Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-05-27
English Railroads.


English Railroads.
In an interesting article on the "Histo-
ry of English Railways" in the May
number of Hunts Merchants Magazine,
we tiud some interesting facts touching
the opposition to their first construction.
A remarkable episode in the railway
history of England to the relation between
the companies and the landed aristocrscy
1t was, at the first, the collision betwec
the ancient, conservative, lymphatic spirit
that ruled the past, and the newborn,
progressive, man-elevating energy that
was to direct the future. One was weak
from its infancy, the other was feeble
from senility; one was undeveloped, tho
other exhausted. As always, the new tri-
umphed over the old, and the defeat Of
the latter carried with it more disgrace
than ill-fortune. The result exhibited to
the world that the British aristQcracy was
but a big raree-show-a hollow humbus-
matterless bubble. Their power, their
glory, their honor-whatever it had been
was defunct. They sold land, ancestral
possessions, ancient memories, the pride Of
family, personal character, everything, for
the money Of the merchants and mecban-
ics-classes whom their fathers, and they
too, had affected to despise. They who
abOminated traffic descended to the lowest
trade, eagerly chafering with railroad d.
rcctors about the pounds and shilings to
be paid for their properties, and yet more
as the price Of hushing their hostile voices;
every nerve was strained, and every means
used, based on the known necessities Of
the railroad companies, to extend their
pelf. Never were misers more greedy Of
gold-never more Indifferent as to the
means Of obtaining it To such q COM
plexion had British chivalry attained in
the nineteenth century.
Another class should be alluded to.
When the railway movement commenced,
the commercial houses Of London were
most of them dignifed With ancestral hon
Ors, awarded to their fathers for their SER
vices in the armed vindication of CONNER
cial rights. They were allied nAsr!y 20
the government, being often called on for
counsel as we'll as monetary aid. They
were not, in our understanding of the
term, men Of progress, and not remarkz,
BILE for adventure. As class, they yero
rather cautious in regard to railroads,
many Of them ranking among their most
stubborn opponents. But about 1883, a
change was apparent. Many of this class
had been ruined in the crisis Of 1925, and
others were greatly weakened. A new
race Of traders had arisen, who had made
up their small capital by great activity.
The new men boldly undertook to limo.
vate, and soon effected great revolution
in commercial forms and customs. They
eagerly allied themselves with the new
power, which the old houses contemptu.
ously refused to recognize. Their efforts,
and the results attending them, forced tho
others from their inaction, and the entire
mercantile power at length became enlist
ed on the side of railroads-the rapid pro-
gress Of which was, Of course, thencefath
insured.
The London and Brighton road was the
occasion Of fierce and faetious contest
Five separate lines were projected, and
the sums spent in endeavorlng simply to
obtain an act by the different companies,
amounted to 1l93,575. The expenditure
for the road, on the successful line amounts
cd to 9S7, 7,56s LIS. Cd. per mile.
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BOARDING SILvER.-A recent trial in
the Dauphin county court brought to light
the fact that two German families, living
in the same neighborhood in DaupLiu
county, had boarded up large quantity
of silver for thirty years, and We presume
it would have been boarded for many years
more, but that servant girl finding the
boxes Or bags containing it, helped herself
to few hundreds. What ridiculous
system it is to keep money hid away in
house for years and years, losing the inte-
rest and being subject to robbery and other
attendant risks. Instead of doing this, all
persons having money, should loan it out
to some prudent business man, and have
it all the time accumulating. This would
help trade and commerce, improve the
country, and increase the fund fox tia
owner.-Berss Il, .SchuyisM Jourssi.
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ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES AND, THE
New York C5npsersas Aa.
sertiser, speaking of Layard's new work,
entitled, Discoveries among the Ruins Of
Nineveh and Babylon" just published by
Putnam, says: "Mr. LsyaTs volume
hnuvx1- xr,tb