The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-03
CoRREsP oNDENCE.
Notes of a Traveller in the
North.
(Continued.)
OHIO RIVER, Oct. 18th, 1880.

OhIO 4eI ' ctNj OCG. 1tIll, LOU.
MeS8rs Editors, Never did I see
travellers more fond of smoking, and
never did L see the floor of a smoking car
so slippery (bahD as one I entered be-
tween New Haven and Springfield But
not q pipe Cigars all-in Difference
perhaps to the cigar tobacco of the Con-
neoticut Valley.
A fellow traveller assured me that the
road from Springfield to Boston runs
through the worst part of Massachusetts,.
Railroads, you know, have way of do
ing just so-and that on either hand
there is fine farming country; and that
the brushwood to be seen will grow into
large trees. A little corn or rye were
the only grain crops I saw sign of, ex-
cept half a dozen fields of winter wheat.
(This is October, mind you.) Apple or
chards-no peach-were numerous, and
the apples exceedingly fine.
L saw what seemed to me entirely too
much reading among the people on duty.
The hotel clerk, the brakeman, the res
taurant servants, and others in places
still more important, would be reading
newspapers, when to passing traveller
it would seem they ought to be attend
ing to their business. This is better
than some other forms of diversion.
But everywhere the observant traveller
must be struck with the fearful negli-
gence of officials and employees of all
grades. Now and then one sees man
whose mind is wholly on his business,
and who when entrusted with large in
terests, seems to feel constant sense of
responsibility and to be doing his best,
but such cases only show by contrast
the general lack of attention and dis
cipline This is not aimed specially at
any section.
In the Mechanical Institute at Wor-
cester, found disposition to introduce
a new form of education, namely, a
training in invention. Educated me-
chanics naturally invent short methods
of accomplishing their aims but it
would seem that we are to have a class
of professional inventors. For example,
found graduate of this school en-
ployed in an immense wire factory, who
told me that he had been called upon to
invent a machine that would cut baling
wire into six-feet lengths, and twist a
loop on each end of different sizes-a
work then done largely by hand-and
that he had invented the machine, a
model Of which he showed me, and the
operation was performed for me on a
ine wire.
The repeated selEexploson Of gran
jte quarry was curious circumstance
reported to me by a stranger who knew
the place, and certainly believed his own
story. He reported it as having occur
red in hill on which we were looking.
near Palmer, Mass. At intervals of 4 or
5 months layer of rock $50 feet long
and or 10 inches thick, would burst up
with loud noise, and it's fragments ay
off 100 yards. The two layers would
also be started, but not thrown out.
Scientific men have visited the spot but
could not explain it. 1 will suggest a
theory after the fact is proved.
The New England people seem re-
markedly quiet and temperate in their
habits, but it 50 happens that the only
drunk people and the only fighting
have seen on my trip were in the hotel
where l stopped in Boston. The fight.
ing was done by two Boston politicians
and worse language I never heard. But