Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 30, 1873, Page 2

— LITIT CITIOAGU DRIGT. Tl UNIG T THUISIDAY, T T T T e e POSTAL TELEGRAPHY. An Argument in Favor of It. Another Letter from Mayor Modill to President Orton. Discussion of the Charncter and Functions of Our Govern= ment, By, Medill “Sces No Other Allernative Than That the National Corporas tlon Must Sooncr or Later Talko Posscsslon of the Telegraph,” Ontcado, Jan, 24, 1878, How, Willlam Ortony Tresident Western Unfon Tel- cgraph Company : My Dran S1r: I acknowlodge the recoipt of ewo coplos of your book, *“On tho Relatious of tho Govornment to thio Telograph,” prepared by Hon. David A. Wells and yoursclf. In the ap- pendix to tho volumo, I find your reply to my \ottor of tho 17th ult, ! 1 would let our oxchange of views in rogard to postal telography terminato with yourlast lotter werae it not for your remark that * you are some- what disappointod, that, instoad of meoting syuarely somo of the points presented in your letter, T scok to turn their flank by a comparison botween the postal sorvico and thoe business of tho express companies ; ' and tho serlous assor- tion *that thore is & fundamental differonce in our vlews concorning the objects for which our Government was established and tho bost modes of nccomplishing them.” This *fundamontal difforoneo " you proceod to oxplain, andutato my views of tho functions and dutiea of Govornment in n way thet fs “peculiar,” but I trust not **with intent to decoive.” RELATIONH OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DUSINESS MAT- TERS, Lot mo stato, at the outset of thia letter, my understanding of the functions and relations of tho Covernmont towards the business affairs of tho poople, which will provent misundorstand- {og or porvercion in tha futuro T hold that suy business or oceupation which ieoreanbe conducted by individual enterpriso, or by peeuninry corporato offorts, with fair and wren competition to regulate pricos and provent oxiortion, or when tho charges can be rogulatod Ly law, should be loft to tho management of euch agencies, -bolioving that such oourse will ‘best promote tho publio welfuro, 1 hioldt furthor, tha, any business esgentisl to tho publie welfare, and general in its nature and requivements, which can 7ot bo conducted by in- dividual offort and capital, but only by corpornto organization, and which is not practically sus- contible of fair and opon compoetition, or whoso chargos - cannot bo limited and reg- ulated Dy law, but which is, or de- gouoratos into, a monopoly, may right- fully be taken control of and maunged for the public benefit by one orother of the political corporations best adaptéd to the performanca of tho service, whather that bo the National, State, or Municipal corporntion, POSTAL TELEGRAPIIY 18 CONSTITUTIONAL, HENCE A FUNOCTION OF GOVERNMENT. It is nitorly uscless aud vain to have any con- troyoray upon collatoral polnty, as thoy nro meraly sido issues, so long as we disagree about theso fundamental quostions. You deny that it {8 ono of the functions of Govornment to cstab- ek postal telegraphy. Doos this mean that it wvould be nnconstitutional, which, if true, must end all controversy ? But, if it bo not unconsti- tutional, then 1t is o function of Government to evtablish postal telography, and its duty to os- tablish it, if thoroby tho gonoral wolfaro is pro- woted, for *‘ to promote the goneral wolfare” is declared in tho prosmblo of the Constitution to boono of tho purposes of jthe General Govorn- ment. I nssumo, however, that ‘you do mot chnllnufe tho constitutional suthority of tho Gonoral Government to establish & Bystem of poatal telegraphy, and shall proceed on that as- sumption; for if it be in violation of the organio law the éupremu Court will mo declare, and ronder null and void any nct of Congross at- tempting to oronte such a syatom, 4 PATERNAL GOVERNMENT—OULS A FRATERNAL GOVERNMENT. You charge mo with advocating n “gntemnl govornment,"” such na thoss of the ¢ 0ld World, which havo heon extonding with ouo hinnd their ilusive benofits, while with the other thoy have boen Leaping up burdons upon the peoplo until debt and taxation are fast ripening into univer— wal discontent.” Is this n quito falr statemont ? DidIcite any Government of the Old World, excopt Great Britain, In the matter of uniting {bo tolograph with tho postal servico? And Is that constitutional Govornment 2 “patornal” ouo? You would mortally wound tho sonsibilitics of any ‘froo-born Briton" by eaying go in his presence, aud ho would beapt to xegont it 0s o porsonal insult, Doocs the steady reduction of Natjonal dobt sud of taxes in Great Britain justify assertion you make? T observe that'the phraso ¢ patdrnal govern- ‘muent " ling bocomo & favorite snoor with Btato Sovarolgnty advocatea; but It 18 o gross misno- aer when applied to \lollficll inatitutions in this conntry. Ours is strictly a frafernal Govern- ment—nol paternal, An absolute monarchy is a patornal form of government. The Ozar of Rus- 8it Is n conspicuous type thereof, and ho is called by his sub]ac!s tho Father of his people. Where tho sovercign power is vested in one por- son, thoro ia a putornal government, no mattor whether tho * Great Father " is cruol or kind to Lis children, *Whera tho soyercign power is veat- <d inthe people, as in the Amorican Union, thore 15 the fratornal form of government as contra- dislinguished from the paternal. Our form is thnt of a brothierhood of free aud equal mon,—a groudand univorsnl confraternity of ocitizens, ‘united togathor for tho purposes sot forth in tho Constitutions of the Goneral and State Govorn- anents and charters of municipalities, WIIAT CONSTITUTES OUR GOVERNMENT, Our Govornmout comPrisou sovoral distinet picces of politieal machinery,—several wheols volving on thelr rl.-s}:eclivn controg, but all cd into ench other, and sl doriving powers from the will of tho movereign uoncy, tho pooplo. Wo lavo tho groat iteel wheel called the Fedoral Governmont, vuid cogged into it aro forty Btato Governments, 1 into onch of theso soveral scoro smaller 1a called countics and cities, and into the zauntios still smaller wheoly called townships or precinets. Tech of those, from the smallest to i:9 grontost, conutitutos a political corporation in which the citizens residing thorein aro stock- Loiders; and ench han its aegigned nuthority, functionn, aud duties, with rogulating tribunals ‘enigblished to provent one from absorbing power e frespassing on the functions of thoe others. “Tho whole of thiose political corporations con- stitute the Amorican Government. They nre ull owned by tho people and ‘manoged by ngents of their selection, 'Lhoy aro corporns tioun in which ovory man iua sharcowner and twkos his dividondd in personal and properly teourity, advautagos, and porformances for tho common intorest, sud o -contributes in {zxon for their support and maintouance (1 pro- (‘ur!diou to hig property or consumption of taxed goods, § ENERY QITIZEN A WAREOWNER, I'ho subdivisions of which I havo spoken, juto génoral, Stato, county, city and township aro wade for the convenioucs and_ bonefit of the cilizens, and the funotions and dutios asslgnod v {ho ngents ov ofticers by each of the corpora- tions, avo azcignod for the sume ond. Obsorvo tuo, that the citizon iy n sharcownor in ench of thoso corporations and hus his equal volco ju thechoico of agents for the managoment. T'hus, I sm a stookholder in the township corpo- ntion of Honth Chicago, in tho corporntion of tho City of Chiengo, in that of the County of e'aok, in that of the Btate of Illincis, and in thet of the United Statos of Amerlea, and contributo tuxes for the aufporh of all of thom, and racoive tenoflta from all in various forms. 