Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-07-31
IFor the Wheeling InteIllgencerl
SPARKS FROM THE LOCOMOTIVE
Pleasant ReeoIIeolions Of Lils on Railroad.
BY TON TuRNrABLE.

ures We are growing still greater; as witness
our wives and daughters, we hHYe great states
men, (peace to their ashes and great political
orators and editors. who are also great hunbugs.
/, Then we are t1st people. We have fast
steamers. fast trains our great railroads. fast
wives, fast daughters and fast ''Yonng America
who graduates at twelve with all the honors
Of patent leather eurled hair, pomatum and per
Fti1nerv, and with a good stock of the ''senti-
mental" begins his career. 20! for the good
old DAYS of birch and leather straps Hoidnp,
i started on the railroad, bat my idens, like
sparks from the locomotive, seem TO ial! just
anywhere Let me try again.
We have great railroads and railroads that are
not so great; we have short roads and long roads
roads that pay and roads that don't pay; roads
with two ends and roads Qike the "Hempted)
with only one end; then we have roads again,
like the Baltimore aud Ohio, with several ends,
one Of which, some folks say, used to he some
where in Wheeling until the good people thereof
gave the road Five hundred thousand, which,
very shortly put an end to this end somewhere
down about BenwOod.
Do you ask what all this has to do with
''pleasant recollections of life railroad" ?
If So Just hold on until VIC get out Of this com
bustible neighborhooi. You know that sparks
nil fly, and that they lcHi strike fire just as
quick in bundle of straw, as IN n stack OF
grain.
"Gentle reader" did you ever see the wor-
kings of the machinery that keeps railroad in
motion2 don't mean the locomotive nachin-
cry, but the mental machinery-that machinery
which, on all great roads, isdriyen, not by steam,
but by another power, called outside pressure,
and applied through certain numberof prom
inent" individuals, who are known as keen bust
ness men, but extremely honest and therefore,
never speculate in "StOcks, no, never, but
| only meet once month for the purpose of de-
claring. at the end of the year, large "dIvI-
dendS, ION paper,) which, however, are seldom
| if ever paid, the money @ being needed 10 for
i"important improvements Nevertheless, TINS
keeps up,-the courage of "outsiders" and the
price of stocks until the Bulls" sell short,)
then - There IA "spark" hit Inc in
the eye and have lost sight of my object.
Well, let it go, and we will take look at this
machinery.
The " enlightened community" &ioic that to
be an officer on the railroad, means only, great
honors and great salaries, with the smallest
amount of labor Well, let us lift the curtain,
and take peep at what is behind it. Did yOu
ever know n really valuable railroad officer to
be popular man? Never except when he
discharged the company and quit the business
There is always on the line Of every rail road,
some wonderfully important individual, whose
worldly possessions consist in little corn
cracker" or a saw MILL whose wants must be
attended to, whether he makes them known or
not, rs railroad officers are presumed to know,
Mt all times the wishes of 'enterpTlslng men.
If they do not, it's their business to study them
out; or stand cOn6e nned and consigned to GER
tain place, terrible enough TO think OF, without
mentioning There arc also on the line of some
roads, men whose self importance is far greater,
but whose public value is far less, than the
owner of the "corn cracker or saw mill. These
are speculators. who buy land in the vicinity of
n railroad and merely through 'Slively inter.
Get; in the COMMANDS welfare. will sell them
rotten wood Mt full prices and short measure.
Or If thew should be so fortunate as to find
strenl of black dirt, on their extensive posses
s;o,s forth with claim the exclusive privilege
oF CI,rrisI,i,y thn conlnonv with cOaL merely
With a viav, 10 fine convenience of the company,
Etb,, EoI5o ys,,, ,les,, gtsrstt II, the success
&c ti,s rooJ and If the officers will only &C.
cont n noel, Of rooI and half n bnshel of Slate.
or y. bnsI,oI ,boy of cnnrsc will ii. lust the
,:L, ~ o'F oGioor, ;,,st Tho r,,.r, ,vhn can
'i. - - I,ai,o II mot ,,g,ts of
W., lie, ~; p,,t at car NIL. anv obec.
- -, - ~ ~ - g., 10 ,,,,
IONS ~ ''let' "H'J'> t l. i;,o r.,
w IL a. ;s.ior etar on, in
ills ~ l;,,.a 20 b
siastS anu ''o % ~ ;,;, 10
lISst ttrI o. ,,or,tio,,cD
.,r i,,pnro1cc are feel
~ oc thnir ;,ctivitv
p az ;t,,. c tI t,b,,s;,,sos, ,o,,,nnnitv''
Mil'tl ':ie II Ill. Sn,rtans tn tho
'S "eS ~ 80 tbir ,y,.r,
az u, tho r.o1f,re ne tho stock
private ...greS's tGr .'o Nv, to nc
holdeTs anu a.. o..ls. &c a. roaJ and Snnont
Sept Tue .t Eo ' ,,,data,d tI,in@s
proper a*sass,'"Ls VIZ +" smrcscd in
Dlu you ese' ., mo" ls ,GsI : 5arc
1liet, soaiIootiorsn Of MANAGING
p!i1 Wy 49, NOT hv thom
railroad uoh e!'t me ;,I hn ,yr;ttcn
S''ii,s anu o'S, M,.eH i,rrmation
III. - III '''.''. oaI i; hi; time Mt IsgsS
sr, ~ G ~ g,,rs BECOMES eot uoe
's 1,n 800 "a tI;n- n. Inors inst how n rail-
III 49,, ALL M ,,,,1,d H. 9 dos md for
c U"o II, a. ntoS: Sbsld fail 70
S;.o wa. In ,isJpn, 10 occ introduces
SiseeyGF ms gseo M h;"Is o e s;ng mn
* 49,, ,ho c,r,,am,, aud MI the officers NM
s;,ioi,. tIo Lite. G,r Icc,,;mg s.snch set of
coNs"cfors' IN rho trains Who will NOT let a man