Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-02-23
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF rHH MONITOR. ]
New YORK, Feb. Is, 1880.

ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THR MoNIToR]
New YORK, Feb. Is, 1880.
Bad writing is. the joy of the ambi-
tious proof-readers, but Horace Greeley's
at its best was the despair of most of
the craft of decipherers. When he wrote
hurriedly, as indeed he generally did.
he couldn't read his own writing. One
man could. He has just died His
name was John G. Robinson, and he was
in the Tribune from the age of thirteen
till Greeley died, afterwards going to
the San. At the time of the campaign |
for the Presidency, which killed the old
man, Robinson detected at a glance a
most skillful forgery in the shape of an
article written in the closest imitation
of Greeley's handwriting, recommending
certain candidate whom the Tribune
by no means wished to advocate. Rob-
inson was perhaps the most rapid read
er that ever lived, and no stenographer
could keep pace with his utterances when
he let himself out He has been timed
to utter 696 words minute, or at the
rate of l,760 words in an hour. g.
A new industry, the plan of which
has attracted some attention here, has
been suggested by General Daniel Rug
giles, of Virginia. He has observed, as
have several million other people, that
the conclusion of the atmosphere cannot
by the firing of heavy guns during
battle invariably brings on rain. His
idea is to send up balloons with dyna-
mite, to be exploded in midair by cleo
tricity or time fuses during dry weather,
and so let us have rain to order. In
order to make the thing certain and to
enable the gallant officer to prove his
superiority to the rain makers among
the Zulus, it is proposed that the Gen
eral should go up in balloon himself
and boss the job.
The "Black Crook" is to be revived
during Lent as an additional proof of
the emancipation of a large section Of
New York society from old time super.
stitions. There is no difficulty in get.
ting handsome and well-trained girls fol
the ballet now. Not long ago it was q
hard task to get together the requisite
number of bashful and unframed beau.
ties, but hard times led many to appre
ciate the small earnings afforded by mi
nor parts on the stage, and the supply
grew rapidly more than equal to the de
mand. Now, the fascinatians of tn,
footlights have maintained their sway
: and the feetfooted sisterhood are numer
GUS perfectly self-possessed and fire
quently quite proficient. The scenes a
their engagement for the approaching
spectacle would no doubt have highl
diverted the gymnastic Tabernacle Tai
) mage.
The Irish Relief boom of the Heral
has assumed gigantic proportions an
e stirred the hearts of the people in re
: markable way. There is. rivalry i
s every direction. Prominent artists offe
: their services in music, lectures or what
: not. The police, fremen, employees {
e various firms are in the race to see VIII
t will send the most money; childre
S give, clergymen preach, ships to carr
J. cargoes are offered, and free truckag
e and loading and expressage, everybod
# canvasses everybody else by letter an
IS by word, and the money is rolling il
1t Some carping critics want to know VII
! will distribute the money and why
If isn't sent. The probability is that tt
J. Herald sends daily every dollar it ge
y and distributes it through its own re-
. resentatives, who have been long az
4 dispatched to make their reports fro
= the actual scenes of the trouble. III
contributions thus far have reache
nearly 100000.
ms The way iron has gone up, togeth
an with most other commodities, has hs
81 81 an immense effect on building operation
ne and the contractors who made their a