Year: 1879

NEN YORK. APrll lcdb.
The great walking contest is-what still hArping
on that stringf Certainly, Why not9 Everybody is
harping on it, aud not only harping it bat going
crazy on il. tell you people are walking mad all
over this country, and here in New York they are
craze.t Of all. If show some signs Of the general
frenzy who wonder at it! As was going to say,
the great walking contest is and the champion
belt for the present at least, is lost to America
0'LeAry the main-stAy and hope Of thousands, dis
appointed ami disgusted his admirers and hackers BY
getting sick and breaking down early
in the match. Hartman the down-easter, and by
the way the only born American of the lot nearly
killed himself in his barely successful effort to walk
sufficient number of miles (45Ol to entitle him to
share in the gate money while Ennis, tof Ireland
but recently of Chieago), did his best to eaton
the little Englishman Roweu but only managed to
get within twenty-five miles of him. ROwe eOnse-
quently takes the belt, and with it about Sls,oOO
quite a snug little to carry back TO. " Merry
England" and enough TO make the plucky little
Briton comparatively independent for life. Rowel
is young man, possibly not mere than twenty-five
year, of age not remarkably intelligent looking but
with rather pleasant face. He Is not more than
FIVE feet four FIVE inches in height, but otherwise
his build is Enthusiastically that Of an athlete. He
has been quite lion amongst sporting New Workers
lately, and when he visit Wall street the bulls
and bears testified their admiration of him in their
accustomed quiet and unobtrusive manner.


1t seems to be the nature Of some peope-in fact
Of most peope-to 90 to extremes in almost every
thing. This IS particularly noticeable in our mourn
iug customs. Some folks TO think that the
wsrd their grief by the depth of hat
band. or the length Of veil. have seen note paper
for "a mourning" purposes where the black margin
o ska-f fhara
was hardly room for more than word or two.
have seen visiting cards which expressed much
black bo-dered grief thst l could only wonder how
people overwhelmed with sorrow could bring
themselves to 90 visiting AT all. Not long ago
passed little clothing sto-e the front Of which
displayed large festooned device in black
drapery surrounding the legend " We mourn our
loss" This is far definite than the old fashion
ed custom of closing the blinds. and leaves less to
the imagination even than hanging Grape the
door knob. Already have whs mourn
ing studs and vest-chsins and women who have their
gold earrings enamelled black when they 60 into
mourning by and bye shall see the hat band or
veil bearing such notices this Il am overwhelmed
with grief or / am heart broken, then in sd-
dition the general announcement Of sorrow In the
abstract, the specific cause might be added, thus =
Z" l deeply afflicted have lost my mOther-in-
law" Mourning IN verse would no doubt become
popular aud great national obituary poet George
Washington Chlds, A NJ. would be called upon
supply Of his exquisite verses to be embroider
ed on widows wells, such as the following foI in
stance:


Though the lost loved one las gone from my sight,


His nem'ry fresh will remain.


On the day be was buried looked like fright


For my bonnet Was spoiled by the rain.


Seriously speaking this custom of wearing mourning
is carried TO excess and ought to be modified in
fact when ! think of how much expediture it entails
on many who can i'll afford it, almost think it
would be good thing if the custom abolished
altogether.


very pretty fight is going on between the Mayor
and the Police Commissioners. The Mayor accuses
the Commissioners of neglect of dutv and says to
them, in effect, q have made up my mind that you
guilty. and it is no saying that you not,
you must go any way" The Commissioners natu-
rally object TO this summary mode of doing business
and wish to be heard through counsel. This the
Mayor refuses to grant, and so the matter stands at
present. The Mayor is undoubtedly right in mis-
statement of facts. The police negligent in fact
a whole they bullying, ignorant, bumptiOus
ovepaid crowd and far better could be obtained
for q great deal less money. The streets in some
parts Of the city filthy and scarcely any pretence
is made Of cleaning tbem while it is notorious that
gAmbling houses are numerous, and carry on their
business unmolested. Whether the Mayor is right
in the way he has selected of removing the Commis
sioners is altogether another question but as the
removals will be subject to the approval of Governor
Robinson, doubt in the end justice will be done.


man may be very good bishop and YET be
very unsuccessful banker Bishop Purcell has learn
Ols
be is good though unfortunately took from his
people sums of money mounting in all to two
millions Of dollars for safe keeping. His brother
Father Edward was the cashier and between the two
they have so managed affairs that the money is all
gone. Some Of the bishops investments are sugges-
tive, for instanee-the purchase Of library cOntsin
ing $1,000 volumes the building Of orphan
asylum and cathedral. He also spent large sums
in sending students TO Rome, and in other equally
remunerative specula tons II will be lesson to
poor people who wish TO invest their hard earned
savings that spiritual and worldly wisdom do not
necessarily accompany each other, and that however
trustworthy custodian Of their souls may be,
it does not follow that he is the best person take
of their dollars.


Who would be q millionaire and have children !?
Not l. AS soon millionaire dies his relations
gather together and fight over his will like hyenas
over bone. All ties of relationship, all brOthery
and ssterly love- all reverence for the dead, all
mon decency even, thrown to the winds and the
public is disgus:ed with the sight of family where
the members are ready to rend each other in their
frantic efforts clutch the money bags of the dead
man. Surrogate Calvin in confirming the probate of
Commodore Vanderbilts' will remarked.


Another feature of this contest which seems to
have attracted public attention and justly excited
comment, is the persistent effort Of children to
to the public gaze the secrets of parents do
mestc and private life; to bettle his intelligence
and his virtues to distort his providence into
to magnify his eccentricites into dementia !;
his social fobles into immortality his business diff
ferences into dishonesty and reachery and to ascrbe
his disease to obscene practices"


And yet the followers of Compte babble to of a
" universal human brotherhood - universal human
fdde-stick the world still untold ages from the
realization of any such idea. J.J.F.



A EfaE pdaur ~ rha 81 Tor