New-York tribune., 1885-08-17
THE GOSSIP OF A WEEK.
LIVELY COMMENTS AND SOLID THOUGHTS
GATHERED IN PUBLIC PLACES.


with His father Congregational minister OF Ohio
still occupies pulpit at Loran, In the Western Reservc
at seventy five years OF It struck ue as curious
that Boston, Philadelphia Bufal, Chicago, ST. Louis,
Louisville New Orleans and Omaha should be In advance
of New York in laying pavement which is considered In
the great capitals OF Europe the highest perfection Oh
human art inroadways I asked Mr.. Barber one day
whether 1t due the higher price OF asphalt over
stone. He said to " New-Yorks backwardness Is
partly due to the swlndng operations OF early asphalt
contractors and somewhat TO the misInanagement OF
Boss weed. not in tho business early, but
am told that pavement laid In Fifth-ave. some
time about 1870 Of concrete, liz which the contractors
did not even put coal tar essential Ingredient bur
used pine tar, and when occasions they ran
short OF Ine tar, they put In resin rbe paveinents
crumbled to dust The overthrow Of Tweed brought
about city .cbarter Ulster County held sort of
balance of power 10 the Legislature OF that 1t has
always great influence at Albany. 1t Is stone county
In the charter there inserted clause that no
expenditure of money should thereafter be made Tor
patent pavements. except for repairs That eiectuay
blocked out asphalt aud wood. can give you little
inside Of last winters work in Fftave Tue Dill that
went through for paving that street allowed to ac
for want Of Governor Hills signature because such
authorities Mr. Gilmore tho civil engineer wrote bn
that t would be nothing short OF crime to pave great
tboronghare like Fifhave. with bouders In this day of
Advancement In tho science OF Paving. Dr. fordycc
Barker wrote him that there 10000 women In
New-YOrk who could not ride out TO Central Park In
carriages over the present rough payements"
Ex-Nlnster Osborn who has just returned from Brazil,
gave me the other day important piece OF Information
affecting American inventors We were discussing the
trade between the United States and Brazil when he
sad Our principal export to Brazil ia -four But they
take manufactured products also 10 considerable
stent. Iron bridges are "a large tem They can buy
iron cheaper In Ensland but they regard American
engineering superior. The iron bridges made hero are
lighter In weight, which makes up the difference IN
price, and fully seryiceaDle. besides having superior
construction regard that OF the trintnphs OF
protective tariff that the genius OF our inventors Is slim
ulated 40 that compete with the world with the
advantage side. What Il true OF iron bridges Is
true OF locomotives The American locomotives are con
strucel that they have for play on the wheels
required and necessarily uneven road beds. Inc
English locomotives built for the old and solid road
beds that the British Islos They arc not adapted
TO new roads at ALI 30 have the preference They
havo been lged In England to pattern their engines
after onr in order to find foreign SALE wo were taking
their trade Australia aud other colonies. That speaks
well for inventive genius in America"
Joseph D. Weeks, OF Pittsburg, who has been proni-
nen In tho beneficiary afOr organizations OF Pennsyl
yana for many years, gives me Information of new
movement than usual importance and signifi-
cance There has recently been started at Pittsbnrg
movement OF labo' against the evils OF intemperance,
under the title OF the Temperance Union Of Pennsylvania
Twenty unions already organized as anxl1aIles
chiefly among workingmen miners. glass-bowcrs and
iron workers John Jarrett. president OF the Central
Unon is the most prominent labor Ica'or In the
country. A. c. Rankin. who was the apostle OF the
movement Is prominent knight OF Labor. | gathered
what Mr.. Weeks said that he Is himself Interested
In the work. His position Is assured among work
nginen by the years Of labor devoted TO Industrial
arbitration. which has TO high state OF perfection
at Pittsbnrg suoh movement il at "a novelty and
81. rfpfaf
the toing masses. Started among wage earners for
eearners tho movement seems to have elements OF
strengh and growth.
f. W. Moon, OF Sydney. New South Wales. who came
here 10 Inspect electric fire alarms hs Government Is
an insnrancr underwater. Tie went among the insur-
companies here and result OF his inquiries said
10 me. The system OF bribery and percentages In the
insurance business In this country Is simply awful Why
I never saw or heard OF such things In any line OF
business anywhere BY OF illustration. let me tell
you Of an instance that learned about to-day man
who was agent for the company In biz city died The
business ho hal accumulated was enormous. lt had
brought him handsome yearly income and the company
q rich revenue Three four rival agents Immediately
applied for his business Now, how do you suppose 1t
was decided who should step into the dead mans shoes
The man who had giving out OF the agency to
the man who would gvo him the largest percentage oi
tho bGsiness Of tho agency. Tho agency was worth
$4,000 year The who gets t agreed to give the
officer OF the company who awarded the agency to him
lust so per cent OF that Well. this is only sample
mere beginning That sort of thing prevails through the
entire insurance business only wonder your law
makers have inerered to protect stock aud policy
holders"
Mr. roon hal experience at his hotel here which Is
characteristic OF tho attentions paid ali strangers whose
names got into the papers i've had over hundred
letters he said to me, making inquiries about people In
Australia Tho writer's 10 think Pm sort OF |
Missing Friends Directory. They ask ice by letter
about people who went Australia In the year l. with
out 30 much locating them. They appear To think
Australia Is about the size of Long Island Staten
Island because looks bigger the maps although
It's about rs biz us the United states"
Henry Altman, who has given considerable study to
foreign affairs sent my honse the other day great
package OF consular reports. When met him day or
two later he said: That was by way of reminder only
Have you not seen Mr. Bayar has caused IL 10 oe
given out that the consular service IL To be made
npor ant by requiring better reports from oonsus
What wanted to call to your notice was fact which
merchants In New York who engaged in foreign
trade already APP rebate IL Is that Government In
the world England possibly excepted has better reports
than this country has had from It's consular agents The
beginning OF the present system OF reports made
years ago. hut under Mr. Eyarts II brought 10
perfection that Mr. Bayard will be able to improve
upon The effort to hold him up having made great
discovery tho need Of suoh reports reminds INC OF
Chs unccy NJ Dcpcw's description OF tho Administration.
lie likens II to young couple just setting up house
Keeping who are constantly running to their elders and
telling OF the wonderful discoveries they have madc
of things that fact have been in exte since time
began"