The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-01-10
BTOadbrim'S New York Letter.
speclia to the CARBoN ADVOCATE


ing, announcing ut once the birth OF {
new year and the death of the old one
All the city bells gave musical welcome
to the newborn, year of 1885, and thu
parting salute from multitudes of fire
arms bade farewell to the year which bNt
just passed away. 1884 will not soon b,
forgotten.
hgrculturnlly it has. been one of th,
most remarkable years of the century
Scarcely in mems memory has the laboi
Of the husbandman been crowned witt
such abundance, and strange MS it IN ay
seem, this. manifestation of Gods good
ness is looked upon through all the LAND
in the light of positive calamity. Sc
abundant is the great harvest in the
West, that it will not pay the farmer tC
carry it to market, and on hundreds o.
farms they are burning the corn to keey
them warm. in the bitter frosty weather
To many this may seem like waste; but
it is quite as necessary to keep people
from freezing as from starving.
Financially, 1884 has been without q
parallel. 1t stands almost alone in the
ruin and disaster it leaves behind. But
the terrlulo lessons of the year which is
gone are not an unmixed evil, if they
serve to tcach us the vaite of old-time
honesty in our dealings with our fell ow
men, and that fair character is worth
more than gold, that the questionable
and thleVish speculations which haYe
made few men prominent as million
aires, shall not receive commentator
and honor, while honorable honesty IS
left neglected to starye. We have been
running under too high pressure. Mou-
ey, money, has been the cry, and like
the Israelites of old, we haye fallen in
nbiect worship before the Golden Calf.
The exposure of the utter rottenness of
the system on which colossal fortunes
have been built up, has not been i'll
timed. AS things were going, it was
only question of time when one-half of
the community would be paupers and
the other half thieves.
These immense individual aggrega-
tions of capital ara not good for the ma
ton. A more equal division of nae
TONS wealth is conducive of greater
happiness to the many, aud the honrse
mutterings that rise from unemployed
and suffering thousands at the opening
of the New Year, ere it closes may be n
more direful portent 10 those millor.
aires than the handwriting on the wall
that pronounced the doom OF the Assyli-
an King.
The keeping of open house on New
Years day was 10y no means as general
as it has been in years past, aud baskets
hung on many doors which on previous
New Years days have been the portals o
layish and generous hospitality. Even
in the houses that received, the tables
were indicative OF the times. Hot coffee
and lemonade marked the boundary of
ordinary dissipation, while mild srdo.
tives OF claret punch and ginger ale and
such innocuous drinks were occasionally
offered TO the more Incorporate who still
wilhstooa the Illuminating thunders OF
ST. John. Our cheap cab system was a
UISsSInS ~ 49, youD6 H""~5 "uU put on
IL little extra swell on New Years day,
and who revenge themselves on the other
364 days OF tho year by riding on the
hrst OF January. Two dollars and half
for II cab, clean collar, cane and II
straight breasted coat made each dude
feel like a Jay Gould and the cab enabled
him to dispense with Rn overcoat-a gar
ment not in favor, however. with dude.
dom III general In consequence Of the
nild nature of the drinks, there were
fewer drunken men than usual, and Oh
the whole we had very quiet, unexcit-
ing New Years day.
The ouly thing that marred the city's
peace was the closing hours of the Board
of Aldermen, the scene resembling a
second-class dog pit more than session
OF the greatest corporate body in the
Union. Up to the closing moments of
bis Official existence Mayor Edison seemed
to think that some combination might
be formed by which he could punish the
enemies who had denied him a renomin.
atlon. 1t was rumored everywhere that
thousands of dollars were scattered as
oribes to different parties to prevent the
Mayors nominee from being confirmed.
be that as it may, the tactics We're sue
cessful, and Hubert o. Thompson held
the fort against Edison and his clans. If
John Kelly took hand in the fight the
effort was feeble one. The Great Saga
more. blast from whose bugle horn
was worth thousand men, never put in
an appearance, 1t is said that be re-
CARDS his work in electing Cleveland IS
the fatal mistake of his llfe, and feels
that the sceptre has passed away from
Tammany, and instead of being n dc
tator Rsof old be must now appear as a
s1ppliant, cap in hand, for the smallest
favor. The silver voice of O'Grady is no
longer heard; Spinola's shirtcollar is
limp and broken; lots Of the braves are
quietly descrting to the camp of the
enemy; and the sale of the New York
STAR, the organ of the Wigwam, is a con-
tession that they have hauled down the
dag. Nearly $500, 600 has been sunk in
the venture. II Tammany had won. the
city patronage might have Aoated it for
a time, but IT is now settled that n mere
personal organ cannot live in New York.
Even Jay Gould, with bis millions, was
iorcsd to taAe water when lie urged his
personality too Extensively on the press
and people OF New York. Irit should
pass into other hands Gs one cent paper
it might possibly meet with success if it