13" PATERNAL FOR ONE I1'8 PATERNAL FOI ALL, 1t Is no moroau act of *paternal Government" for ouo of those political corporations or confra- tarnitics to conduot ohavitablo, oducational, pon- tal, common-onrrier, lntnrunf-impmvumem, or telogruphio entorprise, than for another, and it viould bo s ¢ n'utornl‘y" act for elther or all to perform such things, Thero puly three considovations Involved : Bro e, doos the Constitutlon charter of elthor ormit i3 sogond,’ would it ?mmnt lio Funnrnl welfare of-the corporation ; hirdly, aro tlio mombors of thocorporation wills Ing? It tho throo quastionn can bo nuwered in the alirmativo, who shall Intorposo a nogn- tive, and who hag a right to eatop? It tho. tlonal’ Gonetitntion prohibita tha Toderal cor- poration from transm] tuuq Tottors of tho pooplo )y mail or mosnages by telograph for thom, Lul parmalts tlio BEnte: eorrarations 10 bt thory Bserylces, it would bo just na-much ‘‘patornal™ work on tholr part oa for tho gonoral Govorn- mont to do it. 'Cho wholo mattor turns, you Bomnlva, on the throo poiuts I ntated, viz.: lonatitutionality, public good, and penminsfon of tho mombiors, - You condemn postal telegraphy, and afiirm, in gonoral torme, that such bunsinoss is no more an aitribute or: a function of govornmont than for Governmont to undortake a aystom of aduention or chinrity, such a8 making provision for help- lons lnfnnlu, tho indigent aged, tho sick and dos- titute, tho imboollo and inflrm, WIAT 'TIUE GOVERNMENT I6 DOING, Aro your offiolal dutios 8o ongrossing or blind- ing that you do not know that all thoso things aro porformoed by ono or the other of our politl- cal corporationa? Ilavo you nevor hoard of Btato, county, or city asylums for orphans, for the idiotio and ingano, the desf, dumb, snd blind, institutions for tho nl\rborfi of the Indl- nt poor and {nfirm and helploss, lospitals for or. 0 sick and wounded, and freo schools for tho youth of all olasses of sooioty? Aud yot they abound in all parts of the nation. Btrango ae it may sound to you, wo have lon, 1ind all thoso instifutions in thin State and mos of thom In this county, supported at public ox* ponse, and managed on what you would call and condomn as the " patornal,” but what I call tho Jraternal systom of governmont. But in ad- dition to thoso we aro oarrying on by tho politi- onl corporation of Ohioago, many entorprises ‘which ywill grnblbly make you nllego that our #gohomo of uufl Snvummunt appaars tobe a grand Fonrlnr;’: anx—a sort of Onoida com- munity on an immonso scale.” For instanco, the paternal governmentof the city has fur- nishod o municipal systom of wator uupp!:i ata cost of soyeral milions, and tho fluid {4 eold at romarkably cheap raton to overybedy. The inspiring motive for the oxoroise of this “patornal function” was to *provido the pooplo with what wea doomod good for Lhoir wolfaro in larger supply, at losn cost per capila then would rosult {f tho supply dopoended upon capital man- aged by privato ontorprise,” 1. 8., peouniary cor- orations, Wo #ricd tho latter mothod, aud aftor Lo usual oxperienco of company ‘monopoly and rapacity, Euahod it asido nnd adopted the prrnclp 0 which you 8o vigorously condomn, Lot me giva you anotlier cage, whoro private entorpriso has boou made to filvo way to tho ‘patornal” method. Tho political corporation has bullt over tho Ohieago River and its branches more thon thirly bridges, and dug undor it two groat rond tunnels, all'at a cost of twoor thrgo millions. 1How xuh toll do yon auppase is charged for pacsing over or through thom ? Nothing! Thoy wero constructed and main- talned ty nssossont on tho sharvowners of tha olitical corporation, and thoir use is rendorod Frnnlo straugorans woll na citizons, “Privatoon~ torpriso” would gladly have coustructod thosa b{l gns it pormitted to oxact what toll it ensed. : [,\Vu hove oracted some forty brick school Liouses ab publio oxponso, and aro educeting about forty thouanne childron at the oost of tho political corporation ; we have high schools sup- ported in tho samo way, and Normal schools to oducato teachers. And Hullo recontly tho cor- orption has cstablishod o free public library _to furnieh books and poriodicals to overybody who will read thom. Noris thisall: tho Corporation of Chicago hus engagod in the insurance businoss, and os- tablishod & Fire Dopartment, with ma{fold aud elaborats machinery and nppilnnco, operated by sovoral hundrod meén and hornos, for tho protac- tion of the proporty of citizens sud * promotion of the gonoral welfare;” aund all this in tho tooth of your fundamental objeotion to political corporats intrusion upon the domain of pecuni- ary corporation monopoly, or what you stylo ¢ privato onterprise,” QUASI-POLITICAL CORPORATIONS. It may not bo doomed expodient or desirablo for the gonoral political corporation to undor- tako tho postal telegraph business ; but thero ia nothing ot fundamoental yariance In 8o doin; with the theory or practice of our fratornal form of governmont. 'Tho work (s too groat for a private_citizen to undertake, and it requires the combined offorts and capital of thousands of citizens to conduct it. Moroover, thoy still cannot undertake it until tho politienl corpora~ tion grants them co?nmtn priviloges and powers, and oxganizos them into a quasi form ot Government, modelled olosely aftor tho political form, They must be iuvested with n namo and o seal, and divested of a consciencoe and sonl. fihoy workunder a char- tor, and omploy the officlal organization in great part of a political corporation, as well sa many of its powers and priviloges. 1t is improper to call such artificial mnolinory ¢ privato antar- prisa” _or privato oftort, as it is nothing of the sort, Privato ontorprise ia that which is pocu- liar to one's self, uuconnected with othors, sop- erato, individual, It is {unuflmuch privato ontorprise” for the people throigh one of their political cor- porations, Natioual, State, or Munleipal, to operate poatal telogm{)hy as for geveral thousand persona orgnnized as tho Western Union Corpor- ation, under quasi-political chartera to do it, bo- cause the shnrcholdors in either Corporation must furnish tho capital, employ Bonrds of Di- rectors, Suporintendents, sorvants, ngonts, and exporty, to manago tho busincss, THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE. Thoossontizl difference botweon tho twoolassen of corporations ig in the motive aud purpose of the rospoctivo mombers, tho quasi-political cor- poration undortakes the Luslness and furnishps tho capital for tho sake of tho antlcipated profits {hat can ho realized, by cherging tho public what- over thoy pleaso Tox thelr sorvices, witereas' the politieal corporation undertako it for the sake of tho money that can be saved, and tho mora satisfaotory control that can bo cxercised over tho business. Tho ono nooks the Inrgest possi- ‘blo compensation for the smallest service; the other the largest possible wervico for tho least cost. Tho mnin object of both corpora~ tions is tho benofit” of the stockholdors, which in the ono caco ombrace the fow making profit at thoe cost of the many, and in the other, of tho whols saviug expenso for all. ‘Whother tho groat pocunisry corporations aro ‘maunaged by their ngents and Boards moro hon- ostly, oconomically, or ofiiciently than tho politleal corporations, Ishall not stop to con- Bider, 04 gront donl can bo said on both kides, and very much can be truthfully allogod by ono againgt the othor, a8 rospocts corruption and dereliction, the cuuse of which is found in the dishouost, selfleh, grasping, and uufaithful proclivitios of men who muat Lo employed to manago thom. And I suppoeo theso had quali tica are inseparabla from uuregenorato lun: nature, and must be endured witil tho pronch- ers make mon honest and faithful. UNGURBED CORPORATE RAVACITY, But thoro is another serious difiorenco in the naturo and nPnrationu of tho pocuniavyand polit- icnl corporation which must nol bo ignored, T'he formor nssort tho right to charye for their ger- vicos whatovor they slcuae, and thoy exorcisa the extraordinary and dangerous )_)rivilego of dic- tating both sides of tho bargain. To enablo thom tho moro completely to do this, thoy unito with each othor to