Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-05-14
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR DATED
Philadelphia, Mdy IL, 1858

Philddeiphic, Nay ! /, 1853
The business season Of the city is drawing |
to close, excepting with the retailers, who
ATE in the midst Of their harvest. The dis
play OF the rich aud beautiful goods OF the
large and elegant stores Of the ptesen, day,
would contrast strangely with those only
twenty years back. Cloths, aud many fine
woolen goods both for gentlemen and ladies',
it is true, aie much cheaper, but then grea,
many other expensive luxuries substituted,
that swell the expeusss Of the toilet, especial
ly Tor the fair sex, to a much larger amoun,
than then. Though people in the city, live
ex,ravaganily and cxpend large sum. in the
luxuries Of lie, it must be said Of them that
there are no people who work harder, or
more assidiously for wealth than they. Many
Of them are as constant and as laborious in
their devotions 10 mammon, as an Eastern
pagan is 10 his idols The iicher he grows
the more anxious he is 10 increase his wealth.
His avarce seems 10 increase with his years.
The result often IT, that his sons. who living
in expectation Of Inheliiing wealth, fail TO ac-
quirc those habits of business and industry
that are the only safegua ria against vice and
dissipation, and ultimately become bankrupis
! in purse as well as in morals. This, how
ever, is not applicable 10 cities, only. lis
| practical illustration is seen everywhere.
| The great increase Of gold from the mines
of California and Australia has given rise 10
much speculation in regard TO lis derrecia-
| rion. Political economists have given their
views on the subject, and those who know as
| lille OF political enconomy rs they do OF He
brew, have also expressed theirs, 80 that the
world must necessarily become enlightened
on the subject. 1t is great mistake 10 sup
pose That the price Of gold must come down,
but ii is certain the price o. commodities, Of
which gold is a representative OF value, must
go up This is already seen in the advance
Of almost all kinds Of goods and articles Of
production excepting grain, which, strange
TO say. has advanced but little. Labor is
high every where, and none more SO than or
dnary manuel ,hor. Bul a few days since, a
mcrchan, employed a gentleman OF coor"
10 do some work about his store al twenty-five e
cents per hour, and Sambo irlinated that ne
was doing his employer great favor by
working at all. But machinery is supersedine
humanlabor in every branch Of business, and
the facility and chehpness with which some
things are manufactured, is really asioush.
ing. For instance, ordinary backing boxes
are sold al - mills, or one dollar and Two
cents per hundred. There is a large eslab
lishment in New York for making boxes
cans, &c BY steam and machinery. The
agent informed me that, without using hal
theil machinery, they could turn out siXiy
thousand boxes per day. The establishment
employs about 90 hands. have remarked
in previous letter, that rents here are enor
mously high. The Girard House has leaseo
the additional building, adjoining lha, Hotel
therefore amounts, 10 s27, 500 per annun,,
small fortune, even in this age of gold.
The late teuible accident, or rather mas
sacre, as the papers properly Term it, on lh'
New Haven rail road, will no doubt be rht
means Of Introducing reforms by Iaw in The
management of rail roads, that will ten,
greatly TO the safety Of the lives Of the pas
sengers. Ninetenlhs of all such accident
are the result Of criminal careIessncss AN,
should be severely punished.
There seems TO be a determinations Il
build another rail road from This city 10 tn,
Susquehanna. The Harrisburg and Reading
rail road Company is now fully organised b.
the election of Gen. Cameron as President
The directors are composed Of some Of hi
! wealihiest and most Influential men in III
State. There can hardly be any doubt Of it
success. The distance is about the same a
the Columbia rail road and of course tn
road will be much better, in It's structure a
well as in grades.