miscellaneous. SECRET MARRIAGES IN NEW YORK.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1639, 6 January 1883, Page 6

miscellaneous. SECRET MARRIAGES IN NEW YORK.

The Badger case (which has just been pettied by compromise in "New York,) is very re- j njarkabte inits character, the facts being as # ' .f^lloi^si ij^cob Badger recently died, in his" 70th y&ir. "He was a rich old bachelor, and had for many years been at the head of an opulent shipping house. His heirs proceeded to divide the property, when a claim was made by a woman, who asserted ncr dower-right as his widow. For thirty-live years she and' " John Baker" had held connubial relations, their home being in Brooklyn. " Baker" had .always conducted himself, in an exemplary manner, providing liberally, and enjoying the respect of the neighbourhood. Every day he went to New York, and returned at nighf, and this uniform life was only terminated by his sudden demise. -It was then learned that " John Baker," of Brooklyn, and Jacob Badger, of New York, were the same, and the woman was allowed a dower of $42,000. New York contains many such instances, which find protection in that mantle which a great city throws over society. I well remember the flour dealer, Daniel Angerine, who always passed for a bachelor. After his death, however, it was learned that he had a family, which had only known him under a false name. I was also acquainted with another bachelor business man, (the late H. N. Ferris,) who kept his residence a secret from even his clerks. Every morning he appeared at the store, and at night he left, but no one knew whither he went, and his employes became so accustomed to this mystery, that it ceased to be a matter of comment. Eventually Ferris was taken ill and died, and it was then discovered, that he had a private establishment in an obscure street, far up town. E. G. Schuyler, formerly the noted railway contractor, also passed for a bachelor, until his failure brought out the fact, that he had a wife and family, in which he had long been known by the name of Spicer. I could mention a man of wealth, and of high family, who passes in the Fifth avenue circles as a bachelor, but his friends have long been convinced that he has a wife somewhere in the city. Some of these secret marriages occur in the following manner: Young men see the impossibility of supporting those helpless, high-toned city girls, who want a fashionable establishment, and hence, going from one extreme to another, they will sometimes marry the daughters of their washerwomen, simply because the latter can take care of themselves. As such a marriage would distress their friends, they keep it secret, and pass for bachelors, being thus enabled to retain their position in society. Such are among the strange features in metropolitan life. No man, however, can say lie marries below his station, if his wife, however humble, ia of decent* character, and possesses intelligence. That false notion concerning men marrying beneath them, has led to a vast extent of mischief. — Detroit Free Press.

CLOTH OF TIN. A French chemist is said to have invented a process by which fabrica can be permeated by a solution of tin. The method is described as follows : — He first makes a mixture of zinc powder and dissolved albumen, which he spreads over the fabric by means of a brush, leaving it to dry, when the stuff is passed first through superheated steam, and afterwards through a solution of chloride of tin. By this means an exceedingly thin layer of tin is spread over the whole side of the fabric, which is thus rendered waterproof, and protected against ordinary rough usage. The utility of the invention is not quite apparent, for probably few people •would care to don garments in which they would bear a very close resemblance to animated tin-kettles and teapots, though in the preparation of theatrical dresses, and even the bright " trimmings " in which the female heart delights, the invention might find a limited application. — Detroit Free Press.

THE GARBOTEr's ALPHAHET A was 'ard lines on a prig who took " tin," B was the bobby who soon ran him in ; C was the cell, with a plank for a bed, D was the very " big D" that he said ; E was the 'elp that he wished he could get, P were the " fakements" looked forward to yet ; G- were the groans for some porter or stout, H was the " hale" he would guzzle when out ! I was the 'inge of the door of his cell, J the •' stone jug' that ne'er went to the well ; X was the " konk" he had beaten till blue, h was the " lagging" he now has to do ; M was the magsman who led him astray, N was the noggin he stood him one day ; 0 was the. 'orrible mess he had made, P was that Polly, the .treacherous jade J Q was tbe " queer street" in which hewasfast; R was the rollicking days that were past ; S was the " skilly" they gave him to eat, T the " soft tommy" — a rich prison treat I U was tho "uncle" who had all his " breeks." V was " His Vorship," who gavehim six weeks ; W warrant on which he was nabbed, X the xpression he shouted when grabbed 1 Y was the yell when he felt the first lash, Z was the Zero expressing his cash.; , From Fun.

