Year: 1878

Last week L gave description OF the
operation of the photograph, in which
1 said something about the rapid sue
cessiOn of astonishing inventions. The
justice of that remark is illustrated by
the fact that since writing that letter l
have learned of brand new contriv--
ance of the same inventor, called the
aerophone, which can be put on steam
engines instead of the ordinary whistle,
and, in gentle tones that can>be heard
at least four miles, be made to call out
any words desired. Fol- instance, if it
is on factory, it will perhaps yell,
''Time for Dinnerw or ''Come to Work!n
and if on a locomotive, "Get off the
Track :" or while yet far away, shrek
to the next station, "BungtOwn, look
out for Number Three ~ What the
next contrivance will be no one can
foretell; but promise to chronicle it
faithfully, even if it's patent air line
rapid transit railroad to the moon.


Which mention of rapid transit re-
minds me to say that our elevated rail-
way extensions go merrily on. The
building of the Gilbert road has pro-
gressed with incredible rapidity. Its
sections seem to spring out of the earth
udN ny llh6 d SIOWbu VI
mushrooms and already Sixth Avenue
and West Broadway are filled with an
arching forest of iron beams and grid
els. At this rate another month will
see trains running on this route. The
Pullman Car Company are hard at work
on the cars, for building sixty of which
they have a contract. These cars are
to be very elegant, after the manner of
the Pullmans. l shall, perhaps, de-
scribe them later.


An extraordinary complication has
arisen between the city and national
governments. The ground on which
our ten million dollar post office stands
was sold to Uncle Sam by the city of
New York, and in the conveyance a
clause was introduced STIMULATING that
if the building was ever used for any
] other purposes than those specified in
the instrument, the sale should be void
and the property should revert to the
city. Either in ignorance or in defiance
of this condition, the present Secretary
of the Treasury has caused parts of the
post Office building to be occupied for
purposes forbidden in the grant, and
we are now confronted by the somewhat
startling assertion of the city's right to
seize the property according to agree
meIt. Of course it is not likely that
any such action would be attempted,
but it is probable that Mr.. Sherman will
have to take the back track ON his plan
for the occupancy of the structure.


The Aquarium is in hard luck. OF
the two valuable chimpanzees, which
mentioned few weeks since as having
excited Darwinian discussion on their
arrival, one is dead and the other is
dying. They had cost great deal of
money and were the only specimens of
the animal in America. To add to the
funereal gloom that pervades this Won
der-place, "Baby," the clumsy, good
uatured young hippopotamus, who has
for year formed one of its prominent
attractions, has just shuff1ed off some
ton and half of mortal coil which
when animated by the soul which now
has doubtless returned to haunt the
luxuriaut marshes of the Nile, was esti-
mated worth $4,000.


An unfortunate physician of weak
i. rjudgementin Brooklyn was sent to the
State prison the other day because ht
was not content to let well enough
alone. He had been indicted for {
crime, and the indictment failed fol
lack of the evidence of the person ex
pected to be the principal witnes.
against him. Thereupon he sued pro


fessional rival for conspiracy, and til,


witness was found and the man was in
dicted again, with the result just men


toned. He is probably engaged nov


in rejecting how much better off b,


would have been if he had not attempt
ed spiteful proceedings against a MAJ
= who had told the truth about him.


Another attempt is being made b.
e pretended heirs-at-law to have the pro
, bate of Mr.. Alexander Stewards will
set aside and a new division of tn


property made. RADIX.