The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-09-15
Our New York Letter.
Regular correspondence of ADVOCATE.
NEW Xnnn Snrf Ii 1887

and Education, still continues its inves-
LEGATIONS but everybody is getting tired
of it. Senator Blair who is the moving
spirit of the body is as ignorant of the
real object of the work of the Committee
as his associates. He does not know
what questions to ask, and his system
of investigation consists in letting every
one who wishes, appear before the COM
mittee and talk himself to exhortation.
The amount of crude speculation and
distorted facts which has been garnered
in by Senator Blair is simply ridiculous.
Even John Swinton of the Sun, could
not resist the temptation of talking rub.
bish. He said that few reporters and
correspondents earn less than $1,000 a
year, and a great number go as high as
s25, 900; that few editors and leading
editorial writers get less than 5000 a
year, and that so far as proprietors Of
influential newspapers are concerned,
their earnings reach over 100000 a
year.
Mr.. Swinton may derive his knowledge
from the journalism which is ostensibly
devoted to the interests of labor, and if
the workers on it were paid such salaries
as he claims, it explains very satisfactor-
lily why the papers have constantly to
pass around the hat for support at labor
meetings. Now, have an extended ac-
quaintance among newspaper men, and
of the better class at that, and can
count on my fingers the number that
makes $1,000 year, and those that do
it are the veriest slaves of the pen. They
have to be at it day and night almost,
and if they have families they can de-
vote but little attention to them. AS re-
CARDS the ten or twenty-five thousand
dollar men, they are specialists or cor
respondents like Gath, whose work is SO
extended that it is almost machine made,
and is subdivided among subordinates
whom the employer must pay. A cam
yass of newspaper offices will show that
there are more men in really responsible
positions, whose incomes do not exceed
twenty-five or thirty dollars week than
perhaps Mr.. John Swinton has any idea
of. John Swinton's statements are
harmful because they will encourage a
lot of young men, principally under
graduates to rush into profession where
the golden apples are not alone few, but
where they frequently turn into dust in
ones hands, and wherein they will in
evitably ruin their prospects and their
lives.
Although the stock market has i'm
proved considerably it is still in very
depressed condition, and the probabili-
ty is that i! will continue so. "The fact
of the matter is," said q we'll known
Wall Street man to me, "the people at
large have grown tired Of speculation,
and they are settling down TO earn mons
ey by legitimate means. During the last
few weeks there have been tempting op-
portunities, but the people passed them
by and were not even interested when
they saw what fine chances they had
missed. Now without general public
speculation thero can be no market, A
brokers' market is only fictitious af-
fair, and Ito existence always reminds
me of pack of starving wolves devour-
ing one another. OF course number of
flash brokers will have to give up their
tHrnouts and gaudy houses, and their
wives will have to wear less expensive
clothes and jewelry than they have ac-
customed themselves to, bat the street
and business at large will be benefited"
Legitimate business on the other hand
iourishes in an unparalleled manner
In the dry goods district the streets Are
lined night and day with trucks and
boxes to such an extent as to make traf-
fic almost impossible The Astor House,
the Manhattan, the st. Nicolas, the
Prescott and the Grand Central Hotels
are literally thronged with drummers
and buyers from all parts of the coun-
try. This is healthy sign, and bids
fair to bring about a general revival of
affairs, of which We stand so much in
need.
One of the most peculiar features in
the fashions for ladies this fall is the
prevalence Of all the shades of yellow
from gold to bronze in the color of ma
terials used. While walking on Fifth
Avenue last Sunday, / counted no less
than dozen black satin frocks sur
mounted by gold tight fitting bodices.
The hat worn was generally black body
with gold trimmings and feathers. The
shape was generally like jockeys cap.
Seen from a distance the figures remind
ed one of scene ON the stage in a spec
tacular play. Yet, at the same time,
these bodices look very attractive in the |
sunlight. For plain girl they are very
trying, however, as they only set off her
homeliness.
1 attended the first night of the new
jockey opera, the Merry Duchess, at the
Standard Theatre, last Saturday evening. |
The music is very trashy, and am
afraid that tbe.best points of the lihretto,
which brlstles over with racing illustra-
tions, are lost on the general public.
Great as the fondness for the turf has
grown to be in this country, it is not yet
what it is in England, and thus, though
the opera had an extraordinary lun in
London, do not think that it will main
tain the boards long in this country.
The libretto saLirizes the idolatry of
fashionable jockeys which prevails in
England. The Dutcbess of Epson
Downs (Selina .Dolaro) falls in love
with Freddie Bowman (Mr, Nash,) the
fashionable English jockey, at whose
shrine all England burns incense. She
has made bet Of her head against e1O,-
900 with Lord Johnnie, a distasteful
a