New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-08
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
HINTS FOR HEALTH AND COMFORT IN
RAILROAD TRAVELLING.

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yecders some reminscences which VII, douh; not
awaken memories Of Ike incidents in ther Minds for
who : there that los not had experience Of railroad
,rsv.rrc In fact our whole country l. in notion
An rot even excepting children and and females,
sem 70 b. ioUrneyiIg and we might say no
whittier = + W wer. 20 judge Of the Elite result al
such eager pur.1i:. Ike the alienation Of wave-,
IN which there j. first gathering Of elemental forces
fr.r afar-tLen & rGsL--G -tr.fe Of spe.d-;Le top
NO. wl;ers dash INTO foam. e the leap beyond the
underlying tuinid mass that s retarded in IL course
hv tie refux g preceding waves, then suddenly the
whole crested blow sinks into fg7Tow or j. over
lorped by ard ntormDcied with another o'o,e follow
inc after->o j. tte ceaseie~s stir Oi human ;f The
hurry of pur-ui; after .omethne that might sup
nose & racrentous object e de>ire-some:h ng which
nav be attained bit only by gTea; effort. Such i.
the ortwar I'd appearance al thIgS-in pan il be
initiative. We Involuntary quicken our movement
when We see OlLers il has;e Il = curious >pecu6-
ton whether railroads have LOT produced an accelera-
ton Of tie human mind in IL general movement.
WLo thinks now at the same rate that do
q KDjckerbccker in the days when II took week 10
90 from New.YoIk TO oany by the only mode then
used, VIZ: by wnd-propeLed vessels Bat am not
a P-ycLo gis,-I deal only with practical results, and
those chiefly affecting mans physical weIl.being,
though my experience Las developed some important
relations between mind and body not hitherto ob-
served Railroad travelling Is therefore interesting 10
me- a. affecting the health and comfort of nyrGds OF
sensitive beings whose organism J. fitted for the IN
ioy1nent of life, but which would rather TO be
constituted only FOX s1f,rng, If We TO adge from
tie accommodating ls tia, human flesh Is heir to-whieh
unnatural state is the result OF habEua violation 81
laws ty conformity 10 which alone, are health aud
comfort to BE- attained.
remember with pleasure the Cd mode OF travelling
hy stage-coacLes. With Gil 1T Lerdships, and they
were not ncOnsiderable, hIa.ty was still the never
failing tone Of TIL pas~engen-nay, the very hard
ships including the accidents that woud sometimes
happen, would CAL forth q latent good-huInor that
seemed exhaustless. have never been inspired with
more cordial esteem for Others than toward my fellow
pasecugers in journey by stage in which there was
much endurance. But who ever saw mith in rail-
road-caI, unless upon the occasional Eruption OF
couItry-grls gong from one village 10 another adla-
cent ont-especially II escorted 10y some bGrbarOus
oaiauts-" ;ntonss capiis who have seen the
Gotbs at Rome and acquired by imitation 20 much OF
their maHiness les III then hair must confess
that my preference is for the wGytrain instead OF the
exuress or the very reason that the il aud
then envened by the coming IN and gong out OF
ssengers. among whom above limited, there may
now and then be some Of the frcGcsomc order Ihls
preference will beyond oil question be pu; under the
bar a. being entirely IN conflict with the ratlOnaltles
of ths new age. / must indeed confess myself
BOeoan and not TO have attained 10 the attic rehne
ment by which sense il vOlatiZedintO mere vapOsh
mobility The subteiy of reason i elaed to that de-
eoee that the fable Of lXon and The clouds Is brought
into full delineation. But here again, shall perhaps
he rudely Intercepted why do not speak OF this age
i've motions of what l. LETT Of mind among us en-
swer with great deferenee-beng duly mindful as be-
fore binted, Of my own obtuseness Of percePon.,hGt
understand utility always 10 import resulting Gocu
Tie ue Of the ancient mOral!sts always held TO
BE- also Bonum l admit the inventive fertility of
our times, and at least one practical fesdt-yz:
Economy Of time Bat in the railroad career il is
economy OF time the expense OF health and comfort
and the express tram which our travelling pubic seem
to hold in such high estimation intonses al that there
is in the mode Of travel, tscf calculated TO break
Il. tLa ffngn gt~cf.
Why If il preferred unless because the highest rate Of
speed is kept up continuously great distance without
the respite Of occasional sOps, that very respite which
is the only thing that can counteract the morbic effect
of impetuous speed am persuaded that Uninter-
rup,ed motion would in much less space OF time than
generally supposed, shater the nervous system and
throw the mind of rs balance. Tie nearer we ap-
proach 20 that perlous limit the more il health
ieoparded. And yet shall, perhaps, be told that
coon become DseIsible to the motion and feel only
soporitc influence. There is of course graduated
difference Of capacity III THIS respect but undertake
tC saw that the general effect tie direct tendency al
least s crushing TO q sensitive. nervous system and
need only refer prOxmate proof of my assertion to
the anomalous and formidable class OF diseases which
of late year, has lOomcd up among us, bathing the
skill Of physicians and seemingly Iorteutous OF the
final destruction Of what little of physical endurance
there was left in ttP female constitution. The
sudden deaths, the alarming failure OF the health
Of young females, the premature deforeseDce of our
most gfed men, gray hairs IL youtn-the paor and
attenuation o. our young men, seemingly indicating
the mfinnity Of old age, has been overtaken az the
very commencement OF ie-are these things not sig
nifcan OF II. at evil existing the social system;
and may We not GEEK in par the cause in The mad
career upon which the whole body polite has started
with restless intensity of action the cessation OF
which can look for only in utter exhaustion
| say this zen bonnet care Here | take my
stand, " Ne sutor ultra crcpdam, but in matter
pertaining to The medical art | eaT 10 contradiction
from my professional brethren. As TO those seIfnamcd
doctors who are willing 10 speculate upon tie iauityot
MANKIND and get up panaceGs 10. IA human ailments,
fear then LOld of their dcuded felow-Inen is the
increase H. fact for | may as Wei make clean
breast Cannot but think that there is declining
strength Of mind We not wha; our fathers were
We have not the same teHacity OF purpose. Our de-
sCendauts-we may expect from tie Oinens already
Gdverted twill not make even our places good
Upon the whole, the general habit 81 hie IL tending
10 acceleTation involving the sacrifice Of all those
genial instincts desgIed by nature for hsppuess-
chief among whcl i moderation IN acting and season.
able rest.
Even low we sec low eager los., rervados the
amust ments as WEI a. the business Of the world. Al
stems Ia call
OF For chaLte q io..ies ana relays Of jcy7
But VII not pursue this subject iurthel which
j. in fact dCTesson from the subject with which I
started To return to the comparative accceration Of
railroad travel. have admitted the exception to the
general rule; but 10 Judge of the real effect we must
look ii the that bear the through passengers
a. they are called IN railroad phrase Suppose say,
for instance, from Boston to NewiOrk TIE last time
| passed that route | rode from Worcester 10
Sew-YoTk by the side OF gentleman who was 20 far
az could Judge from outward appearance intelligent,
and we neither Of spoke word upon the whole
route. Now THE not because | am inclined 20 be-
distant 10 stranger; on the cont sry despise that
false formallty which defends Itself against all faml
laTy with the coucentTatye intensity OF porcupine,
and prefer always a cordial interchange Of thought
with al with whom may fall IN company, impaung