMAGE,
1t is estimated, in the entire city, and to
prevent citizens from recovering anything
at law, they have mortgaged their prop
erty beyond it full value. They have, on
the other hand, been of great benefit to the
city at large, especially to the upper part,
and have made fortunes for the originators
OF the enterprise. Such men as Cyrus w.
Field, Samuel j. Tilden, Jose F. Navarro,
David Dows, George Nj. Pullman, David
Dudley Field, S. L. M. Barlow, General
Horace Porter, VIM. H. Vanderbilt, Moses
Taylor, Robert L. Stuart are reported to
have made new fortunes from the roads
Most of them have sold out their stock for
six or seven times its cost, so as to avoid
all danger OF prospective damages. The
general publict-hat is, the people doing
business and living away from the line of
the roads-like them; but all those who
have been hurt by them detest them, and
cannot understand why they should he
made heavy losers without dollar of COM
pensation for their losses.
ART CRITICISM.
It is never entirely safe to find fault with
picture in an exhibition when you have
a wide acquaintance among artists, unless
you know who has painted it. Prudence
in this particular is taught by late Incl
dent at an uptown exhibition, where a
number of amateurs were represented. A
critic happened to be going about the
rooms in company with an acquaintance,
and they were freely offering comments on
the different canvases. After awhile the
companion Of the critic-a very polite per-
son, by the by-took him by the arm and
led HIM to picture, which he said he
wished the critic to see. "What do you
think of this ?" was the inquiry, as they
stood in front of what purported to be an
ideal head. "Think of it:' replied Aris-
tarchus 81 think it very bad. 1t has
nothing to recommend it. 1t is stiff, ugly,
unnatural; perversion of the first prin-
ciples of art. It is an abomination--"
and he was going on with his denunciation
when he caught glimpse of his compan-
ions face, which had more colors than the
ideal head. Then the critic happened to
remember hearing that his comrades wife
painted occasionally, and the remembrance
lIlaue UnG iDICItSg VI illo -uuGU dC-
quaintance suddenly clear. He altered his
tone at once, as courtesy demanded.
Having changed his position, he con-
tinued, after pause: But I've
been too fast. The picture is not
so bad. Indeed, now that l have come
to see it in a true light, rather like it.
Oh, yes, after long gaze 1T is not the
same thing. The painting needs study,
and above all, good light. 1t is peculiar.
There is something original in the treat
ment. Not vestige of conventionality in
it. 1t lacks a certain finish it wants
technique; but it is bold; it shows large
free handling, and will be sure to attract
attention from people who know what
serious painting is. His comrades coun-
tenance now assumed its natural aspect,
and his lips, DO longer tied, uttered /:
"Tm really glad that you like it. 1t is
something my wife did last summer in the
country" ''Indeed had no idea that
she was an artist. She should be encour-
aged, and the asses who hang pictures in
the way hers is hung ought to be ex-
PEELED from the society. What idiots
some men are /" He forbore to mention
any names.
An INDiSCREET CLERG4MAN.
Clerical troubles, just now, are many
and diversified throughout the country.
Some of them are sad enough deeply
tragical, indeed others are trivial and ri
diculous. Among the latter may be in
cluded the petty woes of Rev. w. NJ
Trumbower, of West Hoboken, who stands
in peculiar and not wholly pleasant rela-
tions to certain members of his congrega-
ton, worshiping in tiny Methodist church
on top OF hill. He announces that Mag
gle Dubois, the young daughter of one Of
his parishioners, has been making despe-
rate love to him, intending to capture him
for husband, and that, as he does not re-
ciprocate her ardent affection, she and her
parents have set afioat scandalous stories
concerning him. The fair Maggie naturally
denies the clerical allegation, and her papa
and mamma sustain her denial, of course
The girl says she really dislikes the
preacher, and always has disliked him !;
that she never thought of marrying him !;
and would not marry him, if he were
made of gold. There is an air of prob
ability IN her statement, inasmuch
as he has only $500 year, and we do not
believe that any normal woman, however
romantic, would want or accept husband
with such pittance. West Hoboken be-
ing suburb of New York, we are conf
dent that the girls there are too much in