Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-10-24
NEW YORK LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. I

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
An ocean highway, Ms perfect rs any
road on laud, is now claimed by the
man who has devised 1t to be posi-
bic, and it may be established il the
plan, which has been submitted to the
United States government, is carried
ont. 1t is II gigantic project which
will close up the rift Of six days which
comes into the life of every one who
now crosses the ocenn.
This is the plan, of which some
msntioa has been made. Reuben H.
Plass, of Brooklyn, is the inventor. 1t
provides for the establishment of a
chain of stations across the ocean, To-
Gated at distances aud under condi.
tons, the inventor claims, that will
easily permit intercourse with every
part of the land. Should a merchant
wish to communicate with the captain
of one of his steamers it would be
possible to do so by interceptiug the
ship in mid-ocean or elsewhere along
the chain of stations. Should a
passenger change his mind on the trip
over, or for any reason desire to return
without completing the voyages land
ing could be effected at one OF the sta
tions, ship on the return voyage
communicated with and the passenger
taken off, By constant commun ication
between land and these ocean stations
a daily paper could be printed on each
so giving to ocean passengers each
day record of the worlds doings.
But these are only minor matters in
the inventors category of invaluable
results that would follow the estab-
fishing OF his chain of sea stations.
The great idea that prompted him to
work with enthusiasm on his scheme
was the humane one of life saving 1t
will be seen that if the inventor can
carry out all he claims the days when
shipwrecked sailors were forced to
spend weeks of suffering in an open
boat while toiling to reach land, would
be but memories for novelists to make
capital OF.
A case that has excited no little
thought and comment came up in
New York last week. 1t is the case of
poor woman who has been driven
from state to state for two years for
no other crime than being poor. This
woman landed from Germany and
went to Indiana. Sickness soon
drained all her money she had
NIT me- fl,.,
hands of landlords and doctors.
and she was left poor and debiltated
to pull through as best she could.
Then began the command to "move
on" 'move on, which has followed
her from town to town and state to
state, until arrested as a dazed wan
derer in the streets OF New York
about to collapse.
Says this woman, against whom no
crime or bad conduct of any kind is
alleged from any source: II tried to
earn living, but l was too weak.
Then I was declared o poor person
aud driven out of town. They put me
on train and sent me to indianapolis.
They would not have me there,
and I was again bundled into
second class car and sent to
Columbus, Ohio. From Columbus
to Canton 1 was sent by the author
tiles; then Pittsburg and Philadel-
phia, and finally New York" There
il something of the cowardly in this
move-on system SO much in vogue in
our towns, cities and states. This
frantic fear least some poor, weak
person shall be left upon the hands of
thriving community for few hours
is sIdy ssHlsdsGhAar FFti ss ttSSs
wayfarer's only crime is poverty and
unavoidable weakness.
One of the peculiar habits of the
people of this city is to consult the
clock almost on every occasion when
an opportunity is presented. 1t mat.
ters little whether any special need re.
quires that consultation or not, the
clock will be thus consulted. Espe.
cially is this the case if particular
clock has the reputation of being good
time.keeper. So we'll is this known
by many storekeepers that they will
place clocks in their store, so situated
as to be easily seen by persons who
may be passing along the adjacent
sidewalk. II the clock has a good
reputation and the pedestrian is fortu-
nate enough to carry watch, a COM
parison is almost sure to be made.
Many times clock with good
reputation placed in the back part OF
store becomes q protection thereof
at night, if near it is located
a light strong enough to illuminate it's
face and show the time. A policeman
told me the other day that good
clock, thus situated is better than a
private Waterman for a jewelry store
as every be-lated passer-by is likely to
look through the store to see what
time it is, and would be almost certain
to notice anything unusual in the APP
pearance of the place. It therefore
becomes indirectly silent Waterman
guarding the premises against the
of burglars, and makes
the pedestrian, as it were, assistants in
the work.
The indictment of certain anc-
tioneers charged with fraudulent prac-
tees by the September grand jury has
borne first fruits. Three men we're
arrested the other day and held for
trial. am not prepared to declare
these men, or any one of them, guilty
in advance of the jury's verdict At
tho same time, the grand jury is very
slow to assail mans bust
ness reputation and stamp him as
q criminal without evidence of o sort
that appeals strongly to ripe intelli.
gence and experience in affairs. What.
ever the outcome OF these three cuses,