The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-08
National Railroad from Washington 10
Now

National Railroad from Washington 10
New York.
The time has been, within twenty wears,
when we should have considered ourselves for
tunate to be carried from New York to Wash
ington in much longer time than twenty four
hours. The route from Jersey City to New
York has never been very expeditions one
from the time of the Fly Line, before the Reyo-
luton, down to the present day. The old win
Ger mail route between Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington, by the way Of the Susque-
hannah and Havre de Grace, was before Con
gress In the very aspect in which the railroad
routes between those cities are shortly to be
presented. But because it would have been
a miracle twenty years ago to accomplish this
feat, there is no good reason for taking twenty
four hours to it in the year 1851 And yet the
passengers and the mails leaving New York at
nine o'clock in the morning cannot be delivered
in Washington till eight O'Clock the next morn
ing, travel with what speed they may
Look at it moment. You leave New York
at nine, and if you are unusually favored reach
Philadelphia in five hours, in season for the boat
TO New Castle, and make the trip by the way
of Frenchtown and the Chesapeake in eight
hours TO Baltimore. Now, Baltimore is de-
lightful place, and time never hangs heavy on
your hands. either in the City of Monuments
or in the Quaker City, at seasons when you
can communicate with your friends. But now
you have undergone thirteen hours of hard work;
and though your steamboat providers both on the
Delaware and Chesapeake, have entertained you
Hospitality, and served the delicious fish of their
several waters to the best of their art, still YOU
reach BARNUM's at 10 O'Clock at night. inev-
tably cross and Disguised with the idea that
here you are trapped and imprisoned in
foreign city, instead Of being delivered, as YOU
ought to be, in good deal less than thirteen
hours from New York, at your own home in
Washington. At such an untimely hour. YOU
have nothing to do but take to your couch
and sleep till 5 o'clock, when you are reused
in due season for the Washington cars Pur
suing your journey, you are delivered, just
about t,centy,f four hours after leaving your hotel
in the commercial capital of the nation, at its
political metropolis.
II is true that you may remain at New York
till O'Clock in the afternoon, and reach Wash
ington the next morning at the same hour with
the 9 O'Clock a. m. passengers. This is only
fifteen hours-an improvement on twenty four
But you are compelled to ride all night, and to
cool your heels ttco hours at Guys in Bali-
more, waiting for the Washington cars. Now,
it is not pleasant--this stop at Baltimore-and
1t is not compensated by the very excellent
breakfast with which your worthy host attempts
70 alleviate your miserable state Of mind aud
body For we submit that the state of "stew-
sd prune" is faint type Of that mans condl-
ton who reaches Washington after the strug
giles, and confnements, and exposures OF this
night excursion, with its open-ar depots in
New York and Philadelphia, and its omnibus
drives in Philadelphia and Baltimore, its steam
boat passage Of the Susquehannah, with the
rush and hurry and scramble for the "high.
backed Seats" which every ono mikes in who
has not fancy for nodding his head of his
shoulders, being made pillow of for the
convenience Of some drowsy fat man.
But, if you start on Saturday afternoon, your
journey from Washington to New York will
inevitably occupy tlcenty- nine hours, and there
is no way Of shortening it. You reach Phla-
delphia at say two O'Clock in the morning. By
good rights you ought to be delivered in New
York OF six o'clock, allowing for all reasonable
detention. Four hours from the Philadep hia
depot 10 New York are as many as the most
dilatory could desire. We should be carried
through in this manner every night in the
week; but this will not answer From two
O'Clock till SIX, on week days, you are permit
ted to remain at BLooDGooD's tavern. at
the landing, where you can quit for New
York, and be there IN paper running at twelve
o'clock; in actual running, as our experience
goes, somewhere between one and two y. m
But even this you cannot accomplish on Sun
days, when you must lay over in Philadelphia
from two o'clock in the morning till five in the
afternoon. 1t is no great hardship to spend a
Sunday in Philadelphia but it is very hard, if
one is specially summoned by business, or the
illness or death Of friends, or any other unex-
Pected circumstance, from Washington at any
time after six O'Clock on Saturday morning
that ne can by no possibility reach New York
Or space cfforty hours.