The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-06-17

hess, WHICH Is never ledTucu Sioe"hSiS'
Who can watch the operatives engaged In
the new process of tunnelng, and see art sub
dining nature, the mountain writhing groan-
ing and shifting fire, as the engineer with his
ingenious instruments grinds it to powder, and
drills great thoroughfare. in its center, with
out being convinced that the human mind has
great resources and feeling that man is won
dcrfully made" and but little lower than the
Angels" These thoroughfares in addition to
the expansion of mind produce great general
intelligence.
Before the great railroads ribbed The Re-
public, there were regions that were far behind
the times. The inhabitants obtained but little
knowledge, except that which was obtained
from the country stOre-keepcr who had re-
turned OH horseback from the distant city.
whittier he had gone to purchase his goods
The sight of the stage was great, though only
occasional pleasure. Under the improved sys-
tens of roads. transformation has taken place.
The distant and retired hamlet. is supplied by
breakfast time with the intelligence brought
to New York by some European ship Oil the
afternoon of the previous day. The country
rcsounds with discussions on the speeches on
the Nebraska bill delivered in the Senate House
during the same week, and the inmates of a re-
tired farm house are watching with interest the
arrival of the next steamer to know the latest
intelligence from the seat of war in Turkey.
q
so the use of steam vehicles has driycn SUPER
stition from her ancient haunts. In the scqucs
tered hamets of the mountain side, or in some
deep glen there dwelt for many long years, tales
of witchcry and tales of gibbcring ghosts. The
horse shoe was nailed on the barn as an cXor-
else of evil spirits. The principles of natural
philosophy were unknown, and strange and
marvellous accounts were given of the phenom-
ena of nature. Lead was supposed to grow in the
J,t,n al
by hazel twigs.
But when the iron horse once shrickcd through
the valley and the mountain cut. black splits
and white spirits, red spirits and grey fled, and
the tale of spectrcs was supplantcd by the story
in the newspaper, which was even stranger than
fiction.
The agriculturist began to reason and study
how to apply chemical science to the improve
ment of his farm, and to send his stock and his
children to the city,-the former to be sold the
latter to be educated.
1t becomes us, again, to praise God for our
great national thoroughfares. because they are
raiuable aids to cOntentment.
As early as the days of Horace, men in the
city of Rome, under the fatigue and pressure of
duties, became disconnected with their lot. and
sighed for the fresh air, and the green fields of
the country, and those who were rustics looked
with envy upon those who were surrounded by
The influence of railroads has been to equal
ize the condition of the countryman and the
citizen. The Unsuitable longing to see the won
ders and dwell in city, that formerly existed,
has to a great extent subsidized.
The country boy, at a small expense, can now
visit the neighboring town, and tire his eyes
with the sights of the costly rament. the SPLEEN
did mansions and glttcring equipagcs of those
who have been proSpcred therein. Should the
circumstances compel Il farmer to transact bust
ness in the city, it can be done, and still have
his house and family one hundred miles distant
in the country.
On the other hand, these great thoroughfarcs
allow the professional man. jadcd with the cares
of life, and the Woodworking mechanic to keep
their offices in the crowded streets. and their
wives and little ones in some country villa hot
far distant. to which they can retire at the set
ting of the sun. and watch their own COW re-
turn from the pasture, and breathe the evening
air, not vocal with the everlasting murmur of
half-stiiicd populace, but with the humming
OF myriads of insects. In the place of the
crowded entertainment, where night is turned
into day, and jewels sparkle in the light of the
chandelier, tn obtain whole nights rcposc,
and attend an entertainment in the morning
provided by the great and wise and good God
each blade of grass, Ornamcntcd with dew
drop, in beauty, in fragrance and in glislcning.
vieing with the diamonds of princess of the
proudest realm he beliolds the lilies of the
field he sees they neither toll nor spin he
remembers that our rcdeemcr said that Solo
mon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one
of these. The morning rcpast finished, he en-
tiers the car, and one hour carries him forty
miles he walks to his place Of business cheer
full and rc-creatcd man.
We should not forget in the consideration of
the advantages of our national thoroughfarcs,
to mention that they ride over sectional preju-
dtces. Not many years ago, there was consid-
cradle prejudice felt by the man who dwelt in
wilderness of brick and mortar towards the
individual who lived in the shade of forest trees
The latter was identified with contracted views
and clownish or awkward appearance. lie who
dwclt in the Jerusalem of his country could not
believe that any thing good could come out
of little by-way place like Nazareth. The
countryman, also, felt no congeniaity for the
man of the town. His visits to the city had
been few and far between. While there he was
frequently Gin wandering maZes LOST His
conversation betrayed his ignorance ofct;quettc
and he had on more than one occasion fallen
among sharpcrs and certain lcwd fellows of
the baser sort" Ills associations with city
were those of noise and dust, and meanncss
and arrogance, and he could not feel at ease,
when he mot the citizen in the country for he
was afraid he might do him some HARM OF take
some advantage
Not only have railways and stcanlcarriages
made the dweller in man-built city and God
built country acquainted with each other and
good friends, but they have broken down many
prejudices Of a uider ertent.
In republic like this, extending over so
many degrees of latitude and longitude there
must necessarily be great diversity of inter-
csts and character. The conformation of the
surface in certain sections is such as to preclude
the carrying on of agricultural operations with
success. but to adapt it for manufacturing pur-
poses. In another section the soil is SO fertile
and the land 50 level, as to invite the farmer to
take up his abode
The climate of one State admits of the cul-
ture OF cotton and sugar, but is unfav cradle to
the activity and enterprise OF a white population
In some portions of the land children are
trained to do their own work. and to feel that
all labor, in itself is honorable while in other
portions, labor is esteemed dishonorablc, and
only mt for negroes. In such condition of af-
fairs, it is not wonderful that strong sectional
preJudiccs should arise. The North, accustomed
IN former years to see generally only the sickly
finn, Il, 4, I