The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-27
CURRENT TOPICS.

al heads have been attracting our attention Tor
several days, and on looking into the circular, OF
which they form the caption, we find that new
railway scheme is on the tapis, viz: from Atlanta,
Ga, to Decatur, Ala; tie necessity for its speedy
construction is thus set forth in the circular: The
Continental Railway, OF which VIC hear 80 much
talk, commences ut the extreme northeast at Hall
ta1-and passing through Bangor, Portland, Bos-
ton, New York, Philadelphis, Baltimore, Washing
ton, Lynohburg, Knoxville, Cleveland-thence to
New Orleans by triple route e-and from that point
to Houston, Texas, and tapping the Pacific, either
at Mazatlan or Gua5 mas, or perhaps both, some
three thousand four hundred miles in it's entirety
Between Cleveland and Now Orleans, the direct
and shortest line is by the Dalton, Rome, and Sell
ma Railroad, and thence by trunk line to New
Orleans. Branching Of Cleveland, tho Northern
cord Of this trinity goes by Chattanooga and N L.
and s. W. Railroad to Elyton, thence to Mobile,
intersecting the trunk line to New Orleans above,
little south and west OF Selma. While the South
ern cord leaves the main line at Dalton and goes
to Atlantis, Montgomery, and Selma, or dividing ut
Montgomery, goes through TO New Orleans by way
Of Mobile. Nearly two-thirds Of this great railway
are in operation, and short spaces, both in Maine
and Alabama, are being rapidly filed up. This is
the shortest route across the continents tan
gent to the Gulf Of Mexico, and the whole New
England cosst-embraces every variety OF soil
and climate, and Will asscciate many diferent
race and character in its business operations.
The Charleston, Memphis and Topeka Railway,
and its extension north and westward, now being
under auspicious consideration will cross the Con-
tinental at right angles, intersecting the Three
Ply at Atlanta, Jacksonville, or thereabouts, and
Gadsden, or rather few miles north OF that
point. The bearing of the Continental is south,
45 degrees west while from the Charleston and
Memphis north, As degrees west; and at Memphis
slight angle more northward to an intersection
with the Union Pacific, at Topeka, or somewhere In
that vicinity, say four hundred and twenty-five
miles from Memphis. These two lines will form
the "Great Southern Cross" and will become in
time the great highway Of the worlds commerce,
securing to the Southeastern States their due in
1uence and position among the nations OF the
earth. The short gap in the Charleston and Men,
phis Road from Atlanta to Decatur direct, say less
than two hundred miles, is the first step In
closing up this route, and measures are already
being taken for its early accomplishment. The
shortest lines to the most distant places, is good
motto for railroad builders in this progressive age.
Consolidation, concentration and corporation, are
words Of good meaning in railroad management.
Mr. GEO. WApswoRTH, Of Atlanta, is at present in
this city, armed with maps, and chock full OF all
sorts Of information bearing on this enterprise.
RICHARD GRANT WHITE, one Of the regular con-
tributors to the GALAXY, is writing series Of
papers for that magazine, entitled "Words and
their Uses" In the number for July he combats
the opinion, current among English, and admitted
also by many American writer's, that "our taste in
language is less fastidious, our licenses and in
accuracies more frequent, and OF character IN
fiicative Of want Of refinement and elegant cul-
ture, than those We hear in educated society in
England" This Is given IN the very aangu age OF
Mr.. MARSH, who is censured by Mr.. WHITE for
such an admission; incopsderate and unjust mas
much as he compares our average speech with
that Of educated society in the mother country.
Mr.. WHH then proceeds to show that the first
cotempcrary writer's Of England are not free from
inaccuracies and antiquities Of grammar and
sloyenliness Of style. He cites numerous pas
sages from FoRsTERs "Arrest Of the Five Mem
bers, and FRoupEs "History Of England, very
open to criticism. We have room only for one or
two Of these. From FRouDE: "And had DARsIEY
proved the useful Catholic whc the Queen intended
him TO be, they would have sent him to his account
with ss small eompunctien as JAZZ sent NE Canaan
lie captain, or they would hayeiblessed the arm
that did it ,cih as much eloqaence as DEBORAH"
whereupon Mr.. WHITE remarks: 'Here we are
compelled to ask: How small compunction did
JAKL send the Canaanite captains and, What de-
gree Of eloquence did the arm attain What did
Il with as much as DEBoRAHp What was it3 and,
How much eloquence is DrBoRAH2" The sentence,
to use the words Of the Saturday R:uie,o, is 30
marked with slovenliness Of grammar and clumsi-
ness Of expression; 1t is 80 lacking IN the direct
ness, precision, and force which, according to MIR.
LOWELL, are as common as the day In the mother
country, that It can only be bettored by being al
most wholly rewritten. We are sn able to guess,
but only to guess, that what Mr.. FRoUDE means s
that the parsons of whom he speaks would have
sent DARaLRY to his account with as little COM
Function as JAEI's, when she sent the Canaanite
csptain to his, or would have blessed with the eo
quence Of DEBORAH, the arm that did their pleas
ure." This may, perhaps, be more clear; but, by
our Eghts It is even less elegant than the original
But we must forbear quoting or criticsing, for We
ruuch fear our readers will pronounce this hyper
critioism-an occupation beneath the attention OF
sensible people, who can find something else to
do even in their hours Of leisure.
TIE BosToN correspondent Of the Springfield
Republican tells the following story on THAcKxRAY.
Whether or not 1t is true, we are unable to say,
but We remember hearing it at the time OF THAoK-
KaAYs visit to this city. In Richmond We after
wards heard the same story told about THAoKE-
RAY and spiraelle lady Of that city. The follow
ing is .he story AZ told In the Republican,: "THAcK-
ERAY was by nature singularly coarse man
coarse in thought, and coarse in expression, and
those who we're intimate with him often wondered
to see how well he simulated refinement IN his
books. His first request on landing in this coun-
try on his first visit was about the last one that
weIl-bred gentleman would have ventured to make.
He was in Charleston, 8. G., in 1856, during race
week'-the week Of the year, in old times. he
met, Of course, Mrs. SUSAN PET1aRU KING, daugh-
ter Of JAMES PET1aRU (famous as the old Union
man In South Carolina, and who, by the way, real
ly cared no more for the Union than he did for
the Confederacy, despising both and laudng mon
archy). Mrs. KING is an authoress, an intelligent,
bright, and, not to get too fine point upon it,
saucy woman. Her train Of cavaliers was always
numerous. On being presented, THAoKERAY, who
had been told something Of the ladys peculiari-
ties, said, Thave heard that you are fast woman,
Mrs. KNa.' Without suffering shadow Of an
noyance to appear on her broad butt espiegle face,
Mrs. K1sa responded, tAnd have been told that
you were gentleman"
TEE v1cKsBuaa Republican Of June 1s, brings
the following item Of press-gossip: 'It is whisper
cd around town that Colonel MAN1ovE, late editor
in chief Of the Vicksburg Times, and Colonel PAR
FRIDGE, former editor Of the Vicksburg Herald are
about to establish newspaper in this city on tho