New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-22
John PAUL TAKES A TRIP.
THE COMFORTS OF A VANDERBILT ROAD.

TRAVELLERS TREATED WORSE THAN DECENT DOGS
RIGHT SMART CROP" or COBBLE STONES
NOTHING TO DRNK-soIID LITERATURE FOR
TRAvELERs-THE DOMESTIC RUBY coNUSDRUM-
THE PLEASURES or RURAL RETREAT--CAUGHT
AT LAST.
fppoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
NORTHAMPTON Mass, Sept. 26.-Although conscious
of the fact that therei place worth dating letter
from except Saratoga. and that there is nothing
worth writing about except the panic, | yet make
bold to approach you modestly for. moment to
whisper that: Last night caught onel
This is how it happened: Inspired with noble en-
ulation by the example of journalists who have
braved the horrors of steerage passages across the
and spent nights in jals and Warehouses that
they might be enabled to inform the public just how
these particular things worked, embarked on
regular passenger car of the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad, instead of taking drawing
room coach. According to all report DIRT and dis
comfort lay before us, but the distance to Albany
was not great, and the interests Of humanity beck
oned me on SO stepped up TO the ticket office and
paid my fare like a man. and then stepped aboard
the car, prepared to be treated like dog. An old
traveller hkemyself, does not mind this thing much'
being used to it, but does like to be treated like
decent dog, dog that is accustomed to toerabiy
clean kennel and is not enthusiastically fond Oh
the chase az to sniff with delight at finding himself
in the vicinity of all sorts of small game
Well. Pauna complained of being sleepy.
So we made up bed for her on vacant seat impro-
vising pillow from the cushion, and the child was
presently sumbering in blssful Inconsistencies that
the bedstead had not been cleaned once since the
car was built, in the early part of the present CEN
tury and that all the surroundings generally were
suspicious.
The contrast was noticeable when we switched
off on the Boston and Albany Road; wen
LIGHTED and we'll Ventilated cars awaited u.s. SMELL
ing syeetly "a though every cushion was stuffed
with the hair of some creature fed on clover hay
there was no smell of train-o about the train. The
chief drawback to human happiness found in travel
pe ON the Boston and Albany Road is having to pay
your fare (; but, AZ the good minister re-
marked last Sunday, if one could travel through
Massachusetts Free heredbe very little to look for
ward TO in another world Again, after making
landing the trains 90 on without whistling, but as
they are equally certain never to whistle without
going on, one omission cOmpensates for the other.
And beautiful country this road takes you through
beautiful to the poets eye, mean lessso, proba-
bly,. to the practical farmers, as the picturesque
rocks and inaccessible hills by no means furnish
what the bucoc mind might consider aud call "a
right smart chance for crops" One naturally con-
cludes that the pastures are principally fenced
around to keep cattle from getting in and starving
to death The Berkshire hills are particularly pic
turesque, but even Second Adventist would
scarcely care TO Craze thereon 1t is among these
hills that the celebrated breed of Berkshire pigs
oriqnated-pigs of IRON, metaphOrically speaking,
bred by the Bessemer process steelpointed, az pigs
must be where the sterile rocks forbid anything to
rake root, and yet life resolves itself into
simply question of root or die. suppose big
chunks OF iron are called pigs because they go
through puddle"
If requested to pronounce upon Massachusetts
geologicay should saw that the soil is chiefly re-
markable for the profusiOn Of cObbestones and the
scarcity of anything to drink along the road. The
thirsty traveller looks for his glass of ale at tue way
side inn in vain. The Massachusetts, people among
themselves. however, were not drinking much water
this Summer-on of the failure of the streams
aud the needs of the mills suppose. Calling ON the
great wooden manufacturers in aud around Will
lamsburgh, | found 1t next to impossible to get
glass of water to cool ones parched tongue. On the
first hint of thirst You were requested to come along
and hold candle, while the host went stumbling
on ahead into an incomprehensbe cellar whence
he would emerge with demijohn of apple-jack
der his arms and soft persuasion in his eye As for
getting agglass of water out of that mill proprietor
gives thing to his guests that he does not drink
himself he says water is utilized IN this State.
Wherever a stream of running water can be found
to turn a Wheel to work they go and clap mills
down along its borders. | fancy they'd seize upon
a LIQUID flowing phrase even, if it had sufficient
force to turn a sentence This utilizing spoils the
fishing. That steps have been taken by sports
men for the suppression Of mills astonshes me, for,
where once the lordly salmon and frisky trout
abounded, you can now find nothing finny save now
and then a sporadic eel. And the Gel is not consid-
cred game fish exactly, though in taking him you
do rake down pot occasionally.
Along the line of Massachusetts railroads, one
things remarkable-the character of books which
the train boy brings you Trashy novesand pamphlet
biographies of celebrated criminals flung rudely in
your lapi Mo- he comes to you with Virgil, Tactus,
Shakespeare, Milton. Liffith Lank," Herbert Spen-
Ger. "St. Twe'lmo," John Stuart Mill-good solid
reading And he converses with you about the
books, and tells you who wrote them. And Iihave
not doubt that by travelling overtime Boston and
Albany, and New-IIaven and Northampton Rail
roads for four or five years and reading The Spring
field Republican continually, a man would pick up
about as much information he could at college, and
might eventually find himself able tolanswer all the
questions that socially inclined old ladies on the
back seat ask him. Lest my statement as to the
character of books perused the railroads Of this
State may be doubted, wish now TO affirm that,
gancing over the shoulder of young man sitting in
front Of me, in the hope that he might have guide
book that could get chance to borrow. found
that he was willing away the time with " Cesar,
Liber Secundus"
Any assertion which make in this solemn way at
long intervals may be relied upon, for, esteeming
truth as the most precious OF all things have no
idea of wasting it on an unappreciative public
even in every other sentence.