Our American Letter.

Otago Witness, Issue 1449, 30 August 1879, Page 6

Our American Letter.

(from otjr own correspondent.) San Francisco, July 7th. A walking mania has taken hold the American people, and every age and sex is practising " heel and toe" or "go as you like." We have had a pedestrian exhibition in San Francisco, and are to have another infliction of a six days' walking match, for which nearly everybody is in training. Prizefighters, and. gamblers, and rascals generally are all the rage now, and women of respectability think it style to be " coached" by them. Miss Edwards, a Maine girl, and Madame La Cliapell, a Frenchwoman, both littl« bits of bodies, walked 3200 quarter- miles in 3200 quarter-hours, the chief point about it being the want of sleep. But they slept on the track every night, and were earned or borne around by their trainers, their legs painfully wabbling about. It drew crowded ! houses, and made money for tho lazy Booundrels running the show. A man named Armstrong »t the same time walked 1200 half-miles in 1200 quarter-hours. Of course they all take " benefits" and receive " floral tributes" and the like. The authorities would interfere were an animal as br.dly ireatc.l, bub it only beiag " humans," and money being in it, of course no notice was taken. Americans take great credit for the victory of Hanlon over Elliott, of Weaton over Brown, and of Lorillard's horses on the turf ; and one newspaper says in this connection : "If there ib any game that England can play any better it might be mentioned. Her horses seem to be lacking in wind, her footmen in legs, and her oarsmen in bottom. The belts have got to come W( j at."

The religious world is exercieed over the death of Bishop Ames, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who died " beastly rich." The ' Methodist of Baltimore is quite sure that accumulation is unministerial, and oaya that there ia no more damaging influence than that of ministers who are notoriously making money out of the Gospel, which is rather hard upon the American pulpit generally. The •lews have their own trouble in Chicago, The Sinai congregation are exercised over Sunday observance, in consequence whereof the eloquent Rabbi Kohler is leaving for New York, Business men object to Saturday's

observance as the Sabbath, through loss and inconvenience. To please them, Rabbi Kohler held divine service on Sunday ; and to please the orthodox he held forth on Saturday. This pleased neither party,' and a 'cordingly he got out of it by resigning. Yet the split is not healed. The schism thieitens to spread. I notice that Spiritual•stn has many votaries in Otago. Well, it Ins its advantages as a religious systeoa. One John S. Morton, who was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in New York for an over-issue of 12,000,000 dols street railroad stock, which he converted to his own use, has appeared before the Board of Pondous on petition, and will be released. His plea, supported by friends, is that he was " controlled in hia financial operations by imaginary spirit influence. The hallucination possessed him. for years." That is a plea in extenuation for you j but as it is endorsed by something more tangible than "imaginary spirit influence,' those who know America will understand it force. As a scrap of news, I may mention that the big Natalix, in which Napoleon escaped from Elba, is lying rotting in the sands at Monterey, California. This State will send down a good many exhibits to the Sydney Exhibition. A difficulty may arise owing to ihe want of local agents to take charge of them, but it is to be hoped the Commissioners will see that they are properly displayed. The New Orleans Times has a column of "All Sorts," in which eve>"y imaginable absurdity ia credited to public characters and newspapers. ' Here is a joke at the expense of Sarah B. Anthony, ' the noted woman's right lecturer, whose stockings are said to have been split when drawn upon a knitting needle to darn : " 'Two women were seen in Indiana last week tied to the tongue of a farm waggon, which they were pulling to market." This ia doubtless the first caae on record of women having been tongue-tied. 3 —S. ■ B. Anthony." Here is another credited to the London Times :— " 'Heavens and earth,' cried Cetywayo, ' there's Prince Napoleon — I surrender.'" The Temperance Journal is made to say: — "'The spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak,' It is very , often the spirit swilling that makes tha, flesh weak." And the Scientific American is supposed to have published the following :—": — " One day last week a North Hill man made a wager that he could eat 30 eggs in 30 minutes. He lost the money. The first egg did the business for him. It was no young, giddy, inexperienced egg. It was a venerable old sage, and it did it with its little hatch't." But "cultured Boston'mosfc frequently comes in for the left handed compliments of the New Orleans Wag. If there is any thing Boston prideß itself upon, it is the grammatical purity of its speech. Rich and poor alike are educated. This is how the New Orleans Times takes down their pride of culture, in an imaginary clipping I from the Boston Post, and it is too good to be lost : — "The peril of employing highly edu« oat ed young men as clerks was again illustrated yesterday. A woman stopped at a green* grocer's on Woodward avenue and asked, 'Is them lettuce fresh ?' — ' You mean that lettuce,' suggested the clerk ; ' and it ia fresh.'— •• Then you'd better eat it!' she snapped, as she walked on. The grocer rushed out and asked the clerk what on earth had happened to anger her, and the young man replied, 'Why, nothing, only I corrected her grammar.' — • You have turned away one" of my best customers. Only yesterday ahe came in and asked me how I sold those white sugar, and I got an order for a whole barrel. Hang you, sir! but if them cub^ tomers want grammar they don't expect to find her in a grocery 1 No, sir, and if you see she again you want to apolise in the most humbierest manner !' " Misfortunes never come singly. ' Archbishop Purcell'a affairs are still in a very bad way, the "faithful" not responding to the call of their spiritual advisers. Seeing that the Jews would lend all the money the Archbishop needs to pull him through on mortgage upon the Cathedral and other Church buildings erected out of "the em« bezzled funds of the Archieopiscopal Bank , people are beginning to regard it as a kind of pious swindle ; it may or not be so ; but it has a rather queer look about it. And now comes the Catholic Archbishop of Montreal, altogether a heavy ecclesiastical swell, who appeals to the churches under his jurisdiction to find money to cover hia Grace's deficiencies. To put it plainly, his Grace has been rather a higher liver, and the diocese is financially embarrassed through hia borrowing money to build churches. The diocese is richly endowed, but rents have falkn, and the general condition of the peopl e is worse than it was some years ago. These are disturbing ripples in the stream of Catholicity. Joseph AUemany, Archbishop ef San Francisco, corporation sole, is an exception to the impecunious prelates West and North. He is very rich, his diocese ia very richly endowed, and he nwer builds churches or does anything necessitating the expenditure of money on a large ncale. The Jesuits conduct their educational institutions without his aid, and, it is openly said, against his wish. They have several flourishing aominmea and colleges, under Father Nevi's superintendence, and are building a iarge and coitly collegiate institution iv Van Ness avenue, perhaps the handsomest thoroughfare in this city. Archbishop Allemany is a Dominican, a pure Castilian, and datests t*e Order of Jesus most cordially. The Jemits are not under his jurisdiction, and rehaed to read Mb pastoral denouncing the vorking men's movement. Don Jose Allenany would play tha role of Caiaphas, the high priest, to Father Nevi's Simon Peter. Jtiut the bulk ef the Catholic populavion here being Irish, and the bulk. of the Jesnit factions being Irish and French, they enjoj the confidence and respect of the manses, vhich is more than can be said for the venerible prelate, whose pride of race makes him olnoxious to all who do not claim affiuity with Castilian blood He will preserve the fiuanc'al credit of tb.9 Church, however, and is great at hoarding.