obliterate all traco of compe- tition hy_combinations, consolidations, leesing, and “pooling,” tho objoct being to xcduco tho ublio to tho' single altornativo of paying tho finmnml or doing without tho wervico—of burning tholr grain and golng- on foobt or submitting to ‘tho ~dictated exaction. Thoy rosist Govorninent'intorferenco and rogu- Ietions llmu(n% charges or fixIing muxiroum fares and tolls, and trent ae impertinont foolishness tho protcuts of oppressed citizons nnd commu- nities. Thoy do not deny that thero is a total absenco of consclenco in fixing uehodulos of ohur;éen, and that the main purpose of the cor- oration is to wring tho utmost moncy out of ylw public, 'This systom of uncurbed corporate rn{mcity is tgranuy, puso and whadulleratod, in which tho toiline millions aro mado tosuffor for the peouni- ary emolumont of tho privileged fow. The wholo aystom {8 auti-democratio and dangerous to the publio welfare, It is Blavory in snothoer uige ; it is tho grout ovil of tho presont and fu- ure, until it be curbed, cured, or killed as Blay- ery wag. All tho tall about the dangers of * contrallza- tlon™ and “patornal government” is “small tallc” ju the prosence of corpornte monopoly in tho carrying business of produots, persons, },;m cals, and mogsagos,—is moro dust thrown' into the oyes of tho pooplo to divert their sttention from the ronl und overslindowing oppression which afllicts them; which ~ takes 760 Dushela of grain out of every 1,000 for conveying {t from the intorlor to the scabonrd. Butit in gald, in oxcuso for thin extortion, that the high tarill ou fron nnd .teol groatly increascs the cost of building raflroads. In roply tq this lame apal- ogy, I ask what have the railway companies done to induce Congross to roducs tho dutien on iron and ateel 7 Wo all know what influence thay can oxerclse on Cougross whon they dcom it thelr intercst to oxeroine it, Iron and steol would have been placed on tho froo lat long sgo if the railway companies had really dogired it, Dnt tho facl fs, too many of their prominent nmunflura liave peouninry intor~ ety {n furnaces, rolling-milly, wnd otlior iron worl, to doslre any roductton of dutics, On tha oontrary, thoy are opposed to choap iron_aud sleol. “Thoy wwunt thosa artioles to romnin donr, fn ordor to male profits on tho manufacturo thoreof. COURTH, JAILS, AND POLIOE, Tho dootrine you advacnto, as I gallior it from your writings, wonld limit the functions and usofalness of (ovarnmout to the omployment of threo agoncioa: Courts, fails, and police; to tho Ymvcntlou of invasion and lusurrcotion, and unishinont of eriminals, togothot with the' col- loction of taxcs for the u\lpEort of thoso agon- clos. Tvorything elso which tho strongth of in- dividuals cannot porform you would turn ovor to ;quasl-political corporations, ondowadl with spoclal priviloges, andlonve thom unirammolod {o dliotato their own torms, organizo monopo- llos, and plundor the country at will, RESULT OF NON-FUNGTION- DOGTRINE. Your theory of non-notion and non-function on tho part of tho Govornmont, carried out to ita lul;lonl sequonco, neconearily abolishos the postal systom, and’ loaves tho business to the oxpross ‘compardon, or ‘whatever corporation ohooses to undertal it, and on tholr own torma of componsntion ; it nbolislies the systom of ublio sehools throughout the Union, nnd mukes t tho duty of evory pavout, whether indigent or opulont, to pay for the oducagon of his own ohildron, or lot them grow up in bonstly ignor- anco if unable to pay ; nnd orphans must look out for thoir own oducation ; it would nboliali sl publio asylunis for tho imbocilo, insane, inobrintes, Infirm, holplosn, aged, an Lospitals for tho sick, disoased, and wounded, homes for orphang, alms-housos, and infirmarica for tho indigent and paupor-poor, supported b tho_differont political corporations ; it woul({ abolish {froe bridges and frao improved high- ways, and haud them ovor to the earo and lxm:{;- ing of poouniary corporations, who would speedi- 1y oroct toll-gates and_onter upon tho businosa of watoring gtacks, and baving o good thing at tho publio oxpongo, Firo Dopnrtments in citlos would go the same way ; and, unless the volun- toor aystom wororeplacod, with nllits inefilcloucy and rowdyism, cition would be lott to burn down &4 faat a8 thoy could bo built up, No mora public aid conld bo givon for the fm- provomont of rivors or. harbors, for conatructing canals or ralironds, turnpikes, or any othor publio work to promoto and choapon intercommunieation and tranepor- tation. Thoso inhibitlons are alike applicablo on your theory to Stato, Fodoral, and Municipal Governmonts, bocauso thoy are all parts of the syatom of popular gi;)vornmeut. organized, do- finod, and maunged by tho poople, and ngonts of thoir sologtion. ' Buch a bloodless, floshless, sinewloss, olin- 1osa skoloton of Govornment may be tho bost foun to cstablish justico, insurc domestic tran- nfiximy, promoto tho general welfare, and securo tho blossings of liberty ; but my abliguity of vision, or prejudicos” of education, or both togotlier, provent mo from percolving or aceopting it, and honce our irreconcilable dis- agreoment of viows in rolation to tho func- tions of §ovnrumonlv. 1 bavo littlo moro to add, ns it is hardly worth whilo to disputo collateral points, or assortions of amount, cost, or quantity, when_thoy aro moeroly twiguandloaves of thotree, If X am right on tho {andemontal quostion touching tho pow- org, dution, and -functions of- government, all the other points in controversy ure of small con- soquonce. I will, thoroforo,” dotain you buta moment longor in glancing at a fow of your slatoments, REDUCTIONS OF TELEGRAPI TOLLS, You reprosent tho wagea paid by the Wostern Union Company, during ita last fisval yonr, ns G0 por cent of ity “xb"mm ; aud Nr, Wells soys its oxpenses wero (0 por cent of its receipts. Do you sook to convey tho iden by this gtatoment that tho Government could nob re- duco your presont tariff moro than three-fifths without 'tranemitting mesanges below cost ? But T prosumo you will not claim that all your oporators and mossongors sxo suppliod with all tho work they aro capablo of doing, and, taken altogothor, porhaps not tho half of it. In somo thousands of your offiges they have but fow mos- sages to sond or receive, chiofly bocauso of high tolla, Tho Lnglish oxporienca of a roduection of tariff phows that tho businoss was suddenly doublod. THE EXPRESA COMPANIES, You dwoll at considerablo length on the su- rurlor sorvicos of oxpress companics, and soy hint the Govornment doos not transmit its drafia aud funds through the mail, but employs tho oxpross to onrry thom. Tho'renson is nimplo. It Ia bocause the Government hea not under- taken the oxproes business, and, theroforo, does not carry largo packagos of monoy and other valunblos in tho mails, nor insuro romittors ogainst loss. Whon it doca undortake the por- formanco of that branch of common earrying, it will porform it as promptly and faitbfuily, nud ot a quartar of tho ratos uow charged by tho public. 