New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-15
CITY NOTES IN AUGUST.
LETTER FROM WAIT WHITMAN.

RALLY"-NEw TRAITS OF THE CITY.
TO the Edftor OF TIE yrf5Une.
SIR: Even in the height of the dog days there is a
good deal OF fun about New-York, if you only avoid
muster and take all the buoyant wholesomeness that
offers More comfort, too, than most folks think. A
mddle-aged man, with plenty of money in his
pocket tells me that he has been off for a month to
all the swell places has disbursed a small fortune,
has been hot and ont of kiiter everywhere and has
returned home and lived in New York the last two
weeks quite contented and happy People forget
when 1t is hot here in the city it generally hotter
still in other places New-York is 10 situated with
the great ozonic brine both Sides comprises the
most favorable health-chances in the world, if
only the suflocating crowdine of some of ITS
living quarters and of the tenement houses could be
broken no Go through those East Side streets that
intersect the Bowery, along Centre-st., any hot
evening, and see the swarms and sweat ntermin-
ably covering the stoops aud curbstones Aud yet
they seem to he curiously jolly and hearty.
UPPER Two-TuI OF NEw-YoRK
find never sufficiently realized how beautiful
are the upper two-thirds of Manhattan Island I am
stopping at Mott Haven, and have been familiar
now for ten days with the region above One
hundredth-st., especially Mott-ave and along the
Harlem River and Washington Heights. You get
here by steam from Forty -fourth-st in fifteen min
utes, and the fare is but six cents Real estate is
pretty high though; nice corner plot,
hundred feet square, looking down the river sixty
rods of. they ask $11 900 for!
The city for miles is pleasantly varied and
broken-the finest elms / have seen out of New
Haven, and many old oaks and other trees moth
ing much of course in the farming line. but plenty
of rural shows, gardens, flowers lawns and
small fruits. The August nights are cool
and wonderfully bright here, with the har-
vest rising large and pale-yellow, and its
plenteous sheen presently falling on ter or shore
20 ont for an hours rowing and floating in "A
boat.
HARLEM RIVER AT SUNSET,
Aug. Sam dwelling a few DAYS with my friends
Mr. and Mrs.J. IL. j., and merry housefull OF roung
young ladies. Am putting the last touches the
printers copy of my volume of poems--the COM
pleted book at last. Work at it two or three hours,
and then go down and loaf along the Harlem
Rivers have just had half-2item OF this recre-
alton. The sun sufficiently yelled a soft south
breeze the river fdll of small or large shells lyht
taper boats darling and down, some singly. now
and then long ones with six or eight youag
fellows practising-vcry inspiriting sights Two
fine yachts lie anchored off the Shore / linger
long enjoying the shutdown, the glow, the strca 1ed
! sky. the heights, distances, shadows.
FoRENooN RIVER SCENE.
! Aug. 1O.-As | haltingly ramble an hour or two
| this forenoon by the more secluded parts of the
shore, sit under old cedar half way mp the hill
the city in view, many young parties gather to
| lHinc OF SWIM, squads OF boys, generally tNoS
threes some larger ones, along the sand bottom or
Oft an old pier close by peculiar and pretty car
| nival, mt its height hundred lads or young me D.
| very democratic. but all decent behaving. The
laughter, voices, calls respoases-the bringing and
diving of the bathers from the great string-pece of
| The decayed pier, where climb or stand long ranks
| of them, naked, rose-colOrod with movements pos
lures ahead of any sculpture To ali Jbis, the sun,
bright. the dar-ereen sha low of the hills the
,tI. 50
the tide comes in 20 transparent tea-color-the
| frequent splash of the playful boys. sonsing-the
! glittering drops sparkling, and the good western
| breeze blowing.
| "CUsrER's LAST RALLY"
went to-day 90 sce this just-inshed painting by
John Mulvany who has been out in far Montana on
the spot al the Forts. and among the frontersmen
soldiers and Indians for the last three years
purpose to sketch ii in from reality, the best
that could be got OF il. sat for over an boar be-
fore the picture completely absorbed in the first
| view. vast canvas, L should say twenty or
twenty feet by twelve, all crowded, and yet not
crowded, conveying such vivid play of color il
| takes little time TO get used TO it. There no
tricks there is throwing of shades in masses; il
is all at first painfully real, overwhelm-
| ing, needs good nerves to look at il. Forty
fifty figures perhaps more. in fll finish and de-
TAIL lif size in the Underground with three times
| that number, or more, through the rest--swarns
| upon swarms of savage Sioux. in their warbonnets.
| frantic, mostly on ponies driving through tho back
| ground. through the smoke like a hurricane OF
demons. dozen of the figures are wonderful,
Altogether Western, autochth mic phase OF Amer
| lea, The frontiers eliminating typical deadly.
heroic to the uttermost nothing in the books like it,
nothing in Homer, nothing in Shakespeare ; more
grim aud sublime than either, all native, all
and all fact 4 great lot of muscular. tan-faced
men brought to bay under terrible circumstances.
Death ahold OF them, yet every man undannted, not
one losing his head wrnging out every cent OF the
pay before they sell their lives.
Custer Ibis air short stands in the middle
with dilated eye and extended arm, aiming huge
| cavalry pistol. Captain Cook is there. partially
wounded, blood on the white handkerchief around
his head, hut aiming his carbne coolly, half kneel-
| ing lhiS body was afterward found close by Gus
tcrs. The laughtered half-slau ghterel horses,
for breastworks. make peculiar feature. Two dead
Indians. herculean lie in the foreground ciutching
| their Winchester rifles very characteristic The
many soldiers their faces aud attitudes. the car
bin S, the broad-brimmed Western hats. the powder
smoke in puils, the dying horses wlth their rolling
| eyes almost human in their agony the clouds of
war-bonncted Sioux in the background, the figures
inexpressible dreadful. yet with an attraction aud
beauty that will remain forever in my memory.
With all its color and fierce action certain Greek
| confluence poryades it. sunny sky aud clear
light eavelop all There is an almost entire absence
| Of the stock traits of European pictures. The
! physognoIny of the work is realistic and Western
! only il for an hoar bnt il needs 10 be
seen many times-needs To be studied over and over
again. 1 could look such a work at brief inter
walls all my life without firing 1t is very tonic Ia
me. Then it has an ethe purpose below ALL as all