St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-10-28
Our New York Letter.
New YORK, Oct. 81, lS

New YORK, Oct. 81, 1881.
We're in the thick of politics. For
an off year, the political pot never
bubbled more briskly, and all factions
of all parties are putting their pound
Oh with vigOr to make the most of their
time before election day. In Brook
Ign, the Eagle, which started the
Hancock boom, has been so satisfied
with the measure of success attending
that popular arrangement that it has
made another move Oh the same tack
and nominated Gen. SlOcum as an in
dependent candidate for Mayor, and
great thereat is the wrath of bosses,
heelers, and both ins and outs, for
small heed to either would the General
pay. A new deal would ungear all the
local machines.
By the way, the gallant Colonel,
Rodney C. Ward, the Brooklyn collect
or, has just appointed as one of his
deputies, Miss Robinson, a lady well
situations for the state charities and
correction, the prisoners friend and
the jailor's terror. To her, as much,
probably, as to any one is due the eX-
posture and abolition of the paddle,
the shOwer-b bath and other mean and
miserable fortunes inflicted on the vic
.f hnir 1n,
by their brutal guardians. 1t is de
cidedly an innovation, this planting in
one of the best paid of official posi-
lions, member of the calledsw weak
er sex, and is likely to make Col. Ward
decidedly a pet of the Woman Suf-
frage Association.
Perhaps our methods with criminals
are too harsh after all, though in this
busy world one hardly knows how to
apply more tender means of refOrma-
ton than we do. A little incident has
just happened, however, that has set
some people thinking. A stunted,
wretched waif of dirty boy, who
didn't know his own name, was unac-
quainted with the virtues of soap, had
no recollection of father, mother, or
other relative, who had dragged along
in some wonderful fashion to the age of
16,was arraigned in Long Island City,
one of our suburbs, for stealing Il horse
and wagon. Counsellor Mott, Il lead
ing member of the Queens county bar,
somehow was attracted to the little
pariah, and came forward as his de-
fanAap Tho anInrit off nd
under the cOunsellOr's eye was scrub
bed and barberized and civilized with
a new suit of clothes, and then intro
duced as the genial lawyers son by a
sort of piOus fraud to the district at
tOrney. That stern official unbent at
once, and was quite civil to the bright
''that's not my johnny, it's the boy
you wanted to send to the penitentiary.
Pm going to make man of him." He
took him home to add to his existing
family of eight children. That even
ing he caught his rescued lamb pray
ing for his benefactOr and family. Next
morning the boy was up and groomed
the horses and MIXED the cows before
any one was stirring, then dressed and
went to church. The next day he re-
peated his farm labOrs, dressed and
went to school all of his own volition.
Mott thinks he'll grow up something
of man without much boosting along.
The story seems very suggestive to me.
Considerable excitement has been oc-
casiOned by the attempted destruction
by inextinguishable Greek fire of the
superb Cunard steamer BOthnia, and
the mysterious visit of two men con-
jectured to be engaged on similar err
rand to the docks of another transat-
lantic company. 1t was by the merest
chance the fire on the BOthnia was dis
covered in time to enable its crew to
gather up the carpets which were satu-
rated with some combined phosphorus,
naphtha, and other ingredients, and
heaved them overheard, where they
| blazed vigorously under water till car
ried away by the tide. Of course o.
Donovan Rosa and his skirmishers
are credited with this rascally system
of awaiting themselves of what Glad
stone calls E1the resources of modern
civilization and they don't deny the
imputatipn. 1t seems a pity that such
busily misehievOus people can't be in
duced to make shoes or something of
the sort, where their energy would be
harmless. Liberty is no doubt grand
thing, and the right of asylum to po-
litieal refugees is another, but it would
seem the line might be drawn some
where between allowing them an I'M
molested residence and allowing them
to actively carry out schemes for blow
ing people up.
e 1t begins to look as if the temperance
people would have to take to beer, for
we shall shortly have no water for
them to drink. There is a famine of
that staple of existence imminent, so
we are informed, and it seems doubtful
that even second deluge would suffice
now to give us enough to tide us over
the winter. There is no doubt an i'm
mense quantity is wasted, but there is
as little doubt that city like this,
growing so fast that with its suburbs
it is actually treading hard on the heels
of London, needs great deal more
water than provision is now made for.
Gotham is fast becoming a metropo-