Eastern times., 1854-09-21
" "Pooh-Pooh !"

"Pooh-Poohp'
There is a class of surly gentlemen in ev-
cry community whose delight is to throw cold
water on ardent projectors, and save the peo-
pie from deluding themselves with extravagant
views of human improvement. 1t is always
POoh-POoh, with them. They are always
down on something. There is not one of the
important inventions and extensions of power
of the past wonderful age, which has not had
to struggle against the chilling philosophy of
Mr.. POoh-Pooh. History is full Of the in
stances in which he has condemned as i'm
practicable and absurd, proposals which have
ultimately, in spite of him, borne the fairest
fruit. Gas-lighting was referred to Sir Hum
phrey Davy and Wollaston, as the two men
best qualified to judge of its feasibility; but
Pooh-Pooh was at their elbow, to insjnuate
all sorts of objections and difficulties, and they
pronounced against an article of domestic util-
ity, which is now used everywhere. 1t was
all that steam navigation could do TO get over
Pooh-Pooh's opposition. Even James Watt,
who had in a measure made the steam-engne,
gave way to the whispers Of Pooh-Pooh re-
| garding its use in vessels. Sir Joseph Banks
was applied to by some enthusiastic advocate
Of this application; when, under the inspira-
tion of Pooh-Pooh, who stood beside him, he
said lit is pretty plain, sir but there is
just one little point overlooked-that steam
engine requires firm basis on which to work
He sent away the man under the disgrace Of
this pity, and. we suppose, thought no more
of the matter, till he heard Of steamers plying
regularly on the Hudson and the Clyde, with
out the firm basis to work upon
| " hen Pooh-Pooh first heard that some per-
sons were so mad as to think of carriages be-
ing drawn by steam on rails at the rate of
twenty-five miles an hour, he was indignant,
and set himself to prove, which he did entire
ly to his own satisfaction, that the carriages
would not 60 at anything like that speed-if
drawn TO it, the wheels would merely spin on
their aXles, and the carriages would stand
stock-still. He was sincerely anxious that
this should prove the case, and we may i'm
agine his feelings when the plan was realized
with the effect contemplated by its projectors.
The same unsanguine gentleman lectured to
prove that steamers would never cross the At
lantlc. Some people wished, hoped, prayed
that they might cross the Atlantic; he in
dulged in a calm happy belief that they never
would Here, too, he underwent the mortifi-
cation of defeat.
He is apt to be rather shabby, afterwards,
about his false promises and prophecies
When the Crystal Palace was projected, and
Pooh-Pooh was consulted, he said it would
never stand the winds, quickly tumble down,
like card. Afterwards, when this hope of
his-for his inauspicious views are always
founded upon hOpes-was proved by the event
to be fallaciOus, he explained the matter away
he had only said that, unless made of the
requisite strength it would fall He does
not like to be reminded of his false predic-
tions, but it is seldom he has to suffer in that
way for, when great and useful novelty
has been successfully accomplished, the pub
lie generally confines its thoughts TO the hon
ored author, taking but little heed of Mr..
Pooh-Pooh and his now vain representations
who, on his part, seldom then goes beyond
few quiet nibbles at the grandeur of the
achievement.
The external aspect of Pooh-Pooh is hard
and repelling. He has a firm, well set, salts
fled air, as much as to say; Don't speak to
me about that, sir
We are afraid that this is beginning to be
rather an unpleasant world for Mr. Pooh
Pooh. 1t goes too fast for him. So many Of
his hopelessness have been falsifed by events,
that he must feel himself little out of credit.
Then his own constant sense of disappoint-
ment To find novelty getting in on as it
were, in spite Of his ominous leakings, must
be sad pain to his spirit, cold and CONCEALED
as it is. One day it is iron steamers, another
day it is a mighty city set like a gem in the
delta of the Mississippi and rejecting its
beauty in the CLASSY waves Of the Ohio. He
assured the world no such things could be-
We feel sorry for Pooh-Pooh, and drop him.