The New York Herald Newspaper, January 21, 1870, Page 8

* approved style of construction. 8 THE BRIE RAILWAY. * Bighth Annual Report of the Company to the Stockholders, he Facts and Figures of the Last Fiscal Year—Jay Gould to the Publie—The Improvements and Additions to the Road—Interesting Details tor the Holders of Erie. THE STRIKE OF THE ERIE EMPLOYES. No Sympathy With the Strikers in the Shops Along the Line. ‘The Bric Rellway Company, through their Presi- Bent, Jay Goun, submit the following, their ehto + aunuai report, comprising & history in detal of the operations of the road for the liscat year ending Sep- bember 30, 1869. In view of the widespreza interest im Brie, the facts it presents are of more than ordl- mary importance:— - To THE SPOCKHOLDERS OF THE ERIE RAiLWway Company:— So much has been writien and sata bot for and against the present mdnayement of the Erie Katl- Way that | deem it proper in presenting a Summary of the business of the last fiscai year, to take the opportunity of giving to the slockhoiders the tolow- ang account of What has Leen accompisied in the Way of improvement to thelr property and ul establishment of archable and proticable business for the futuie. It is sowethiug over a i slace (ne Present management caine mte puwe YEE CONDITION OF THE ROAD at that time was not suci as to afiract ‘me confidence of the travelling public, uur of the slippers of the products of Basteru raanu- factories and of unporters to the Western States, and of the proaucts of the Eastern markets, he iren used in the uy been of an interior quality, aud Was muca of out and unsiale; iis, coupled with the ac West to the & had Carr's Rock te previous sprig, Was injury 5 Dusiness o1 the road, « passeuyer and iresgnt, to such an extent duty lo adopt the moxt elfe@ive Lu: by vareiul inquiry imto the experte European rauways im the use of secl ras, anu of the opera- Bons of the lew lous Laat had beea laid ou ints raliway the provious y i tuby saustied mnysel) as to their great dur uu sireagth, and of the Mecessily Of Our Using The oa Lue Lasiern portion of the road, wu > very Weayy traitic aud pare of the roudved divisions neariy solia steel ra. of American mauuiecture aud the renal procured irom tle best experteaced manuiaciurers of England. The very great of these Solid sec! rails—being inore thaw twice the cost of iron radis—constiainea me to investigace whetier a muddle course could not be adopted with advautage and cconomy; aud while on the subject { was brought 1 communication with Mr. Abram S. Hewitt, o: the firm of Cooper & Hew. itt, who had just returned irom Europ went as one 01 the United States the “Exposition Universelle,” mg to manulaciure at the Trenton mul steel raus, While in Europe Mr. Hewitt had facilities tor the lnvestigation of cne subject headed raiis at the various piaces of nr regards the process, and at tue places wh were used as regards their serviee, reiative value as compared with iron and witit mold steei rails, and I availed myself of the favorable opportunity to secure we advantayes io be derived from bis valuable Amformation and experience by making @ contract with nis firm, by which we became joint owners “with them in the Treaton Mill, where, during the past year, they have been roliing these rails for us, i all about 12,000 tons or 120 miles, and so tar the result of their Wear are emiuentiy satisfactory. We Bave laid iv ali during tie past year, Inciuding the steel and steel: beaded rails, about 400 miles of new track. ‘ihe prescut condition of our track is equal M not superior to any in the country, and Wwe repuia- tion of the road in wis respect is fully establishea as is fuily demonstrated by our large and constantly imcreasiig passenger traillc, By December 41, 1870, We hope to get the Eastern and Delaware divisions, which Lave tne heavy coal traffic of whe Pennsyivauia Coal Company and the velaware and Mudson Canal Company eattrely relaid with steel, which, though of greater costin the first Lastance. 4a safest and cheapest 10 the end. and Will enavie us to largely reduce the expenses of keeping ap our track. where he loners to opal aded “ 3 ‘é they and their IRON BRIDGE! My attention at wie same time has been called to the matter of the briages, whici,. being of wood, require frequeut renewals,’ and the Increasing scarcity of suitavie timber alonz our line enhances their cosi Irom year to year, and we have concluded to adopt iron bridges for uli future renewals where the proper foundations for permanent picrsand abutments can ve obtained. wuring the past season, in addition io several small bridges, we have had built an iron bridge 650 tet long—four spans—tor tne crossing of the Susque- Danna river, just west of Susquehanna Depot, which ‘snow being placed in position, With steel rails and iron bridges for a permanent way, we cau aafely predict large reduction of expenses, even with a0 Wcreasing business, LOCOMOTIVES. The present management found the- locomotive equipment in a very Worn ami unserviceable condi- tion, many of the engines naving been run for years and maintained by patching, so that a large propor- ou required new boiiers and fire boxes, ana many entire rebuilaing—the old machines being worth only the old scrap, but standing on the books and records of the company as s0 many evgines. These Old engines have received the necessary attention as Saat o#sible for our shops Lo take them in, and they nave been overhauled and entire new engines 4 many cases turned out, with the same designat- ang number, the whole expense belug chargad to repairs. As additional equipment we have pur- chased from Paterson locomotive manufactories ity new engines, ten of whicn have yet to be deliv- @rea on present contracts, and wey are coming along at the rate of about four per week, PASSENGER TRAFFIC. During the fiscal year ending Rapeaniper 30;— 1869, 3,491,118 ‘Number of passengers carriedin cara 2,194,318 Number of passengers carried one 124,812,894 128,455,163 vier B3,081,008 4,048,048 ‘ro accommodate tbe increasing passenger ness of tue road, aud also to keep competitors, we are rapidly replactug our old enger equipment by new. coacics of the best We are also adding Palace or drawingroom coaches to our day trains, Roe fouud them to be a popular tcature of ime road. iBT ce with our FREIGHT TRAWTIC. I 1869, 4,812,209 jumber of wos of freight carried in Total number of tons carried one mile. A 