Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-21
Z The Evening Star.

METROPOLITAN NOTES.
Correspondence OF The Evening Star
New YoRK, March 10, 1891.
MT r. LORETTUS S. METCALF, FOR FIVE
AHA years the editor Of the Forum, has Just
resigned that position, and for the time being
certainly will take rest. Mr.. Metcalf carries
with him the respect and and admiration Of the
literary world. His five years record as editor
OF the Forum is a successful one. His success.
however, has been earned by a prodigal expend-
iture Of vital energy and for over year he hal
been intending to relieve himself of the great
strain which his position eRtailed upon one
who was naturally critical and sensitive. No
outsider can imagine the constant wear and
tear on the nerves which is incidental to the
conduct OF leading magazine The number
OF very respectable. not to say eminent. people.
who are confident that their ideas are just what
the public are yearning to devour is beyond
reckoning. Nine-tenths of the work of the
magazine editor is to reject the laborious es-
as the cond, it through which their
thoughts shall .ssue to the world. The
grief and rage which this rejection
means cannot be understood unless one has
himself filled tine breach We often hear of the
indifference and the stony-hcarted cynicism of
few men in the world outside of railroad ticket
offices and a few similar cages OF badgered
humanity who are kept SO on the stretch by
importantly and expostulatioE. 1t iS the high
est praise that can be given to Mr.. Metcalf TO
say that he has survived this five years warfare,
retaining the cordial respect of the literary
world. Every man. at least every man who is
worth anything, has his hobby. Mr.. Metcalf 3
hobby is caves. L suppose there is no man liv-
ing who knows more about caves or has visited
rnn fah 1pt,l
Whether this knowledge on his part came from
the eNigences of his editorial position or not
cannot say, but If there is anything which
would suggest TO man to take II header and
disappear Ia the whale in ''Olivette' it would
be to run magazine.
THE FIRE F1END RAMPAGEoUs.
The big fire of Tuesday night destroyed one
OF the finest business palaces of the city.
Within few years the tendency to splendid
structures which has marked professional build
ngs. hotels. theaters and the like. has made its
influence felt In the wholesale trade. particu-
arly in the ready-made clothing district of the
city which centers around Washington Square
and broadway between Prince and l4th streets.
The Cohnfeld building of the finest of
these palaces of the new regime. The struct-
ure was called "Cohnfelds Folly" at first, but
the wisdom of the location and of the architect
ure was indicated by events. A number of
superb structures have arisen about it and now
survive the pioneer. What the burnt-out firms
will do is difficult to say. The fire destroyed
about million dollars worth of goods and will
seriously interrupt trade az two of the largest
houses flnd themselves completely disorga nized
1t may not be generally known that the cloth
ing trade is the largest single manufacturing
interest In New York city, according TO the
census of 1880. One curious feature OF it il that
the manufacturing is done right on the premi-
ses. In the very heart of the city. On the up
per floors OF many Of these fine buildings may
be found hundreds of operatives. hard at work
on all the processes of manufacturing, and Mt
q clock at night. when they emerge upon the
streets the town for a quarter of an hour wears
the aspect OF Fall River or any other manufac-
turing town.
SUCH Is FAME.
had good example yesterday OF the ephe-
neral nature Of fame. 1t seems to me have
heard or read some dissertations on this gem
eral subject before. but | had the matter
brought home to me in a striking manner.
had occasion TO hunt up Il copy Of Amelie
Rives novel. The Quick and the Dead On
this GRAND | searched through most of the
leading second hand book stores on Broadw
and inquired also i'll some OF those that keep a
regular stock of books. but was unable to find
copy. and what more half Of the cler',s
DID not seem to have ever heard of the book or
to know anything about the author. When we
recoliect what furOre there was over this
young woman writingsa very few years ago we
may well ask: is literary fame worth the
struggle?'
DAY OF JUDGMENT FOR DUDES.
After due consideration which the solemnity
Of the situation requires the Merchant Tailors'
Society has finally decided to sell its bad debts
at public auction. This will fiutter the dove
cotes in CorioH. The members of the society
VINO want to sell Judgments make an assessment
OF them to the society. They are then referred
to a committee of three for investigation. and
upon approval Of that committee the iudg-
ments to be sold are first posted for a week and
notice OF the intended sale is sent to the debtor
and II all these drastic persIasions fail the bill
goes to the auction block The first sale is to take
place at the real estate exchange next Wednes-
day This will be a black day for dudes.
THE CATHEDRAL PLANS.
The spring exhibition of the National Acad-
envy will be made specially interesting from
the fact that the four cathedral plans are to be
included in the galleries. 1t has been finally
decided to allow Potter h Robertson to enter.
though Bishop Potter filed his protest The
trustees expect that this public exhibition will
result in much valuable criticism. though it is
to be hoped that interest in the plans will not
reach that fervor which they once did ON a
similar competition in Florence, where there
were riots III the streets and blOodshed between
the opposing factions.
METROPOLITAN NOTES.
In Brooklyn is probably the greatest city of
the dead i'll America. The annual report Of the
Greenwood cemetery corporation shows that
the total number of ihternents i'll that famous
cemetery has reached 259 1873.
According to the annual report of the board
of health the death rate of the city, even ac-
cepting the census population, is only "a SO per
thousand. President Wilson notes that this de-
crease is largely due to the work of the board
and of various charitable organizations in saw
ing the infants. There has also been u great
decrease In deaths from contagious diseases and
from neglect in tenement houses. New York IL
still the great tenement house city. The report
shows that altogether there are 81 .3l6 of these
houses in the city, and that l.259. 7SS persons,
or more than three-fourths of the entire pop,r-
iation Of the city, live in them. the averagl of
inhabitants to each house being 1916.
New York state has the curions sensation of
not only being out of debt, but of wondering
what to do with its surplus. 70 be sure, there
is still a state debt of II, 100000. but over
against this the state has surplus In its treas
urv OF S3.5O0,OO and now gets bon bouche
Treasury in payment of the direct tax money
due the state. Various propositions in the line
Of spending the surplus pending the most
attractive beng the use of the money to found
the state park in the Adirondacks.
There seems to he no end TO the appetite of
New York. The downtown Delmoncos closed
a little while ago 10 make room for a store but
II restaurant has been opened under other
auspices next door, and every noon now IL is
crammed full on both floors. though the prices
ia, ~.