Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-24
A live Yankee In EugIund--Goorse Francis
Train and street nuliroads.

Francis Train, Of Boston, for the introduction
of street railroads into England. We call il
nothing but acrusade-a tournament in which
the live Yankee rode his hobby headlong
and persistently against all sorts Of old fogy
opposition till he had carried his point, and
old fogyisn itself was constrained to shout
10 p@qas TO the victor On the sOth Of last
month his triumph was celebrated the occa-
sion being the opening at Birkenhead, Eng
land, Of the first street passenger railway in
the British Dominions. There were assembled
a host Of the opposition, which he had fairly
and squarely conquered, and Mr.. Train lby
the way, a good name for a railroad man)
made them a speech.
The speech with its dashing, oufre irresist-
ible humor and originality astonished the
English quite as much, we presume, as the
new Street Railroads did. In general, it is
a perfect embodiment in words, ofthe genius
Of the young Continent; especially it is a
graphic history OF the struggle by which a
new world institution has finally been planted
in Europe, As such our readers win relish a
few extracts. Here is how the train was set
in notion
When found there were no more contracts
to make for the Italian army, left France
and went TO America last year, TO look after
the extensive domain, near an Atlantic city,
OF one OF the royal families OF Europe The
frst t!iiL Is | saw in Boston were street rail-
ways. They met me verywhere-street
railways in New York, street railways in
Baltimore, street railways in Cincinnati, street
railways in Philadelphia, street railways in
St. Louis, and street railways in Chicago
Why are they not in EurOpe2 Iasked myself,
but cou Id give no answer. One reason was,
everybody was occupied-nobOdy had time,
and nobody money. Observation has taught
me that the higher you 60 in life--sOcially,
financially, Commercially y and politically-the
shorter people are. Cheers Everybody
seems hard up. Finance like wind, wave
and weather, goes in cycles. Rotbschiid's
bills meet about once in forty years, and when
the Bank OF England is in a tight place, they
get an extension from Government. Hear,
hear and laughter.
Then it was that / sold myself TO an idea.
The more | reflected, the 6rmer wus my con-
victiOn. Some bankers Joined me, but only
for London, Paris, and St. Petersburg.-
Never mind, the instinct got complete control
and out came, arriving in the Mersey in
October last While waiting for a friend at
the Birkenhead railway station, entertained
the cabman about what was going to do at
Birkenhead. Laughter Then came the
tug OF action. ! argued explained
reasoned-but to little purpose Pamphlets,
letters, engravings, threw of by the thous-
and. Knowing that the tongue and pen were
the battering rams of good OF evil, knowing
that thinking men were prosecuted, and in
quiring minds thumbsCrewed in every age, /
stuck by the ship. Loud applause IweRt
to Paris. The Emperor was too busy with
the armies. ! came to England. London
was too conservative; Liverpool seemed asleep.
Time pressed weeks few past, months were
going and money too; when instinct again
pointed to Birkenhead-- ractical men met
me in practical. way | showed them my
cards. Will you lake all risk2 Yes Will
yon pay all legal damages against the COM
miSsiOners? Yes. Will you take up the
rails in case OF being public nuisance p
Yes. Viii you repave thestreets at your own
expense-pay for lighting and watching the
road during the said work Yes. Well, you
know, Mr.. Train, we are business men, re-
presenting a business community; what
security will you give-we don't know you
personally? Anything you like, gentlemen,
say the rails, the materials on the ground
No, that won't answer. What then? Three
thousand pounds. Three thousand ducats--
well All right-you shall have it in SOW
ereigns or consols, and to-day if you say so.
Hedged in wi conditions, bound down by
legalties, l went at it without one word OF
actual sympathy or encouragement. Ap-
plause | knew that it was a natural law
that prejudice COLD not be removed by preach
ing againstit I knew that the only way to
dislOdge a bad thing was by proposing a
better
Mr. Train defined his progressive position
in a style which would do credit to Bsecher:
I made up my mind TO accomplish what
ever undertook, one of the most serious of
my many faults being the Herculean idea I
had of my own ability. Ny speeches are
sometimes called gas, thereby insinuating
that they are both luminous and exhilarating.
TCheers. The modesty of assumption is better
than the egotism Of humility. Hear, hear.
Few practice humility TO their interiors
Men are humble for two reasons-one, the
fear ofridicule which paralyzes theirenergies;
the other the praise of having men say,
" There's a clever man; see how modest and
retiring he is ~ Now, take the modesty of as
sumption. The man who assumes q position
without the capacity to support it will fail
thro' the uncharitableness Of the world. Put
your hands in the fire and you will get burnt
Walk OF St Paul 5 steeple, AMI the New
tonian law will bring you down. Step out of
the Great Eastern and you will sink So he
who puts on airs must take them off again.
Water won't run up hill. It is a singular
fact that if you run ysur spring cart over q
rough road all the sn all potatoes win 90 TO
the bottom. Cheers and laughter. A man
is either diamond or not a diamond. If a
diamond, the more he comes in contact with
clever men the more polished and valuable
he becomes. If pebble he will waste away
with the action Of the intellectual tide. be-
heve in destiny, but it must be backed up by
patience, perseverance,, and pluck. / believe
in a star, but must be endorsed by faith hope
and energy. / knew tue better the invention
the more severe the opposition, that this was
not opposed for its impractibility, but for its
practibiity. Providence, Napoleon Observed
was always on the side Of the strongest bat
talions; and / also rememberedofthe old lady
saying when her horse ran away down the
hill that she put her trust in Providence till
the breeching broke, and then she thoughtit it
time to take care Of herself. Laughter. +
Cromwell, you remember, had the same idea
Of powder knew the road to success was
macadamized with the bones of unsuccessful
men.
Old fogyism sat for its picture to Mr.. Train
after this,fashioni
Whereignoranee is so wise il is folly to be
blisstul. Street Railways were howled down
when first proposed in America-councilmen
held back. Our ferry boats are constructed,
as hope yours will be next year, to allow
carts and horses 70 drive on. THear. hear.
At the New York pier one day; a team Of
horses walked on, as well bred horses always
do, and took their proper place on the boat