August 29, 1885





The   Record  and   Guide.





947





THE   RECORD   AND   GUIDE,

Publuihed ei^ery Saturday.

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Vol. XXXVI.





AUGUST 29, 1885.





No. 911





The action of Attorney-General Cassidy, of Pennsylvania, in
moving to prevent the consummation of the contract by which the
South Pennsylvania and the Beach Creek roads were to have been
absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, changes materially the rail¬
way situation. It was hardly to be expected that the arrangement
between the roads, so far as it etfected the railroads in Pennsyl¬
vania, could be completed without resistance. Many men were
doubtless building high hopes of fortune on the unnumbered mil¬
lions which were being invested in the new roads, and they could
not be expected to meet their disappointment without a protest of
some sort, and a determined etfort to defeat the measure if possible.
Well, if the constitutionof Pennsylvania prevents both the purchase
and the lease of the new roads by the Pennsylvania road, we can see
but one way through which the people of that State can be protected
against the spoliation and wrong contemplated by the railroad man¬
agers. The rails, ties, and all the material of the unfinished roads
may be removed beyond the boundaries of Pennsylvania, and either
sold for second-hand material or used for repairing the Vander¬
bilt roads in this State. Considerable money in this event will
have been wasted in grading, etc., and it may be possible that the
constitution of Pennsylvania will require the filling in of all the
deep cuts and the removal of the embankments. But we doubt
if the constitution tiukersof the State have been long headed enough
to provide for the emergency. It seems like great folly for any man
to put money in railroads in a State that provides for partial
confiscation of the property in advance.





It is pleasant to be reminded that the Canadians also have their
Niagara Park Commissioners, and that there is even a possibility
that at some day, not very remote, another park opening ceremo¬
nial will take place on the west side of the Falls. But, to say truth,
these commissioners are moving with a remarkable degree of cau¬
tion. They have only just met to acquaint themselves with the
land to be taken, preparatory to making their preliminary report
to the Ontario Government. But it is safe to predict that the
Canadians also will have their Niagara Park, now that the State of
New York has led off in the work of beautifying the surroundings
of the great waterfall. It is not a merely local question. The
improvements must be made by local legislatures it is true, but the
eyes of the people in all civilized couotries are turned towards
Niagara Falls, and the Canadians cannot aff.>rd, by comparison, to
appear sordid and uncultured. They will build their park, and
then a friendly rivalry should spring up to see which side of the
river shall be made most attractive. To confess the truth, their
conservative delay has given the Canadians something of an
advantage. They are now enabled to take the measure of possibil¬
ities in our new park, and to plan their own  improvement on  a

grander scale.

---------«-----.—-

The recent cartoon in Puck, caricaturing the public statues of
New York in behalf of some other kind of monument to the late
General Grant, was not altogether well conceived. Some of the
statues represented in the picture of our funny contemporary
deserve caricaturing, or, rather, they do not need it. A true
drawing, truer than Puck gave, would have been sufficient for all
the purposes of caricature. But among the number were several
good works by sculptors of ability, and they are worthy memorials
of their subjects. There is nothing in bad taste in portrait statues
when^they are well done; and they are especiallj" in keeping with
the practical character of the American people. Still, we have no
objection to some other kind of monument to General Grant, pro¬
viding it is appropriate in its conception. But you would not
think of building an astronomical observatory to commemorate the
services of a distinguished geologist. Considering the figure Grant
has made in the history of the United States a historical institution
of some kind might be appropriate. But we have usually left
monuments of a literary, scientific or artistic character, tobe erected
by Individuals who wished to benefit their fellows, and thereby raise
a monument to themselves. The Cooper Union is a monument of
this character, We see uothing that needs reform in the traditional





manner of commemorating the services of eminent military men
by statues in marble or bronze. If we are to build a monument to
Grant to cost a million dollars we shall have an opportunity to
give a whole history of his career in bas or alto relief, and to pro¬
duce in all respects a very attractive work of art. And true art is
worth producing for itself.





