Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-01

would have failed In their enterprise but
for the aid they received from public
plunderers. Boss Tweed wanted a new
enterprise, on which untold millions could
be spent, TO take the place of the court
house, when that had about played out. The
bridge was exactly the kind of thing he de-
sired. So he put through the charter and
early appropriations for the work on the
part of the city of New York, and
secured the committa of the metropo-
lis to the enterprise. Then he collapsed;
the ring lost its grip, and honest men took
the places of the thieves in the control of the
| bridge. 1t has been made larger, more ca
pacious than was at first proposed, and so
has cost more than was anticipated, but
there is no reason to doubt the assertion of
the honest, intelligent and high-minded men
| of its board Of trustees, such men as MIR.
Stranahan and Mr.. Hewitt who declare that
| it has been honestly built and that it could
not be duplicated for the fourteen millions 1t
has cost.
The celebration of the opening of the
bridge, yesterday and last evening" was no.
| table one, not 50 much for the parade of
| military and OF dignitarics, national and mu-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as imposing have been
often seem though this was fine one,-not
| for the oratons, though orators like DIR.
Sorrs are not found for every occasion, aud
the addresses ard shorter speeches were all
| good not for the perfection of the arrange
mcnts-the committees in charge distributed
50 many tickets to the reception in the Acad-
envy of Music that for every one admitted
two holders of tickets had TO be
turned away,-and there was plenty of
BICYCLING and bungling of minor matters -
but for the extent and caborateness of the
decorations of public and private buildings,
| for the numbers of people, of both Sexes all
interested, orderly and cheerful, that throng-
ed the streets and squares and swamped all
modes of Conference.-The whole population
| of both cities seemed to be poured into the
streets OF Brooklyn; and for the maguiflcence
OF the display of fireworks from the bridge,
and the bcwldcrng number, variety and
beauty of the illuminatons. New York eel
ehrated but the occasion was allowed. after
all, to be Brooklyn's holiday and Brook
| lyn was quite aware of the fact Brooklyn be
| it remembered, is something OF place. 1t is,
rs DIR. Storrs took occasion torcmind his hear
ers, "a city OF nearly 10000 dwelling
houses, occupied by twice as many families ;
with population by the census rates, of lit
tie less than 700, 600 with more than $780,
600 children in its public and private schools ;
| with $3.50 miles of paved Streets as many as
asst year in New York, and with more than
200 additional miles impaticnty waiting to
be paved with 1870 miles of street railway
track, over which last year SS,000,000 pas
| seugers were carried with nearly $500 miles
OF telegraph and telephone wire knitting it
together with manufactures in it whose ie-
ported product in 1880 was SOB, 900, 900 Z;
with a water front exceeding twenty-five
miles, at which lies shipping from all the
world, more largely than at the piers of New
York. 1t is full of meu of New England
birth and energy, aud when Brooklyn sets
p,,t In p,.l, ig IN "a n pnl
ton. This exceeded all before it, All business
was suspended, during the afternoon and even.
ing and the citizens, by hundreds Of thousands,
made gala day of it, The houses on the
Heights, and the places OF business on the
main avenues, burst into flags and chinese
lanterns as the apple trees do into blossom,
and in the evening one could walk through
miles Of fine residences, with curtains raised,
and front doors open, and rooms and halls
brightly lighted, as if the wealth and fashion
of the city were keeping open house. Vast
numbers of gas jets in rows aud clusters Oh
the outside Of buildings, and hundreds OF
electric lights made many places in the streets
as light as day.
Ing Me privilege Of witnessing the dis
play Works from steamer chartered
by TIL oxford Club of Brooklyn, for the us,
OF th&S -. their families and friends, OF
the OF - The sight from the centre o
: the river, below the bridge, was one not to b
soon forgotten. Fourteen tons of fireworks
were burned in an hour and half on TIN
bridge, besides quantities of private displays
!, from houses aud vessels. -Four WOusdat
large rockets shot up from the bridge, il
j; flights of from 40 to 500 at time Grea
bombs were shot up 500 feet in the air, ant
exploding, seemed to fill the sky with star
and globes of many colored light Two grea
, founisns of colored fire, played in
ccssantly from the tops of th
bridge towers; fire balloons, forty fec
! in diameter, loated or, dropping firework
as they sailed the air. Craft of all kinds an
e sizes, from United States ships of war dow
u TO little tugs, covered the East River, man
of them having calcium lights, or burrin!
colored fires, or dressed with Chinese lar
terms. On either shore clusters of cectri
lights on the towers of high buildings, adde
their brilliancy to the electric lights on til
i bridge. The whole made fairy spectacle
C not confined to any ''scven by nine" stag
r. but reaching leagues and covering squar
;, miles, and in which the stars and streamer
and globes of light, and showers of goldc
- and silver rain seemed at times 10 fill I'll
NJ whole space from the land and water bclo
ne to the vault of heaven above. With the la
If grand flight of 500 rockets, the throat
4 every steam whistle on the hundreds
a steam craft on the river, opened, and Il
"a dscorddnt scream, tearing the air for mar
NJ miles away, announced the close of the dl
il play.
Yours b.