Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-03-22
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
What a MAN Becomes Ina the MetrOpO-
lis-What he May See with one Eye
Am age of Neutrality-suspicious. Curious
IllusfratiOns-A. n. Stewards New
Gty-HOW Railroads are Built
Rapid Work with % Steam Shovel.
NEW 7 DIRK, March 18th, 1872.

IlIusfratiOns-A- II. Stewards New
Gty-HOw Railroads are Built
Rapid Work with q Steam Shovel.
NEW YORK, March 18th, 1872.
[ suppose there is no metropolis in the
world which so thoroughly represents the
heterogeneous character Of a nation, and
absorbs the products Of its genius and in
dustry, as does this seIf-same city Of New
York. 1t is impossible for any observant
man to walk down Broadway and not be
interested first, in the number of s'notorie-
ties" who will be pointed out as s'lions" of
the town; and secondly, in the curious
"hstinacy with which nature appears to
preserve the peculiarities of people from
different portions OF the world. 1t is equal
ly impossible for a stranger not to feel that
while i'll New York he is a mere nonentity;
that whatever may be the pOmp and cir
cumstance of his surroundings at home, he
is here only mite in mighty cheese; yet
Withal so Independent that he can explore
where he may please, and no man, woman
or child will be the wiser. ale pays his
money and he takes his choice"
Ifreigiously inclined, he may enjoy a
Methodist brother of the good old school;
or, on the other hand, may see the AL
mighty worshiped dramatically with all the
adjuncts except the foot-lights, and preach
hair in the middle, wear the latest sacer-
dotal uniform, and look as well satisfied as
if they had a fat contract with their aristo-
cratic Pensioners to drive them to Heaven
at the last convenient moment in a coach
and four. If lawyer, he can step into
court and observe John Graham perform
legal gymnastics before the bar, and now
and then bushwhack the judge on the
bench. If an artist he may visit the Studio,
ON Tenth street, where fifty of his fellows
are working for dear life on every sort of
picture, from small-sized bumble-bee to
Gignoux's last sketch of the Rocky Noun
tains. If he would like to gamble little,
why he has only to step around the corner
in Wall street, and be accommodated by
any number of spruce young gentlemen,
fresh from the Fulton street prayer-meet-
ing, and first-class members of the Chris
| tan Association, who in fifteen minutes
will take him in and bring him out of a
stock speculation that will leave him as
cleanly picked as canvass-back duck ready
for the spit. AS an idler, he can lounge on
Broadway, where fashion and frailty are
the Siamese twins Of the sidewalk; and, if
his tastes are not too refined, policeman
will show him wretchedness enough in five
minutes walk from his hotel to make a
series of unadulterated Nightmares that
The practical man will be attracted by
O.her things. He will see in New York
the genius OF his country in nutshell; and
how, i'll every department, machinery is
taking the place OF muscle. He will 90 to
bed in a machine which five minutes be
fore looked like a magnificent bookcase;
he will be gently turned out i'll the morn
ing-by machinery; he goes down stairs
by machinery; his head will be brushed in
the bal b er-8hOp-by machinery; his clothes
are maize by machinery, that gives employ
inert tn a hundred thousand working
Women; and he may cock a bachelor
breakfast on stove that is its own servant,
and times the condition Of the hot rolls by
cl0ck-work. He may even make books by
machinery, for the Journeymen Printers of
| New York have formed Cooperative As
| ISOLATION at No. 80 Beekman street, in
which every member is q cOg-Wheel III a
system that has reduced the price Of every
kind of printing at the same time that
it turns out with rapidity the most super b
| styles of work. Go'where you please, in
fact, and you will find every species Of de-
vice conceivable that can serve a useful
purpose as an auxiliary to human comfort,
| from pocket Irvine cutter to a cotton gin
| or steam engine.
| They are even building railroads by ma
chinery, and under its magic villages are
| springing up with a speed that recalls the
| fairy work of Aladdn's lamp. 1t is only
| the other day that A. L. Stewart pllrchas-
| Ell eight thousand acres of land on Long
Island, and already twenty-five or thirty
miles of streets are graded; shade trees are
| planted, blocks are fenced i'll, and large
| hotel, aX hundred feet long and six stories
| high, is in process of construction, besides
many fine brick edifices.
Five months ago there was no commu-
nicatiGn between the north and south side
of Long Island save by the old-iashioned
dirt road. Yet, before the flowers bud in
| May, twenty-five miles of rail will be laid
and no less than twelve beautiful villages
will be brought within an hours ride Of
New \ ork city. BY machinery, the work
of the three years will be compressed into
about seven months. A portion of the
way lies through rocky spine or ridge,
| which at first seemed a barrier almost in
| surmountable. But at this juncture ell
known railroad contractor, Mr.. James n i.
| Smith, of Brooklyn, stepped forward and
said, * Gentlemen, that hill is only a mile
and half across; I'll guarantee to so
through it in ninety days" 1t was
| thought to be an impossibility, but they let
| him try. He at once put steam excavator
| at work on either side and commenced
! operations. With ton of coal day, they
! have performed the work Of three hundred
| men, and are now within a few rods of
each other, putting and blowing while they
| burroW deep into the heart OF the noun
| tain.
| drove out the other day to see these
monsters at work, and the first object that
attracted my attention was the the six-foot
millionaire contractor, Mr.. Smith, with his
broadcloth coat thrown aside, driving a
drill with a tWenty-pOund sledge. [ asked
him if he was stalking his constitutional ?''
an OF i'll that STYLE" was the reply; 'I'm
only teaching this man how to economic
his muscles and work to advantage" The
answer seemed to illustrate the genius of
the place.
looked down the deep cut at the ma
chine. 1t was not much larger than a
small cabin-a sort of young house on
wheels, but those wheels with the motive
power III the heart of the engine could give
it q speed Of six or eight miles an hour. A
gigantic arm pfohuded from the front, at
the end OF which was a great iron hand
with sharp claws, and these We're made to
ascend and descend at the will of one man.
The operator occupied platform near the
engine, and with but single contrEance-
stirrup for his foot and d lever for his
hands-he moved tons.
remember that a great rock was bulg-
ing from the hard knotted face of the bank
which it seemed as if nothing but blast
Of powder could stir and it was curious to
observe hoY deity those large iron fingers
cleaned out, first, the dirt beneath; then
removed the dirt from the sides; then
gently scraped the top: and finally, taking a
firm grip, shook the rock with giants
strength, until nature at last gave way to
the art of man, and the immense boulder
weighing ten or twelve tons was lifted
from its bed with as little power apparently