The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-28 00:00:00

THE EAST AND TVEST.

(Franz an American paper.)
" The Western World" and " Plymouth Rock !"
These two names, full of history and significance,
were given a few years since to two splendid float-
ing palace Steamers, designed and built to accom-
modate the travelling public going to and fro, from
the East to the West, and vice versa along the great
central through nute of travel. These steamers
embodied one of the numerous results of the ever ad-
vancing spirit of enterprise which has so signally
marked the progress of the Michigan Central Railroad
and its management during the last 20 years, in
the endeavour to furnish the best and most perfect
accommodations for the travelling public in every
respect. These boats failed ; not from any want of
completeness in themselves, but because the electric
pulses of the peripatetic and would-be übiquitous
public demand a means of locomotion only less 1
rapid than that of the lightning itself, and these
steamers, with their gay and splendid appoint-
ments, " went into ordinary," and were finally
laid up to rot. But their names still lived—
the Western World, with its boundless prairies
and endless chain of lakes, river and mountain, called
to old Plymouth Rock unceasingly, bidding it come
in the spirit of those who first stepped foot upon
the shore, and win the wilds of this section to
civilisation and greatness. Time flew, and the
young giant of the West, outstripping in execution
even the most seemingly Utopian imaginings of
the plodding East, reached backward with its
hooks of steel and clenched the iron bonds that
to-day bind Plymouth Rock to the Western World.
And he has again immortalised those two pregnant
names, by emblazoning them upon the gilded pro-
portions of two palace sleeping chariots, whose like
was never seen, neither was it dreamed of in Eastern
philosophy, or learned in Oriental lore. Scarce
half a year has passed since the union was com-
pleted, and now Omaha, far away on the con-
fines of the great American plains, sends greet-
ing to old Massachusetts Bay, through the music
of a million revolutions of our palace car
wheels, whose roll never ceases to resound till the
thousand miles are passed. The " 'Western
World," and " Plymouth Rock," with their con-
sorts, will carry through " without change of cars.'
The Central link in this great chain --the keystone
of this mighty arch which spans the continent—is
the Michigan Central Railroad, mid to it more than
to any other single power, if not all others com-
bined, is due the credit of what has been done.
The pioneer in all improvements that tend to pro-
mote the comfort of his patrons, she still leads the
advance.

For proof that this is no idle boast4we refer to
the recent placing upon this line of the new palace
hotel car, " City of Boston," to run between here
and Chicago. It was said, when the palace sleep-
ing cars, Atlantic and Pacific, and the palace hotel
car named above, were put upon the line, that the
ne plus ultra had been reached—that railroad travel
now stood upon the zdtirza thule, and could go no
farth.cr. But the " City of New York" followed,
however, and now this, the fourth of this class, has
just been plae‘.'d upon the road. In finish and in-
ternal 4000133,m0c1at:":65) this car as far surpasses

any and all its predecessors as they were in advance
of anything of the kind in the country.
The " City of Boston" is 70 feet in length, and
contains within as spacious dimensions the entire
and complete paraphernalia and accommodations of
a tirst-class hotel. It has a saloon or hall capable
of accommodating forty passengers, besides state
and drawing rooms where families may shut
themselves up in seclusion from any and all
other passengers, during the entire route for
days together. Altogether sixty-four persons
can be amply accommodated with seats or berths in
this single car. A kitchen, with its cooking range,
steam and hot water, pantry, wine closet, &c.,
compactly built and almost entirely unexposed
to view. Meals are cooked while the train moves

40 miles an hour, as expeditiously and nicely, and
served with as much elegance as is the best hotels.
A bell connected with each compartment summons
the waiter any moment, and everything desired can
be had for the asking, and the charge for all the
delicacies and substantials of the 'ason is no more

than at the hotels. The fare is only 50 cents more
in these hotel cars than the price of an ordinary
ticket. The car is finished in black walnut highly
polished and carved in medallion and unique designs.
French plate mirrors occupy the ornamented panels
between the seats ; tables are arranged so as
to be set by a simple touch of a spring ; the seats
and chairs, sofas and ottomans, in a much less time
than it takes to tell it, can be transformed into luxu-
rious couches, with hair mattresses, full-sized pil-
lows, and sheets fresh from the laundry. The cur-
tains are of the finest Terry silk and the carpets
Wilton. The magic touch of the attendants in the
early morning, causes all the berths to disappear, and

the cushioned seats of yesterday take their places.
The upper berths shut into the wall and ceiling so
as to " leave no sign" of their nature or use. The
head lining is beautifully painted and striped in
rich designs ; the curtain rods, lamp supports,
brackets, &c., are all silver plated, as are also
the window fastenings. The window lifts and
stops are combined, and fitted with rubber
tips to prevent any jar or rattle with the run-
ning of the car. The walnut finish is beau-
tifully relieved by ebony mouldings. There are
many minor details which go to make up the ele-
gance and perfection of the car, but they must be
seen to be appreciated. This car was built in Chi-
cago, and cost $39,000, a sum sufficient to buy
several fine residences on the avenue. Upon the
panel containing the name " City of Boston" on the
olltside of the car is the significant representation of
a " hub" with broken spokes and missing felloes,
over which the tall blades of rank grass growing
seem to form the word " Heinz," while a big " bug"
is seen crawling among the rubbish below. Our

