Delta chief., 1884-01-30
Our New York Letter.


NEW YORK, January l6.-The principal
topic of conversation in New York for the
past few days has been the disappearance of
Charles Delmonico, the well known restau-
ranteur. The mystery surrounding his fate
was cleared on Monday, when his body was
found covered with snow and mud, ON Orange
Mountain, a little place in New Jersey about
twenty miles from New York.
Mr.. Delmonico at the time of his disap-
pearance, on Friday ten days before his body
was discovered, was suffering from an illness
that had so affected his mind that the con-
stant service of an attendant were required to
care for him. On Friday evening he escaped,
on some slight pretext, from the care Of his
attendant and took the Elevated railroad train
to Courtlandt street, where he was last seen
to be recognized. Notwithstanding that the
service of the city police department were
Immediately enlisted as well that of a
number of private detectives whose zeal was
stimulated by reward of 500. no discoveries
were made until the finding Of his body early
Monday morning by two boys who were out
rabbit hunting.
II is certainly the irony of fate that man
who had administered so largely to the com
fort and luxury OF others should perish so
miserably.
His name carries with il n more than local
significance and meets the eye in almost every
western town on the signboards Of ambitious
preienders Before his death Mr.. Delmonico
had formed stock company for the purpose
of managing his four restaurants in the city
and the business will therefore be conducted
for the benefit Of his heirs. His estate is
valued at So 100000
At present New York is enjoying day of
real wintry weather, but we dare not congrat-
ulate ourselves on that fact for the weather
changes with such rapidity one might he
petried with cold in the morning, sun struck
at noon and his body washed away by floods
in the evening. Sunday skating was very
largely INDUCED in at Central Park, between
thirty and forty thousand people being on the
ice during the day. Several accidents hap.
pened owing TO the crush and they were
garici as quite ephemeral and unworthy Of
notice except by those injured. But New
Yorkers too energetic and enterprising To
rely on the weather for their amascmcnts in
the way Of skating. Last Saturday | went
up to the Olympic skating rink in the Amer
lean Institute building. Imagine building
covering an entire block, with hard wood
floor with an area OF over 1000 square feet,
the roof decorated with gay japanese para.
soils and streamers rcsounding TO the murmer
Of over thousand skaters on wooden roller
skates. A band Of music furnish n rythym
for their movement and the spectacle in the
ouening is very enlivcning.
Immense amounts Of ice are in the bay aud
come up every tide filling the ferry slips Of
the East river so that the boats have great
difficulty in crossing. In consequence the
Brooklyn bridge is very largely patronized.
The attractions offered at the theatres dur
ing the past week have been many and varied.
Mrs. Langtry, in "a Womans Peril is
drawing large houses at the Fifth Avenue
theatre. She has provided herself with
many beautiful dresses that furnish one
potent attraction to the feminine portion of
the audience at least, and has quite materially
improved her style of acting since her first
appearance here. Mrs. Langtry's mother is
with her which by some issupposed to furnish
a solution 10 the cessation of the formers
well known intimacy with Mr.. Gebhart. lie
is never seen in her society and the romance
in which much interest was manifested
last year, has now dropped into the limbo Of
the remote past. had the doubtful satisiac.
tion of hearing Matthew Arnold lecture on
Emerson last week. say doubtful for the
manners and alterations of this English IT.
l..l,
so indistinct that very little pleasure is OBJ
tanned when one considers the disnppoint-
ment of ones anticipa;ions. Quite different
was the entertainment furnished by Geo. W.
Cable Monday night, consisting of the read
lug of selections from his works and the very
clear rendition of several Creole songs A
large audience greeted him and manifested
with frequent applause their pleasure.
ALFALFA.
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