New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-10


boarding houses Is unspeakaby absurd, unless
the Legislature is ready to create large
standing army of boarding house inspectors.
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II ought to rejoice the hearts Of all decent people
TO hear that Smith senior Is getting his deserts.
Smith is the old follow who a fortnight ago, put
his son. lad OF ifteen, the track in the Ameri-
can Institute. and by dint Of whiskey and threats
compelled him to walk ninetyeght miles. until the
boy dropped senseless in the ring. The brutal old
man was fined 800 aud sentenced for ten DAYS, and
the only mistake "a that he does not stay longer.
Not that he will come out any more tender q father
than when he went in. Jall-going is not
likely to make moral silk purses out of that kind of
material. But tho public take a grim satisfaction
in thinking Of him whiskeyless aud moneyless, and
unable to stretch his own legs in a most unwhole-
some cell aud In this case the public should BIO
humorcd. IL might consider, In the meanwhile
whether this whole athletic business, when carried
TO the extreme that it is now, is not calculated to
make brutes> rather than men out Of its devotees.
1t IL all very well to talk Of the muscular Chris
tianity developed in our colleges by hundred-yard
dashcs and polo vaulting Charles Kingsley and
Thomas Hughes have led us all to sympathze with
the bri9ht-eyed, clean climbed young athletes, and
no gospel ever had worthIer teachers. But in Eng
land new rules have been passed restricting she
brutality of such sports. since lad was trampled to
death by his colleagues in "the scrimmage" of
football and, while lis corpse was carried off the
field. they cooy finished the game Yet these
were the sons of gentlemen; boys who, by birth
and breeding. should have been something better
than competing animals Scenes almost rs disgrace
fnl are witnessed in this country on every field
where there is a close contest for championship in
these sports Witness the last football matches, for
example. II is no doubt desirable thing that the
eager mind and high spirit Of the young man
should be fully clothed in strong thews and sinews
But these lads are satisfied be nothing but thews
and sinews If they kick or run, they are con-
tent to be brutal selfish and humanity to each
other. In their ambition to prove the superiority
of their calves and thighs they seem willing to
rive up all claim to BRAN or the old-fashi0ned
virtues of courtesy and gentleness. Really, We
should like our boys TO possess some quality or &C
-complishment on leaving college IN which well
trained mulo could not excel them.
The ofice-seekers who abound In Washington at
the beginning of each new Administration are
usuay discouraged at the outset by discovering that
the salaries of most official positions are not nearly
as large as they supposed. Besides the Secretaries
and MISUNDERSTANDING there are few Depart
ment places that pay rs much as 81, 800 year. In
the Diplomatic and Consular Service the salaries are
ably in an appropriate social position. Most OF our
Ministers have TO draw their private means to |
maintain their households the footing required |
nv custom and even in largo commercial cities |
ike Bordeaux, Bremen. Antwerp and Marseilles. our
Copsuls receive only $4,000 or $4,000 per annum,
and must account to the Treasury for all the money
tbov take in in the shape of fees. They live re-
roctably on their incomes only by practising pretty
close economy and returning few OF the social |
oourteses offered them by their brother Consuls OF
other countries and by the citizens of the places
where they are stationed. STILL the resolute office
seeler Is seldom driven of the field by this discovery
He will take what he get. With him 1t is often
a question OF half loaf or no bread.
Nature did not give noses for nothing The
sense of smell Is sentinel monitor warning us OF
dangers often OF fatal nature. Here in New-York
the rendering establishments and similar nosome
manufactures might have gone on killing US with
ont protest but for tho foul odors which betrayed
them In Dresden recently, o. we are told. guam
tty Of Illuminating gas escaped from pipe outside
of a dwelling, and passed through the earth into o
house with the odor entirely gone OF course it
breathed without any perception ofits noxious quail
ities and several deaths occurred In consequence,
We ought to be thankful that tho smells Of New
York remind us Of certain sanitary duties UnfOr-
tunately too often those In authority, whose duty II
ia TO give us healthy atmosphere, appear 10 have