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Railroads--the Telegraph--anti-slavery--sub-treasury, &c.

Railroads--the Telegraph--anti-slavery--sub-treasury, &c. image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
April
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
Letter to the Editor
OCR Text

Nkw Yokk, April lü, 1810. Fjuend Fostkk, -Amongthe nuinerous cvidences of the rapid strides our country is making in her onward nrmrch to grealness, may bo instanced the increased facilillos in sj)ced and comfort every vear DreseDted for travcrsing from point to point. This fact attracled my atlention more particularly upon n recent journcy from Detroit to tliis city. Although, owing to detention ly a severe gale upon the Lake, and encountering considerable Ice near BuíUilo, tho journey was protracted tosomo 4 or 5 days, yet, even thut, compared with the time it would have taken to perform it i few ycars since, was remarkably short. Those of us accustomed frequently to perform this journoy some 10 or 12 years sinco, can well rcmember haf a period of 8 or 10 days was as short as could be devoted to t under the most favorable circumstances, during the season of unobstrucled navigation upon the Lak es. And as regards accommodations then, they were, when coinparcd with the present, about as a lumber boat to a floáíing palace. And after reaching Buifalo, instead of Railroad comfort and Railroad speed at lhe rato of 20 miles per hour it was trudging along over cordvroy raïiways and causeway turnpikes, at the imminent hazard of broken bones and a bruised head from frequent upsets, at the rate of 5 miles per hour, providing the traveller was so fortúnate as to secure a seat in the far famed Tclograph line" of stages, or if obligedto.ti.ko up with the "Pilot" or "Old mail," 3 or 4 hours with overstops was considered good progress. Now, over the same route, by Railroad 18 or 20 miles per hour, is tliought to be very moderate. What additional rate of speedis yei 10 bc nttnined in tliis day of wonders, we scarce dare predict, ns already on one of our Eastcrn Railroads, (the Long Island) upon ihe occasion of bringing the foreign news brought by one of the Boston Steamers, f rom thence to tljis city, a part of the distance was traversed at the rate of 70 miles ah tour; and the average running timo over the whole length of the road (somo 90 miles) was but litlle short of lliat. At this rate of speed, already attained, with a continuous Rail road througli Canada, Detroit and New York would be brought within some 10 or 11 hours travel ! ! If Slave. uy does not upset the balance wheel of our Nation and bring upon us tho deserved judgments of God in the shapc of war, or some other dire calamity, that this speed will be common within the present generation, thoso of us who have marked the rapid improvemenis of thepast 10 ycars, can scarcc entertain a doubt; and even then, (so restless and unsatisfied is the mind of man with his best attainments.) very likely some Jehu Yankee in his hot haste would complain of tardiness, and wish to yoko the lightning to his car to accelcrate its speed ! Among various improvements discovered along the route is the Magnetic Telegraph. The posts fort ho support of the wires are already set the whole distance from Buniilo to Albany. They are about 12 or 15 rods apart, and some 80 f eet high, running within a short distance of the railroad, (somo 8 or 10 feet.) It is in fuJl operatton from Utica to Albany, and the wires will soon be extended on to Buirulo. Who would havo believed a few years since that a discovery would be made by which conversation could beheld by individuals soparated by one, two, or five hundred miles, and inieliigcnce transmiited hundreds of miles in a less number of second-s? I ibund Ihat old, worn out subject "Anti-slavery" still possessed power to wake p considerable excitement through the empire Stato, and found myself soinewhat in the condition of the Rov. Mr. West when compelled to liold his famous 90 milc argument in the railroad cars, while passing from Columbia to 1 phia. Although I was not (like him) brought in contact with the slaveholder, but on!y led to have a slight brush with tlmt class [now almost universal at theNorth] who, in common with us, hate slavery, and profo&s to desire its speedy overthrow, but aro against us as to the menns- if indeed they havo any means at all in view. Ofcourse the old story of voting fo r Texas in 710 voting for Henry Clay, [beautiful consistency ! ] had to be gone through with. The talk, though animated, was kind, and did no injury at Jeast, other than to wake up the negro hate of one of that ignorant, swag gering class who claimed to haveed at the South, and knew that slaves were treated as well as other caitle, and whoin attempting to quote Scripture to support the system, made such a sad blunder as to ovidence to all tho company, that he was as ignorant of either the 1 ter or spirit of that book,as he was of the first principies of Human Liberty. Spring travel upon the North rivor, has opened with a most spirited opposition - three or four splondid Steamboats leaving Albany and New York overy Evening, and running directly through for 25 ets., meals and borths oxtra. Although atfirsl Ihoujht, corisidering (he distancc, [150 luilesj one wotïld thiñk it must be a ruinous business to curry passenger at áucli an ustonisliing low price, vet I am crcdibly iuformed that at that price Ihe boats can run and make money by the profiis derived lïom nicnJa nnd borths at 50 ets. each. - [althougli somo of them have put the price of those down to 25 cents.) These boats are in fact but great floating Hotels, and iftheycanbut secure a iarge r.umber of passenger, a.s tlicy invariably do wheh carrying at such low prices, they can virtually aflurd to run for nothing, nnd makc money at that, deriving their profits from the board of passengere. Doubtless the cost of many of the first class of flotéis in our Cities, and their current expenses, exceeds thü cost and running expenses of these boats. while the farmer aro doing a profitablebusiness on a lcss number of bonrders thun aro thus sccured to the lnttor. Upon tliis principie of travel, however, if a man chooses to curry bis bread and cheesc in lus pocket, and sleep perpendicular, [asmany of my fellow travelcrs down the river wore compelled to do, uot beïngj ablc to get a berth or scarcely a place to lny on the floor, for the crowd,] ho may travel pretty chenp. Their City Election carne oíT here on Tuesday last. As usual it was Democratie all over. 1 know nothing of ïhe comparalive merits of the different mayoralty candidates, but from Wlrig, Nativo American and neutral papers, should judge that the great issues at slake, and decided by the rosult, were for high taxes - dirty streeis - abundance of rowdyism, &c. ócc. Although thero were no particular interests involved excopting thosc afiecting the city, yet considering its immense populalion and multitudinous interesls, it is cerlainly a matter of some moment to have proper individuáis secured to administer them. Some eflbrls aro mak ing to get up a money panic, [very common things by the way in this City,] consequent upon the threatencd passage of the Sub-Treasury bill - but ridiculous as the bill might be, many of the more sensible clnss. herethink thcre is no occasion for a panic, as Ihey beHeve it will be so far modified as to becomparatively harmloss to the sound monied operations of the country. No new war panics, and the fever seems to bo subsiding under the impression that it is mostly tlio gasconada of certain Western Senators with their oyes upon thepolitical campaign of '48. You mny possibly hear from me agcin bofore I leave this city. Yours truly.