Delta chief., 1884-03-12
FROM NEW YORK.
A Readable Letter from Our own Corr
respondent.

York who occupies the position of occasional
correspondent of a weekly paper published
on the Pacific slope, labors under very OBJ
vious disadvantages. He must either write
on some general topic into which the element
of time does not enter to render interesting,
or his manuscript must be written and dis
patched at the very latest date that will in
sure its publication in the columns of the
current number of the paper. An account
for example, of the observance of Washing
toms birthday, however entertaining it might
be on or about February %, loses ten
twelve day after that date much OF its inter-
est, and in fact becomes exceedingly stale and
Improbable, at least to the average reader.
Or to carry the hypothesis still further, sta
tistcs concerning heavy snow storm il read
during the heats of July, while they might
prove refreshing to some, would furnish to
others only pretext for charging on the edi-
tor all the ills of rheumatism and colds they
are unfortunate enough to possess.
write somewhat at length on this subject
in self.defense inasmuch there will be
difference of time of twelve days between the
date of this correspondence and the date of
its publication, quite time enough to settle
good many of the vexed questions that are at
present engrossng the public attention at
home and abroad.
New Workers. who, as rule, are the most
Unsuitable newspaper readers. have had no
chance to complain of lack of interesting
topics during the week just past. The war
in the Soudan has put England in position
that is growing more aud more complicated.
Events are succeeding each other with such
rapidity that it would be useless to give, in
the brief space at my disposal, the present
condition of affairs as they may be reversed
and re-reversei before this reaches you. Suf-
flee it to say that the news from every quarter
of the Nile continues to be most alarm'n,.
The London Spectator thinks that nothing
would be safe from Alexandria to Shanghai
if the Arabs defeated, even seriously
checked, the English troops" The star of
the False Prophet seems to be in the ascend
ant. There is hope for Butler yet.
The arrival of De Longs body and other
victims of the Jeanette disaster, and their
obsequies, were made the occasion of much
much pomp and circumstance on Washing
toms Birthday, and tho two succeeding days.
The funeral procession filed through the low
er portion of the city, across the Brooklyn
bridge, and laid in state in the Equipment
building Of the Brooklyn navy yard. From
thence they were taken, with the exec ption
of Jerome Collins, to the Church of the Holy
Trinity under an escort of regular troops and
militia. Assistant Bishop Potter preached
the funeral sermon. The body Of Collins
was taken to the Cathedral. where a solemn
requiem mass was held. The body of Com
mander De Long and those of five seamen
were buried in Woodlawn cemetery. The
body of All Sam will so back to China; that
of Collins will rest beneath the green turf of
Ireland; DIR. Ambler will be buried in his
native State of Virginia, and Boyd in Phila-
delphia.
The sudden death Of Salmi Morse Saturday
by suicide closes the career Of one of the
most eccentric theatrical managers in the
city. 1t was Mr.. Morse who made deter
mined an effort to produce the Passion Play
in New York year or two ago, in the face of
opposing public sentiment. There one
representation of it given privately, but he
was unable to obtain license to bring out
the play publicly. I was talking yesterday
with a gentleman who saw the private repre-
sentation, and he informed me the play was
unquestionably a very powerful and dramatic
one. 1t was superby mounted. Mr.. Morse
sacrificed almost his entire fortune in his
persistent efforts to produce the play. He
was the author of play now beiDgprescnted
entitled, "On the Yellowstone" although the
authorship was not suspected until within
day or two Of his death. He drowned him.
self in the Hudson river, and the post mOrfem
examination now being held on his body IL
developing some interesting facts in connect
ion -ith his life and the causes that lead to
his death.
But don't want to fill up the entire space
at my command with descriptions of wars.
funerals and suicides, and therefore, if
have not already exceeded my limits, will
close this lengthy epistle with an account of
little incident that attracted my observation
yesterday afternoon. A large crowd at Ex-
change Place stood watching hard featured
young man who was grasping by the throat
diminutve infant, whose features expressed
the utmost pain and terror. Noone ventured
To interfere with what might have been the
performance of strict paternal duty. Occas.
ionally whenever his grasp slackened shrill
cry was heard that died away in a long wall,
or ceased suddenly. as the tormentor's fingers
uad a1n.v1v nr nutrk " nm tho thorav NJ