3 When the Qovernment was charging 26 conta »lotor, many yoars ago, you eay the oxproay companics compotod witly"it, and ovon did s0 ‘whon tho rato was reduced to 10 cents, which i true i but thoir competition nevor extended to tho “lean routes”*and tho thousands of out-of- tho-way offices. It waa the croam of the busi-- noes they sought, and not the skim-milk, But tho Goveramont takos tho lean with tho fat, and serves all at uniform rates, and with ag¢ much promptitnde as the present modo of conveyanco will pormit. If tho business was givon over to the oxpress companios to manago as they I)lunam!, and chiarge what they ploaso, as_they do in thoir, sn'esuut busineos, and your Gomunu{ doos in its business, and tlo railronds do in theirs, the oxpress com- penios would begin by discontinuing ono-hulf or two-thirds of all thoPoat Officos in the United Btates; hundreds of daily routes would bo ro- duced 1o eomi or wookly n multl- tude of spocial rates would bo adopt- od, dopending on _distanco, routo, and woight, and it is doubtful whothor froa doliv- erios In cities would bo continuod—at all oventa thero wanld Do an oxtra. chnr%o o cover thocost. ‘Tho expenscs of tha Post Offico Dopartmont, in oxcoss of ita_rovonues, have boen, you nay, within the last fifteen yoars, about §50,000,000. Ighall not disputo your statomont, but will ox- plaiu it, It was causod by Landling enormous quantitios of free mattor, and by subsidies paid to stoamships. All tho thoussuds of weekly nowspapers in the'Union aro carried and dolive ered, in tho county of publieation froo of chargo, All the correspondonco and spooches of mom- bors of Congress, and documents and papera of the Departinontd, woroe sont without postage, Thoro has been too much ‘dend-heading,” which I hopo Congresa will reform, aftor which tho annual doficiencies will disuppenr, and the oxisting very low ratos be self-supporting. You admit the truth of my statoment that “tho connumption of whetovor s desirablo is al-_ ways in proportion to its _cost.” DBut with this roviso: *“‘That in reducing tho cost there is no jorntion of tho quality.” I accopt this pro- vifo in part. Pooplo will and do purchaso in- forior and adulterntod nrticles on account of clioapuess, But the postsl servico was not *“de- torioratod” whon it was cheaponed from 26 conta for o lotler to threo couts, but was voutly dmproved in overy respoct. Nor would the tolograph sorvico doterioriate if in the hands of tho pooplo’s ageuts and with the. tolls roducod to ouo-fitth of lzlmno now oxacted. Somo of tho advantages which have followed tho con- trol of Bribish tolography by the Govornmont during the firat yoar are cuumerated as follows : An increnso of mossagos of nearly 100 por cont ; an incroato of ofticas from 2,169" to 8,097, The pross, too, i supplied more Tiborall by the Govormmont than by tho companies. -Thoy sup- pliod_but 176 journals ; the Postal Tolograph suppliod 467, and tho incronse of worda tolkon was onormous ; and nil tho predictiona of in- fringoment on tho rights and libortios of tho pross remain unfulfiliod, b DANGERA OF TELEGRAPITIO MONOPOLY, - 1 shall ontor into no favther discnssion na to the actunl numbor of thousands of dollara of sharcownors' monoy paid nto tho Wostorn Union Company's 'Preasury, and tho numbor of millions of * wator ™ dpn\n'ml into the stock, on all of which dividends and surplusos ara do- clared, but I shall boar choorful testimony that, uudor your ablo nnd skilfal managomont, {ho Weatern Uniou is the best conducted aud least opprosgivo of all the groat monopolics in the Union. You Lavo atudied political aconomy, and accepted ono of its truths,viz: that & roduction of chargos will Incrouso profits; you have tho jn- stincts of a statoaman, and thorefore do not blindly disrogard publio opinion or tho plalnts and protetsof yourpatrons; you have improved tho servico, and in niany placcs reducod chargos, and boon iiboral {0 {hie pross, In short, you oo aman of superior brains and wagacity. But how long may you hold the reins? Thoro ia the rub, “The wstock in_ tho football of tho Wall stroot t,rnmhleru and who oan gunr- anteo & pormanent policy ab tholr hands ? ~ You admit that tho Company is practically n mo- nopoly, and that tho businoss is really not sus- coptiblo of compotition, ITonce I'can oo no othor altornativa then that tho National corpora- tion must soonor or lator tako possession of tho tolegraph, unite it with = tho postal syslom, ~ and operato thom togothor for tho common good, Thoso editors who now most stronuously opposa doing this will bo the firat to udvoca.my (hlu1 moasuro g\vlmn tho Gompany rainos ils tolls to *commereinl raton ™ upon thom, as 14 dono by tho ocenn_telo- graph monopoly, and will bo dono by the Woat- orn Unjon Uompany nndor a change of mannge- ment, and aftor tho absorption of the rival linos which might attempt a foeble compotition, With sontimonts of porsonal estoem, I am yours truly, Joserur MEDILY, WASHINGTON. The Oredit Mobilier Investiza: tion. i A Digest of the paseQ--Enoh Man, on the Stand WasnmaTon, Jon, 2, 167, From Our Ouwn Correspondent. An irresistiblo fatality attonds exposures; and, whothoer n Committee of Investigation bo indifferent or not, grent gonoral facts como of thomeolvos. After two weeks of short sossions, listlons questioning, aud {ho rendoring of long state- monte,—in gumo cagen compiled by nttorneys, In otliors attended with gonticulationa aud protos- tation,—Crodit Mobiller Commltioo No. 1 got down to bed-rock last 'Muenday. PATTEREON, In n little while a Bonator of the United Btaton would have passed into private lifo, a8 the Log- Ialnturo of his Btate had boforo passed upon any public desire to have him roturned again, In- oxorablo fate would uot haveit 6ol And to the firat dlsostrous defeat wo must superadd tho disgraco of oxposnre under such ofrcumstances a8 must forover cast n cloud about tho public aervico and porsonal intogrily of Jamos W. P'at- torson, There should have been nothing in the pre- vious 1lifo of thin gontloman to make. him fall in the way of such cattle- buyors as Amos, Alloy, Durant & Co. o hiad boon aquict tntor and professor at Dart« mouth Oollego, of which ‘ho waa & graduato, Bomo littlo sorvico to tho Binto Board of Edu- catlon qualified him to go totho Logislaturo, ond somo capacity hore also sent him to Con- gross for n couplg.of torms, whon, lmlnF nEpro- cintod for his modesty, prudonco, and neighiborly addrees, ho unhappily.mounted a stop highor on the Inddor, and took & sont in the Bonnto, Tho 4th of March noxt would have dologated him to citizon lifo ns tho Prosident of au Agrioultural Qollogo in the now fleld of Ohio, aud porhapa ivon him an identity with tho Wost which would nvo pasacd him still further along in tho scalo of National considoration. All theso possibil- itlea must hereaftor bo based upon a long pro- betion and onhrfil‘Lnuw good conduct. It was Mr. Pattorson's fortuno, however, to have roprosontod n Btato of which n. large number of busy and bustling mon solectod the Olty of Washe ingion an the flold of matarial operations, and tho intiuenco of his Senatorlal position was nocessa- Ty to them, and in time worthy of nquid pro quo. Ono of theso porsons was tho dlsbm’aln‘f‘ oflicor of tho Houso of Represontatives ; another was tho Becrotary of the Pacific Railroad; anothor wad tho Commissionor of Internal Ravonuo; and. a half-dozen woro lobbyists, attorncys, strikers, cte., ntthoneat of Government. Tho firm of Chandler, Ordway & Rollinahas boon committed to Mstor{ by the Hon. Goorge G. Fogg. As ocarly as 1863, * the Now Hampshire Ring " was rocognizod in Washington, and persons from tho comparativoly insignificant Granite Stato Wero conSucfing vast sciomes and oporations in Em‘ts of tho Continont which thoy could nover ave known or visited without womo finsucial connoction with publio lifo, Benator Pattorson had conducted himself with such mildness and bonignity in tho Senato that, whon his name appoared ‘on the now mom- orable list kept in the momorandum-hook of" Ookes Ames, thonco was transcribed in lend-poncil on the back of ono of Ames’ lot- tors to Honry 8. M'Comb, and mado publio by one of tho quaer alips botwoen oceurrence and oxposire, the Eoopln discredited tho whole list becouse of the improbability that Patterson could ever have had anything to do with tho transaction. _Whon the Committos began its sossions, Mr. Pattereon camo forward and mado a statoment donying 7n fofo that he ever owned stock in the Credit Mobilior and Union Paciflo Company. On Trosdsy ho ronppenred, backed by two loftora from Oakcs Ames,—ona certify- ing that **ho hadnot peen s stockholdor or manager in the Company, and had not realizod any profits,” Apparently sntisfled that theso lettors, would givo him no further concorn, Mr. Patterson ventured, saftor tho stylo of Mesnrs, Colfax and Bingham, to read to a vague suditorium of human nature s littlo