LATEST AMERICAN GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6930, 2 February 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

LATEST AMERICAN GOSSIP.

[FBOM OUR srECIAL COEBESPOJJDEST.] San Fbancisco, December 21. MR. FLOODS PALACE. 51b. Flogd, having oae enormous palace at Menlo—a summer residence a few miles out of town—is not content with that habitation, therefore he proposes to erect another— even a more luxurious pile—on the top of that envied hill called "Nob." I always feel like putting an S before the N. It puzzles me to find out what these nouvtau ricke build fine houses for, seeing that they never inhabit them, and when by chance they do for a month or two, they never entertain. Mr. and Mrs. Flood, and Miss Jennie Flood (who has two and a-quarter millions to her own cheek) certainly do not much for their friends in the way of amusements, but since they are rich, disgustingly rich in proportion to their plebeanism, I suppose they must also be in the fashion, and have a town house too, though they do say that Mrs. Flood is never happy except when she is helping to clean, I should not wonder a bit. Well, now, Mr. Flood, who would not give you half-a-crown to save your soul if he could help it, is about to pat up a brown stone house—no wood and paint for the exwhisky dealer. He must have brown stone after the fashion of aristocratic New York (albeit Americans disclaim all idea of aristocracy, mind you), and the stone, which is not indigenous to our State, will be cut and brought from Connecticut. The style of architecture is to be something exclusively recJierchc to fit the inmates, the style of the palaces already put up on the hill of the nobs being somewhat in the style of gingerbread castles, a little of all sorts; but this house will be purely Doric and lonic (I wonder how much the Floods know about those two styles?) and the whole detail will be on a scale of almost imperial grandeur, though " severely plain." To enter into particulars at this early date is needless; suffice it that all the stone has to be shipped from the East, and the building will take about four years to complete outßide and in. Several millions of dollars will be laidout, and perhaps the in-dwellers will give half a dozen dinner parties through the year. Miss Jennie will by" that time be travelling deeply into the forties, and there will be nothing younger to prove an attraction inside the brown stone. When I look at my three pretty girls, and other people's pretty girls, and think how they must all be debarred from the luxury of wealth, seeing how fair and attractive a brown stone would prove lightened by their black eyes, golden hair, and bright smiles, I feel uncommonly like breaking the Tenth Commandment every minute I live. How true it is that in this land scarcely anyone who would really enjoy wealth has it, A GOOD MAN is Mr. Winters, and a Church member, good looking also, and tall. Mr. Winters married a.wife many years ago by whom he had nine children. By and by he left his family, and went to New York, where he lived some years, and then married again. A lady calling on the second wife recognised his photograph as that of the man who had deserted his family years ago. Then the second wife sent that photo, to the first wife, who recognised her faithless lord, and between them they put him in prison, where he still languisheth. I merely mention this to illustrate the manner in which they carry on in this part of the world. I know many men from the East who have wives, yet they are ready to marry anyone who will take them. In like manner, when a man grows aweary of his better half, he " goes East" to look for a job, or some good excuse, joins a theatrical troupe, &o. For a time he writes affectionately, and visions of the " neat cottage he has his eye on" rush up in glowing colours before the eye of the waiting wife. That, however, is the last of it, aud a3 the months and years go by, and you ask a mutual friend it "Charlie has sent for his wife yet?" that friend looks at you fixedly, and with a disgusted air of pity at your ignorance, says, "Why, he shook her long ago—only went for that purpose—got a wife East." AH in disjointed sentences, and, as a matter of course, which proceedings show a vile want of principle) and morality. But then this U a free country. TH*. CABLE ROUTES. The cable roads are now to be seen in every part of the city, the cars flying along with untold rapidity. Sections of the town heretofore impossible to reach, except on foot or by private conveyance, are now traversed by the convenient dummy cars, and the poor no longer pine within the heart of the city on Suudays or holidays, for they can go clear to the Bea for five centß. Thus truly may the cars be called "the poor man's carriage." On Sunday the travel commences an hour after sunrise, when a general outpouring of the work-weary toilers is observed, going with speed to the respective depots or waiting on the line of road for the dummy cars. So dense is the throng that many people will meet the cars I some distance from the town as they return empty, and fill them, so that when they arrive at the depot the crowd there are cheated out of their chance. Of coure, this proceeding costs a full fare (five centß), but who grudges that? On one line last Sunday IS,OOO fares were taken; on another, 16,000; and so on; but on the Marketstreet line—which leads direct to the Cliff tlous^—7s,ooo fares were taken. The total amount of the various roads made up on Sunday night was 200,000 fares at five cents each. And you will hardly believe it when I tell you that there is never more than standing room on the cars after the early morning hours. Only now have the labouring classes been able to avail themselves of a trip to the sea on Sundays. There are people born here who have arrived at quite a respectable age and never, until now, seen the open see or the Cliff House. Judge theu how delightful this emancipation from work for one day is for them. And yet the parsons and a section of the people see a sin in all this—a sin in breathing God's pure air, and paying five cents to ride and get it. A CURIOUS MARRIAGE. A young lady having two lovers accepted both, to marry whom she named a certain day last month. As will be seen, she was a terrible and unscrupulous flirt, and, having got into the mes3, resolved in her own mind to take the first who came. So when No. 1 arrived she explained the difficulty, and in a trice a carriage was called, in which they drove off to a minister. As they were driving away, Nc. 2 turned up, and, divining how matters stood, paid his cabman a large sum to whip up his horses, and overtake the pair, who, seeing themselves pursued, hit upon a plan. In passing a police-station, No. 1 got out, said the man behind him was about to take his life, and swore out a tvarrant against him; so, when No. 2 galloped up, the police stopped and took him into custody, which enabled the pair to get married, whereupon No. 2 was the next morning released, as there was no one to prosecute. You see, the Americans are very smart in more ways than one. In fact, too smart for honesty, and they will get the best of their nearest and dearest—l believe they would go back on their mother for £4. A NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT among women is whistling—a vile, unwomanly fashion, but still a recognised one. You know the old saw I suppose—"A whistling woman and a crowing hen would frighten the devil out of his den." But this notwithstanding, the girl of the period takes great pride in whistling down her big brothers. She sits at the piano, and whistles as she would sing. Again, some girls whistle and sing in duett fashion alternately. There is this one great disadvantage about it: the practice of whistling wrinkles the mouth ; therefore, when that becomes to be known, the girl of the period will stop — i.e., if she is wise. Now, I think I shall say good day. There is so much news fiying around that, of course, I could go on indefinitely ; but there is a limit even to my tongue and pen, though I am often told I shall talk after I am dead. Well, I hope it will be to better purpose in another world. So, once more wishing everybody a merry Christmas and happy New Year, I conclude. Silver Pen.