St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-02-10
Our New York Letter.
New YORK, February 6. 1882.

details of 1t. 1t wasn't as extensive as
the fires of Chicago or Boston, and it
was not due to frisky COW. A more
humble denizen of the farmyard, alb
hOrred of Hebrew and Mohamedan, is
popularity supposed to be responsible.
The thousands of spectators could
never forget the narrowing destruction
of life where no help could be given,
and the swift removal of the monument
of stinginess no doubt set them think
ing. A little extra money spent in ce-
ment and careful stopping up of all
drafts will render any building practi-
cally tireproof, at any rate no fire can
spread quickly in it, and it should be
made criminal to neglect such precau-
tiOns. The telegraph wires destroyed
the usefulness of the fremen's ladders,
though i'll one case, thanks to the bril-
liant courage of a young negro boot
black who Skinned up an icy pole and
wrenched it loose, two lives were
saved. There was glorious courage
displayed by others than this dusky
American-whose fate, let us hope,
will he in happier lines than bootblack-
ing-by men and women, and noble
self-denial under the most trying ter
rOr. In fact, one spirit seemed to ami
mate every one. Brave persons in
peril were saved by brave rescuers and
the roars of cheering showed the sym
pathy of kindred hearts.
| There is renewed cry, in view of
the undOubted scanty supply of water,
for the use of salt water from our North
and East river boundaries to put out
| fires and clean the streets. Our one
aqueduct is tapped so severely to sup
! ply the ever increasing blocks of resi-
dences and factories up town that Il
decent pressure can't be got for big
fire, and it is time to do something to
remedy this.
The availability of unlimited salt
water would he IA boon to the new
street cleaning contractors, who have
just begun work most energetically.
They got Il snow storm the first day,
i anu NlldD WIS never uOllt
but once before here in Gotham. and
then on Broadway alone, on the occa-
sion of the funeral of politician,
cleaned off the principal streets in
splendid style. One of them is Wal
ton, of the st. James Hotel, the ia
nous "American plunger,' who won
SO much money from the "blawsted
Britishers, you know" on horse races.
He is very energetic, and it's Il caution
to see the stalwart fellows he employs
shoveling snow into carts stationed
within n few yards of each other, which.
when filled, are hurried off to the dump
and replaced by others. The contrast
to the old style of decrepid old voters
languidly leaning on their brOoms, as
they lighted their old pipes, is very
shocking. Walton has put ginger in
the business, and his colleagues are
running him close i'll activity. Let lis
hope these new brooms will continue to
sweep clean.
If there was one thing supposed to
be superlatively harmless, we have al
ways supposed it was mOlaSSeS candy.
But child has just died of it, and
suspected traces of poisoning, by its
possibly being boiled in an impertectly
cleaned brass or copper kettle, were
not found on investigation. 1t was
decided that it was the candy alone
which, taken in excess, had developed
injurious gases. In fact it won't do to
make ones self a hog with anything,
and temperance is as desirable with
candy, cold water or dinner as with
gin or the mildest lager bier.
AS the news boys were crying the
extras on the occasion of the wholesale
roast of girls at Potter's fire, the bellies
of upper tendon were getting then
hair fixed for the Charity Ball, and a
few hours later on, the Academy OF
Music was gay with youth, mirth, ele-
gance and material evidences of wealth
The ball was a grand success, as al
ways, as demonstrating the charity that
begins at home.
A very ill-used or IA very deluded
woman has been claiming IA wealthy
furniture dealer as her long lost hus-
band. The man has been married
here, and declares he never saw her
before. On the contrary, she produces
certificates and the sworn testimony of
her son and others to the alleged facts
she relies on. She has been locked up
three times as a lunatic in consequence
of her persistent efforts to obtain her
supposed rights by hurried police jus
tees, but seems at last to have secured
a hearing, and the case seems a very
interesting one.
Gen. Mcclellan is the president of Il
new association for spreading the
knowledge of what to do in cases of
accident or sudden illness broadcast
among the people. They don't intend
to cOntine themselves to the distribu-
ton of pamphlets, but to have free and
frequent lectures by the ablest profes-
sOrs procurable. Physicians are not
always at hand, and even when they
are not far off, it is always well to
know what to do if a leg is broken, or
a cup of poison swallowed, or a hand
scalded, or a hundred other miseries
occur. 1t is evidently going to be a
very popular movement, and is intlu-
entially taken up.
The one night this winter when
sleighing was practicable was certainly
the most beautiful that ever tempted
the speeding of a cutter behind the
bells. A brilliant moon, clear sky,
air fresh as nectar, and stirred by too
faint a zephyr to chill, everything went
to assure perfect time to all who ven
tured out, and they had it. RADIX.
Public Opinion Oh Various Sub
jects.
AN ITEM TO CONSIDER.
The agitation of the reduction on the
whiskey tax, which Senator Cameron
and Mr.. Wharton Barker have been so
actively championing, is bearing its
legitimate fruits. In the hope that