sormon, Ilore jo the sermon: T am dons with this cxamination. Of this outrago done to tho fair famo of men who linvo livod without roproach for balf & contury, by driving thom fafo_tho gazo of the publio with a'scourgo of opithets which should bo aid upon the lowest criminal with caution : of torturo inflicted upon mon scnsitive of their i(on namo by subjecting them to legislatlvo inquisition without aufliclent_reason, I may tako occaslon to spealk elsewlero; but lore I clogo by simply remark- ing, If such thinga azo to continue, il decont men will l(—wntp\lhl.iu life, a8 I do, wilh pleasure, and not with Tegrot, The unrelonting hand of Fato was roady to crush this little nddross s soon as Senator Pat-: torson had mado it. Onkos Ames no longer do- sired to mado tho scapogoat for the half dozen or moro persons who havo attompted to houoy- fuglo tuc publio, and mako thia Credit Mobilior examination o mystery to succeoding timo. In fiftcon minutes “more BMr. Pattorson stood convicted of hypoerisy, and of what tho count Wo very much- fonr, will call tho uvest form of falsohood. Mr, Amics immodiatoly followed by atating that hohad wold to Mr, Pattorson 80 shared of stoclc in the Credit Moblller, and bad given hita the dividends as they accruod. Amongst theso was ono of $1,800 in casl, The unfortunate Senator had to sit in his placo, and bo confronted with' this now-aroussd witneds, wiio appearod with Lis memorandmn and ablo to speak to the point. It furthor appeared that tho lotters which Mr. Pattorson hn 105(’. put forward, woro contrived between himsclf and Ames, in order to.relenss Pattorson from certain discroditable roports as to those transactions which woro nfloat in Now Hawpehiro. Amoes swore that ho had boen ten- dor-hearted and wanted to help everybody ; and all_Pattorson could say in return was, that ho Lad ‘“mo recollection” of having roceived tho money: that he did not remomber to hayo ob it; mid _that ¢ his improssion” was dif- orent from Mr, Amee’. Lamontablo indeod was it togco n Senatorof tho United Btates speal in theso ovasivo torma under oath, and the man who had made tho purchngo of him looking itirnlght at him and nailing the transaction iuto story, Mnr) Patterson must now agres with tons of thousands in this country, that, if he haa loot his good standing and made himself unhappy for yoar, it hns boon bocauso of this syatom of 1and-grab railronds, which, during tho past ton {anra. havo almont wholly dobauched National ogl‘sln.tlun, and much of the aren of rospoctable aocloty. Aggmi doal Is gald shout what miglit have beon tho position of Ames and others had they squarely admittod colluslon beforehand and uatified it ; but oven this conld not have been lie onao in viow of the tono of the letters which Oskos Amos wroto to M'Comb, whore he sufll- clently dofined his opinion of .tho membors who ‘would accopt Credit Mobilier etock. ‘Thore i8 no gato left opan for these gontlomon, excopt retiromont and ropentance. it may bo that, in tho ]n{:so of time, tho services of such, at o gravo period In tho offairs of tho country, will atone for much of the inevitable corruption of a pnrty overwhelmod with war and ?rnsperuy at onco; and wo n‘)finrohend that this thing and its consequonces will ba grave enough to malte thomen who have mado shipwreck of family and charaotor, bereaftor shun tho vory appesr- anco of avil. COLFAX UP. When Oalkes Amea had begun upon Pattorson, tha Commiittoo olosod ite sossion for Lho day, and we ocan imagine what a night somo gentla- mon pussod _walting for the miorrow, this romoraclosa invelglor of his fellow- membors was to rosumo his opon confession, Thoro was nothing to do about it, howover. XEvory men had paraded his donial, and thore it stood, like o bow In tho hoavens. I’unntufllg, tho noxt day Oakoes Amos reoponoed tho cane of Behuylor Colfax. Dalo, hoggard, and brokgn down alrendy, tho retlring Vico Prosidont sat'in a ohalr, scoling to summon up his parllamentary nlmbleness for ou oncountor with this iron witness. Adepts who looked at tho ¢wo mon ‘saw that, whatever Nr, Colfax's capacity might othorwies have boon for thia ongngomont, ho was not cqual to It at the timo, Nothing is so torriblo s to soo an omi- nont publio man, with & groat, socrot long buried uway, and which had already unaorved him, ral- lying to make & desperate doath-strugglo for his roputation. Colfax might have reacwubled the Rov. Arthur Dimsdalo when Lo wont inta tho pillory to o{mn up_all the mystorios of the *Bearlot Lettor," had he made a cloau brenst of it, whicl ho did not. Ifo rather indulged in tho opinion, in a faoblo way, that somo providential ncoldont or toward mercy would atep down from somowhore and carry Lim along. Amos, how- evor, had fully rocovered his general insensibili- ty, aud, with his doadly momorandum inbhis fin- gora, procosded to oper tho sealod books, Ho o0ld, in orisp, hard words, that Lo had agreed to wive Blr, Colfax 20 sbaros of the Credit JANUAKY 30, 18 Mobilior ntoock prior to . tho imposchment® of Androw ohineon. Boon afterward tho bargaln was monlod with -& dividend of 80 por cont In bonda, Amon rold :thoe honds, rolmbursed himnolf for a part of tho par value of tha stook, and' took Mr. Colfax's ohecl for the belauco, ~That “ohoclk was patd sbout the time the Ifonoo of Hepresentatives. of which Mi, Colfaxwaa Bpeaker, had ronolved to - Impoach Androw Johnson of high orimos and mis omcan- ors, Whila thio trial wan pmcnndlng, Alr, Amos ey Dolfnx o chogl for 81,20, divllénda on tho Srodit Moblilir, Within threo or four weeks of tho rocoipt of tho Inst cheok, the Itepublican Enrly, in Convontlon at *Uhfcngo' nominated chiylor: Colfax tobo_Vieo -Proaldont of tha United Biatos, i Any niollorate critic will hollovo that, had Androw Johnson possessed 20 shares of stock, and recofved two considorablo chiccka and divi- donds upou tho namo, ho would nover have gono out of the Bonato of the country with a vordict of Not guilly." Mr. Johngon waa allowed to comploto tho ro- maindor of hls unfortunato torm,—looted_nt, I.vodragg!ud, nickunmed,—and the succooding Prosidont rofuned to tako o sont with him to ride to tho wauguration, Mr., Colfax took the onth of oflice amidst qouornl plaudits, woaring that smilo now, ‘unforiunately, Listorlc; and o ho has como along down "the vista of these fow i'anra, narrowly oseaping a ronomination at onothor gront Convention of the Ropublican purty. Tho fate which Liad doslt for the firab imo gmdglnlzly with him at Philadelphis, would wot pormit him to escapo to private lifo without anothor toatimonial of its soverity. It pormit~ ted him to telto tho stump nowhere olse but In tho villago whore ho bad ' passed the burden of hin doys, and recoived 50 many timea tho goner- oua indorsoment of his constituoncy, and dnn{ that o had over tonched the funds of the Crodit Mobilier, whilo, at tho .anmo timo, lio porformed tho usual vorbal castigation upeon those unfor- tunato onos who lind rolated the common ovi- donco of tho day, Agein aud ngnin, on subsaquont occasions, ho rensperted his perfeot Innocenco, but each timo with diminishing consistency, and the veil bogan tofall from tho oyos of mon, to find that this young ideal of n patriot had oven tampered with unhallowod and socrat securitios. - Fato, utill inoxorablo, brought thin at Inat un- uttorably-distrossed man into Judge Yoland's Qommittoe-room, last Wednonday, and thero Onkes Amos confrontod Lim, and, aftor Boma ox- hibition of tonrfulneas, rage, and wratehodnons, Qolfax whs mado naked and sent fortli. TENUY WILSON, 2 thiomoxt Vico Prosidont; who had aloo rond his littlo lecture to tho Frosu of the country upon tho great wrong that had beon done to publie roputation, was takon up in like mannor by tho inoxorablo Amos. Hoenry Wilson has trifled with his moral strength by secking ‘to bo all things to nll. mon, But, of his physioal forco sud couragoe in ¢morgoncy, many perpons boar testimony. Ho lua heou s brave dofendor of tho rights of opprossed pao{»lu; ho lins