Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-14
RICHES AND POVERTY.
Some Striking Contrasts in New York
-VanderbiIt's Magnificent Turn
outs.


upon the assertion that in this city
the rich are growing richer and the
poor are growing poorer The rich
wax insolent, the poor are sullen. To
day If is a question as to how far sui
lenness will permit insolence to go.
Precisely when the answer will come.
| can not determine, but you may be
very certain that the time is not far
distant when one or the other of these
widely separated classes must give
way absolutely to the domination of
the other. l saw a superb picture this
afternoon. We are enjoying superb
sleighing. The city railways have
made our main avenues impossible.
Between the salt which they throw on
the track to melt the snow, and the
dirt they subsequently throw on the
track to enable their horses to find a
footing, the rOad-beds are as bare as
poverty's bones. OF course no sleigh
can be drawn across them save with
screenings, screenings, and audible
evidences of dire distress.
On either side of the road-bed the
companies have heaped great winrows
OF snow, now cOverered with dirt and
and mud and filth thrown by the en-
ploycs from the road bed and it's mix
ture of salt and dirt. But after pass
ing Mr.. VanderbiIt's domain and that
of the other surface magnateS Central
park being reached, we find excellent
sleighing, and on the long stretches
beyond as good and firm a foundation
for runners as the most festive sport
can desire. Vanderbilt's tastes as you
know are fleshy. A glance at his face
would show that if you didn't know
it already. Good eating, good drink
ing, good smoking, and jolly coarse
companions are his chief desire, and
IN them he finds his sole enjoyment.
He loves to drive upon the road Al
ways careful of his personal comfort,
he has provided from his fathers mil
lions the most expensive and the fast
est teams in the country He incases
his long, huge frame in magnificent
sealskin garments, literally from top
to toe, and it is estimated that his en-
tire git up and git" would bring at
auction any day not less than $780,
900. This includes his team, their
harness, his cutter, his clothes, his
diamond pins, and his carcass, pro
vIded life had left it, and his two
hundred and more millions were divi-
ded among his heirs. This afternoon
about 4 o'clock he started from his
Fourth avenue stables, built very
considerably In the very heart of his
neighbors' residences, and far away
removed from his own home on Fifth
avenue, with his $3.50, 900 rig. Of
course he could not go up Fourth av-
enue, any more than any of the rest
of us could, so he went up Lexington
and turned into the park by the usual
road. As he did SO he passed a group
of common people" They were
mechanics, artisans and laborers.
They had been standing on the corner
commenting upon his order directing
their discharge.
AS Vanderbilt passed, his fat lips,
which are always curled as if in dis
daln ct men whose fathers didn't die
rich, pulled like a balloon suddenly
filled with oxygen, and a scarcely
perceptlble movement of the reins
started his team into a rapid trot. The
Press would not print what heard
on that occasion The oaths. the
curses the blasphemies, the predic-
Y
reading matter on Sunday morning
in any circle to which The Press is a
welcome conner. No slippered paper
would permit his children's ears to
listen to the pronounced and wicked
words of these common people,
Young ladies seeking information as
to the costumes in Wallack's latest
play would turn up their noses and
throw the paper down in disgust were
they to see those words in print. And
yet this is a cold winter. Tt was pre-
dicted by Vennor that we were to
have an ''Open winter" and / think
the predictions were correct. The
heavens have been open pretty much
all the time, giving to us great gusts
of rain, chilling one to the marrow,
or huge storms of snow, blockaGing
our streets barricading our doors.
Cold winds have whistled through
our streets, making it almost impossi-
bic for the best furnished houses to
give comfort and warmth to their oc-
cupants, and the Lord alone knows
what suffering and what bitter ex-
perlences have held sway in the homes
OF the humble. 1t is no easy task tor
poor men to live under any circum-
stances. Their shoes wear out, holes
come in their clothes, the billings of
the blast affect their fingers, and hun
ger knocks at the doors of their
stomachs. Want holds many a single
man IN mis- grasp this winter. What
tier must be the daily prayer of men
with families, sick famished, poor,
and distressed tor food, for raiment,
for warmth, and often for shelter
itself? Wages are not high, salaries
are not high, many of our great cor
porations utilize their forces but half
the time, and in many instances, a vote
of trustees has reduced the pay, from
5, to 10, to 15, 50per cent. below the
standard of a year ago. Hard enough
is it for the common people," with
steady work and regular pay to make
both ends meet this winter. What,
then must it be when there is no work
and, consequently, no pay? [ am told