Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-01-21
Correspondence OF the Delaware lnquiiei
Letter from Philadelphia.

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Mn. Notwithstanding the extraor-
binary aggregate of Passenger Railway tracks
laid down and in use in the streets OF the Key
i, stone City, already covering nearly every
principal street, SO that our ground work be-
gins to have the appearance Of an immense
gridron, notwithstanding all this, we say, no
less than three new bills arc now being press
ed upon the Legislature at Harrisburg, and
with a fair prospect Of becoming laws Two
of them can never by the rcmotest possibility
be made TO pay the third may, after sinking
few thousand dollars to establish it. For,
since the novelty of ridingin thecars has worn
of, people do not ride now for the mere sake
of riding; and II Is becoming pretty generally
believed that, although as a city, from the i'm
mense built-up space thatwe cover. we require
more accommod atons of this kind than any
other city on the continent, we have already
toe many lines of cars in operation to be re-
munerative. Still, the public ara the gamers,
and while riding 10 made so great a luxury,
and SO cheap, few will grumbls at the jingling
of the bells that never die, and the sight Of
the passing car that from almost any stand
point now is rarely out of sight.
The employees of the various Passenger
Railroad companies hsvs organized Rost er-
cellent beneficial Organization, which already
is in . hourishing state Of prosperity. All
members contrihuts, and in thu event Of sick
ness or physical injury they draw en- the treas
ury, as in other beneficial associations. Aaeh
good has already been done.
AT the monthly meeting al the Historical
Society, last week, q most interesting paper
was read, entitled, Philsdslphia in ia social
literary and scientific relations, frem 1850 TO
l776." The field yves rich szs, snd the su-
thor brought to light asRy nav aHd interest
ing facts relating to that early psrisd. An
original memorial written by Baron Steubea,
and presented to General Washington, found
among the papers Of the late Mr.. Dupeasess,
, ! WAS presented to the Secisty.
, All the various States have their Historical
Societies, and full reports Of their proceedings
are published in The Histsacst Aagssine, a
capital monthly miscellany. issued in New
York by Mr.. Charles y. Richardson. For its
interesting antiquarian intelligence, and com
f munications on every subiset relating to the
. early history of the cosntry. this 6no pcriodi-
cal is invslusbls and without a parsllsi.
Next weeks nspher, (Jsnusry 2sth,) oil
, Litteips Liria5 Age, will contain continuation,
of The Luck OF Lsoysmede, q Story Of the
Crusades, and Hopes aHd Fears, by the author
OF Tho Heir Of Redclyfe. Both these stories
are without a question tho fiaest serials now
/, publishing in any magazine. Ths same number
: will contain artices ON the West Indies, We
men Artists, Csribs Mind and Body, etc.
We learn that Mr.. Richardsos, Of the His.
= torcal Magazine, hasissued a6ne collection Q
writings relating to Washington IrviHg, but ",
IA M qSa n
: Messrs. T. D. Peterson L Brothers have jus
> issued G. =. Il. James new copyright novel
The Man IN Black, Historical Romance. TIL,
II writer, whose inside initials stand for Prime,
n Regent is verify prince smong historical ro
e mancists Some OF ths most admirable his
II torical fctions ever writer are from tho pei
of James, and The Man in Black will be fount
equal to any. 1t is flames last" The pub
' fishers have issued il in fine large pamphlo
/, volume. printed with large clear type on very
. good whito paper.
" The same publishers, Philadelphia, in con
junction with Crosby, Nichols 4 Co, Boston
havc Just issued their famous american A.
I mdndc and Repository of Useful Knowledge
for $50. This is not mere Almanac. Til,
r last half of its title ia its best explanation
= about million of facts relating to the impor.
: tant occurrences Of the past year being en-
braced within its 400 or 400 pages. The work
! and is the most indispensable Of ANIMALS IL
several thousands Of individuals who have in
times past made its acquaintance. There il
nothing else of the kind published so full and
! satisfactory.
: :, Four very interesting works are in the pres.
y of Messrs. Sheldon & Co., New York, for i'm
mediate publication. They are, Tho Nonsuch
. Professor in his Meridian Splendor, to be is
sued this week; Tho Gospel in Burmah, to be
l nubI al Iat, Tai Kat ca ,;a
of Inventors, and Griersons Earthly and IIea-
! vcnly Things. Henry 7. Tuekerman, the ge-
NAL Essayist, thus speaks Of this enterprising
house, in his correspondence to the Boston
Transcript:
Within the last quarter,sa unusual numbci
: of books, In all departments, have emanated
from the press here; some Of then have at
tracted due notice from the press, but other,
have scarcely received tho attention they Justly
deserve. cursory reference TO some of the
! most prominent of the recent publications
/ will Indicate how much has boen done and il
doing. Sheldon 4 Co., have long enjoyed ro.
5 markable facilities as jobbsy NO firm here
has circulated more Boston books; their own
! speciality in publishing hsa been la the depart
ment of religious literatursi and their serist
: of Surgeons Sermons have had a very eItsn.
: sive sale; sixth series hss just appeared, A
T little book called lessons from Jesus from
3 their press, has bssa gate popular.
"They now intend engaging In nisesllaas-
y ous publications; and have juaicisusly com
menced by containing the sdslrsbls Bic graph
z ical Library, started, by the late Sra Of De.
u lisser 4 Proctor. We have repsstsdl,
commended this cheics ssFies; its chsapasss
convenient size, largo priat. and especially
# the fact that almost every hegraphy ia the
: classic episode Of a standard vsrk in litsrs-
:, ture,-give the whole set eziy an attractive
4 but Afrt0anent rlafu Ia ths oh r,.a
b ing volumes Sheldaa Co. lately added. in
! uniform style Dean NlmanB life Of Thoma,
. Beckett, DR.. Arnold's Life Of Hannibal
r DIR. Lddells Life Of Julius Cesar, Lsmartine' i
r Life of Mary Stuart, and the Life Of vittors
= Golonna, from Mr.. Trsilees's Decade of italian
n Women-a list Of memsirs as temptiEg as they
are valuable II.
Bg- Answer to my Historical Enigma, Of