' There can be little question under the terms of the new building
law of the authority of Mr. D'Oench to order brick proscenium
walls constructed in all theatres not already protected against the
spread of fire by such devices. There can be little question either
that the improvement is universally desirable; for audiances in
theatres should not only be rendered as secure as possible against
fire, but they should be made to feel secure as a protection against
a disaster worse even than a fire sometimes in its consequences—a
panic. But there is also very little ((uestion that the time selected for
enforcing the regulation is inopoprtune. During the past two or
three months most of the theatres have been closed, and the desired
improvements could have been made at small loss. Now, when they
have either opened or made all their dates and arrangements for the
fall season, the order of Mr. D'Oench, if enforced immediately, will
work very considerable embarrassment. It is all very well to say that
the managers have only themselves to blame. This may be very true,
but they are not the only ones to suffer. Dramatic enterprises of con¬
siderable pith and moment are concerned. We do not say that the
improvements ought not to be made, and made now. But if so,
they should have been peremptorily ordered earlier in the summer.





The ravages of cholera in Spain, where the death roll of a few
weeks amounts to almost one-fourth the number of those slain in
battle during our four years of civil war, reminds us that the viru¬
lence of that plague has not yet abated. Physicians have been claim¬
ing a clearer understanding of cholera than thoy possessed at the
time of its first invasion of Europe, but the justice of the claim is
doubtful. It seems to go where it will, small cities and towns
bemg about as subject to its ravages as great and densely populated
cities, and it was never more destructive than now when compar¬
ing the number of cases with the number of deaths. About the
only thing known is that good sanitary conditions and good habits
will check the ravages of cholera, in common with every other
disease. This much admitted, we have a clear perception of our
duties. Our health authorities, from this time forward until the
disease again disappears, must be unremitting in their watchful¬
ness over local causes for infection. This course will not merely
aid us in preventing a visit from the cholera, but it will shorten
the death lists from other complaints, and give us, it is to be hoped,
permanently improved habits of cleanliness.





A question has been raised in relation to our laws against the
importation of paupers, but it seems to be rather a quibble than a
valid objection. The law applies, it is said, only to immigrants
landed from ships; and in the case of paupers entering the country
overland, from Canada, for instance, they are at liberty to come as
they please. But it seems that the intent of the law is the first
thing to consiier. It was the purpose to exclude all immigrants
who might become a taxjupon the public, and it could not be held
that paupers who must not be landed at New York could be landed
at Montreal and then suffered to come.to New York. The law may
be defective, since it provides no way for returning objectional
immigrants who have reached this country on steamship lines that
sail beyond our jurisdiction; but it can hardly be interpreted so as
to furnish an open gate for whoever may choose to come by the
way of Canada or Mexico.





The hearing before the Quarantine Commissioners about the dis¬
infection of imported rags was a more important matter than one
would suppose from reading the daily papers. The truth must be
confessed that even owners of newspapers are human. Moreover,
owners of morning papers in this city are selling their wares at a
price that leaves a very small margin of profit. This margin would
be wiped out altogether by a slight advance in the price of white
paper. In fact, the reductions in the price of newspapers two years
ago were possible only on account of the unusual cheapness of
printing paper at that time. It appears that the importers of rags
have satisfied the owners of newspapers that any obstacle put in
the way of importing rags, clean or filthy, harmless or pestiferous,
will increase the cost of paper. So the papers have nothing to say
against the rags. The Health officer of the port may not be over¬
burdened with scientific knowledge, but he is evidently trying to
do his duty and keep out the cholera, and he gets very little help
from the press or the public. The counsel for the ragmen, in the
case heard by the Quarantine Commissioners, asked the Health
ofiicer, inasmuch as the rags were destined for Norwich, Conn., and
were not to be unbaled until they got there, why he, the doctor,
should not " let Norwich take care of itself." Such a remark is
disgraceful to the man who utters it. It is at the ports of the
country, and principally at the port of New York, that th© cholera