The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-16
LETTER FROM L0NDnE.

on ShOuld nave seen the InteEna-
tional Boat Race, as I did this after
neon from seat near the winning
post, which commanded a view Of near
a mile Of the course, and hundreds Of
thousands Of people covering the
shores and boats and bridges, AID
more flags flying than you could count.
OF course, the JOURNAL Of to- NOR
row morning Will have the result aud
some of the details. The interest was
intense. Any other result was not ex-
pected by Americans here, and we
may congratulate ourselves that our
boys did as well as they did. As thc
dying Braddock said alter his
celebrated defeat near Ford Du-
quesne, :" We viii do better next
time"
| came 10 this country, not. as your
local editor said at the time of my de-
parture, to purchase rails, but for the
purpose of informing myself and my
companies, the Il. & O., and the E.,
L. & G. Railroad Companies, how and
where the best iron rails could be had
for the least money.
The rail question is the most
serious one presenting itself to
Railroad Companies. For years
past the English rail makers have
stocked the American markets with
their cheapest and, consequently,
poorest rails, and for the past two or
three years the American rolling
mills have been purchasing IN great
quantities old English rails to roll
into new American rails.
Now, it has been discovered more
than once that rails, as we'll as many
other things which cost the very
lowest price, are In the end not the
cheapest. Especially should rails, on
whose soundness the lives of the
travelling community constantly de-
pend, be contracted for with due care,
even if the solyency or insolvency of
the railroad companies were not
affected by the good or bad quality of
so expensive an element in their total
cost.
Within a few months it is expected
several thousand tons of new rails
will be required for the Evansville,
Terre Haute aud Chicago Railroad,
and increasing quantities OF either
new or re-rolled rails are annu-
ally needed to replace worn out rails
on the E. & q. Railroad. Taking
into consideration the more than
doubtful character Of many lots of
rails that we, as well as other Ameri-
can railroads have of late years
purchased, it was, on consulta-
ton believed that it would pay
we'll if l should, for a few
weeks during the hot weather and
slack business, make the study ofrails
as speciality, and In order to do so
should visit the rail mills and some
Of the railway men who give their at
| tention to this matter In this country,
paying also such incidental attention
as I could to other branches of rail
way economy. So these things which
are Of constantly growing importance
to Evansville and the Railroad inter
ests, with whose oversight l am hon.
Ored, have brought me here and have
kept and will continue to keep me
we'll occupied whilst l stay. 1t IS due
| to the Iron masters and Railway
managers with whom in these inquir-
les / have been brought In contact, to
say, that [ have b zen favored with
every facility which / could ask, for
acquiring the information sought for
wherever | have been, and that had
been amongst our own people of the
| West, who are proverbially whole
souled" In their treatment of stTan-
gers, | could not have received great
| er politeness and more distinguished
consideration. It is proper, too, that
/ should say that this polite attention
| on the part of our English cousins Is
| partly the result Of the experience,
| which these Railway men who have
visited our own country, have had oil
American politeness and hospitality
| for when on one occasion l was part
ing with a Railway Superintendent oil
q prominent line running out of the
| metropolis, who had given me every
attention and information which
could ask, and had volunteered 10
take me over the main line of his road,
and [ expressed a regret that |
had put him to so much trouble, he
quickly replied that | had given him
no trouble at all, and added why
d-n it, when we come over to your
country you never can DO enough
for US.
| There never was such activity q.
just now, not only in the United State:
but in Russia, India and on the con-
tinent of Europe. in the construction
of Railways This activity is telling
against US In the cost of Rails, but il
is very fortunate for trade here, which
is generally languishing. A LondoT
manager Of one Of the largest Raj
making companies remarked to mC
to-day that this was the only branch
of trade now hourishing Ia this coun
try. Following this deluge o. trade
are to be observed widespread eYi
dences of pinching poverty affecting
not alone the idle and the dissolute
but all the lower and many OF the
middle and respectable classes Of
society, in such manner tina
children are not looked upon
as a blessing, and not for thC
labor of nursing and rearing them, Is
10 some other communities that shall
be nameless, but for fear there shall
not be wherewithal to feed and elothe
the little ones, or any way to disDose
Of them. and especially if they be 81
the CENTER sex, when they APPROACH
the years OF maturity.
1t IS especially sad to know. = the
result OF this over population. meas
Ured by present results, that mother.
of families having abundant preseni
means, and really In the enjoyment q
luxury, dread to add another femaIe
child to the household, because, es