not beon o poraccutor of Lia compstriots who may have diffored with him; 08 a writor, and gon- eral public mon, hia careor bas been vindicated by tho length of it, and by many opisodes which not ovon hLis enomics, if ho has any, can forgot. It was apparent from Mr, Ames’ ovidonco that Mr. Wilson had not told the whole truth con~ corning tho passago of the stook and dividends botweers himuclf aad Ames. Wilson had taken tho stock, but oftorward grow frightencd, or conaciontions (which appears to bo tho samo thing in this examinatlon), and they had n set~ tloment, by which Wilson got tho Investmont back and 10 por cent for the use of his monay, ‘Wo nro sorry to hear this much, but, under the circumstances, wo make no furthor com- mont. Wedo ndvise Mr. Wilson, however, to ‘withhold his sormons, Tho )ilrus of this country has not eaid one word o tho Credlt AMobilier which hag not boon fully proven. And the developments of tho past woeok have staggored oven tho wmoverest critics of mon in public life. Henry Wilson belongs to that clnss of optimists who apolo- gizo for dishonesty by dlscovering fmnh benefits which are nevertheless conferred by tt. Tho Oredit Mobilier investigation was not devised to" show what huge uses to mankind tho Pacific Railrond might havo beon, but of how little trua uio aro officers, Bonntors, and Ropresontatives, who sold out tho pnblio genorosity and their own probity under cover of the benofits to bo conforred, ~ Hod the Paciflo Railrond boen squarely built by tho Engineor Corpn of tho ¥, With monoys directly voted to them, wo should now have been & purer country and pos- sesgod o richor Treasury., Wo call Bonator ‘Vil- son’s attontion to such points as theso with groat confidonce, and expect him to go through tho Vico Prosidency without making any moro homilies. Noxt Amos addrossed himsolf to the cago of AR, ALLISON, OF I0WA. It appears that Allison bought Credit Mobilior stock, got the 80 per cent dividond in Paciflo ‘bonds, got n chock for 8600, cash dividends, and about this timo camo o gcave, Mr. Allicon inti- mated to 3Mr, Ames that tho transaction was *off,” {f any transaction can bo_“oft™ which has boon on so long, and with such advantago to the receivors, Whothor it was *‘off " or not, it drappod out of sight untll, during the past cam- paign, the whole thing got & now shaking up, and then Onkes Ames roceived in an_onvelopa Mr. Allison's stock-cortificatos for tho Credit Mobilior. Mr, Allison is to succeod the Hon, Mr. Harlan in the Sennte,—n gontleman who has beon shown to havo recoived £10,000 from Durant to aidin Lis eloctionin 1808, Benator Harlun, in his paper, is now soriously opening up the question ag to whothor, after all, so much job- bu\? hag not hiad a componsatory offect by com- olling haroaftor more publie intogrity. It ia to 0 hoped that Mr. Harlan will keep up that firo, and prosent the 210,000 which ho got ™ from Du- rant to the Mathodist Book Concern, in New York,—nn institution which lfi)pum’s to havo suf- fored somowhat by the infidolity of ita nccount- ants. ‘Wo truat thnt Mr, Allison will avoid n furthor appoarance of ovil by voting hercafter sgainst any landed or bonded subsidy whatovor. A8 TO M, DOUTWELL AKD AW, BLAINE, Mr. Ames had a talk wich both of thom, and at ono timo ho statod he thought that Boutwell would take tho stock; but both Boutwell and Blaine have n voin of worldly sonse in them, and knnwrurlantly woll that to take this stoek would bo to Involvo an imputation, We prefor, in the cngo of these ientluman, who have never com- mitted nny dishonesty that wo know of, to bo- liove that their conscienco and sagacity camo to the front with equal prominence, and rolieved them from a vory discreditable, and what would hioreaftor havo boon, had thoy aoted otherwise, o vory desorved oxposure. N DAWES, it scoms, was in tho habit of buying railroad stocks and bonds. Ho floundored into Crodit Mobilier stoclk, and got some dividends, Buta good whilo ngo,—bofore the Impenchment trial of Androw Johnson,—Dawos #contod & law- guit in tho distanco, and rofunded the money (paving intorent), so that ho appears to stand’ jusy about a8 Hotiry Wilson doos, It is avory bad thing for Mr. Dawes to bo buying railroad bonds, as Mr. Brooks is in the habit of doing, particularly whon tho said railronds aro nlr\'nyswuntinfi gomothing or other of Congress. It would be & botter thing for Mr, Dawos to im- Emvn his property in Pitteflold, or tnke a good ouso here in Washington, aud pnyur t by gotting indorsoments from Mayor Emory, or other influential citizens, as Mr., Patterson did, thau to raisa monoy to buy this infernal Oredit Mobilier, We moroly throw this out an s sug- sasllon to the Ohairman of tho Ways aud Means ommittco, who iu too good a man to bo lost to tho publio servico. GENERAL GARFTELD; who was next brought forward by this stalwart oxocutioner, Ames, recoived a considerable share of the latter person’s pity, Ames made an esti- mato, in apothecary's measure, of the number of ounces of Mr. Garfleld's romorse, Ho snid that Mr, Garflold bad never taken the stool, but had realized about 320 from it; which Mr, Garfleld conslderod a lonn, and Amoa was will- ing tolet it goat that, Wo sympathize with men who aro always overdoing it. Garflold pub- lishod somo corrospoudonceo with Amos iu tho lattor part of the provious weck, which was en- tirely uunecessary, and which led him to be obligatod to Amea for sympathy, which is tho last thing wo should want of Ames. Qarflold is oor, industrions, not worldly; and those who znuw him boliove that ho bas no natural asso- olation with the Credit Mobilior peoplo. KELLEY, who had oxpatiated tho lnrgor ‘ml-t of the da; about * Mo littlo property in Pliladolpbia,” ha wandored fromn truth cloar through bhis tosti- mony for Amoa swore that ho lad paid Kelle, $3207 that ho still hold tho stock for him; an hiad boen asked soveral time it there wero not moro dividonda. K BCOFIILD ‘waa next called to tho front, and it was shown that ho had got a bond dividend and £000 in monoy ; and ho returned only thoe Oredit Mo- Dbilier"atock to Ames, in order *‘to closo tho transaotion,” but kopt the Union Pacific stook, OTHERS, Painter camo off with flying colora; John A, Bingham took tho stock, and gob tho benolit and dividonds ; and Jamos F, Wilson put hiu case so woll that Amos did not caro to quality it, Buch was tho doloful oxhibit of Tuesdsy snd ‘Wednoaday of the past wook. GATH, femcies e —It Ia “with regret™ that our fer Woutern exchanges clironiole the faot that bub fow Indi- Aug £r0ze {o doatls during tho rocont ohilliueus, RAILROAD NEWS. Proposed Throngh Rento flctficon i’l{lrugn and Savannah, Ga, A Grand Cut-Off Line to the Tropios. i Features of tho Route Through Ken- Auoky, Tennessee, Eto. y Al-Rail Conneotion Between Chicago, and Yankfon., . 