Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-20
g. A. Sala on American Railroads and
NaWspapers.

Sc 1 consider that American railroad
travelling is now SO wonderfully COM
Portable that the Inconvenience have
been brought down to their minimum.
1t is all the more remarkable because
the change for the better has been
wrought in so short a time, for when
last in America (during the time of the
wary the carriages were low and stuffy,
the apologies for sleeping-cars full of
dirt and feas, and everything calcu-
lated to make ones life on the railway
as miserable as riding a rail. In the
hotel-car which brought us from Chi
cago to Omaha we were as comfortable
as though reading the Sentimental
Journey in the best London club
rooms instead of making practical
journey some thousands of miles long
This side of Omaha we have been near
ly as comfortable, but, in point of at
tendance and accommodation, the
Union Pacific has slight advantage
over the Central. Besides" continued
Mr.. Sala, confdentially, ga colored
gentleman, with burlesque musical
leanings, although he would certainly
form valuable acquisition to min
strel party, would not be my choice for
railway attendant"
Compared with the European rail-
ways, how do those of America stand?''
80, to the immeasurable advantage
OF those of America" replied Mr.. Sala.
&c 1t would be impossible to make the
journey we have made, for San Fran
cisco and New Orleans are the termini
of this trip-it would be impossible to
make such trip in Europe without be-
ing fatigued into utter helplessness,
whilst now we feel that bath will rem
der us as nimble and lively as could be
expected of two people who have only
an uncertain number of years to live. "
The entrance of newsboy turned
the conversation upon newspapers.
| Asked his opinion upon American
| journals, Mr.. Sala said: ssIn their
manner of succinctly presenting news
that is, in the epitomizing of infor-
mation-the American papers are faI
ahead of the English. but they seem to
lack the element of solidity-stupidity,
if you will. l have noticed an almost
entire absence of what we call heavy
leaders, which in England are all
powerful. To give you an Illustration
of what mean, interesting because oi
the result reached and not as being in
my experience: You know Temple
Bar, that wretched old obstruction te
Fleet street, has been removed. Oul
paper, the London Daily Telegraph
made solemn covenant with me thai
once a month was to write a leader
against the old Bar until it was taker
down. Iconoclastic as this proceeding
was, and conservative as we English
people are, this persistent attack on s
cherished but inconvenient memento o.
past times attained its result, and Flee
streets now clear.
ssIn America this monthly attacl
made in heavy. sober earnest would
presume, be without the least effect
for here if thing is to be written uE
or down it must be done pungently
and at once. To convince you of tht
value place upon American Journals
as newspapers, can assure you tina
during this last absence from England
I have not thought it worth while t.
look at an English paper, because
have felt sure that all the information
it was necessary for me to gain eoult
be gathered from the American dali,
publications. '-IasterUieaD in the Sal
Francisco Chronicle.