Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-02-10
EDWARD C. DANA.
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The other day l wrote you of an
old woman whom saw i'll public
institution here, not n charitable insti-
tuition, for she is rich, but who is
demented. and who is several
years over Il century old. She and
her sister, who was almost as old, were
Irish born, but had been in this coun-
try since girlhood. This week at
tended the semi i.public funeral of
true daughter of the revolution (al-
though she did not belong to the
"Daughters' who had passed the
century mark. She was true May
flower descendant. too, the two max
her about rs thoroughly American as
it is possible for one to be. Her
name WAS Phoebe ID. Hedges. Her
Maytiower ancestor was named Doty:
and her father was one of the famous
minute men. She did not, like the
ot Ell centenarian of whom l told you,
live life of single blessedness or lone
linesS, rs one chooses to regard 1t, for
she celebrated her golden wedding
with her husband in the SOS, and her
husband, a school teacher, died 25
years ago. Eleven years ago she broke
her hip in fall, and had lived day
times in roller chair ever since. Rep
! esentatives of three generations OF
her posterity survive her. She was
very bright and intelligent, and l have
passed many pleasant hours in listen
ing to her "reminiscences.
Of course you know something OF
the work here of our great libraries.
They are immense institutions, but thaye
not Kept pace with the growth of the
city. Now bill has been introduced
into the legislature providing for an in
crease of the appropriation for the pub
lie library. The bill of 1897 provided
for an appropriation Of ~, 500, 600.
but since then many considerations
have entered in to change the neces-
sa estimates. One such is the increase
OF at least % per cent. in the cost of the
material for the building, iron espe-
cially, and also in the cost of labor. One
of the improvements proposed is the
substitution of marble for stone. Such
is the singular distinction made in
New York contractors parlance, as If
marble were not stone. However, as
"stone" in the Erie canal work was
held to mean hard pan, or even loose
gravel at times and places, it is obvi-
ous that no mineralogical accuracy
should be asked for from contractors.
DR.. John S. Billings, director of the
library, adopts this queer nomencla-
ture, and says the cost "will greatly
depend upon whether marble or stone
is used.
You know that am not friend of
Tammany Hall, but in one instance
Tammany has builded we'll better
than it knew or meant to, in fact.
This is the appointment of the young
Brooklyn broker, Coles, as controller.
And ''mine enemy has written book"
1t is called Municipal Affairs" 1t
will he issued some time this month.
have seen the advance sheets and
can assure you it is we'll worth read
ing. 1t discusses the condition of
things in the simplest and most direct
manner, with leaning towards public
ownership OF all franchises. The
authors aim is to get the people to
think for themselves. and. verify,
think, he will accomplish his object.
A good many people do and good
many people do not like Anthony
Comstock, but whether or not Com
stock is what his friends or his enc.
mics think him to be there is no doubt
that he is in love with his work. The
other day he was offered the position
of chief of police of Summit, N. j.,
an easy and lucrative job, but he says
he would not accept any place under
municipal, state or United States gov
ernment that would prevent him from
carrying on the work to which he has
devoted nearly % years of his life. |
The value of the Stock Exchange as
a grand gambling house is again made
evident by the failure here this week
of Tunstall a. Co., brokers. The firm
plunged heavily early in the week in
a desperate endeavor to recoup former
losses, forced sugar up several points
by heavy purchases, but the market
slumped and the last state of the un-
fortunate firm was worse than the
first. Affairs are now in receivers
hands and that gentleman says that
the firms seat in the Stock Exchange
is the most valuable asset, the seat of
the last broker who was sold out
bringing $39, 600 at auction.
Even with our vast water supply we
are suffering from the long drouth, and
fash boards have been placed N some
of the dams In the Croton waters shed,
to increase the sto-e in lakes north of
the Croton dam. Only three inches
of water have fallen in the whole re-
gion in months when there should
have been 10 inches. This water
supply matter is one OF the most seri-
Gus Of the many problems of the
growth OF New York us OF all other
cities. Some time, predict, it will be
found absolutely necessary to resort
to filtration of river water.
We are on the eve of another big
project here-a suspension bridge,
tho largest of it's kind in the world
and the costliest. 1t is estimated that
with its approaches it will cost the
stupendous sum OF S60,OO0,O 600. 1t
is to connect New York and Hoboken.
The span will be 2790 feet and the
bridge will be double decked and
provided with carriage road, foot
path, bicycle path aud four car
tracks on the upper deck, beside the