Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-05-27
EDWAR G. DANA.
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS,

that clothe Mis-. William c. Whitney's
grave, ona hilltop overlooking the
Little Neck meadows, the freshly
turned earth is sown with powerful
torpedoes. The coffin is hemmed
about with them. and the ghoul who
undertook to strike his spade beneath
the surface would invite swift destruc.
tiol and night and day two men are
posted there to watch the grave. One
is detective and the other . patrol.
man. They are detailed there from the
Flushing police station and have no
other duty. There is no secret about
the torpedoes. They were not planted
there by the grave digger, but by
strangers sent to finish his work for
him-men whose trade it is to handle
explosives. The body is decked with
valuable jewels. An attempt to steal
the body and hold it for ransom,
as was done in the case of A.
L. Stewart. is feared, and the
traordinary nature of the injury which
Mrs. Whitney survived SO long, but
which eventually caused her death,
would make the body an especially
desirable subject for the anatomists
table, all these are given as reasons.
coffin was not laid in avault, but in the
ground alongside the grave of Captain
Randolph, her first husband. After
the grave had been filed, torpedoes
and all, it was covered with blanket
woven of orchids, lies of the valley
and white lilac.
Those who live in the rural districts
have been watching keeuly 10 see
ii the recent scandalous rapid fire
divorce and marriage performance of
the fashionable divorced woman Sloane
and Perry Belmont would be visited
with the condemnation it deserves
from the New York press and New
York fashionable society. What fash
ionable society may do with the pair
upon their return to town cannot be
known yet, but it is to be
observed that the press has
not been far behind the clergy in
making it hot for the Belmonts. The
Evening Post, which never assails
wealth in spirit of demagogy, implies
that the fashionable rich, because of
their money and idleness, are more
prone to the sins of conjugal faithess-
ness than other people. 1t is cer-
tain that in recent years several scan
dalous divorces have taken place in the
very wealthiest of our New York FAM
lilies. On the other hand, it will not
do to condemn the morality of whole
class because of few instances OF this
character. The very rich, however,
must be under special temptations,
and their lapses are accelerated most
deplorsbly by the anarchic condition
of this country's divorce laws. The
Belmont Sloane case seems to be TO.
cusing public attention upon the di
vorce question.
Russell Sage vows that Carnegie can
do as lie pleases, but as for Sage he
will stay in business at the old stand.
When Sage retires to spend his time
in philanthropy and dignitiel leisure.
there will be no more Sage. The
trouble with the great tnancier is til at
he didn't begin early enough to endow
public libraries and hospitals and
workingmen institutes. The reason
Mr.. Carnegie finds it easy to retire
is that he began his philanthropy
and leisure years ago. A mans
habits grow on him. Russell
Sage is down on DR.. Briggs,
too. With the simple child likeness
which distinguishes him he says he
believes the Bible from beginning to
end, including Jonah and the whale,
and is shocked at DR.. Briggs unsound
doctrines, and for his part he is still
Of the same mind he was when, being
asked to subscribe $1,000 year to get
DR.. Briggs to the West Presbyterian
church, he declared: 81 would not
give five cents year to him." For
generous, hearty Christian like Sage to
be brought to such a declaration in.
dicates the heinous nigritude of Chas.
A. Briggs offences.
Delmonico's has played the role OF
PAGER for the progress of New York.
Seventy years ago it was little more
than French pastry shop down near
Bowling Green. Before long it be-
came restaurant and began to move
uptown, again and again uptown,
growing in importance and equipment
ut every step. The latest Delmonico's,
at Forty-fourth street and Fifth
avenue, is of course better in its ap-
pointments and somewhat larger than
the one just closed. Perhaps in time
it will occupy the same place in the
affections OF the cold guard" which
now seems inconsolable over the loss
of its favorite haunt. The mems cafe
there was the feature which is most
keenly regretted. 1t had an atmos-
phere of its own; clientele which
had taken shape, almost taken root.
The history of Delmonicos has been
full OF reconstruction periods, but the
old guard seems to think this will be
the most difficult of them all.
The late Ex-Governor Roswell p.
Flower was an optimist, and always
ready to bet on the American eagle.
He was ever-cheerful, hopeful and
self-reliant, and he abhorred anything
that squinted in the direction of hy-
pocrisy. "Young man," said he to
one who asked his advice as to invest.
ing in one of the Flower specialties in
the stock market, "stop preaching
against the trusts and look pleasant.
If there's good monopoly around
manage to get into it aud don't make
faces at it," He was the New York
governor, by the way, who said,
damn the votes! am thinking of
my duty"
kNICKERBOCKER.
Murdered by SpOilsmen.
New York, May 22.-Edward Selleck,