Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
THE FUTURE UTOPIA.
Shirley Dare's Idea of What Wana-
maker Will do When President.
HIS PNEUMATIC TRAFFIC POST
New York Ordering Things for Dinner From
Chicago and st. Louis.
GOTHAK CLEAN, HEALTHY AND QUIET
rcoRRrspoNpnNor on rur p1spATcu.1

NEW 1ORKs feDruary zz.-hoW WoulO
life seem if everything and everybody from
its beginning were devoted to making things
pleasant? Would the world be any worse
for our partial happiness, or we be any
worse for living in a safe, kind, healthful
world? To say that health and soundness
of mind, ease of fortune and good feeling
are not the due and right conditions of life,
is to say that disease and sin are the best,
and we are to submit to them, and we know
it is not so.
To studyto make life easy for one self and
for others does not seem very noble ambi-
ton, yet it may hold the principle of the
most unselfsh deeds, the most warm-hearted
service to the world. 1t is questionable if
enlightened selfshness has not more real
consideration for others than much of the
oDe-sided self-devotion which wears a little
silver badge at its buttonhole and manages
to lay very large one on other peoples
shoulders, with the very best of motives.
Such thoughts we're in my mind as the
ferryboat neared the Battery landing at
New York, How long the trip had been
through the fog cannot say; but that had
lifted as the boat glided to the wharf; and it
struck me as unusual that fragrant breeze
was blowing off shore, in place of the smell
of bilge water. By good fortune, too, the
boat glided surely to the wharf without
shock or jar, depriving US of those instantS
OF dread and recoil which are part of every
days experience with ferry passengers.
THE CITY SEEN IN A DREAM.
1t seemed strangely quiet in the city; but
that was probably on account of some
funeral or celebration unknown to me, being
a person who often as not misses reading the
newspapers. It crossed my mind indeed
to wish there might be funeral every day,
for the sake of quiet, as walked up Broad
way to the postofice. There had been a
very careful cleaning of the streets lately, I
remarked, and the fragrance of Jersey
florist gardens came gratefully on the un-
perverted air. One somehow missed the
sense of cloudlng, gloom and CRIME which
attends the entrance to a city, and took up
the days work with better heart.
went into the city postofice, lifting my
skirts from habit to escape the dirty floors,
but behold, all was clean and dustless as a
college museum, and, more wonderful, no
trace of CRIME soiled lintels or sills. spoke
in praise of the admirable order to the Gus
todian at the door.
"Where is the dust to come from" he
asked, and looked around to reply. The
soothing quiet of the city had made itself
felt before, and discovered that the great
causes of noise and dust were both goEe.
There was no traffic in the streets where the
concrete pavements lay as fresh as Philadel-
phia doorsteps. Not horse car or team of
anv sort could be seen, no litter of any kind
offended the senses, instead, the street boxes
of flowers lined the sidewalks as far as eve
could see, and the breath OF the city was
that of a garden.
NoIsELEss ON BROADWAY. H.
Here and there little gay gilded iron.
pavilions Of nghtest open work, with
striped awnings, sheltered the business of
vender of papers, household notions, fruits
or fancy wares Presently light, open car
with awning over it, glided swiftly by with
the touch of q musical, clear bell, and went
noislessly up Broadway.
Everything goes by electricity said to
myself, but was behind the times.
The mail was uncommonly large, there
being $50 letters on superfuous hair and
cosmetics by the 10 o'clock post, but 1 had
hardly time for thrill of dismay when the
obliging clerk said, "Of course you will
have them sent to the house?"
1 said, 81 can't wait for the next deliy-
cry"
''They will be at the house before, or at
the same time, if you take the pneumatic
yourself. They are just dlspatching the
Western unlimited mail, perhaps you would
like to see it"
A gilded gate uncIosed and huge iron
cylinders, one after another, shot into the
dark opening which could be seen sloping
cellarward, and few of, as the cash boxes
vanish at shopcounters.
''It is great benefit to the country, haV-
ing the new SERVICE" said the clerk, ''the
return mail is here again by o'clock In the
afternoon from Chicago"
"Return?" managed to ask in surprise.
'Yes, that is, the orders are sent by tele-
graph, and the parcels are here by o'clock
in the afternoon. The routine perhaps, in
terests you?" she said politely, for though
obliging, the clerk was still woman.
ORDERING GOODS FROM CHICAGO.
1.-THE orders for goods are sent bv morning
telegraph to Chicago, by Z o'clock, and the
goods are selected, packed and received here
by the middle of the afternoon. Many
families order their -four, vegetables and
beef from the Western central markets
direct, and get them in time for dinner the
same day. 1t Is great saving of expense
and things come so fresh. We are pretty
we'll up with the business at this end, for
most of the mail just sent was ordered from
Denning's & Stern's this morning for st.
Louis ladies, who want things for the great
reception tonight. The charm seems to be
in getting up parties since the Pneumatic
came in. 1t has reVolutionized everything.
There comes the New Jersey mail, the
flower mail, mean. The milk mail for the
children's lunches is in by 1890.
80 ~ - al
asked incredulously.
''Oh, most of it goes direct to the houses,
though some waits here on call. There,
they have split the milk at the Gllsey
House, and the cook wants more sent up for
puddings before the eggs begin to fall. Ali
right, delivered and received" she said as
silvery ting rang at her elbow from the
transmitting wire. "Wonderful system that
shoots the milk can on the pantry table and
never sends 20 the wrong house."
"But don't quite understand" said.
''Your mail seems to be mostly goods. Don't
it interfere with the letters?"
ONLY LOVE LETTERS BY MAIL.
"People don't need letters as thev used
to-" she said, "since every person has his
private wire and talks to his correspond
ent direct. The telegraph and phono-
telegraph have dispensed with writing,
except for love letters, which it is still
refined to send in the old silent way, BY
writing. But we have all we can do send
ing family supplies by the pneumatic under
ground across the continent. The country
owes debt of gratitude to President Wan
amaker for establishing the pneumatic
traffic post. Except the sending of grain by
ships along the interstate canals there is no
commsrce except by underground. Doesn't
it make a delightful difference? I can
hardly helieve that / nsad To live rrhan thav