We hare had an epidemic o\orime in Oali« forma, and all over the countryvnorth, south, east, and west, without regaro^ to locality. Human life has become of no octyunt "In the cool regions of the moral North. " murder is either the result of concupiscence and unbridled passio?, or it is committed for tho sake of plunder or from drnnken^a, ty

the West these cauassare operative to a great extent, but the survival of "border manners" ia fairly chargeable with a good deal of bloodshed. In the Southern States the vendetta prevails. In the case of Kentucky, the Governor waa forced to call out tho militia to protect the Court engaged in the trial of a pack of outkiw, whose sympathisers sent notice thati they would attack the troops. Horse, foot, and artillery are there to receive them. Blaok man and white men are murdered for opinion sake ; they are tortured •nd outraged in every conceivable way, and the law takes no cognisance of the crimes. Deacon Smith in the Cincinnati Gazette, a leading Ohio paper, directed the attention of the country to tin lawlessness of Kentucky ; and Henry Wattorsoo, lately member of Congress, re-joined with nine columns of his Louisville Courier Journal, giving the record of a fortnight's crime ia Ohio, and heads tho article with startling linei, among which aro the following :—: — "Hell't Half- Acre, Sometimes Facetiously Dubbed God's Gouutry, and Obhervi-e Known aa the State of Ohio— The Hem 1 ) of the Truly G-ood Deacon Smith, but the Favourite Stamping-Ground of ths Homed Devil— Sodom and Gomorrah retire with a Blazing Blush— Scratch an Ohioan and Find a Turk — Diabolism in All the Hideous Forms of Satan's Iniquity — Song Subjects that the Peaceful Ssengerfe&t May Transfer to Hell's Own Choir— A Villainous Smell of Sulphur." This will give you some idea of the sfcjle and temper of JeadiDg Western journalists. Mr Watterson is a very able and accomplished writer, and served honourably in the Confederate army during the Civil War. Deacon Smith is a man universally respected, and he comes back at the Kentuckian with grape shot and canister. Watteraon offered to lead 100,000 men into Ohio and stamp out ruffianism, which is rather a good joke, the facta being considered. In California men I seem to kill their fellow-men for the lusij of killing, upon the merest pretext of offence, while in Texas, and the border territories, they kill because it sffordo them some kind of excitement. The Chinese do their fair share of murders also, and them are never fewer than three or four Celestials in prison waiting trial on capital charges on the Pacific Slope, And here parenthetically. Imayremark that the Chinese are arriving by thousands, and pay no more attention to our new Constitution than their laundrymen do to shirt buttons. The negro exodus to Kansas has been temporarily ohecked. The crop in the Gulf States will be the largest ever harvested, and it is to be hoped that abundance of labour may be had. Ia the spring doubtless the emigration of the coloured people will be renewed. Nothing will stop it but the oonviction that water-melonß do not grow in Kansas. This would cause them to remain fixtures for the present, but as melons and almost everything elso grow in Kansas, the melon argument cannot be used. Coloured emigration to Liberia continues from the South, although news from that region is not very satisfactory. Letters have been received from tho American war ship Tioonderago, at Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, seating that an alliance had been formed between the Grebos and other native tribes on the coaßt to drive the Americo- Africans into the eea The presence of the man-of war restrained them, aa H.M.S, Oaprey did at Sitka with the turbulent Indians. Commodore Shufeldt visited the Grebo arid Tabou tribes, and told their king and chiefs that the American Government would protect the immigrants, and advised them to live in amity. The immigrants, on landing, lord it over the aborigines, who regard them as interlopers. The King of the Grebos, the most numerous and warlike tribe on the coast, claims that the Liberian republic has no right of sovertlgnty, and that the land was not bought, and never can be purchased from them. The United States ia therefore likely to have an African question upon its hands shortly. This Government will not tolerate the African tribes interfering with its pet colony, and any day we may hear of hostdities in Liberia. Edison has made another telephonic discovery, but as is the case with the electric light, he keeps ib dark. Ocly a few friends have been let into the secret, and they claim for it that it will completely revolutionise the present methods of communication within tho next year or two. The discovery wan au accident. Edison, while experimenting with the telephone, discovered a new principle, by which the power of the telephone was increased enormously, aud articuation became louder and more disbincb. We shall see. Nearly all Edison's discoveries have been "acoidentß," or cribbed from other people. He is a great adapter and not an original discoverer, although this fact was long in being brought to light. The project of lighting San Francisco with the electric star is making slow way. By-and-bye it may be accomplished, but at present it is in the region of pure speculation. There is a great deal of destitution in thia country. Recently a German, residing at South Holyoke, Massachusetts, shot hiß three daughters dead, being unable to support them. They were aged respectively six, three, and ona year. H« was an industrious Tman, bub v. -is out of employment since February. When arrested he said : " Let the law take its course. I feared my children might grow up and enter houses of prostitution, and I thought they would be better in heaven." Hiei wife was on an errand afe the time of the murder. This is a typical case. Senator Chandler introduced a bill beforo Congress adjouraed to establish an ocean mail steamship service between San Francisco and Valparaiso, touching at Panuma, Ecuador porks, Callao, &c,, as thte PostmasterGeneral may direct." The service to be performed by iron steamships ot not less than 2000 tens, American built, and capable of making 11 knots »n hour. This would fill the bill of the Pacific Mail Company with the Australian steaineis, or it may be * another schema of John Roach, America's Irish shipbuilder, whoco Brazil scheme fell through. This subsidy project I noted in a former letter. • The Democrats will not vote steam Bubs^ies, and favour free trade. There is, lowever, a fine opening on the Pacific Coa3t. It is now rumoured that General Grant will visit Australia before returning to America. If he sets foot upon Australian I oil ho should get » hearty reception, JJjs

