Year: 1869

IN THE COUNTRY BY RAIL.


The bell rang An aboardlo shouted


the conductor as he stepped upon the plat
form, and we we're leaving the depot with in
cressing speed. Soon all but the prominent
points Of the receding city had faded from


view, and now as we rounded curve even
they disappeared. could not avoid feel


ing of loneliness though surrounded by peo


pie, and as we glided along, the thought of
danger and perhaps death. from collision or
running off the track, caused me to shudder.


notwithstanding had mailed to nv wife a


3-day, $1,000 Accident ticket. How few, BY


the way, of all who travel, take the preeau.


ton to insure themselves against accidents


and even loss Of life, or rather, 10 insure


their families against helpIessnsss and want
and misery which may result from such a
catastrophe as have mentioned. Isnot such


neglect culPablel especially when $4,000 in
surance in case of death, with s25-a-wcek


indemnity in case Of total disability, costs
only 25 cents per dayl But l must not
dwell upon this subject least be deemed
an Insurance agent, and my suggestions be
Invested Of the impOrtaues they possess.


On We went The train had reached the
summit of the grade, and the putting result
ing from the exhaustion Of the steam while
our irOn-hOrse was laboriDg 50 hard, had
row subsidized and We were gliding along the
continuous rail with as little noise as


Velocipede makes on sidewalk. We pass.
ed scores Of shanties pat up By prsctical ad-
vOcates Of squatter sovereignty, who thus
raise large families as well rs sufieisucy Of
garden sauce, without Payin dollar Of arint''
or owning I" fut Of ground. And yet
children Of such parents not iufrequently


make stir in the world. In all our cities
some of our most successful and influential
business men can boast of such Parentsge !
and the writer knows of more than one in
stance of such sons residing with their fami-
lies in dwellings whose cost is reckoned BY
thousands Of dollars, while their gray-hair-
ed parents continue to live in the novels in
which those same children were born, era
died and raised to years of maturity. And
yet the wealthy son is not above going to
see his old father and mother, or having
them visit him nor are the unthrifty parents
ashamed to receive their son or envious of
his prosperity.


Now we wers shooting BY farm-houses dot
ting the widespread landscape, or under
over hanging iOrsst-trees whose branches
we're weighed down with their freight of
aescy snow. 1t was a wintry scene. but
BOreas had not emerged from his cave to
which he had retired after diyeating himself
BY whirling the cutting PARTICLES of snow in
10 the faces of those who were SO brave as to
dare his jolly majesty. The sun shone cheer
ingly, but there was a sharp air, which
though braciug to the spirit pinchsd ones
nose and ears rather too much for comfort.
But We were not obliged to expose ourselves,
and a brisk fire swapping and flaming in
our stoves impaired an agreeable tempera-
ture inside, that would lead one to forget the
winter outside, but for the white snow that
stretched unbroken all about US.


l make it point to form the acquaintance
of my neighbor when am travelling by rail,
unless that indescribable something exists
which causes the autens of the soul to re-
coil, when usually seek mora congenial
locality. In this instance my seat mate was
a middle aged man who cordially met my
advances, and soon learned that he is a pro-
prietOr, one of firm, owning an interest in
extensive machine-works at Sandusky, and |
was rather mortified to learn that he was
from putting up large engine in |
Toledo. In answer to my inquiries he said |
he perhaps ought not to7say the shops of his
firm turned out better work than is made 10 /
Toledo, but they could afford as good work
aud at so much cheaper rates as to more than
cover the cost Of transportation. He remark
cd that he had lately put up several engines
in Toledo. could but think it is high time 1
for US to encourage manufactures in our city. /


Hark Il is the haTbinger peal Of the en-
CINE bell, telling that We are approaching
stopping place. Iron horses must rest as
well as those Of flesh and bone Well, rest
is hardly the word either, for they never
lire. Like now and then living horse,
hey run till they drop in their tracks. But
hey must eat and drink, and that is why
hey occasionally stop. But this time the
signal was a false alarm, or rather it denoted
else; for scarcely decreasing his
speed, by no means descending from bis
ierce gallop to a moderate trOt,--our power
iul draught-hOrse. prancing like racer and
'norting ike a behsmOtb, shakes out his
name, and with the fevsrish breath curling
upward from his expanding nos.rils, kicks
ip his heels in proud scOrn, and leaves a
small collection of houses far behind. We
nave passed Clay Junction as it IS termed.
whose post Office is bIillbury. Whether it is
hus named because Of the soil predominant
ng in the locality, or iu honor Of Kentucky's
yreat statesman and patriot, the writer does
rot know. Henry Olay-had he lived and
lst at the helm or guided the counsels Of his
native state, would her attitude have been
different during the recent war Would it