Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Please note: this text may be incomplete. For more information about this OCR, view About OCR text.

March 27, 1886 The Record and Guide. 381 the new seats in our theatres are improvements over the old ones. Compare fchose, for insfcance, of the Star Theatre with Wallack's, the Casino, or the Lyceum. The first-named are anyfching but pleasant, while the lasfc are very comforfcable. * * * Civil Engineer James E. Serrell thinks the solufcion of rapid transit in fche city is nofc an Arcade road under Broadwav, but an elevated road over that thoroughfare, the expense of which, he says, would be much less and the accommodations far greater. His plan would be fco construct two tracks on each side of the highway, of narrow guage, equipped wifch single seated cars, which should be very lighfc, holding about twelve persons each. The motive power to be an endless cable, run by compressed air or electricity. There is much to be said in favor of some such scheme, if a surface or underground road cannot be secured. But the Broadway properfcy holders would never consenfc to fche nuisance of cars flying along by their second- "story windows. Then, an underground sfceam road could be connected with the railway system of the country, and would accommodate the parcel trade and even freighfc. Then, no cable could be as rapid as cars on solid ground propelled bv steam. *** It is said thafc Mr. Stanley Mortimer is about to establish another racing establishment which will be able to hold ifcs own, nofc alone afc hunt meet¬ ings, but in the classic events. Ifc is probable thafc he thinks his run of bad luck is over. It will be remembered that his string of horses were burned fco death in fche fire which destroyed fche Meadowbrook Hunt a few weeks since. He wa-5 also a passenger on fche ill-fafced sfceamship Oregon. One of the lady passengers, Mrs. Morgan, describes him as appearing, dur¬ ing the excitement after the ship had struck, in a decidedly curious cos¬ tume, topped off with a towel wrapped around his head. He had on an overcoat, but no trousers. **± The Meadowbrook Hunt came near suffering a more distressing lo«s by fche sinking of the Oregon fchan it did by fche recent fire. In addifcion fco Mr. Morfcimer, IMri E. D. Morgan, the masfcer of fche hunt, and Mr. Tom Hitch¬ cock, the well-known amateur rider, were among the passengers. A fine assortment of English saddlery, horse clothing, etc., was among their effects, and of course losfc. *** Abram S. Hewitt is suspected of sharp practice in connection with the Alliance Coal Company. The lands owned by this company are said to be very rich in mineral. The first corporation formed to work fchem, how¬ ever, became bankrupt, Mr. Hewitt being one of fche principal stock¬ holders and managers. He subsequently reorganized the company, and induced some very well known citizens—Samuel J. Tilden, Judge Rapallo and Judge Lowe, among others—t® take stock in th'^ enterprise. The share¬ holders thought they were lucky in their property; bufc fchey found, affcer a fcime, that Mr. Hewitt had sold the controling interest of the company to the Lehigh Navigation Company, which assumed the management of the Alliance, under what seemed to be a profifcable lease for the lafcter. It now seems that the Alliance is loaded with a heavy floating debfc; while, in the meantime, the stock of the Lehigh Company has advanced from 79 to 103. Suspecting that this additional value of Lehigh stock was at their expense, the stockholders of the Alliance have procured an injunction preventing the imposing on their corporafcion of a heavy bonded debt. The impression obtains that Mr. Hewitt has not acted in the interest of the people whom he induced to buy stock in the Alliance Company. *»* Henry Clew's suggestion for a new Stock Exchange salesroom is worthy of the active brain located under the bald pate of that well-known broker. His idea Is to construct a huge room covering the tops of all the buildings on the block bounded by Broad, WaU and New streets and Exchange place. This would make the largest room in the world, and could be adorned by fountains and flower beds. Its construction need not put a stop to improve¬ ment on that block, for any single house could be moved and rebuilt with¬ out interfering with the super-imposed Exchange hall. The idea is a bril¬ liant one, but unfortunately the governing committee of the Stock Exchange have not the imaginative faculty largely developed, and they have decided to enlarge the present hall in a most prosaic way by adding to it the adjoining rooms on the same floor, so that all the space between Broad and New streets will be made available for Stock Exchange transactions. The alterations wiU cost some $200,000. The Consolidated Stock Exchange is growing at a rate which alarms the older exchanges, and the latter is doing everything it can to check the prosperity of its rival. Members of the regular Exchange will be no longer allowed to trade directly or indirectly with those of the Consoli¬ dated Exchange; nor can they have telegraphic or telephonic connection with any member of the latter. This regulation will be a serious annoyance and loss fco many members of the old board, who have filled orders for petroleum certifisates, unlisted] stocks and mining shares for their regular customers through the rival Exchange. Then there was an arbitrage business between the two boards which was profitable and of convenience to many people. This action of the Stock Exchange wiU bring a new class of dealers into existence who will fcrade between the boards. The growth of the Consolidated Exchange has been quite remarkable. It commenced a few years ago in dealing in a few thou¬ sand shares per diem. Last Wednesday 225,000 shares were dealt in, about one-third of the business of the regular Stock Exchange. The lower commissions, the Clearing House