Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-14
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

inc past year mas DEMONSTRATED the TACT, tnat
Cumberland coal must very speedily take, en-
tirely, the place of wood for burning in loco
motives, wherever it is possible to transport III
except under an enormous expense. It's wei
known to our readers, generally, that the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company, long since,
discarded wood for this coal, laying far more
convenient for their use than for that Of any
other railroad corporation in the country. But,
within the last year, it has been tried in New
England, New York, and elsewhere, with as
tonishing and perfectly satisfactory results.
On the Boston and Lowell Railroad, the saving
in the cost of the fuel has been found to be
about fifty per cent. and the managers of the
Norwich and Worcester Railroad report that
locomotive using it will accomplish in the
year as much work as when burning wood,
and do it, too, at a cost Of one thousand and
twenty dollars per annum less for fuel. The
locomotives of the Hudson River Railroad con-
sumed in 1854 nearly 100000 worth Of wood,
or some 10000 cords, and its managers now
estimate that had they used Cumberland coal
instead, the same amount Of work would have
been done at three-ffths the expenditure for
pine wood. The cost of the wood used in the
locomotives on the Hudson River and New
cord. 1t is, therefore, reduced to a certainty
that nearly all the locomotives built hereafter
for use on the Atlantic coast railroads. will be
constructed with their boilers and furnaces ar
ranged to use coal as fuel.
This extra and large demand which will
spring up for Cumberland coal will, Of course,
increase the value of all the lands in the re-
gion of country in which the mines lie. This
extra demand will, we take it for granted in
spirit those charged with the construction of
the (Virgnia,) Alexandria, Loudon and Hamp-
shire railroad, which is at present designed to
be constructed no further than the great
Hampshire ccal fields, which lie for mining as
well as for transportation, when this railroad
shall be finished, much better than the Cum
berland coal fields, of which they form an ex-
tension the coal in them being, in all respects,
identical in its qualities and characteristics
with that from the mines.
The cost of this railroad, when finished,
will not reach more than a fifth of the cost of
berland mines, and it will be much straighter,
and have much easier grades, all of which
facts will, of course, enable the company to
transport the coal profitably to Alexandria at
much lower freights than are necessarily
charged by the Baltimore Ohio Railroad
Company, for transportation between Cumber-
land and the commercial capitol of Maryland
This Hampshire road, too, is being constructed
through the very finest portion of Northern
Virginia, where lands are destined to rise rap
cation with the great markets of the land
having, until this time, kept their value quite
low comparatively. We note the progress of
this great enterprise and the sO-rapidly in
creasing demand for the description of coal
which it is designed to open to the use of the
world, with equal interest.
Unpaid Letters.-It is surprising that, in
spite of the well published requirement of
prepayment ON all letters mailed, the collec
ton of letters detained for non payment con-
tinucs to average from 3 to 10 day at our
Post Office.
We are informed by Mr.. A. Schucking Ian
attorney and agent of this city, that in conse-
quence of the loss of a valuable letter to him
self in the New York post Office by reason of
non-payment of postage, the idea was suggested
to him, to make it a business to advise parties to
whom letters detained are addressed, by circu-
lar of the fact, Offering to pay and forward
them upon their enclosing ten cents in postage
stamps or money.
lie has earned the thank. Of many recipients
in this city. But the matter having been mis-
apprehended in some quarters for a bogus af-
fair, we are requested to make this statement,
in order to remedy such conception.
With reference to the so stupid practice of
failing to prepay letters with the law on the
subject standing as it does, the New York
Courier anu Enquirer says:
THE Posi- OFFICE.-Complaints are fire.
queutly made of the failure of letters to reach
their destination; but it will be found that
generally the failure or delay arises from tie
errors or want Of caution on the part of the
writers. We frequently receive letters from
places having names similar to towns in other
States, and without the particular State being
named III which the writer lives This is even
frequent fault among bankers, who should
OF all classes, be explicit in their address. We
observe among the advertised letters at Buff
falo, retained for Humt Of prepayment Of post
age, letters for one Of the banks in this city
This is no doubt frequent neglect, and too
much caution cannot be observed in having
the writer : card or address distinctly printed
on his envelopes, so that in case the postage is
accidentally not prepaid, the Postmaster may
know whom to notify of the omission
We are informed at the Post Office Depart
ment, that it is the duty of deputy postmasters
to forward as addressed all post paid letters to
which a three cent stamp, OF greater fraction of
the postage due upon them, may be affixed,
even though they may be addressed to Cali
fornia but to treat letters on which cent
stamp may be affixed, as if they were wholly
unpaid.