friends say ho is averse to a public ovation at San Francisco, and denounce the excursion from the East to meet him as a trick of speculators to make money. Anyhow, the excursion project appears to have fallen through. The probability of his being nominated for Piesident is not lessened, however, and his admirers are skilfully creating a popular feeling in his favour. The Fourth of July celebration is over, thank God, with its fireworks, noise, smoke, spread-eaglsism, and nonsense. Nothing of importance occurred. Increasing interest is taken in the Australian trade East, and the fact that locomotives are being manufactured for New Zealand and New South Wales in the Baldwin Ironworks Philadelphia, is deemed of sufficient; importance to telegraph all over the country. Americans are doing something odd " all the time," to use a colloquialism. A Captain Goldsmith and wife sailed recently in a small boat from .Boston on a voyage round the world, and have been heard from at Halifax, whence they sailed for England, via, Newfoundland. A woman ia on a five months' tramp between New York and .New Orleans, and the populations of towns and •villages turn out to give her a public reception. But the latest craze of all is a spiribual wedding in Leaven worth, Kansas. As I cannot possibly summarise the points of this extraordinary story, I annex copy of telegram published in American newspapers. It shows the length to which persons influenced by the "spiritism" delusion will go. And here, parenthetically, let me say that your great Dr Slado has settled to business as a healing and revealing medium. He advertises among the astrologers and fortune-tellers of which this city is full. Following are the details of the " Marriage in the Spirit Life :" — "Leavenworth, June 26 th. — There is considerable excitement in this city over a report published in the Times of Wednesday morning of the wedding, in the spirit world, of a daughter of Colonel J. E. Eaton, to a son of ex-President Pierce. The ceremony is reported to have been performed in a spiritual bower, and by one who now resides in the spirit land. The bride died about 30 years ago, an infant, and the groom was killed when a small boy. The ceremony on the 20 eh waa celebrated at Colonel baton's home in Lcavenworth. Only a few chosen friends wet c present. A splendid wedding breakfast was prepared, and dishes arranged for the bridal pair, who are reported to have appeared in a materialised form to those present. The bride was elegantly attired, and the groom! was dressed in the conventional style of the present time. The above is in'substance what was learned by reporteru and afterwards substantiated by a complete report over Colonel Eaton's tigaature whioh is published this morning. Professor Mott, the materialising medium, was in the cabinet during the ceremony. An interview with Colonel H. D. Mackay, whioh will appear in, the Times of to-morrow, further substantiates the faots. All who were connected with the affair Bay it was one of the mosb pleasant that ever occurred in the spirit world. Colonel Eaton showed a reporter to-day a diagram of the bower in whioh the ceremony was performed, and which he received from Pro fesaor Mansfield. The number of invited guests present was near 50. The diagram shows the points' of ingress and egra ssto the bower, and how the guests were arranged during the wedding. Ib is certainly one of the most interesting affairs which has taken place in thia vicinity for many years," j The following particulars of the abovementioned '• sensation" are given by the Leavenworth Times of the 24th inst :—: — " Katie, the deceased wife of Colonel Eatoa recently informed her parents that she was to be married, and that June 20th was to be her wedding day. Alao that if the proper facilities were afforded them she and her husband would visit her parents the same day, and be with them at the wedding supperin their ownhouas. Accordingly, before lho appointed time arrived, all the necessary arrangements had been perfected. A cabinet for the accommodation of the medium was prepared, Professor Mctt and his wife came over from Memphis, Dr Dooley came up from Kansas City, and everything was made ready for the interesting occasion. On the evening above named there assembled at the residence of Colonel Eaton a select company, consisting of the distinguished mediums above named, the immediate members of the family, Colonel H. D. Mackay, late president of the Alliance Life Insurance Company, and posiibly one or two others. The wedding feast was prepared, and lho guests were on hand at the appointed hour. The room was partially darkened, and Professor Mott took his place in the cabinet. Owing to the unusual force required to materialise two forms at the same time, Dr Dooley also took a seat in the cabinet along with the r rofessor. The table was spread, the guest a were seated, places were reserved for the bride and groom, plates were laid for them, and an elegant bouquet placed at each place, according to the bride's directions. All was now ready for the appearance of those in whose honour the company had assembled, and the guests waited the appearance of the bridal party. But they had not long to wait. The announcement waa soon nude from the cabinet that the spirits were ready. The guests, one after another, were invited up to the aperture where the lady and her husband were presented, both appearing with perfect distinctness and very life-like, receiving the guests pleasantly, and entering freely into conversation with them. After this, oue account says, both spirits walked out of the cabinet, across tho room, and tonk their places prepared for them at the table. The bride wore an elegant heavy satin drees, white aa the light, with the conv«-n fcional flowing marriage veil and orange blosaonis. The groom wore the regulation black broadcloth aud white vest, with fullblown rose in the button-hole of the coat — j though roses in thi3 vicinity are done blooming. Thia would seem to prove that in the summer land tho roses bloom perpetually. After receiving the congratulations of their friends, and narrating the particulars of the marriage — explaining how and where in the upirit world the ceremony had beon performed — the bridal party put off the semblance of mortal body and earthly habiliments which they had donned for tho ocoasion, and betook them to their home in the spirit world, or, perchance to their oelestial weddingtour." I don't knowjth.&tX should add

anything to the foregoing V-eycnd stating that tens of thousando believe aud cherish it as consolatory truth.