Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-07-30
Correspondence Of the Lewisburg Chronicle.
New York, July 7, 1851.

new xOlkJ July =, 4o0A'
Mr.. EDITOR At 6 o'clock A. NJ. on
the 5th, took the cars at Washington for
the north and east. After taking break
fast in Baltimore, We entered the cars Of
the Philadelphia Wilmington & Baltimore
Railroad, and reached Philadelphia about
5 o'clock This road appears to be in
good condition. The cars were however
Indifferent, and they made very poor time
indeed have seldom made q journey
over railroad that appeared so very tire
some, and the complaint among the pass
engcrs was very general. If l had not
wished to reach New York the Same eve
ming, 1 should have waited till noon, and
taken the steamboat, which route l am
told is much more pleasant. At Havrc-de
Grace took last look at the noble Sus-
quellanna which l do not expect to see
again till come to where it is a ripping
brook in the mountains of New York.
Although l merely passed through
Philadelphia, l could not help noticing
the immense strides this beautiful city is
taking in building and other improvements
She is stretching out on every side, and
appears like a giant running a race, with
her Atlantic rivals. In my opinion Phil
adelphia is, and always will be, the largest
city on the American continent. Look at
her splendid location, the beautiful man
ner in which it is laid out, and the beauty
and ncatness Of her buildings the rapid
ity with which it is growing, and the fact
that she has no natural boundaries to con-
tract her progress, and you certainly will
coincide with me that she has not now,
and will not have superior. Ifyou con-
trast her with New York as commercial
mart, and as perfect Babel, perhaps you
must concede to New York the palm.
While New York has some hundred thou
sand more inhabitants, Phila. has many
thousand more houses, and how loud does
this fact speak of the comparison in the
comfort of the people of the two cities. In
Philadelphia there is scarcely mechanic
so poor that he can not rent an entire
house to himself, while in New York the
person must be in very good circumstances
if he can rent the one half of even a good
two story house; and even then, he must
go up the city some to 4 miles, while in
the lower, or business part, the business
man must be pretty lucky if he is able to
rent room to do business in, and many a
poor mechanic must be satisfied if he can
get garret for his shop.
At o'clock we took the cars Of the n.
j. Trans. Co. for Jersey city. 1t has been
my fortune to travel much over the various
railroads at the east aud north, and l must
say for precision in time, and the easy
motion Of the cars, must i've this road
the preference This line and the Camden
& Amboy route arc all owned by the same
company, at the head of which stands the
noted Com. Stockton. These companies
about which we have heard so much news
paper discussion as being unblushing mo-
nopolies, are from peculiar geographical
position, roads that can have but little op-
position, (on account Of the great interest
the State has in the road, they will not
willingly grant other charters,) while they
enjoy the rare fortune of connecting not
only two Of our largest cities, but being
midway in the travel between the south,
north and east. They invariably run very
heavy trains, and most always loaded
down and until in year or two charged
especially the northern or Brunswick
route) 81 fare, and only came down to 50,
when public opinion became so high that
ercn they could not face it. If they could
come down to two cents a mile (what all
the New York roads have done, l am sat
isfed they would make more money, and
certainly would do, what all roads of the
kind are intended to do, benefit the people
at large. We reached Jersey city little
after 9 o'clock, and in few moments more
1 was mingling with the multitudes of this
modern Babel. To the mechanic (as l ann
there is very much to interest and instruct
in this city, and it is probable 1 shall dc.
scribe some Of the large mechanical estab-
lishments that l have visited and may Wis.
it during my stay here.
Perhaps in justice to your numerous
readers among the hardy and Independent
ycomanry Of some Of the fairest valleys the
sun ever shines upon-I mean the valleys
of Union and Northumberland counties
1 should say little more about the coun-
try 1 have passed through. To them
would say that after passed York county,
until came to Wilmington, Del, I saw
but very little in the way of farming to in
terest or instruct. The great drouth about
Washington has dried up both gardens and
fields, and on the Sd nearly, If not all the