Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-09-14
MUSIC.
BY GEORGE r. MORRIS.

The reed Of the rude shepherd boy
I'VE revel in music when day has begun,
When rock fountains gush into glcc as they run,
Aud stars of the morn sing their hymns to the
Who brghtens the hilltops with joy
The spirit of melody Goats in the air,
Her instruments tuning to harmony there,
Our senses begui]ing from sorrow and care,
In blessings sent down from above
But nature has music far more TO my choice
And all in her exquisite changes rejoice
No tones thrill my heart like the dear human
voice,
When breathed by the being that love.
RAILROAD ACROSS THE CONTINENT
Perhaps thore is no event that shows
more strikingly the rapid growt! of the
population and wealth Of the United States
than the numerous railroad projects that
are in process of construction, or being aSi-
tated, TO cross the North American Cont
nsnt:: .Ihe Panama Railroad, the first com.
pleted OF these enterprises, has only been
in operation But a few years, and notmiL!l-
standing the terrible civil war necessarily
retarded public works, we have no less than
three other railroads now projected or be-
ing constructed 10 unite the waters Of the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The first Ct
these is the great railroad from the Wes-
tern frontier of Missouri TO cross the plains
and through the gorgcs of tic Rocky
Mountains, and will meet somewhere in
Utah, the California Railroad extending
eastward. This road has magnificent
appropriation from the United States Gov
ernment, and, although hcrcul.am task,
will undoubtedly be pushed through in a
few years. The second project is now be-
ing agitated, and is 10 be carried forward
under the management of General John
G. Fremont. This route will tc the
one most convenient for Southern patron
age, and will possess many strong points.
1t will bo a continuation Of the New Or
leans and Texas Railroad, and will cross
the Rio Grande and proceed through the
gap in the Sierra Aladre Mountains, near
Monterey and JSalli'lo, and go direct MAJ
allan, on the Pacific Ocean, near the
mouth Of The Gulf Of California. -
This route will be about 500 miles ir
length from. the frontier Of Texas Naz
atlan, and will pass most of its way
through very healthy region, and one
capable of cultivation. The country along
this route will ina few years be occupied
by Americans, and will be most conyc-
nientIy located for communication with
China, Japan, the Western Coast Of Amer
ica, Australia and the Islands OF tho Pa
,cific. Its two most striking advantages
81, are, that it is quite limited in distance, and
that it runs through country that mus,
soon be Americanized. The other scheme
is railroad from Vera Cruz Ella Pueblo
and the City of Mexico to The Pacific Ocean
which is noted in the Philadelphia -1gc O.
follows: .it.
: Foremost among the projected roads il
one from Vera Cruz, on the Atlantic side
through Puebla and the City of Mexico
to the port OF siguatenega, on the Pa
cifc, the distance across the continent IL
this point 10 four hundred and fifty miles
The Imperial Mexican Railroad Cruz t,
Puebla, which is within seventy-five miles
of the City of Mexico, and when the Who'll,
line is completed the run from ocean te
ocean can be made in twenty-four hours
The length Of this railroad would seen
to place the new route of all possible com
petition with the passage by way OF Pa
mama. But when the whole distance from
the ports OF Europe or America, to those
of China, Japan, or the Islands in the Pa
ciic, is considered, the advantage is. will
the route through Mexico. Thus from
Sydney to- Liverpool, via siguantenga and
Vera Cruz, stopping at Otaheite in the Pa
clfic, and Cuba and the Azores in the At
Iantic, the ocean travel is 10000 miles
and the travel $50. From Sydney tc
bdverpooI via Panama, stopping at Otal
elite, and the Azores in the Atlantic, is 49,,
;s20 miles2d ocean travel, and 90 miles
by land /: hns giving the distance of ovc,
500 miles in excess of the Mexican
Eepte,2 itsF..#:s.ss .:.ssst
hasand route from New York also
sh6 q favor sof the Vera Cruz line
Esoh From New York OF Philadelphia to New
0Isana. by railroad is four days from
shsnee TO Vera Oroz by steamer,three days
hsm The latter fort to siguantenea, by rail
JIoaa sMa days; and from there to sar
sssasnf :sass 81 boat six.days 3lnakiug fifteen
ss asys sss 80 81 \ from sw York Il to sar