Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-30

NEW YORK, July 2f.-At last we have
relief from the terrible heat of the past
10 days and the people Of the metropolis
again find breathing delight instead of
torture. A gentle raiI last evening was
followed by the long delayed "cool
wave" and people arose from really re-
freshing sleep to find a brisk breeze blow
ing this morning. This is more than
matter of mere comfort to the people of
the tenement houses, ii is in fact matter
of life and death with them, and the ter
rible mortality among the children of the
poor will doubtless be checked by the
change in temperature.
New York is clothed in black in token
of respect for the dead soldier whose re-
mains are shortly to be inferred in its
beautiful Central Park. All along the
great business thoroughfares the buildings
are draped with emblems of mourning
and by the day of the funeral Broadway
will doubtless be draped from end to end.
Nor is it in the business portions of the
city alone that these marks of respect
are seen, for many private residences are
draped and, over in the district where
poorer people dwell, flags, bordered with
black, are hung from the windows of
| flats and tenements. Though the grief
| is probably less than these demonstrations
| would imply, less keen, for instance, than
that over the tragic fate of Garfield,
| yet the feeling of respect is more uni
| versal and the display of such tokens
| more widespread. The fact that Grant
has died natural death and that there is
| no element of terror or surprise in the
| surrounding circumstances renders it i'm
possible that the impression should be so
deep and painful, but, as have said, the
desire to suitably honor his memory is
almost universal.
| But it is Grant the conquering soldier,
who led the Union armies to victory
over the great instruction, whose memory
| is honored. Instinctiyely the memories
/ of his career as President and his disas-
trous but brief connection with business
are put aside, and all the talk is of the
hero of the war FOR the Union. This is
| gracious and in good taste, and shows
that this Republic at least is not merely
not ungrateful, but just enough to forget
what were best forgotten while remem
bering the services it is well to remember
rendered it in its hour of need.
| There has been a good deal of foolish
and excited talk about the selection OF
| Central Park as the burial place of Grant.
| The fright of the nation to inter the re-
mains of the hero in the national capital"
is loudly asserted by some people, but it
must be remembered that however much
Grant, the soldier, belongs to his country,
the body of the loving husband and
tender father belongs peculiarly to his
sorrowing and stricken family, and their
wishes as to the place of interment should
not only be final, but free from open
criticism. To say that Grants associa-
tions with New York were all painful is
foolish. This city was deliberately
chosen by him as his home,
the social ties of his later
life all centre here, and here
in all probability his family will continue
to live. That they should, then, while
yielding to the demand for his interment
in some public place, select spot within
easy walking distance of his old home,
and one which was moreover favorite
resort of his while living, rather than
have him buried in Washington is
natural and reasonable. Again his will
be the only tomb in that beautiful but
quiet pleasure ground and will thus be
more distinguished than if il were merely
one of many in some far.otf cemetery
like Arlington and it will be visited
here by thousands where hundreds
would see it in Washington. l have no
disposition to cater to the cockney spirit
of New York. which despises the rest OF
the country, but the fact that this is the
metropolis of the Republic and tht
greatest gathering place of its people can
not be ignored when considering thu
question of the appropriate last resting
place for the mortal remains of one thu
, whole country desires to honor. Henc,
the choice now made is fully justified OF
public grounds MS well as by thosl
natural considerations of q private char
acter to which have referred.
Some weeks ago | paid, in compan,
with some friends, n visit to Blackwell
, Island. We Went first 10 the CHART
+: hospital, Il noble building, through
a | whose wide corridors and cheerful room
, a delightful breeze was blowing, thougl
the day was an extremely hot one. N
| patients suffering from contagious dis
r eases are admitted here of course but nj
{ forms of non-contagious disease wer
represented. The cots were neat an
: clean and trim nurses fitted about quittl
$ ministering to the wants of those coniine
s TO their beds, while patients able to be u
\ gathered III groups, some sewing, som
knitting and many of them engaged i
cheerful conversation. Here at least
one of the spots where the lot of the poo
of New York is not harder than that c
the poor elsewhere. Every patient ther
=, was infinitely better oil III the matter {
i, fresh air, sanitary conditions and attent
!, ance than are most of the sick eve
~ in the private homes of well-to-do people
1t No runbling carts or laundering fiji
ii engines We're there TO disturb their slice
'e or shock their nerves.
u, We passed on next to the penitentiar
n which, was empty, all the inmates beiil
II ont, engaged in their daily work Il
y which the whole island is kept us mel
IL and trim as II park. The cells are ve1
small but fairly ventilated and the mp
ia are confined III them Mt nights only. I'll
Nc most perfect discipline is kept up, and
y is highly needful, for the number
y keepers is very small. When work
4, over the convicts are marched in loci
liz step to the building where they get the
nj supper and then file of to their cell
Ill They march with the breast of each ma
touching the buck of the man ahead
Il him and of course must keep perfect ste
3. in order to walk ut all. There is hen,
NJ no chance for struggling and two keepe
h' are often seen marching a gang
ru 40 or 30 conyicts i'll this fashio
h. The system, which prevails in all Il
of prisons of this state, of shortening Il
lie term for good behavior has an exec
ON lent effect in keeping the prisoners
a'S order. Probably no man could lie foui
anywhere more obedient, orderly N
clrcumspect than prisoner who sees |
term of Imprisonment, shortened hy 90,
!, behavior, drawing TO close. As NJ
mo Oapse would lose I'LL his gained time ~
IN cause him to serve his full term, his i
ost sire to obey rules is very sincere and
leo might almost be trusted nj large ON /
~ island since escape would entail on III
~, II caught agnin imprisonment for t
49,. whole term to which lie was origina
~, sentenced. This pententiary is not
l5t tended for life prisoners, or for any VIII,
ia full term extends beyond ten years.
,ja Next above the penitentiury grour
IA come those Of the alnshouse and I'll
80. - the workhouse to which those convict
a.. of misdeneanors are committed, Il
M above these and separated from them
.fmi high wall are the grounds of the gr
tLa asylum for the insane poor. Our pa
/ ,,f was fortunate enough to secure the sol
l,ai what rare privilege of entering these, d
nd was given every facility for examining
I'm premises by the courteous physician
~, charge. AT the time of our arrival III
~, of the female patients were out for e2
p" else. Many were sitting on the grou
~ some playing with jack-stones and
i, other childish games, whae n great NJ
80 " Der were walking. These walked in ga
I'M of from sixty to a hundred. two abrei
,nrn and were accompanied by but [
i"tt or three keenprs IN annL ,,o