The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-05-01
John Phaenix Bn-Route for New Or
laana

comic OF course, but we can only give our
readers aataste Of its quality and contents.
He says:
"On the fifth Of January, at eight A. M,
left the fremont House in hackney car
riage, the wheels whereof had turned into
runners. This method of progression, rem
dercd necessary by the deep SHOWS, is con-
sidercd great amusement at the north.
Being particularly dangerous to life and LIMB,
and usually terminating in pulmonary con-
sumption, the pastme isvery properly called
sleighing.'
There is sharp satire in the following
sentence, which will readily be appreciated
by railroad travellers
s'On entering a railroad car the first object
Of the solitary traveller should be to secure
m entire scat TO himself. This NAV ccncr-
ally be done success fully by taking the out.
side scat and sk;lfully disposing small car
pet-bag, great coat, umbrella and cane, so as
to cover the inner one. AS the passengers
throng into the car, many will gaze earnest
lyaL the place thus occupied, but will usually
prefer 10 move on rather than give you trou-
tle bit if the car is quite filled, the oucs-
ton will undoubtedly be asked, as that seat
taken sir p when You should reply with an
imperturlablc countcnancc, at is, sir p and
the inquirer, with perhaps slight glance of
suspicion, will move on. AS a mans object
should DC to make hmsclfas comfortable as
possible in this world, that his mind may be
IN a proper frame to prepare for The next, n
slight deviation from truth for the purpose
OF securing this object, like the above, is
quito pardonaL!e."
Moralzing upon the nuisances which infest
the cars--tllc small boy with the ncwspa
pers-the dirty boy with the pop corn-tlc
big boy with the fearful apples-and the
well.known and interchangeable wretch with
the 'lozcngers s''--]ohn Phoenix, saws the boy
with the accordeon, las not yet got SO far
North. |. was bnt the week before that he
met him on the Philadelphia cars:
"Hw: er eleven o'clock the train had
passed New brunswick, and the passengers
were trying to sleep, (la la y when the
boy entered. He was Il sccdy youth, with
seal-skn cap, 4 singularly dirty face, q
grey jacket OF the vcntilating order, and q,
short but remarkably broad pair of "corIu-
roys." lie wore an enormous kan of havcr-
sack about his neck, and bore in his hand
that most Internal and dctestable instrument,
an ACCORDION. I-despise that instrument Of
music. They pull the music out of it, and it
comes forth struggling and reluctant, like a
cat drawn by the tail from an ashlrole, or
squared pulled shreking from hollow loo
with a ramrod. This unprinciplcd boy com.
cnced pulling at this thing, and horrlicd US
with the most awful version Of that wretch
cd Dog Tray" that | ever listened to. Then
lie walked around the car, aud collected
forty-two cents.-Then lie returned to the
centre Of the car, and standing close to the
stove, which was rcd-hot-the nigh, being
cold-he essayed to pull out Pop Goes the
Weasel" when suddenly pop went the boy
he dropped the accordion, burst into tears.
and clappcd his hands behind him, executed
frantic dance, accompanied b. Wells of the
most agonizinS character | saw it all, and
felt grateful to a retrbutive Providence. lie
had stood too close 10 the stove, and his
cordurcys were in a light blaze; few in
ches below the termination Of the Jacket was
the seat Of his wo. After he got on fire the
conductor put him out, and Il sweet and in
cffable calm came over me. realized that
"whatever is, is right" and fell into deep
and happy sleep"
Passing over his account Of the stop at
Albany, the journey to Buffalo, where he
saw nothing but a railroad depot. but CON
cluded that if the cold continued, the "Buf.
talo girls couldn't come out to night" we
were introduced to another, model railroad
traveller in the following paragraph:
"All day and night VIC ground along, srip.
ping and staving" We passed through
Columbus, where the people had been hav
ing grand ball to celebrate the completion
of their State Capitol, and picked up three
hundred and eighty-four survivors, each of
whom contained pint and half of undil-
uted whiskey. And SO in the morning we
came to Cincinnati, where for fifteen minutes
we tarried at the Burnett House. the most
magnificent hotel in the United States
Here I met with Fisher, the Celebrated rail-
road traveller, who accompanied us to Sand
oval, and with whom l WAS particularly
charmed. Fisher is the original inventor Of
that ingenious plan Of getting rid of an un-
pleasant occupant OF the same Seat, by OPEN
ing window on the coolest night, SO that
the draught shall visit searchingIy the back
Of the victims neck, and of that method of
taking up the seat and disposing it MS an in
clined plane, and going to sleep thereon in
shch complicated manner as to to defy
subsequent intrusion. What he does not
know about railroads is ofno manner of con-
sequence, and useless to acquire. Thanks 10
his experience, we enjoyed The luxury oftwo
seats together, and it was with deep regret
that parted within at Sandova!."
With description Of Cairo, an ambitious
but wretched town at the junction of the
Ohio and and Mississippi, we conclude our
extracts:
"Caro is small hole at the junction of
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, surrounded
BY an artificial bank to prevent inundation.
There are here about thirteen inhabitants,
but the population is estimated at three
thousand, that being rough estimate ofthe
number of people that were once congregat-
'ed there, when five trains Of cars arrived be-
fore a. boat left for New Orleans. They
were enjoying the luxury of small pox at
Cairo when he arrived thnu ara alma -.