AN EIiEVUANT's PORTRAIT. Dining out, recently, at a bachelor's party given by Colonel , I was asked by my host if I would make a sketch of an elephant's head for him. Of course there was but one answer, •• Yes," though I added, feeling uncertain as to the- result, " It may be a failure — but I will do my best." So on the first morning that I had time to spare, I set off to the great temple, with the intention of sketching one of the elephants. You know that at all important temples there are elephants ; they arc much prized as possessions, and take part in most of the religious ceremonies and processions. Some of them are employed to carry the water and flowers which are brought in daily for the gods and godesses, for which purpose th.ey start off early in the morning accompanied by a few of the temple dignitaries, and to music too, if a fearful noise like some half-dozen tin-kettles beaten out of time can be so called. On arriving at the temple I looked to see which would make the best sketch, and decided that the largest, a huge brute (whose tusks had been sawn off because he had once killed a keeper), chained up in a separate court of the temple, would decidedly be the one. Seating myself on a stone -which was lying in the shade of the outer wall of the temple, and being further protected from the sun by a cocoa-nut tree and an umbrella, the last held by one of my servants, and, further, being armed with daper and pencil, I set to work to make my sketch. It always takes me some time to decide upon which view to take, and, when that is settled, which part of the view shall be commenced first. In this instance I was prepared to begin with a side view of the great brute chained up before me ; but in this., I reckoned without my host, for, objecting to being looked at, he turned himself round so as to bring one of his little twinkling eyes to bear upon me. I commenced my sketch, taking a good look first, and then trying to produce the result on paper. As I progressed, I observed that the eye next me twinkled more and more, and that the elephant was slowly swaying his trunk from side, to side. I tried to make the best of it, and went on. with my sketch. When looking up to take ■ fresh observations, I was just in time to stoop "down and so avoid a, brick which flew over fjfrj^head and was smashed against the" wall sat the' back. The whole thing was so ludic-. •<rdus"that I and my servants laughed heartily. The. determined opposition, to, myj presence,; you 'can readily understand, but I , cannot, describe the merry twinkle in the eye, nprtlie^ wjonjierrul a'c^pracy'of the' aim. '-norn *th_ai 4 finoment, sticks, stone's, and pieces^ of 'brick weretbrofyn at me,' and w<Jtxtd^h^ve|me^.-? aljly have made acquaintance with/my^heail4iad!'rifet my servant^ caught a them';as tHey";, ■ arrived. .rl.~'couldf &o|, h6V^6r,*'gest>a^tb> ;iny sketch;' ! SoVals' thielephant yiwned^lJdid'; 'tHefsaifie ;$■ and'lbh«t<t left? muctiiamused'jby «thet;mornirig!ste^ iwaoi'disaVpointedfaCriot'h'aviiiß^tliei promised. 1

and decidedly objected to my presence!" — Leisure Hour.

" Don had many advantages," said old Simon Cameron,' talking of his son the other day, " hut I had one that is worth more to any man starting in life than all he over had." "What is that thai General?" "The advantage of starting poor."

AN ICE SPECULATION. Some Bergen merchants have purchased the right to cut blocks of ice from the Svortisen Glacier in Norway. The vessels fitted out for the new industry are of course " cutters ;" and " as the quantity of ice being unlimited, it can be put upon the market at a very cheap rate," we may expect it will be indeed a " cutting trade."

A COUPLE OF QUEER EGGS. One of my hens has laid two remarkable eggs. The first one is 9£ inches round, lengthwise, 7J the other way, and weighs Qh ounces. The second is a trifle smaller, weighing five ounces. Inside each of these large eggs, I found an ordinary sized egg, with shell hard and complete. I have read of such eggs, but never saw one like these before. I exhibited them at the Onondaga Country Farmer's Club, and only one member present had ever seen any like them. Among the many thousand dozens that'lhavehandled, these are thelargest hen's eggs I ever saw, weighing as they do, nearly three times as much as ordinary ones. Hon. Geo. Geddes wishes them, but I propose to keep them as a sample of the freaks of nature, Nelson Bitter. In Rural New Yorker. Onondaga County, N. Y.