Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-03-30
Railway Speed.

A good many years ago, n of the
toughest and hardest riders that ever
crossed Leicestershire undertook L per-
form a feat which, just for the moment.
attracted the general attention not only
Of the country, but Of the sporting world.
His bet was, that If he might choose his
own turf, and if he might select as many
thoroughbred horses as he liked, he
would undertake 10 ride goo miles in ten
hours -
The newspapers of the day described
exactly how "lhe Squire" was dressed
what he had been living on-how he
looked-how, at The word "AwAY!" he
started like an arrow from a bow-how
gaIlantly Tranby, his f%avorite racer,
stretched himself in his gallop-how on
arriving at his second horse he vaulted
from one saddle TO anoiher-how he then
few over the surface Of the earth, if pos
sible, faster than beforehand how, TO the
establishment and amids, The accIama-
lions Of thousands of spectators he a,
last came ina winnerl
Now, if at this m Of his victory
while with dust and perspira,ion on his
brow, his exhausted arms dangling just
above the painting TANKS Of his horse,
which his friends at each side Of his bri.
die were slowly leading in triumph-a
decrepit old woman had hobbled forward
and in the name of Science had told the
assembled multitude, that before she be-
came a skeleton she and her husband
would undertake instead Of 900 miles in
ten hours 10 90 500-that is 10 say, that
for every mile the Squire had just ridden,
she and her old man would go TWO miles
and a half-tha, she would moreover
knit all the way, and that he should take
his medicine every hour and read to her
jus, as if they were at home; lastly that
they would undertake to perform their
feat either in darkness or in daylight, in
sunshine or in storm, sin thunder, light
ming, or in r~ain;"--who, we ask, would
have listened to The poor maniac ?-and
yet how wonderfully would her predic-
lion have been fulfilled A! Nay wagons
of Goals and heavy luggage nowadays
fly across Leicestershire faster and farih'
er than Mr.. Osbaklestone could go, not
withstanding his condition and that Of al
his horses.
When the railways were first establish
ed, every living being gazed at a passing
train with astonishmeni and fear; plough
men held their breath; the loose hors'
Igalloped from it, and then suddenly stop
ping, turned round, stared at it, and a
last snorted aloud. But The mine days
wonder soon came 10 an end. AS The
train now flies through our verdant fields
the cattle grazing on each side do not e.
ven raise their heads TO look at it; the
limid sheep fears it no more Than The
wind (; indeed the hen partridge, run
ming with her brood along the embank.
ment Of a deep cutting, does not now e.
ven crouch as it passes close by her. i
is the same with mankind. On enter
ing a railway station we merely mut,eI
10 a clerk in a box where we want 10 60
say 'How MUCH ?'--see him horizontal
y poke a card into q little machine tina
pinches ii-receive our ticket-take oul
place-read our n~ewspaper--on reach
ing our terminus, drive away perfectly
careless of all or Of any on. of the in
Vulnerable arrangements necessary FOL
the astonishing luxury we have enjoy
ed.