Year: 1868

New York is very quiet just now; that
is, this ever restless sea of humanity is
as near calm as it well can be that is
to say, still further, no great food-tide
of sensation is sweeping over us. The
impeachment has lost its first charm of
novelty, and though it is still talked of
good deal, tits in quiet way; there
are few things in the line of defalcation,
bank robberies or ghastly murders to
record the political world is only just
waking up; and altogether the weather
has got back to its old place in the cata-
logue of topics. The weather, this time,
it happens, will bear talking about, for
the oldest Knickerbocker has hardly
seen the like. After winter of almost
incessant showing and blowing, March
was hailed as the end of our meteorolog-
ical sufferings, and we thought we could
see just ahead of us the grass and the
birds and the blossoms, and the more
imaginative got so far along that they
thought they could smell the odor of
new-mown hay. They were short-sighted.
There came furious snow storm and a
tremendous frost, and we have suffered.
And now we have thaw, and visions
Of vernal growth and bloom come to us
again. Meanwhile the streets are in a
dreadful state, and everybody save the
street cleaning contractor is in state of
rebellion. The aforesaid contractor is
philosopher he has learned the secret
Of contentment, and probably makes
lots of money thereby. But, poor fell
low, enviable as he is in regard to the
money bags, he is unenviable in every
thing else, for the people demand too
much from him it is simply impossible
to remove the mountains of ice and
snow which encumber our streets and
fret everybody, and are fast killing all
our horses and stimulating to an intense
activity the society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals, etc. He has learned
to labor and to wait. He doubtless says
to himself, "Come, spring, ETHEREAL mild
ness come" knowing that day of sun
will do more than all his carts. But the
people, notwithstanding their rebellions,
are getting philosophical, too.


Our Central Park-our pride, our pet
is to be made this spring more symmet-
rically largely beautiful than ever
before. Besides improvements in the
general landscapes, new statues are to
be added to the heavy stone of the stair
cases and terraces are to be sculptured
in bas relief. Some of these bas reliefs
have been in cutting for some time. and
promise beautiful effects We are to
have more music, too. The work plan
ned for the year is in full accord with
that which has proceeded it, and this is
sufficient warrant that it will be credit
to the citizens and to the Park Com
N missioners. The Park, all in all, has
been the best managed of all our public
works for many years. and suggests what
may be expected in other public depart
ments in the good years coming, when
none but true citizens shall be placed in
authority. This change for the City
Hall, at least, if it come at all, will
probably not greet us for many years
hence. Our city hall people! How
much they have been denounced and yet
how much more should be said.


The long looked for, long talked of
Arion ball has come and gone. 1t was
SO bright, so successful, that. the partici-
pants could say with some sort of truth,
I" Twas what our fancy painted it." The
Academy of Music looked like an ell
chanted palace. The Arions do every
thing well, and for several years their
entertainments have been attended by
the elite of both German and American
society. The society was formed in
1854, by thirteen seceders from the Lied
erkranz. For several years they had
uphill work, but at last they came to be
rivals of even the Liederkranz, winning
over the latter the first prize in the great
prize singing contest at Buffalo about
eight years ago.


A serious riot occurred on the 5th
inst, on Wards Island, between the
Irish and German pauper emigrants who
reside there, owing to the stagnation of
business. The number of these emf
grants hasincreased to nearly 1000 with
in the last three months. The Irishmen
attacked the Germans with superior
number, and it was not until large de.
tachment of policemen used their fire.
arms that order could be restored and
the ringleaders arrested. Fourteen per-
sons were wounded and about eighty
made prisoners. Quite number of cit
izens of the Emerald Isle and five Teu-
tons were sentenced to three, six and
nine months hard labor.