Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-26


come so inefficient, and, in consequences, 80
unpopular, as to result In Its being disbsnded
altogether.
If We are to have an army at all, the oncers
pay should be such as to command the pest
military talent. This the present rates VIII
not do. We have already referred to the ire
quent designations; the effect upon candloates
| for admission will be moro decisive ana untor-
tunate An officer educated and ntted for
| military life. besitates to relinquish even the
small pittance il allows him but young men
Of real ability will decline career which
PROMISES such discouraging future. None
| but those who seem to lack capacity for making
a livelihood in any other way, will fancy
the poverty. stricken honor of West Point
diploma.
Speed on Railroads. of late we have more
than once called public attention to the In
juriOns consequences Of the too great speed Il
which rivalry induces railroad companies to
run their trains. Finding in the New York
Tribune Of the I'D instant the following sen.
sible reflections on the same subject, we re-
publish them with hearty approval:
" The recently severe weather has been Pc
culiarly trying to railroads. Intense frost
weakens the tenacity of iron; bridges as we'll
as rails lose their elasticity under its influ
ence and become brittle rs glass; rails COW
cred with beaten snow and solid ice afford no
hold for rapidly revolving wheels tires fly
like hammered icicles and hubs are broken
like crockery. We doubt that any railroad
in America pays its running expenses while
the mercury in Fshrenheit's thermometer is
below or but little above zero while on many
the accidents Of themselves absorb more than
the entire receipts The Erie and the Harlem
have been especially unfortunate during the
last month, but nearly every road in America
has been running at positive loss since the
LIST of December
"In our judgment the winter management
OF our railroads is radically wrong. Take the
Erie, for example 1t is now running three
express trains daily out Of this city, and We
presume an equal number into it Does any
! one believe that the travel justifes such an
expense? In our judgment these trains would
not pay their way, even if there were no ac-
cidents, as there VIGOROUSLY and frequently
are Then there is a systematic effort to run
most or all of these trains nearly or quite on
summer time, when the thing is just impossi-
bic. If twenty-five miles per hour is maxi
mum speed in June-as we think it is-then
fifteen miles per hour Is all that should be at.
tempted in January. We speak with refer
ence to the Erie road, which encounters great
difficulties in grades and curves; but the
principle Is Of general application No train
should ever be run over snowy and solidly
frozen ground at higher ratio Of speed than
twenty miles per hour, even on the smooth est
plane or prairie.
The attempt to maintain summer rates of
speed in weather intensely cold is at once per-
ilous, destructive and futile. Not one train
In every dozen runs on time connections are
habitually missed, and disasters incurred in
endeavoriDg to make them and two thirds of
the travellers lose time which would be saved
If the schedule speed were fourth less than
it is
These structures may be too late for use
this season; but We entreat railroad managers
TO remember and heed them. Let next De-
cember open on all the roads with fewer pas
sage trains, and timetables graduated to the
exigencies and possibilities of winter
Custom House and Post Office in Galena,
Ill The Secretary Of the Treasury has pun
chased the entire square bounded by Water,
Green, and Commerce streets, in the city of
Galena, as site for the new Custom House,
for the sum of Sl6, 500. This site is centrally
located, near the river, and the most desirable
one offered. As soon as the necessary arrange
ments can be made, the contract for building
will be awarded, and it is expected operations
will commence as soon as the weather will
admit.
The Investigating Committee. We hear
that the Hon. VIM. Coet johnson was to-day
summoned to give testimony before this Con .
mittee
j. l.. Chester, the Washington correspond
emit of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is said to
have been examined before them today.
Pestponed.-In consequence of tho dificu,.
ties attending travel at this time, tho Presi-
dent elect has, We learn, postponed for sea.
son his contemplated trip to this city.
The Current Operations Of the Treasury
Department.-On Saturday, 24th of January,
therc were of Treasury warrants entered Oh
the books Of the Department
For the redemption of Stocks.... SI,83s 81