Boston cousins will appreciate the artist's fancy ill
this particular.

THE NEW POS2-OFFICE REGULATIONS.

On the Ist day of January next, the combined
rate of British and United States postage on let-
ters posted in the United Kingdom, addressed to
any. part of the United States, and whether Con-
veyed by packet or by private ship, will be reduced
to 6d. per half ounce, or fraction thereof, provided
such postage be prepaid. Unpaid or insufficiently
paid letters will be liable, on their delivery in the
United States, to an additional charge. Upon re-
gistered letters a registration fee of 4d. will be
chargeable; and this fee, together with the post-
age, must be prepaid. A corresponding reduction
will be made on the same day in the postage of
letters forwarded through the United States to the
following colonies and other places, viz.:--Canada
(including Nova . Scotia, New Brunswick, and
Prince Edward Island), British Columbia, Van-
couver's Island, Havannah, Mexico, Panama, and
Colon. Letters for any of the British colonies here
specified will be chargeable with a reduced rate of
7d. per loz., or fraction thereof. The same rate
of 7d. will also be chargeable on letters for
Bermuda, addressed " via New York." The post-
age of letters addressed to British Honduras
(which are now forwarded, as a rule, by way of
New York and Yew Orleans) will also be reduced,
and will become ls. ld. p r ioz., or fraction
thereof. Letters for any of the foreign places
named above will be ekargeable with a reduced rate
of Is. per loz., or fraction thereof. Upon all letters
for such foreign places, as well as upon those for
British Columbia and Vancouver's Island, the post-
age must be paid in advance. On the Ist of Jan•
next, and thenceforward, book packets, as also pat-
terns or samples' of merchandise, may be for-
warded in the mails sent by mail packets, via
New York, to Canada and the rest of British
North America, British Columbia, Vancouver's
Island, Sandwich Islands, Havannah, Mexico,
Panama, and Colon. The postage chargeable
on all such book packets and patterns will be
4d. per or fraction thereof, which postage must
be paid in advance and by means of postage stamps•
flie British mail packets of the Cunard line will,
after Ist of January next, proceed invariably to
New York direct, instead of alternately to New
York direct and to Boston by way of Halifax. In
addition to this line of packets, steam vessels be-
longing to the Liverpool, New York, and Philadel-
phia Steamship Company will, from the same date,
convey mails weekly from Queenstown to New York,
and steam vessels belonging to the North German
Lloyd of Bremen will convey mails weekly from
Southampton to New York under contracts with the
Postmaster-General. The following will be the
arrangements for the despatch of mails to the United
States after the end of this year :—Departure from
London on Tuesday, by day mail, from Southamp-
ton, Tuesday, 2 p.m., by the North German Lloyd
line of packets ; departure from Loudon on Wed-
nesday, by night mail, from Queenstown, Thurs-
day, 3 30 p.m., by the Liverpool, New York, and
Philadelphia Steamship Company line of packets ;
departure from London on Thursday, by night mail,
from Moville (Londonderry), Friday, 5 30 p.m., by
the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company line of
packets ; departure from London on Saturday, 11
night mail, from Queenstown, Sunday, 3 30 p.m.'
by the Cunard Company's line of packets. All
letters, &c., addressed to the United States will be
forwarded in the first mail despatched after such
letters, &c., are posted, unless specially directed to
be otherwise sent. Letters, &c., marked to be for-
warded by any particular vessel will be so for-
warded. The mails for Nova Scotia, New Bruns'`
wick, Prince Edward Inland, Bermuda, and New-
foundland, which have hitherto been conveyed to
Halifax by the Cunard packet proceeding to Boston,
will henceforth be conveyed from Queenstown to
Halifax by a separate packet, sailing on every alter-
nate Sunday as at present.

The St. Louis Democrat states that, according
to estimates based on good authority, not less than two
hundred thousand persons have settled iu Missouri during
the past year. The growth of the Western States and
Territories is one of the wonders of this marvellous age'