The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-12
Nlnitorm Rail~ay Gauge.

June /. ly which the standard gauge of
track was made shmmon throughout the
country. was a reform which ought "a
have been made hong since. The great
original difference in the gauge of rails
Was owing to several causes. such As the
haphazard and Irresponsible WAY ih
which many of our roads were built. the
immense extent of the country AMI the
original regard for purely local neeiS,
and perhaps the >.'lli>h wish Ia monopo
llze all the beneii,, IL traffic, With the
immense expansion Of business and the
growth of national Industries, i~i.iing
to the Inauguration M trunk lines ami
great consolidation ot roads Throughout
the country. the difference Of gauge is-
came a sourch cf much expense ami III
convenience. Whenever there WAS
change ot gauge. ear ho,sts were erected.
and different set of trucks PUT uu'ier
the cars. and the embarra>sm, nj caused
such DELAYS as to make in many cases
great difference to the shippers AMI ~
reiyer, of freight. With the exception
of certain narrow gauge roads IN the
coal aud mountain regions, the recent
change now enables freight trains to
move without delay or friction over all
the railroads in the country.
The results of this needed reform IN
railway construction cannot. al course.
he now properly estimated or summed
M in a nutshell The saving of time
ami expense i'm the TRANSMISSION of Ros~is
between month AMI south. the direction
of travel chiefly affected il. M course.
pain To every one. The probable r--
N
"a result logical under the changed c"ndi
tons. The extreme cheapn,ss oi
ahroigh frcigllts between east AMI west,
N against the schedule of rates hoith
and south. speaks for itself. ot course
othe, factors entered into this profile M
,f relative rates besides that to which
we alludc, but it cannot he q,., ,stioned
that the difference Of gauge on the d,f
fprrnt sections ol the trunk system played
an important part IN the question "t
rates.
Another probable result IL the 'nliu'
ence the change is likely to have On the
admitted evil in the discrimination of
Crrichts. Hardly any one feature of our
railway system has been the source of
more bitter complaint AMI criticism.
Alstractlv unjust. il has been almost
forced in many eases ON railways by
conditions of competition or other
causes. u is doubtful whether the evil
can ever le entirely abolished. but any
thing tending to modify IT will l" II th'n
To- the patrons of railways. The lessen
ing Of the difficulties Of long transp"rta
tion and the increase Of facilities IN
reaching remote or less important points
will BE- of value in this direction.
On the other hand, We have To contem
plate the possible effect of the chang" IN
furthprng the tendency to railway con
soIldation, which is by no means an IN
mixed good, if not Il positive evil. The
rapdity with which this has gone on
during the last dozen yeCrs and the ere
alton Of \, "a colossal and perhaps dan.
gerous corporate interests, have struck a
note of alarm in the minds not only ~
common people, but Of many thinkers
The cry that the railroads rule the coun
try is not without plausible reason. That
. the new uniformity Of railway gaug"
north and south will facilitate further
railway consolidation Is not unlikely.
> We do not think, however, that this IL
. at all to be weighed as an ultimate rlc.
tcre,ts with the direct and very palpa''r
. benefits to the people which viii '"'
wrought. - New York Star.
: After reposing for two years IN tenn
porary burial place in Boston th" r..
mains Of Wendell Phillips have been
= consigned To their permanent tomb. The
! place Of final burial is "A lovely spot, sit
uated on commanding plot Of ground,
with beautiful view Of leaf, blade and
wave. 1t was selected by the great ora
u tor himself before he died, and was, 1t II
sad, a favorite visiting place. Stately
trees partially conceal it from the passing
) eve. The body Of Mrs. Phillips has l"el
4 laid by his side, and simple stone, moi
y vet finished. bearing the words ANN
and Wendell Phillips will mark tl''
final resting place Of the chilllcss colI
pie whose tender regard for each othe
= excited comment wherever 1t was known
' Talk OF eret ting more substantial mon
umrnt is heard, and there would he tn
:. utmost fitness in this; but Wendell Phil
~ lps needs no such stone to commenIo
20 rate what he accomplished. phIIndel
y phia Times.
vt Augusta, va, lew uHyb ago, VI
attempt was made to blow out har'
~ flint rock struck in the artcsian well at
!. distance of s31 feet below the surface
r \ cartridge containing fourteen pound
I, Of dynamite was lowered into the well
To this cartridge insulated wires wer
m connected. which, in turn, were con
K nerted with an electric battery. The bat
n tery was turned on and the charge wa
- exploded. To an observer the only vls
n. bic sign Of an explosion was th. forcin
If out ot a small quantity Of water over tl'
II. surface. When the wires were with
ar drawn It was found that the dynaniit
had exploded. but that the cartridge !
whirh il bad been cncased was not eve
" IN lnr.d. Therefore II could not have al
ie G.,tpd the rock in the we'll. II Is SUI
lo.ed that something Was wrong wit
Il" the dynamite, IA IL blew out OF the she
.s very much on the order IN which ir'
a crackers -iz ont instead Of popping. Az
lc other attempt will la made.
'Can you mount by means of tn" p''
us a-z' We asked of an amateur bycycli
recently. NO" was the reply, "a mouI
from bphind." GLOW do you get of q
mqchnc;" Usually in front. have
good many ways of leaving the IN
'c. chine lut getting of in front IL the mo
oi direct way. Most amateurs think 4
nd too" lie knew What he was talki'