Year: 1879




AN ELEVATED SMASH ur-TnE roT-LucF


PICNIC'-A BEGGAR IN SILK - TRYING
TALaAGE-TAMNANY AND THE MAYOR.


NEW YORK, April ., 1879.


To the Editor oi the Free Press and Times.


A little more than a week ago, the new
and very important branch of the East side
Elevated Railroad, running from City Hall
Square to Chatham Square, was opened for
travel, and only day or two after this
event there occurred on this road the first
really serioas accident in the history of the
elevated system. Two trains collided, ior-
tunately at a low rate of speed two engines
were smashed and number of persons seri-
ously injured. Everything about the acci-
dent except the occurrence itself, was mi
raculously fortunate, and no one was killed
outright. 1t is said that it would be al
most impossible for the event to be repeated
without throwing the trains to the streets
below with mu:derous results. The acci-
dent was due to a misplaced switch and has
created 50 much fear and anxiety that the
| company have announced their detcrmina-
tion TO abandon branch switches altogether.
Yesterday, a passenger Ou the Metropol-
itan elevated road, named James Nelson,
tried to jump from the front Of a car to
the station platform, which was a foot or
more away; lost his balance, fell thirty feet
to the street and was terribly and probably
fatally injured, having both legs and an
arm broken.


That was a unique entertainment which
was given by - prominent member of the
Roosevelt family, the other evening, and
christcned by the host" potluck picnic"
The Distinguishing characteristic Of the affair
was that all its yiands were supposed to have
been prepared by the ladie; and gentlemen
present. The cards Of invitation stated that
''any guest feeling within herself or himself
the divine confidence of cookery, is requested
to supply the dish in which he or she
excels." In several cases, the recipient oil
the invitation was informed Of the nature Of
the eatablc which he was expected to pro-
vide. The result was a triumphant success.
The company was large, distinguished, and
hungry, aid oacl course was naturally the
object of the livclicst interest. Mr.. Roose-
vclt himself contributed sublime fish
chOwder, Mrs. j. c. Croly ('Jennie
nG II,
pudding, Clara Morris a ravishing peach
custard, joaquin Miller made the coffee,
ex-Mayor Ely oihciated as a sort OF chief
cook, and various other lesser notabilities
laid toothsomc offerings upon the CASTRO
nomic altar. The whole affair was such n
novelty and such success that it is likely
to set very pleasant and enjoyable fashion.


One Of the many qnccr incidents daily
coming to the surface of New York life, oc-
CURED on Wall street few days ago. A
young woman stood on one of the corners Of
the street begging aims Of the plssers-by
and attracting much attention from the fact
that she wore a six dress and had every ap-
pearancc Of being Il lady. After while
some one suspected her Of being insane and
caused her to lie arrested and taken to
police court, where it came out that she was
the wife of a well-knOwn gentleman in good
circumstances, living in Harlem. She gave
as reason fer her strange exploit, that her
husband did not give her all the money she
wanted and that she had taken this method
oil creasing her stock Of pin money. She
said she had done the same thing before
without her husbands finding it out, and as
she had made little money ont of it, she
didn't see any harm in it. Her husband
was at once telegraphed for and took her
home to her waiting children.


After a good deal of preliminary palayer,
the Brooklyn Presbytery have got down to
work on Brother Talmagcs case. and are
now trying the celebrated pulpit contortion-
lst with as much gravity as the subject will
admit. The indictments found against the
reverend athlete charge him with fa,ehood
and deceit and with Il lack of reverence for
sacred things, as displayed in his public min
istratiOns. Whatever may he the fate Of
the former count, there should be no reason
able doubt Of the result on the latter charge,
for not even the most violent scoifers at
religion treat church service with much less
respect than the pastor Of the Tabernacle.
Of course there is no hope of permanently
supprcssing Mr. Talmagc, but still the pro-
cecdings may not be without their use.


The excitement in mdncipal politics, some
details Of which gave last week, still RACES. |
Iammany, after few days of ominOus quiet |
has declared open var with Mayor Cooper,
and long struggle is likely to follow The |
Mayor has even received an anonymous let
ter which coolly informs him that unless he |
changes his course in regard to the Police |
Commissioners he will be assassinatcd.


Yours, ID.