Stephen H. Branch's Alligator, Vol. 1 no. 21, September 11, 1858
History
Stephen H. Branch's Alligator, Vol. 1 no. 21, September 11, 1858
New York (N.Y.) -- Politics and government
Notwithstanding the heavy demonstrations of the Common Council, by word
of mouth and by strength of lung in favor of the Atlantic Cable, it
seems that the reception of the crew of the Niagara was entirely
overlooked by these distinguished characters, who, in their ovations to
Mr. Cyrus W. Field, and such like magnates, ignored the existence of
such a poor set of individuals as the absolute toilers, who live by the
sweat of their brow. To make up for this deficiency in courtesy, a few
gentlemen invited and gave a species of demonstration, wherein they
expected to realize something digestible for the poor Jacks of our navy,
who, in an humble way at least, contributed to the success of the great
event. Well, these gentlemen in hiring a room wherein the
speechification could be made, naturally stumbled upon the great Peter
Cooper Institute, first from the connection Peter had with the tail end
of the cable, and, secondly, from the fact that they labored under the
impression that the building had been given to our municipality for the
encouragement of arts and sciences, and, assuredly, what could be more
encouraging to science than a hearty meal after scientific labor?
The committee waited upon the proprietor of the Institute and discovered
the nightly rent for the use of the hall of the building, so
magnanimously donated to the city, to be $100. However, the breasts of
landlords are not always of stone, and the illustrious Peter, taking
into consideration the object and the occasion, kindly consented to
receive from the friends of poor Jack but one-half the usual price for
the loan of a building, vulgarly conceived to be public property. Now
who dares to assert that Peter, the great and liberal minded Peter
Cooper, never does things by halves?
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Cable Jollification.
Cyrus, the great, has been out on a fishing excursion; he has fished
with a long line, a keen hook, fine bait, and in deep water—caught a
fine kettle of fish and many shiners, over which the Cooper guild and
corporation feel disposed to make themselves jolly. This may all be very
well, but to us it looks very much like using an opportunity to make a
display and have a good time generally to glorify somebody at the
expense of the people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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