, 1876-09-09
Notes on American Towns and
Country.
from the Birmingham Post. J

uUCeU tntTp, ana tnHl Guy II lH"NlIP WIG
experimental trial for Americas that
Of an elevated railroad. Strong iron
pillars are sunk into the ground on the
edges Of the foot paths and they stand
in single row along the streets, at Il
distance of about twenty yards from
each other. The pillars branch out at
the top and support iron grdeIs which
run from pillar to pillar in double line,
about thrre.and-a. half feet apart, Along
these girders are laid rails on which run
the trains of cars, A very small locomo.
tive, enclosed in n handsome case of or.
namental wood and glass, draws the
cars each train being capable of carrying
from 20 to 100 passengers. The speed
at which the cars travel is about ten or
twelve miles per hour, stoppages being
made about every half mile. In Conse'
quence OF passengers being able to trav.
erse the train from end to end, only
small platforms, about 20 feet long are
erected at the stations, and very little
ground is therefore required. l am
told some objection has been raised to
the railroad by property owners in
streets along which the cars pasS, MS the
trains run close to the first floor windows
and thus to considerable extent de-
5troy the privacy Of the houses. How.
ever, tue system finds much favor, and it
is being largely extended throughout
the city.
By my next recital / expect l shall
cause weeping and waiEng amongst my
total abstinence friends. l have heard
those gentlemen, when advocating Per
missive Bill principles, refer to America
as the free and enlightened land which
had adopted the system they would so
dearly like to see enforced in England.
Well, have been to u town in Connec.
ticut where the Pcrmissive Bill was in
operation, and will tell how it works,
This town had been much agitated on
the question, and for two or three years
the drinkers had mustered strongly Mt
the polls and by small majority carried
the license ticket. But retaliation came.
The temperance party Grummed UP
their forces and triumphantly carried the
day, and thenceforth no license for the
sale of spirituous liquor could be granted
in that community Far from gratifying
has been the result. The publiL.houses
remain open. ostensbly for the dispense.
ton of harmless soda water and gassy
seltzer. There, however, may be OBJ.
tanned anything in the way OF drink
that Is required Some little secrecy is
exercised, it is true, but the exhilaraiing
mint julep." the cooling "sberry cob.
bier" the stimulating "corpse reyiver,"
the restorative "eye opener the appe.
tizing Cocktail the soothing milk
punch" and the intoxicating forty rod
whisky" may be purchased as OF yore'
verify believe the concoctions have de-
rived new and gratifying flavor on &C.
count Of their being put under a prohib.'
i,ory ban. As a bsr-keeper remarked,
1T amt everybody as likes to blow
themselves up with gas, and we can tx
'em up, guess, sone. You bet.'
If l cannot say anything very crafty.
ing on the Temperance question, / can
on the Edu, ational. During short
stay in the small manufacturing town ot
Danbury, State of Connecticut, was
fortunate in making the acquaintance of
genial gentleman, who is FAR from un.
known to Birmingham newspaper real-
ers. This was the wcll.known Danhury
Newsman," whose lucubiations have 80
frequently enlivened the "Varieties'
column of the Weekly Post. Under his
kindly guidance proceeded to invcsti.
gate the educational appliances of this
small New England town. 1t is gener-
ally admitted that the State Of Massa-
chusetts takes the lead in American edu-
cation, and the State of Connecticut, in
sporting parlancc, comes in good
second ! shall consider Danbury to be
fairly representative town of the State,
and ! will tell how they manage matters.
Since the British army. in 1777, thought
fit to wipe Danbury off the face of the