Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Six weeks of absence from the Capita
with its broad avenues, its public building
and It's sweltering heat has given your cor
respondent gimpses Of life in
eleven Of the Northern states with their
ten thousand activities and industries.
Flying across the country by railroads,
journeying on steamboats, he has iostled
against that every moving tide Of humanity
that rushes on lis coasless march like the
denizens Of an enchanted land basking
amid the sunshine Of perpetual pleasure.
Living IN the nOontide Of utilized improve
ments Of the present il seems hard 10 be-
lieye that railroads telegrsphs and the ten
thousand mechanical aids 10 labor we're
locked up 10 the great volume Of undIscov-
cred mysteries when thirty years Of the
present century bad been marked of on the
tally stick Of time. Fifty years ago grain
was shipped from Buffalo westward 10 the
early settlers Of Michigan, that far of re-
giOn, That noble queen city OF the Lakes,
with IFS shipping, its elevator, railroads
and Erie canal now receives from the never
empty grunaries Of the West, more grain
annually than any city 10 the world and
sends forward throughts great commercial
arteries to satisfy the nav Of the hungry
East Of both the old and the new Conti-
nent. The Erie canal for years was the
open pathway Of communication between
the East and the unknown and uncultivat-
ed West Years later came link by link
what is now the grandest feature Of the
nineteenth century, the y. Y. Central
Railroad, with It's four tracks OF steel rails
from end to end, with branches spreading
out like spider webs touching every part Of
the great state, its vast contributing con-
nections reaching through and across the
entire Continent, its mighty influence and
princely capital controlling in a marked de
gree not only this commerce Of the Natien,
but the world. One no longer hears the
CRY Of change cars for Utica Syracuse.
Auburn and Rochester, as was heard years
ago when the Central was run by eight or
ten different corporations, but seated in
their palace cars one never need change
| till the conductor cries San Francisco.
| The engineer is still living, who finding
| that the funds could not be raised to com
| plete the line between Attica and Buffalo
started with horse aud buggy, visited as
| a Railroad Missionary the poor farmers
along the proposed route and besought
them to come to the rescue and turn out
with their teams and do the grading
promising upon his honor that sometime in
the future they should be compensated for
their labor. There was many doubtful
Thomas in those days, and the engineer
was not able to muster large forces, but
| faith, pluck and grit, spanned the Difficult
/ " and the men Of 1880 live in the meridian
fullness OF the faith Of the early pioneers.
This road finds its open pathway to Bos-
| ton, New England's great entrepot through
the Troy & Fitchburg road. Since the
completion Of the Hoosac Tunnel this
route has become great fayorite with the
| travelling public, Passing as it does,
| through, the most romantic and beautiful
part Of Massachusetts, being the shorter
/ and most direct route between the East
and the West, Saratoga and the seaside
watering places are made to contribute to
its immense passenger traffic, while its
freight trains never cease moving, loaded
with the commerce Of the country in III
transit to and fro over their line. Liy
ing in the midst Of those great commercial
activities let US not think that the ultimi
thule has been reached. These vast i'm
provements are but the advanced messen
gers of progress, with power to open othe
yet undiscovered thoughts Of God which
He committed to man when He gave hin
dominion over the earth.
The Democrats here at the Capital vast
ed large amount Of powder, and eXpend
ed much gush of enthusiasm over the seem
ingIGreenback victory in Maine. The musi
has a sadder tinge now, as the result
dwindle into defeat.
The folly Of runninga Prohibition ticke
at this time must now be seen by every Re
publican. Such a ticket may be luxur!
sometime in the future, but now, when tn
rebels affirm all over the South that tn
principles they fought for are on trial il
this election it seems like fddling whe
Rome Is burning to peril the country b,
wasting votes on Prohibition candidate
! Every vote cast will be a Republican los
as Democratic Prohibtionists are not q
thick as white black birds.
Horace Maynard, Of Tennessee, has a
. sumed charge Of the Post Office Depar
5 ment, relieving that other good natureC
, genial, Tennesseean, Judge Key. NJ
MAYNARD Is too we'll known over the couI
, try to need any indorsment.
= President Hayes is fond of tall men f.
: cabinet officers His angular majesty, II
Dutchman OF the Interior Department
Carl, is nearly all legs II he would III
= them in walking out Of this country
y would please many people. Secretal
x Sherman is as tall as the Dutchman vii
oceans more brains. Postmaster Gener
Maynard is Of like stature and width
Sherman, with less brain power. Alto
i new General Devens is as tall as Maynar
T. a bachelor, good talker aud an eloquel
orator. Secretary Ramsey is nearly s.
feet. Secretary Thompson is also a ma
/ of good length, sound in head and stror
e in body. Mr.. Hayes is evidently believ
| in the old saying that a small body su
> ports small brains and puts his theory