St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-21
Our New York Letter.
New YORK, April IA, 1882.

Our New York Letter.
New YORK, April IA, 1852.
We have had several events this
week of considerable interest. Per
haps the most important is the arrival
of Jumbo, tangible trophy of the tri-
umph of the irrepressible Barnum over
disconSolate John Bulldom. Thou |
sands of old men who haven't been in
side of circus tent for fifty years have |
played young and gone 70 see Jumbo,
and taken in the rest of the perform
ances. The great, docile creature is
fond of being petted and also whiskey,
IL bottleful of which poured into his
trunk, is concealed without Spilling a
drop, and he winks after it.
Another trunk full of whiskey turn
ed up in police headquarters the other
day 1t was found on truck with
mob around it, clamoring for the re-
lease of man inside. Sure enough
there was man there, who had been
bundled up and deposited i'll these mar
row quarters by way of joke. He
was a good fellow in his way, and
when he sobered up declined to give
any information which would lead to
the arrest of his tormentors.
Some banks and heavy importing
houses have Just been victimiZed i'll IL
singularly audaciOus fashion by Il firm
in China, which obtained advances
from the bankers agents on letters of
credit to the amount of, some say, 81,
| 600, 900, against bills of lading for mer-
chandise shipped. When, after Il four
months voyage the vessel arrived
there was a little discovery. Bales in
voiced us choice silk were found to
contain few pieces of very inferior
stuff and the balance of Shavings, and
so on with other things. 1t is scarcely
needful to remark that considerably
over three months ago these smart
Hong Kong merchants departed from
the tiowery land.
Horace Greeley's eldest daughter,
Ida, who married the impulsive Ken
tuckian, Colonel Smith, who used to
horsewhip people who displeased him
when he first came North, and got into
some shocking scrapeS, is dead. She
was greatly liked. 1t is to be hoped
some one will continue the task she
began a few weeks after her illuStri-
Gus fathers decease, namely the ar
rangement of IL vast number of his let
tiers to all sorts of people on every con
ceivable subject. 1t may be remem-
bered that she advertised for the loan
,,f, ,.li nuI A
them. Among other respondents was
Radix, and the original terse, vigOr-
GUS expressions of the founder of the
Tribune, cOnched in his exceedingly
eccentric handwriting, lost none OF
their value from the graceful indorse-
ment of his accomplished child when
she returned the papers. Diphtheria
killed her.
Strikes again, and as usual they have
begun in the building trades. Where
contractors have been cornered they
have had to give in, and the men are
pretty generally jubilant over then
supposed victory, but when these con
tracts run out perhaps they won't
whistle quite so cheerfully and may
pay dear for their whistle now. There
is, indeed, Il serious check to building
/ operations, and while houses already
} built are changing hands at continually
advancing rates, lots hang heavily on
owners hands, for people will not put
their hands in their pockets to start VI
such an expensive business as building
unless they can form some sort of al
idea as to how much it will cost them
and what they'll make out of the opera
ton. When yOu can't tell, from day
D.. to day, what unforeseen, and often un
\ reasonable, demands may be made by
2 the laborers, any estimates whatever
D are merely guesswOrk.
| There is a good deal of talk abou
E the latest benevolent millionaire whC
= has lust donated : 200, 900 for further
. ing the cause of darkey training dow
, South. Mr.. John F. Slater lives IA
: Norwich, Conn, and owns mills 70
e wooden and cotton goods all over New
e England, notably at Amoskeag an,
o Webster, Mass, but his is well-knowl
t figure here, where his principal bust
= ness establishment is located. His ia
= Their introduced the manufacture o
e cotton goods into this country, havin!
Q in most romantic way, worked in tn
V English mills as common Operative
e in order to master the details of thei
e secret processes and machinery.
II The bloody chasm has again beel
# bridged, and in festive differentiation
e have met seventy surviving veteran
+ of the LIST Virginia Confeds and a Tren
" ton n. j., grand army post. The ol'
K foes had jolly time, and the visitor
;. have been gathered in Hospitality b.
d everybody. When they get through
e being lionized, they'll feel kind of tired
Il Another Chinese giant has appeare,
Ii among us with small-foOted wife
e This is quite a goOdlooking and well
IS proportional MongOlian of considera
: BILE education and refinement, and hi
IT wife is a merry, and really pretty littl
J. lady. They visited the Chinese am
: bassador the other day, who is stop
i ping for few days at the Fifth avenu
{ hotel. RADIX.