New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-18
RAILROADS SIXTY YEARS AGO.

70 ths Edttor Of The Tribune.
Sir: send you paragraph OF Juno ~ 1917 on
the contemplated railroad from Boston TO Albany,
copied from The Boston Courier then edited by
Joseph T. Buckingham. for many years the leading
editor in Yew-England, and one Of tho most pro-
vreSslye IN the country. Mr. buckingham wrote :
Alclbades or some other great man Of antiquity, Il
Is said, cut OF his dogs tail that quid nunes might
not become extinct from want Of excitement. Some
such motive we doubt not, moved ono or two or
our natural and experimental philosophers to got up
a project for a railroad from Boston 20 Albany-a
project which every ono knows, who knowS the SIM
pest rule I'm arithmetic, to be impraeticabls' and Al
an expense little less than the market value Of the
whole territory Of Massachusetts, and which, II prae'
ticable. every person Of common sense knows would
be as useless as a railroad from Boston 10 the mooa7
Would any intelligent man now think that an editor
OF great Journal would thus put himself on record
sixty-two years sgo1 but Mr.. Buckingham was not
alone in his opposition 10 the railroad. In Tho
Pfttsneh Ciass.) SUM- in 1899, there was series
OF articles published for and against tho proposed
work. by two of tho most intellectual men living at
that day in Western Massachusetts-Theodore sedg-
wick, Of stockbrdge, IN favor Of tho road, and
Henry Shaw, OF Lsnes6oro, IN opposition 20 H. One
showed by facts and figures that tho railroad would
be great benefit and success and the other by facts
and figures that II would be a great failure and
provo disastrous to the State and 70 all individuals
VINO engaged IN ~ lbo cfetnt OF tho bthto was
loaned to tho company. Tho railroad built;
II was success II has for years paid seven, eight
end per cent dividends and Tho Tribune Of to-day
says that the stock Of tho Boston and Albany road
sold at the Stock Board In Boston on the 9th inst
a. 2I4a2i6 higher than any other railroad stock IN
real estate in the State, having paid last year
nearly S7eOOOo; and the rosdbed i've rods in width,
is not assessed for taxation. The number of miles
OF railroads In the United States IN 1883 was about
10000. Who now Is afraid Of now things, and who
says the world does not move 1900
brooklyn, March IL, 1880.
ExTRApITIoN LEGIsLATToS IN CANADA.
TO tho EdHor or The Tribune.
Sir: In your issue OF the 7th inst. ut the end Of
editorial note the effort Of the boodlers' and
defaulters 10 defeat tho bill before the Dominion
Parliament for their extradton TO the United states.
you express the hope that this blot on Canada win
speedily DO expunged.s efay say that n boIng an
asylum to "boodlersS sooundrels and criminals is
"blot- on any country ono need not 20 out Of the
United States 10 discover It.; and that II Is because
tho American Senate unable 10 radfy the partially
objectionable extradition treaty with Great Britain
that we arc confronted with this unrestricted 70
ciprocitys between Canada the States in the nto
change OF our swindiing and criminal CLASSES.
Canada, not being q sovereign State. not NOM
inally party to the negotiations for now e1tradL
ton treaty But Canada a self governing country,
seems TO have decided that even II the United States
cannot yet return Canadian criminals she viii return
American criminals. At any rate. DR.. weldon, Dean
OF the Delhouse College Law school, has introduced
In the Canadian Parliament a bill to that effect,
which tho organs Of both political parties have strongly
indorsed Under the existing antquated treaty. ex-
tradition is allowed only for MURDER assault with in;
tent 10 commit MURDER piracy, robbery, arson and
forgery but Mr. Weldon's bill proposes 20 deliver
up offenders guilty Of granddaughter, cOunterfeitlng.
larceny embeEzemont, obtaining money. ETC.. under
false pretences crimes against insolvency laws frauds
BY men IN hducary positions, aud several other
offences II the bill passes, Canada will have done
for public and International morality what nation,
without recIprosation, has believe before un.
dertaEen II the bill does not pass tho blot must
for the present remain on both countries.
Ithaca, N. Y. March 8. 1859.
A BARBARoUs CONVICT LABOR SYSTEM.
10 Me EdGfor OF The TrfbHae.
Sir: wonder II you have ever visited southern
city and viewed the system OF convict labor. am
Northern woman and never cease to be shocked
The convIcts are worried in the streets IN gangs Of
hundred or more, clad in stripes, driven along TO
and from the pententiary like cattle, with guards
30 lead and follow with guns and dogs Horrible
sght-young boys, white and black all In tho same
shameless herd bll Is nIw Pending before tho Leg,
isature 10 establish refoimatory, With few good