Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-04
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Hard Coal Monopoly and Fogs Brighten
New Workers - Everything Begrimed
With Soot-An Heiress on q Hunt for q
Chivalrous Dude - Mrs. CIeveland's


New Workers - Everything Begrimed
With Soot-An Heiress on Hunt for q
Chivalrous Dude - Mrs. CIeveland's
Health.
lFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
NEW WORKERS are very much concerned as
to the future climate they may be expected
to endure This is not wholly on account of the
recent London fogs that have visited Man.
haitian Island, but chiefly because of the in
creased consumption of soft coal 1t has been
the boast for good many years that the Clean
ness and bracing qualities OF the atmosphere
of the Atlantic coast made this section more
delightful to live in than any other. This boast
had considerable foundation In fact IN this
particular latitude between the two extremes.
Unlike the conditions of other large American
cities, we could from any prominent point in
New York overlook almost the entire me-
tropolis from border to border. Of recent
years. however, the increased consumption of
soft coal has brought about a material change
In this respect. 1t is only within the last year
or two that this change has been particularly
noticeable. OF course it is nothing like the
evil complained of in Chicago and formerly in
Pittsburg before the introduction of natural
gas, but it is evil which is growing.
That is what now scares New Yorkers. They
see In the near future an atmosphere clogged
with floating coal SCOT, and the beautiful arch-
lecture spotted and besmeared by the grimy
ago there were no more than half million tons
OF soft coal used per annum between the cities
OF brooklyn and New York. Now, there are on
close estimate about three and one-half mil
lions tons used. The tight grip OF the railroad
and coal barons of Pennsylvania upon the an
thrac1te regions and the consequent high price
OF hard coal, while the bituminous or soft coal
Is to be had at little above half the price of the
former, are the conditions under which this
result has been reached. That the decrease of
the use OF hard coal ana the increase in the use
mill a Il
ditions is unquestjonabe. The probability is
that the authorities of New York will be forced
to begin the battle now in progress in Chicago to
force curtaiment of the soft coal nuisance
or the introduction of smoke consumers. At
any rate the outlook for the New Yorker is not
altogether pleasant one.
What Forty Dollars Went For.
"WE come across some very amusing things,
and see some very amusing people in
our business" said a theatrical agent the other
day. II remember one time while with the
Patti company in Chicago rather funny thing
occurred. There was, of course, a great de-
mand for seats for Patti. and the prices were
very high, as usual. We received telegram
the day before one of her performances asking
for four seats. The telegram came from
Quincy, Ill. The seats we're all taken by pur-
chasers and SPECTATORS and replied that they
could not obtain them at the regular price. but
that could purchase from the spectators for
$40 seat. Money is no object to some of those
people out there. and they Immediately wired
for the outfit, and found at the
hotel where 1 was instructed to deliver
them that the four purchasers were ladies. OF
"fh % tbs and
what they thought of Patti. They were per-
fectly delighted, and all tried to talk at once.
Curious to know what Quincy girl knew about
the Patti style of music. pressed one particu-
larly as to what single part of the performance
gave her the most pleasure.
oh! 1t was perfectly delightful" she said.
There were exactly 92 people on the stage at
one time because counted them"
What struck me as the funniest thing" put
in another, was the fact that although that
big chandelier burned candles, they did not
seem to be any nearer burned out at the close
OF the performance than they were when it
began l was looking every minute to see the
grease drop down the peoples necks, but no.
body else seemed to mind il"
"She was speaking of the porcelain imita-
tion candles about the gas burners. With
these opinions of the Patti performance which
cost them S4O I went away feeling almost
dead"
A Financial View of a Snow Storm.
10 YOU know what snow means in great
city like New York; 1t means the almost
total blocking of the lines of travel for a time,
the greatest inconvenience to every man. wom-
an and child, the loss of hundreds of thousands
Of dollars to employers and employed and a
total paralysis of business of all kinds. On the
morning after the recent great snow the streets
were wellnigh impossible for hours to the
ordinary means of conveyance. Even the
elevated roads which are supposed to be above
the snow line were irregular. and SO uncertain
of movement were the trains that all business
calculations were upset for the day.
There are probably in this city and Brooklyn
over 800, COO men and women who 60 out in tbs
morning to shops, factories, stores and counting
houses to work for living. 1t IS putting a
very small estimate upon the value of their
services to say that the loss of a single hour
costs each one of them so cents. This is an
average of a skilled workman. The loss of one
hour therefore to these people alone, amounts
TO S25O, ,OO0 That is direct loss to the en-
ploye. 1t does not embrace any of the greater
loss by the general paralysis of trade. On this
particular day mentioned, it was not question
of one hour, but matter of two. three and
four hours for the people concerned. 1t is true
that the fact that no people go shopping Is not
to be connted as a loss, for if people buy not on
one day they will buy the same things on an
other day, so the tradesman makes an average.
But the loss OF labor of all kinds is direct and
positive and has nothing In the future to make
it good.
the street cleaning department and to the gen.
eral city authorities of New York. From the
niggardly appropriation for the operations of
the street cleaning department., that feature of
city government here has been clear failure
and has evoked very little beyond incessant
abuse for each successive commissioner. The
city spends over 81, 100000 every year in the at
tempt to clean streets which cannot be cleaned
for less than double the money. If we take the
case of a single snow storm like this last. it
will be seen that the financial loss to all classes
of business from the blockade OF few hours
would more than doubly repay the necessary
expenditure to make such q blockade practi-
cally impossible.
Babies in Sleigh.
a NOVELTY in baby carriages, inspired by
the holiday SHOWS is a double ender sleigh
in ivory white and gold. When two little twin
cherubs. their noses and cheeks pink with the
frosty air, are slowed away in either end
wrapped in soft furs, and a good-looking
French maid in white cap is at the other end
OF the string, the whole, cavorting along the
walks, it forms sight for the gods.
=
Stories About Mrs. Cleveland.
7 SEE paragraph floating around concerning
Mrs. Cleveland which does that distin-
gushed lady great injustice. 1t is to the effect
that for some reason or other, presumably social
dissipation, she is looking pale and peaked.
and showing the worse for wear. There is not
the slightest reason for this statement beyond
the imagination Of the writer. i saw Mrs,
Cleveland recently. and never saw her looking
better since she was bride entering the White
House at Washington. In fact she was visibly
improved in physical beauty since that memor-
able event,
Speaking of Mrs Cleveland's health, reminds
me that her august spouse is also apparently
enjoying a new lease on life. He is by n means
as 1eshy as he was when con fined to the White
House. Whether this reduction in flesh comes
from the use of patent flesh reducing machine
anti-fat, exercise or the continuous attacks of
Charles A. Dana, the reader will be quite as
good judge as the writer.