St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-25

White p is no more. He was a repre-
sentative New Yorker, one of the most
extraordinary wirepullers and putter-
up of jobs that ever lived, an aristocrat-
ic-loOking Democrat of the Democrats,
whose life was closely linked with some
of the most memorable events in the
records of the great city. He will have
a tremendous funeral following, pro-
vided, of course, that his family will
submit to any public demonstration.
\ man of iron will, with the persuasive
ness of a woman, he won his way up
from IA low round on life's ladder. Few
have been so bitterly hated by some
men, while so heartily loved by many
others.
Our latest brave fireman is Luke
Kavanagh, whose name has been or
dered to he inscribed on the Roll of
Merit" for il most risky but successful
life-saving feat. At the recent burning
of the supply factory of the Western
Union and other important customers
for electric goods, after everybody had
been supposed to have been removed
to a place of safety, a very t1eshy
Dutchman, weighing fully $50 pounds,
was obserTed in an apparently hopeless
and inaccessible position in the sixth
story of he burning block. kavanagh,
who is necessarily somewhat of an ath-
lete, though his appearance, modest
and mild, would not lead any one to
suppose so, made his way to and caught
the bewildered captive, and, bIacing
himself, managed to hoist in his mon
strous burden. We GOthamites are
proud of our fremen, who turn out,
rain or shine, in an incredibly short
space of time, reckoning by seconds at
the thrilling tap-tap of the electric bell,
and shrink from no hardship or danger
in their vocation. BY the way, some
Western "smartiesn have been trying
to rig us with yarn of a creased pole
and a lubber's hole, through which
their men slide down to their work
greasy and oily-looking enough. Our
men claim to he able to beat any rivals,
come whence they may.
1t would never do to omit mentioning
the greatest of all ante-spring festivals,
st. Valentines day. Never was the
Saint so devOutly hOnored. Burdensome
were the packs shoudered by the un
happy letter carriers, loud were the OBJ
jugations of the clerks who had to sort
their contents, yea, like unto the musi
cal roar OF Niagara in volume, but be-
tOkening much disSonance within those
outraged bOsOmS. Small boys rang
neigh boris door bells necessarily as they
in an amateur way rivaled the boys in
gray with cargOes of more or less atfec-
ton. The cost of some specimens was
large, and really some of the valen-
tines of to-day are very handsome and
well calculated to be joys for long
time, if not forever, being emphatically
things of beauty. Prang's Christmas
cards have been closely approached by
one unique style which took my fancy
Immediately, and | shouldn't wonder if
the Art Amateur or some other enter
prsng journal with kindred aims should
get up pIize competition against the
recurrence of the feast of Cupid and
Hymen. One particular specimen, a
richly cOlUred chrome representing a
bank of viOlets, with charming cupid
trying to climb a silver crescent, the
whole fringed with old gold floss silk,
was really quite too awfully pretty for
anything, at least so | was informed by
young person whom l should consider
Il reputable authority on the subject.
When one considers how philOsOphi-
cally smallpox is regarded i'll many
other countries, and though SO loath-
some how much less fatal disease it is
| than several others, it is hard to under
stand why such Il peculiar dread of il
exists in this country. 1t isn't patch
on Asiatic cholera, the plague, or yell
low fever, but the moment poor
wretch gets IL touch of varialOid, am bu-
lances gallOp around with furious intent
tOSlrag him or her to some pest-hOuse
! Never mind if the weather Is cold and
the roads rough, so that the exposure
and jolting make the vehicle of mercy
no better than a hearse, for the mori-
bund they've got to go, or if very
wealthy and influential, their friends
are mulcted heavily and surrounded
with barbarous restrictions for the privi-
lege of keeping their loved ones al
home, while everything connected Will
the treatment of the helpless sufferers
is carried on with indecent haste anC
simply inhuman callousness. Why this
ridiculous fashion should prevail can't
conceive. The disease is Gad enough
but murder is worse. Now, what dc
you think of this case A wealthy cler.
gyman from Philadelphia, of the name
of Pool was suddenly attacked by small
Pox while visiting in Brooklyn.
friend promptly sought to have him ad
mitted as a pay patient in one of th'
best hospitals. While absent, and h'
was gone but little while, as the re
suit of the scarey complaint of som,
Officious or spiteful neighbor, an ambu
lance was driven up, the poor gentle
man was dragged from his warm bee
and hustled into it and then driven of
to the charity hospital. There, as ;
matter of course, he died, and thence
he was bundled into a pauper's grav
in Potter's Field, while it was days be
fore his distracted relatives could learl
what had became him. What horri,
parody on common manliness If thi
had occurred in China, we should b
mOralizing over the cruelty and insensi
bility of the heather. Some of ou
, modern Christianity won't bear clos
handling. 1t is but fragile stuff.
, RADIX.
The Taxation Question.