National Republican., 1876-01-04
New Publications.

1.-The pennsylvania Railroad, Historical and
Descriptive" We have received an illus
trated volume under the above title, compiled
and edited by Gen. w. B. Sipes, the advertis-
ing agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pauy, which comprises a full history of the
main line of the Pennsylvania railway proper
and its various branches and extensions. 1t is
a large volume, beautifully illustrated with
engrayings of the prominent stations, machine
shops, bridges, tunnels, engines, cars, &C.,
and is fortified with tabular statements show
ing the cost, earnings and dividends of the
various lines aggregating over six thousand
miles of iron track. The work is an excellent
specimen of the art of bookmaking, replete
with information useful to the statesman, the
traveller, the capitalist and the political econo-
mist. The compiler seems to have omitted
nothing in his researches which can possibly
lie required to give the fullest information re-
garding the construction, maintenance and
operation Of an extensive line of internal i'm
provement connecting the great cities OF the
Atlantic seaboard with the Mississippi valley.
He has presented the public with work which
fully describes the entire parapherualia Of 4
irst-class railway as at present operated, and
furnished by an accurate account of the earlier
efforts at railway construction and operation,
both in England and America, a contrast which
marks the progress made in this class Of i'm
proyements during the last quarter of a GEN.
tury. It's literary character is of a rare order.
The work possesses but little of that dryness
which is generally supposed to attach to ordi-
nary books upon internal improvements. 1t
combines history with brilliant and graphic
geographical description, while its illustrations
abound in gems of art. Some of the sketches
of landscape scenery are really superb. The
portraits Of Presidents Edgar Thompson and
Col. Thomas A. Scott, done in steel by the
Continental Bank Note Company, are of the
finest efforts in that class of art.
In reciting the events which gave rise TO the
organization of the New Jersey lines we are
insensibly drawn by the author into contem-
plation of the early history and rise and
progress of New York. Two or three pages
devoted to this subject give the reader good
idea Of the pressing necessity of means Of rapid
communication between the two leading COM
nercial cities of the continent-New YORK and
Philadelphia-whichd developed into these lines
of improvement. We are also treated to ad-
mirable descriptions and statistics of the no.
table places and events along the whole line
Of route from New York, through Philadelphia
to Pittsburg, including Fairmount Park, Phil
adelphia, which is now the scene of such
great historical interest by reason OF Its being
the seat Of the great Centennial Exposition.
This most meritorious work appears to have
been published by the Passenger Department
Of the Pennsylvania Railway Company, of
which Mr.. D. NJ. Boyd, jr., is the head and
general agent, and is evidently designed for
distribution among the prominent libraries of
the country. 1t is safe to say that 1t contains
q vast deal of information Of q reliable char
acter that can be found in no other form so
completely arranged for reference or so intel
ligently expressed. Its publication marks a
new epoch in railway literature, and, per-
haps, it is not too much to hope that ere
many years shall have passed all the principal
lines in the country will have emulated the
Pennsylvania company in this respect. And
when similar works are published they should
be placed within easy reach of the reading
public.