3 An intelligont ' corrosporident, writing from Fronlklin, N, 0., gives us an array of facts per- taining to the route. proposed, -and by high nuthoritics declared to bo roadily fossibloy botweon Ohicago nnd the Atlantic Coast nt Bavannab, Ga., -o great direct Sonthosstorn trunk lino, the shortest ronte from the North- wont to the West Indies. Tho scheme ia indoed a grand conception,’ A lino of rallway, onas noar an airline as can possibly be bad, from Chicago to Bavannah, and thonco by & line of stonmors to Oubs and gouthwards, is by no monns inforior to tho Paciflc Reflwny. Indead, In somo reepocts it is oqually important to thoe groat Northern lake region with the Pacifio. Ono thing is,cortain, and that is, that tho lino would ba n great throughfsre, unbesct by snow and lco and Indlans, It would bring the lskon and tho Ablantio into fraternal relations, and Wonld mnko the oxchanged of thw tropics and tho cotton-plantor with tho lake rogion practicablo and ensy. i : Without discussing the changes and develop- mont practicablo in the presont railway systom whoroby Knoxvillo, Tenn,, ia orianot to be roached, a lino of railway from Knoxville vig Franklin to Clayton, Ga.; and-thenco via Colum- bia to Charleston, B, 0., has long been a chor- ished objeot. Tho lino from Knoxvillo, Tenn., to Andorson, 8. O, has' been called the Bluo TRidgoe Railroad. A complete survey.of tho routo wos mado several yeats ago, and ‘tho road built ond equipped from Anderson to Walhalls, 8, 0., pointing in that dircction. Trom: Andoreon'to Walballa {8 thirty-four miles. From Walballa Franldin 18 fifty milos.. From Franllin to Mary- ville, Tenn;, is sbout ninoty-four miles, From Maryvillo to Knoxvillo is 'sixtecn miles. Tho Bluo Ridge Company built tho road from Knox- villo to Mnryville, to which point tho cars run. A good deal of grading has’ been done from tho North Carolina line, 14 miles south to Olayton, o furthor distance of nino miles, Tho Bluoc Ridge Railroad Company, whilo af work on this line, had an oxperimontal survey made from Olsyton southwards to the wators of the Snvannah River, and found tho route practi- cablo with somo twenty or twonty-fivo miles of heavy work, In view of the construction of tho Blue Ridgo Railrosd, o chartor was granted for a ' rond from Auguste to Hartwell, pointing to Clayton, In referemco to the construction of this main trunk from Clayton, via Franklin to "Knoxville, ohartors bave boen granted from Athes, Ga., to Olayton, from Brunswick, Ga., via Mason and Laurons, Ga., to~ Knoxville, and from Contreville, Ga., to Oiayton, Whenover this trank lino' from ' Knoxvillo to Oleyton is comploted, then threo other lines diverging from Clayton to Charleston, to - Athens, to Ma- con,and to Cartoraville or Atlants, will bo forth- with constructed, making & grand fannel pour~ ing in travel upon this main trunk, bosides the direct lino via Hartwoll and Augusta to- Savan- nah. 3 Our corrospondent had an intorview with a gentloman—VWilllam Bloan, of Franklin. Ho w8 an nasl!tnnt‘en%!nusr in tho survey and lo- cation of this Bluo Ridge line. Ho says the work {from Rabun Gap(tho crossing of tho Blue Ridgo), for twenty milcs down this valley, is vory light worley and that a good deal of the work in pass- ing down the Tennesseo River through tho Smoly Mouutatns is comparatively light work, Bome throo bridges ncross tho Tennosaco will have to be constructed, and throe tunnels, the largest of which will not exceed 800 or, 1,000 foet. Yot thoso hoavy itoma will not make the cost por milo more than an average cost,: Wo. proposo to have some action by our prosent Gen- cral Aesembly, now in gession, looling to this proposod enterpriso. . ¥ A gontloman who sorved for a tima through those wostorn counties of North Carolina as Assistant Btato Goologist, and who is familiar with most of the gaps through tho Blue Ridgo, says thoro is not-a gap presonting a practica- ble ronte ot any roasousble :cost. west of the Swanoanro Gap, which is about nhth miles onst of this, but tho Rabun Gap near Clayton.. ‘This Rabun Gap, at tho head of the Tennessco Trivor, is o remarkablo ono; * : It is twenty miles south from Franklin, and ia. only sixty or soventy foet mli‘:mt than tho River Tronklin. Morcover, the lino sneainn through. this gop s tho.most direct.and shortest from Chicago to Bavannah that can possibly be made.. From Knoxvillo via Olayton to: Augusts is from ninoty to a hundrod miles nearor than from. Knoxvillo via Atlanta to Auguats. Tha np{:oxi— mato distanco from Xnoxville to Augusta by this routo, 285 miles ; by tho prosent route, via Dalton, 18 881_milgs, - Difforonco, 00 miles. Although at Franllin. there are high massive mountains, they ara not precipitous and rugged ns lig gouor: been supposed. The Smoky mountain chain I8 the roughost. Tho Bluo Ridgo and tho transvorso chains running from thoridgo to tho . Bmoky are vory: rich and ndaptod to grazing purposes, These mountain lands yiold ~grass _ well, rye, _oats, clover, ete,, ,otc., and i fl}xrnpnr]y handled wonl«i muoke uugorlor dairy districts. Thoy are covered with noblo forests of black, white, and chostnut. onks;. chestnut, hickory, lime, chorry, birch, wainut, poplar, oucumber, and black looust, a8 woll as maple. If a railroad was constructed through this valloy tho cheeso business would becomo an _immense ono; wool-growing would bo o large bueincss, and indeed evorytl In that lino would become a yaluablo branch of in- dustry. Tho waterand climato are unsurpassed, ‘The minoral reseurces hers contiguous “to this lino of railway aro largo. Iron, boih limon- ito and magnetio ; marblo, white, grfi' and flesh- colorad ; copper and corundum would in largo juantitios scek this lino for transportation. | hould such road be constructed through hora wo have an abundanco of corundum, the best abrasive in machino ghopa known to eoxist. In color and hnrdnoss it approximates to tho pre- cious ruby. Water-power for woollen and furni- ture factorios i very abundant. GHIOAGO TO YANETON. Yankton has secured all-rail conncction with Chicago. The Dakota Southern Railroad has Iust su{;pllov.l the link, Tho line has special jn- orest, bocauso it is golely tho result of Chicago onterprise, Although roaldents of the Torritory discovored its necessily oud originated it, it novor had othor than n siokly existenco until Hon. 0, &. Wickor, of this city, took hold of it, infusod new lifo Info it, and carried it forward to successful completion, X The line runs northward from Bloux: City, Towa, along tho oast bank of the Missouri River, n diatanco of sixty-two miles to Yankton, I trayorsos a roglon unsurpassed in fortility, and which has the furthor advantage of bol well gottled apd improved. Richly-] )roduuuvniomn- stoads oxtond the ontire length of tho route. Thoss havo - called into ex- istenco moveral thriving towns, among them Elk Point, with [y popu= Intion of over 2,000} Vermillon, with about 11500 ond Yankton, Hioux City's ambitious rival. o {nbabitants Lavo hitherto beon dcfmndum- for communication with the outer world upon tho tirmgulaz' iver boats, or tho uncortain stago Toutas, For somo yoara pust the business of the Uppor Missourl has warrantod incroased facilitics, aud tho roads terminating at Sloux City have con- sidored tho practicability of aupplying the neod. At ono tiwe the Illinois Contral managers had an 1don of running o line from Lo Mars, on the wost ond of their Towa Division, divect to Yankton, This would havo cut off Bioux City, and havo glven tho Iilinois Contral n monopoly of tho up- river businces, Not feoling ablo, howover, to undortako its jndependont construction, thoy en- couraged tho Dakots Company to build the’ lino to Bioux Oity, by agreeing to join the Chicago & Northwoatern Company in a trafilo arrangomont wharo? 86 per cont of the grosa carnings dorived from the new road should bo ot apart for the purcliage of ita bonds, The dotails pro- vokod much controversy, Mosutime, Mr, Wicker pushed forward the worle with indomitablo zoal, grauurud throe locomotives and as many mail nmi BERAZO 0avd, bosldes ffty frolght cars, and had " them running npon a good track, Iald with 45-in +rall, bofora the two reab_corporations had dofi- nitoly sottled upon thoir line of action. Whon *| Tess than thirty milos of the rond wns in oporn- ton it corned an avorago of #900 por dny. Ils notual cost and oquipment falls abort of 18,000 > milo; and ita onvnings, thuw far, hove moto isnts tuet Lho Intevest on the Londs, Tho rond Linn beon finished In time to share In tho compotition for tho cuormous trungportation of Govornmout supplios and sloros for tho troops and Indinne scatterod throughout tho Uppor Misgouri country, Mr. C. G, \Wlaltor Is Prosi- duuli W, -W. Brookings, of Yaukton, Vico Troaldont, aud A, J, Mbclling, Suporitonds ont of “tho- Company. As- it fa the only road. running into Dnkotn, overy Governmont offiofal or man of groater or lossor influenco olaims to bio a Dirootor, or to have soms vital connootion witl o Ifne, In ordor to * oxohazgo ocurtosion” over connecting lines to tho Linat,—in othor words, to _* doad-hend" Lig iravolling way. At rrosonl, Govornor Burbank aud Chfi:l .iy\mtlcu 