Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-08-21
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. I

The sigh Of relief to which New
York gave vent on the appointment o
Col. Gaorg, Moore Smith as Colone
Grants successor in the police com
mission was heard from the Battery t,
the Bronx. He is a Republican, an,
his selection thus complies with tn,
law. He is not al active politician
and his Independence of machin,
orders or influence is thus as
sured, to the benefit of the de
partmelt and of the city. He is op
posed to the policies aud methods o
Commissioner Parker, for the mayor
would never dream of naming man
who could possibly prove to be in sym.
pathy with an official tried and sus.
pended by him on charges. Above all,
the new commissioner Is a clear, able
man, with no entangliugallauces what
ever and inspired solely by determi
nation to do his duty by the light o
his intelligence, and bring to an end 8
most unfortunate condition in police
affairs. Nearly five months remain of the
life of the department as at present con
stituted. 1t is short time in which
to overcome the inertia of the last two
years. Yet "battles have been lost and
won in twenty minutes" and with this
fact as guide and with at least the
harmony of three against one as a
weapon, there is still hope that so much
may be accomplished by the present
board that when old Now York dies it
will close its eyes upon police depart
ment unhampered by deadlocks and OBJ
struc!ion in its directing. body and
marked throughout by reflected har-
mony and thoroughness in behalf of
law and order, and by honesty in all
subordinate places. The Inauguration
Of the new regime, witnessed the cha
grin of the criminal classes and of
their friends in certain of the police
stations. Colonel Smith is a soldier,
trained and tried. He will keep his
face to the enemy. 1t will be interest
ing t, know what Mr.. Parker and the
law breakers are going to do about it.
Edwin Mattheson, who by his
shrewdness made fortune in real es-
tate, has just been committed to
Bloomingdale asylum. This man,
who attracted friends by his lavish
expenditures Of money, is a mental
and physical wreck, and his fortune
is but shadow of what it once was.
Matthewson is an Englishman, 81 years
old. He came to this country 30 years
ago. His family WAS good, and he
had modest capital to start with. He
opened real estate Office on lower
Broadway, New York. His business
doomed from the start. The money
Mattheson made so easily he spent
with reckless prodigality, but his for
tune continued to pile up. The man
became we'll known figure on Broad
way, and he was known as high
roller in the Tenderloin. Mattheson
lived at one Of the best uptown hotels
in New York. He kept up his fast life
and spent money more recklessly
than ever. The pace began to tell on
his intellect. He made some bold specu-
lations, and few heavy losses de-
pleted his property amazingly. His
good fortune had forsaken him. His
bank account dwindled year by year
until at the beginning of the present
year he had comparatively little in
sight. The friends of his fortunate
days had all forsaken him. It was
then Mrs. Lockwood and Mrs. Marion
of Pacific street, two of his true friends,
tried to reclaim the shattered man.
They were two late. They engaged
a male nurse to take care of him, and
endeavored to keep him from drink.
His condition grew gradually worse,
and now he has been sent to the asy-
lum q mental wreck.
No doubt Senator Platt is highly
pleased over the fact that both Bid
we'll and Van Cott are winners, but it
is not likely that the nomination of
Thomas Fitchie for immigration COM
~