conveniences, and the opportunities of dealing in less than a hundred shares at a time, is what is building up the new Exchange at the expense of its rival. *** The late sale of Mr. Pierre Lorillard's Rancocas stable is being rather recklessly pufc down as fche greafcesfc sale of race-horses ever held in tbe world. Of course this is not so. The greatest on record was Lord Fal¬ mouth's sale, when twenty-four head realised |182,Q0Q, Busy Body brought j(4i,000 and Harvester $43,000, Home Decorative Notes. —AU our decorations should be chosen with the view of making our drawing-rooms cheerful and pleasant to live in. The display of good taste should be everywhere noticeable, but comfort should be considered of the first importance. —Foot-cushions and foot-sfcools are everywhere seen. The "opera foot- bench " is a recent and sensible invention. Ifc is made of mahogany, and can be folded at will in a very smaU compass. —Paper roses, tulips or chrysanthemums are admirable for placing in the lamp chimneys to keep out the dust during the day. —The pretty Parisian idea of arranging fruit upon a bed of blossoms will doubtless find favor with us. —^Por transoms and other openings over doors the Moorish lattice work is very popular. The lattice comes ready for this purpose in a great variety of designs and has a very beautiful appearance when put to this use. —Sea-weed, anemones, pressed ferns and autumn leaves mounted on a piece of ordinary window-glass will inake a beautiful transparency. —Bandana handkerchiefs, edged with Oriental lace, are very pretty coverings for small mahogany tables. —The latest thing m paper-weights is a block of granite aboufc three inches square, which is fasfcened by gilt chains to a tiny derrick made of olive wood. —Novel card-counters are tiny wooden copies of the long-handled palm leaf fans, crossed and held in position by a crescent on which is written in quaint characters: " Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt it." On one of the fans the cards are painted and on the other fche numbers. A scimitar on eifcher fan is the pointer. —Powdered clove is said to be a destroyer of the insatiate moth and buffalo bug. —Exti'emely dainty are the doubly-woven fine bamboo globular baskets, done in changing peach pink and green bronzes, lined with peach-colored satin and trimmed on the side with a bunch of peaches and a bow of peach and pistache green ribbons. ^A fine table-cover of white mummy linen has a border of field flowers and grasses embroidered in delicate colors. —Painting on matting is quite elaborate; formerly only floral designs, were attempted, now flgures with backgrounds are painted. Panels of matting for a dining-room have mediseval flgures painted on them. They are suspended from the wall by a heavy rope, with tassels made of the same attached fco the lower egde of the panel. —Heliotrope powder is excellent for perfuming sachets. —Wall brackets, placed low and bearing candles, are frequently used in place of gas jets. —Very pi-etty shopping bags are made with fcwo pieces of leather or chamois with a falling of silk between. The leather is worked in bullion thread in some favorite design. The top of the long bag is gathered with a heavy silk cord. —Embroidered Turkish doyleys are used for pincushion covers. Many of them are heavy with gold thread. —A graceful design for a door panel is a branch of Norway fir with the cones. —Now that Louis XVI. tapestries are the favorites for decorative pur¬ poses, tho flowered brocade heirlooms that have only seen the light at odd tunes may be utilized as draperies. —Fire-screens of tiny bits of mica, set in daintily-wrought brass frames, form an effective protection from the heat. —Fir pillows still confcinue to exerfc fcheir soofching influence. A delicate case for a square pillow is blue surah silk embroidered with a branch of fche fir tree, with cones etched in the vaiious shades of brown and green etching silk. In addition to this ornamentation it is embellished with the foUowing appropriate motto: " When you lie down at night by care's burden oppressed. The fir's fragrant odor will soothe you to rest." —There is a new departure in baby baskets. Instead of the hamper-like affairs which have stood around the nursery in times pasfc, there now come in vogue the most attractive shell-shaped baskets. These are gotten up in the most delicate manner possible, with Knings of shrimp pink surah sUk, and furnished with the usual concomitants, including a silver puff box, an ivory comb and brush, velvet sponge, silver soap box, and a little powder bag of mull and surah, in semblance like a meal bag, tied at the top with shrimp pink ribbon. The basket and tripod are of wicker work gilded. —^The newest fashions in silvar show a strong tendency to the Orient and exhibit the finest specimens of etching and repouss6 work. Standards are abandoned and the objects are also low. —A charming design for a blue surah sUk bureau scarf is clover blossoms and leaves in the natural colors, with a spider-web background. —^The construction of wide vessels from the clay of the earth is almost as old as the hiUs from which the clay was dug, and no traces of people have been discovered without the discoverer finding fragments of the pottery coming down to the present period. There is a very ancient pottery located at Nancy, in France, which, according to connoisseurs, turns out the most artistic faience in the world. It is made under the supervision of a French artist named Emile Gall6. The odd shapes aud the dark, richly-shaded colorings of his work make it peculiarly attractive. The weU-known Doul¬ ton stoneware Lambeth pottery of England maintains its prestige in the famiUar duU blue and buff colors, mostly in odd pieces for table service, such as large cheese bowls, jars, mustards and salts. The famous Leeds pottery makes its appearance in antique designs, ^eat jars, bottles and