'ronch aro in Wnuhh&;tnn for the dublons pur~ ruln of uncurln% a land grant,* Tho Goneral Lins ho sounding - titlo of Genornl Bfnnagor of - tho road. It opons nY o flourishing country, and tho rosidonts of Bloux City proposs to uulm.»rntu tho nusplolous ovent by o round of fostivitios. A MUTUAL AGHEEMENT. Tho Chicago & Northwostern and tho Mil. waukeo & 8t, Paul Compinios bave agreed upon an mnnqpmnnt which promisos to be mutually beneficial, Who formor Company has not succooded in working throngh the thrao tunnols on Its " Madison oxtonsion, and cnnnot, therefore, conuect with its Winoua & Bt. Potor line; and tho Bt. Paul Company ia goz without n bridgo moross tho Misa: W at LaOroseo, and {a. theroby cut off from ifs Rivor Road to 8t Paul. Each Gompany owns about twonty-nine miles of road that the othor Oomgnny ‘must.uso in order to run through to tho west bank of tho Mississippl, until their soporato entorprison aro complof nd’. The ex- ecutive offlcars in Now York have very soneibly concluded to nxch-nfin fnollities. By this_ar- rangement, tho Northwestorn is privileged to run’ froight nnd passongor cars from ite unction - with the Bt. Paul Road, at Onmp ouglas, near Tomah, Wis, to Sparta, in the samo_ Biate, where it sgnin _strikes ita ownu lluo, snd follows It into Winon: Minn, ; snd tho Bt. Paul Company is accordo the oqual m]nnln%n of running over the North-~ wostern line from Winonn Junction, across tho bridge, .into Winons, Tho arrangemont will yxobuhly continuo ne long s it isdecmed advan~ agaout, MNonntime, oach Company is vigorously endonvoring -to complete their rospective fcms. Tho chiof difioulty encountered in bor- ng through tho longest tunnel, southonst of Sparta, 1s tho boundless flow of water, The onfilnnnrs foar thoy kavoBtruck a subterrancan outlet of Lake Supnrlor', though it may diminish into an artosian woll. Tho prosont expoctation is, that tho throo tunnols will bo finishod by Juno noxt, and, as there are but 16 miles of iron to Iny, tho through lino onght to bo in operation by the 1at of August. Tho Bt. Paul line will not 80 Boon be indaimnde_ne, bocause the Missiesippi cannot bo safoly bridged during tho curront yoar. —_— v RAILROAD ACCIDENTS. ro- Passenger nnd Frelght TraMo Interrnpted on thie Northiwestern Road by Brolken Rails. Au sccidont happoned Tucsday night which vory seriously dotained the traina on the Mil- waukee Division of tho Ohicago & Northwestorn Rallroad yosterday, Tha regulir froight train that loaves Ohicago abont 8 o'clock in the oven~ ing encounterad & broken rail at Rosebill, and four heavily Iaden cars were thrown from, and four were thrown longthwiso across, the track, Tho severity of tho wenther rendoréd their dis- ontanglement & work of at dificulty, and doapite tho offorts put forth by the Compeny, mornin, light found tho track etill ob- structed. he accident ocourred to thosu cars noaror the rear ond of the train, and * the engineor did not discover anything wrong until ho had passed Rodgors’ Park, tho car that firat left the track boing” dragged to that station, whore it was ditohiod. Tho two Waunkegan pnssongor tralns laid at Cnlvnrg 'most of Baturday morning, until a train from thoe city reached Rose Hill, when theee trains ran ‘a8 noar that point us was thought safo, and tho passengors walked around the de- bris and wore convoyed to the city. ue TRIDUNE roporter, yosterday morning, found o largo number of peoplo waiting anxious- 1y to ronch the city ot tho Bouth Evanston nud ivanaton depots. Boveral Inwyors hod casos on tr!lnl in dtha city, and wero in no very pious frame of mind. An oxpross trnin from Milwankes laid on the slde-track at Evanston all Tuesday night, and in tho morning" quito a number of “young blaocds from Alilmaules alightod, and wandered over Evanston reoking for focd and consolation. The wrecked cars wore loadod with kecosone ofl. The cold woather was tho causo of thia acei~ dent and delay. 5 ; ANOTHER ACCIDENT, Tho.Konosha train_oncountored & broken rail ‘noar Glencoo, yestorday morning, and the entire train, with'tho exception of one car and the lo- comotive, were ditchod. Mauy received slight bruigos; and Mr. Sylvostor Bullin, of Kenosna, wag badly injured by u coal-box. falling on him, and the coals from ‘the atove setting fira to hia clothing. He was not extricated until badly barnod. -His condition is vory critical, - Theso’ two accidonts entirely interrupted tho mormn? travel on tho Milwaukoo Division, caus- Ing business mon great inconvenionco, At 8 &'elock yoatorday the traina were running on e, —e YESTERDAY'S FIRES, A flro occurred yesterdsy morning, about half-past 7 o'clock, in & three-story frame build- ing, No. 610 Washington ayenuo, owned by T. W. Allen, nnd occupied by Messrs, Oaldwell, Latka & Hens; a8 o picture-frame and moulding fac- tory. The fire originated in the second story, near the atove, and it ia supposed that n spark flow ount _and ignited o pilo of shavinga. Whon discoverad, the wholo of tho second floor wag in_flames, and the building, being of wood, and filled with combustibla mate- risl, burned very xnpidlfl. Tho house wau complotely _destroyed. 088 on building and stoele 85,000 The house was not insured. ‘The stock was insured as followa: $1,250 in tho Nowport Mutual, of Nowport, Ky. ; $1,250 in the Home_Mutual, of Ponusylvanin; 8600 in_tho New Jersey Flro, Tho fire was discovered by Officor Wilson. The slarm from Box 843, at half-past 8 o'clock yestordsy morning, was caiteed by fire brogking out ot No, 106 Brown streot, a one-story frame building, owned and oceupied by Petrick Gam- mon a8 o dwolling, Loss about $200; insurcd in the Lycoming Insurance Company for 2900. Onuse of fire, dofootive flas, Joan JXngclow—What Gho MDesirves American Womon to Discover—Itew Moy Domcestic Work be Combined with Iigh Culturcs The following lotter from Jean Ingolow to Mrs, Luoy Stone, of Boaton, will be read with intorest : ‘“Dean Mapas: I have beon long in the habit of raceiving from Amorica your intoresting pa~ Enr, tho VWoman's Jowrnal; and, as I donot now who is the kind and courteous donor, I hope I may convoy my thanks throngh you, as one of the cditors. T nm glad of tho information I derive from the Journal, but I have not found timo hitherto to givo tho wholo subject of rights such an amonnt of study as to make it wiso to utter my crude thoughta respocting them; other thingh appear to Lo given to me to do, and I take thom up to the oxclusion of what lios beyond. *You havo, I venture to think, more than ona ‘problom to work out in America, on which, ina, grent dograo, dopend tho welfare of womon, In ono of thoso I'tako a keen interost, and I hope to soe you settlo it for yourselver and for us, I want you to discover how domeatic work is to bo combined with high culturo, ¢ Bo loug nu houschold work is thought de- grading (and_nowhoro is this so much tho cans a8 in America); thore can nevor bo anything lika univorsal education ; there must always bo somo who work cll their lives becauso othors will not ot all, It is tobe ono of tho groat things that on Americans, I beliove, aro raised up for, o teuch this world how this is to bo done; but tho tenchiers cau nover bathose who aropoor; tha{] must bo those who are not oblized to work: at all. “Tiow to mako clear slarching and {ironing graceful and protty occupations (and wsuch thay wore thought by owr groat-groat-grandmothors), Low to Lees o liousoe cloan, and to assist, oven in a kitehou, without tho least nonso of belng lowored, or tho slightest personal doterioration, might surely bo mnmifod if women gave their minds to it—if more delioate machinery was i~ vonted for helplng them, and 1 it conld ovon ba mado the fashion for all women, young or old, to pride thowmuolves on thelr domastia skill, I hopo, if you an, you will convey my thanks to the lady who seuds moe your paper, snd wil} bollove thiat I take n dnqp{mcmst n everything which so sincorely nimu at your good, X am, dear madam, vory truly yours, o ' JEAN INOELQW."