Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-02-15
letter from PhiIadeIphia.
PHILADELPHIA, February stA, 4

PHLADELPHEA, February sth, 1873.
Friend W'.lycri:-
The arrival Of tho ilnsricaa to day reminds me
that owe you q letter, and THAI ere this YOU
have concluded am showed or frozen up, like
the rest OF the world has boon the past month.
such a winter is glorious thing for our 'oldrSt
inhabiiant" 1t reminds hir of the times of old
when he was boy. Real, I'D fashioned winter,
sir Plenty of snow, and the mercury lost il
has gone so far below zero. The last week we've
had u change, and the heavy rains and thaws
have made tremendous ice -gOrges In many Of our
rivers. Your Susquehapna, below and above YOU
seems to have been greatly jammed, and caused
considerable damage. The gradual thaw, pre-
ceding the rain, was a perfect God-seud. For
with such immense quantities Of snow upon the
ground, the heavy Fall rains having flied the
ground aud all the springs, had there been n sud-
den break up, it Is very hard TO estimate what
would have been the result. Great damage aRd
loss of life undoubtedly.
Our neighboring town of Conshehocken lust
below Norrstown, and inst outside the city lin
its, seems TO be particularly unfortunate. Only
last Fail furnace, in course Of erection, cayed
in, causing the death of eight or ten men, and
few days ago a boiler in a rolling mill blew up
casting death on all Sides Altogether thirteen
men have died, and more are still are lowering IN
unc rtainty. The building is a complete wreck.
The Coroner's jury report ''the boiler too weak
TO suffer- the pressure put upon IT," and so the
matter rests. II is fearful how little regard is
paid TO the safety of the workmen in such places
and little hopes of its being remedied unless some
careless proprietor is made to suffer for his gree
dy want of caution.
In our city, for some time, the great theme of
comment has been the action of the Reading
railroad 10 opening retail coal yards. Ii seems
hopeless task TO combat such a powerful organi-
zation, but it is nevertheless being bravely done
whether II can be successfully carried out is yet
to ee seen. sincerely hope for the good
of the public it may be, for IL not il will be
fraught with great danger to all A monopoly
OF the business cannot but be injurious to the
consumer by increasing the price. Mr.. Gowen,
IN his hrst letter, rather overstepped the mark
when he said IL was Tor the good Of the people
Tue Dear People" know and have felt his good
ness before. When coal was to be had only in
his region, aud he, from pure love, raised his
frcights from 80 Is to 81 90 per ton II is gen
eraIy rocked upon as move of necessity, for ns
Is well known, the road has been earning but ~
per cent for several years past, and paving 10
per cent dividends, and the difference must be
made up by forcing from the trade the four hun
dred retail coal dealers of the city, and seizing
their trade. lie sprung his trap too soon, and
has not carefully covered his tracks, as is in
stanced by his endeavoT to get ether roads TO
raise their tolls ON coal (Which Of course comes
on The dear peope) almost before the ink was
dry upon his letter protesting such concern for
the consumer. Ii comes with IN grace for a per
sou on $4,000 salary To speak in ouI Constitu-
llonal Convention OF $500 being enough TO pay
those entrusted with such weighly matters as
recording our deeds. You or would not like
10 entrust such matters to one whom that amount
would compensated OF more CONSEQUENCE vet IA
the pointed question of the Star: What r. be do
ing there wnen his lime is paid for by the Com
pany. tffEH trItIyf Noon .
just now the city Is exercised over another cor
poration's advance upon Ller rights-7that OF
Union Line of Street RAILROADS against the Mar
ket. As is well known the former have for years
been anxious to lay tracks upon Market street.