Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-05-15
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE,

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.
Whot TIL people of this city are
waiting to see is whether Raines ho-
tells and fake" clubs are really to go
under the amended law aud whether
Sunday drinking is to he decreased or
merely male less conspicuous and
open. This opens, too, point of pc
culiur interest to the city magistrates.
The general law governing their courts
has always awarded to them the dis
position of that class of offenders
known as drunk and disordcrli." and
Il large par. of their business has con.
sisted of such cases. Under the amend
ed Rnines law all persons found intoN-
icated in II public place are guilty
of n misdemeanor, and at the same time
it is provided that all misdemeanors
come within the jurisdiction of the
court of special sessions. Naturally,
the only thing for the magistrate to do
is to hold the offender in bail for trial
mt special sessions. When the latter
court becomes overloaded with bust
ness rs it probably will-thcn II new
Raincs law problem will present itself
for solution.
A notable company has just sailed
on the ST. Paul of the American line
last week. General Miles, General
Horace Porter, Gen. William Mckinley
Osborne. were the military and dip
lomalic stars the new Paris consul
general, j. X. Guwdy; the London
vice-consul, Richard Wcscott; General
Hyde of the regular army ;
Captain Marvin L. Manus, who goes
as aid-de-campto Turkey with General
Miles; Manton Marble, roS resident
in London, editor of the New York
World in its dignified days: and Will
liam Gillette and all his company, who
go to play Secret Service" at the
London Adelphi. There was besides
Il great number of theatrical people.
General Wesley Merritt, commanding
the department of the East, sailed ON
II four months leave of absence, and
will doubtless visit the Thessalim war
field in company with General Miles.
The civil court here has made the
Metropolitan traction company pay
$50 to Il passenger who was compelled
to paw an additional fare on one of it's
lines through the neglect of conduc-
tor to give him II transfer ticket.
The passenger who fought this ont
was Il newspaper reporter who boarded
Broadway car ut the Fifth Avenue
hotel to go down town, and struck
one that only went as far as Houston
street. He had to wait on the street for
the next car, and the conductor OF that
next car brought three policemen and
Il transfer agent to remove him from
the car because he refused payment of
another fare. He took the car follow
ing and paid his fare; then he brought
suit, with the result mentioned.
Strangers in New York will owe graft
tude to this reporter, for many such
have been treated in that fashion.
Stock in the Standard Oil trust
changed hands at New York the other
day at the price of $500 per share of
800 par value. This represents an
advance of some $40 within few
months and follows from the payment
of extra dividends aggregating some
2S per cent. il Is months in addition
to the regular dividends of - per cent
1t is reported that another extra divi-
dend of 10 per cent. will he declared
in short time. Nogold mine is quite
equal to this monopoly i'll a store of
nature, when monopoly was built up
on the basis of special railroad privil-
eges and the ruin OF hundreds of in
dependent producers through the EN-
ployment of this and other desperate
and lawless means.
In an apprccatve review of the ca
reer of the late Charles i. Butler of
New York city and Stockbridge, the
Evening Post says: among friends his
conversation was always worth listening
to, and he belonged to the old tribe of
takers who never talked for the sake
of talking; In his appearance re-
semblance was often noticed to the
portraits of Washington--a resem-
blauce which to those who knew him
was, not perhaps altogether fancifully,
connected with traits marked as his
features-a love of truth, Il strength
of will, Il commanding force of char
,cter, and at the same time a modesty
which distinguished him through life
from the crowd
The Sun is nightly ticklcd over the
recommendation of the Massachusetts,
Legislative committee on military af-
fairs, that only those who have rem
dcred some military service should
hereafter he appointed ON the govern
errors staff, with the rank of colonel,
aud the Danaeslue description of the
comelincss and splendOr of the orna-
mental colonels of Massachusetts is
charactcristically fervid. When it
comes to gorgeous colonels, however,
who strut before amOrous looking
glasses, the gubernatorial staff of New
York takes the premium tulip. The
Sun could easily find home use for
its sarcasm.
If Governor Black hal signed the
new inheritance tax law within two or
three days of its passage the state would
have gained 81, 400, 600 in consequence
from the estate of the late Theodore
Havemeycr. As it is, that great for,
tune will be taxed under the old and
very mild Inheritance law. Controller
Roberts is indignant over this costly
procrastina,ion of the governor. Mean
time. as the governor waits, it is Il
good time for the wealthy here to pass