Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-12-03

Western Correspondence.
MILWAUKEE, Wis.,, Nov. 25, 1868.

EDIToR RUTLAND HERALD - Notwith-
standing the lateness of the season, and
the fact that most of the railroads are just
beginning to run upon their winter tine
tables, my journey from Rutland to this
point has been not only pleasant, but ex-
pedi,isus and unattended by single fail
ure to make connection with the various
roads over which passed.
To migrating, travelling, and sight
seeing people like us Americans, any de-
scription which might now be given of a
journey by rail, even over belt OF coun-
try thousand miles in width, would be
almost as devoid of interest as an account
of the familiar and ordinary incidents of
every day life at home. The thousands
who have visited this region would not
care TO read a description of what they
have already seen while the other thsu-
sands who have not made a tour to the
Western States, have read so many de
scriptions by intelligent travellers, that to
offer anything in that line would be yex
ing the ear with thrice told tale.
shall enter, therefore, upon no such useless
and utterly thsnkless task at least until
really discover something worth my
while.
Arriving at Albany something like two
hours before the departure of the night ex
press for Niagara Falls, as soon as | had
partaken Of refreshments, secured berth
in one of the luxurious sleeping cars, and
"with my head upon my hands, and my
hands under my head" endeavored to
compose myself to sleep. While reflect
ing drowsily upsa the wonderful discovery
of Orpheus G.. Kerr, that "you always
keep your eyes shut when you are asleep"
that " the lids come down over your
orbs, your souls windows, like night over
the sum- my reverie was broken off by
the sudden irruption into the car of gen.
tleman accompanied by his wife, children
and servant. "Did you receive telegram
from Nc, OF Springfield, Mass. 2"
said the gentleman, addressing the attend
ant. "Yes, sir" was the reply, "and
here are your three berths in readiness for
yon.n The little children danced up and
done with delight, and in due time they
were busily engaged in preparing for their
couches, one singing "Pop goes the wea-
sci" another repeating story of the nur-
sery, and all making up as happy group
as If they had been by their own hearth
stone. Such an incident as this was well
calculated to divert my thoughts from the
mental philosophy of Kerr TO the philoso-
ply Of steam and lightning. Here was
but an ordinary occurrence. At 5 o'clock
in the afternoon gentleman in Spring
field, Mass, makes contract with another
gentleman in Albany, N. Y, for a sleep
ing apartment for his family; four hours
after he makes his appearance in Albany
and takes possession; he lays himself with
his little ones around him, down to slum-
ber, and when sleep removes her fingers
from their eyelids, they gaze upon the
Falls Of Niagara, hundred Of miles away
from where they retired to their beds.
Does not this beat out of sight the naviga-
tion of the air by witches on a broomstick?
A recent English writer maintains that.
though in modern times, much is changed
about US physically though these days
Of steam and electricity seem certainly
very different from the time when, as boys,
We used to be taken to see the mail
coaches turn out from the post Office in all
their new gear, it is not, after all, such a
change as affects the habits of thinking +:
that if We take literature, which is no
doubt an admirable reflex Of the current
thought of men, We shall see how little
change there is in the nature of that cur
rent; that for instance, the conversational
wit of our day differs very little from that
of Selwyu or Of Jekyll, and the best kinds
of writing from that of Swift, Addison.
Bolingbroke, and Temple; that, to 60 no
further back, how closely, indeed, we are
related in habits of thought and the way
OF looking at ans thing, to the great wri-
ters of Elizabeth's time; that though Ba-
CONS words have occasionally an antique
show about them, the current of thought
Is, for the most part, such as we think
now, or as we are inclined to think the
moment we have heard it; and that farther
back even, and in different countries. there
is the same similarity to modern thought.