595 Raven Freight. SALUT, STS $12,583,148 To accommodate ¢ business we have made @xtepsive additions to our equipment and endea- ‘Vored to keep up to the wants aud Tequiremenis of our local business as well as the through business. A very important feaiure of our treignt business e fn the COAL TRAFFIC. The Erie Railway will, | hope, in a short time be- come one of the most important coal carrying roads am the country. Tis business 1s very desirable. It 4s given to us in full trains and the rates are good. During the year we have renewed the contract ‘With the Pennsyivania Coal Company and increased the quantity to be transporied for tiem annually rom 900,000 to 1,200,000 tons, commencing Decem- ber 1, 1369. We have also concluded a contract with the Le- high and Susquetanna Coal Company for a period of Swenty years, witha gradually increasing Lonnage commencing at 150,000 ana running np to 500,u00 tons annually from Honesdale to New York. Under the presen’ management this company has obtained control by a perpetuai lease of the Jeffer- eon Railroad, extending irom Hawiey to Honesdale, where it connects the Erie system of roads witb those of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Courpany. ‘This road was completed and opened for coal trafic in January last, since which ume we have received from that company @ large and constanuy increasing business. We are now loading at Hones ie {rom 200 to 300 cars per day. { estimate that the year 1870 we ought to (ake from 2,.00.000 to 600,000 tons of anthracite coal from tlawiey aud lonesdale to tide-water. We ceriainly can do so if and engines, and I hope nos pount. Early in my connection with this company 1 Decaine convinced that from the gevgraphical position of our road and the many advaniages offered by it to that end it should do the carrying of the largost part of the aninracite coal consumed in fhe western part of vhis State, #a well as that sent to the Western States by the lakes, On assuming the presidency of the company ! at once commenced action to sectire that trade, which I considered 80 very desirabie, as it would be reliable, constant and tmcreasing, avd the haul wou'd be long and the fevenue large. Negotiations were opened witn the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Coui- pany, whose'road connects with ours at Great Bend, end the terms of a contract to run @ number of years, for the transportation of a large amount of coal So Buffalo, a distance of 222 miles, were all agreed @pon. And, though the agreement was not exe- cuted, negotiations had proceeded so far that ship- ments were commenced, and we had constructed more than 100 cars of the large number we wore to build and mark “D., L. & W.” for that line, when ‘hat company concluded an arrangement with the Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad, and the agree- ent with us Was hot executed nor carried out. It then became necessary for us in order to secure any of this trade and assume the position to which ‘we are entitled by reason of our line, to form some ether connection and w tap the very heart of we 19,225 coal region. Negotiations were accordingly opened With the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which, for the magnificence of its coai estate aud (he magnitude of its annual production, stands first among all the anthracite coal companies country, and of the an arrange ment was made with them by which we agreed to construct @ ratiroad from Carbondale to Susque- hannah, @ distance of forty miles. over which and thence 21 Tuiles further oa our main line to Buifalo, they ure to ship annually a large amount of coal, commencing at 150,000 and ranning up to at least 600,0u0 tons by 1878, at favorable and remunerative rates. To make up for the time lost in the fruitiess hegotuauons with the. Delaware, Lackawanna and Wesiern katlroad, the construction of unis road has. been pushed forward with ail postible despatch and will be completed before the next summer months, By tis Carbondale road we have the shoriest line from the anthra- cite coal fields to Central and Western New York and the lakes. ‘Tne Lemigh Vailey Ratiroad having been extended, to form a connection with us at Wa- verley, gives us another coal traffic teeder from wich we are already receiving an average of about seventy five car loads of coal per day. The coal from this road at preneny, 1s loaded in our returning freight cars, which would otnerwise go through to Buiiato, 167 miles, empty, The tme is but short when this Waverley couuection Will be of very reat imporange 10 us a3 a connection for coal aud otuer elglit. . VAVONIA FERRY. We found the Pavonia ferry running from the foot of Chambers street, New York, to the passenger depot at Long Dock, Jersey City, for tie accommodation of tue passengers by our trains and the 1ew Reone living near Pavonia avenue, in Jeney City. e constructed the ferry gouses and sips at Twenty-Phird street, New York, and built two large, fine boats to run og that iine. By this new line of ferry we e estabushed & new depot in New York comyenmieut to all the up town hotels and residences. To jucrease the travel over our ferry beyond the train passengers we ttave loaned Our sdvstanual ald to tie constraction of a horse raliroad shrough the streets of Jersey City t tindson City. This street road already promises to be @ very profitaple wvestinent. ib has assisted in building up that part of Jersey City and Hudsom ity through which it runs, abd bas brought larger increase vo the revenue of our Jerry, a8 1 eonnects wita other street roads 1n Jorsey ily, running tuence w Hoboken and to Ber- gen, and it has been of further advantage to this company, as itruns through our property on the iii at tudsoa City, over the tunnel, and has en- hanced is value by making it more marketable and desirable. ‘lo further increase the ferry revenue we made an equitane contract with the NORYHERN RAILROAD OF NEW JERSEY, thon runoing their trains over the New Jersey Rail- voad to the Corandt street ferry, for operating wer road, by which we brought their trains to our jerry. So tar under that contract webave averaged for that road about emit hundred cart loaas of passengers per month each Way over the ferry, ail of which is new business, and the Contract for ope: i Wwe Toad, Which has so far paid its Way, mast eventually be promtable of itself. We have also made tne same kina of an operating coutraet W HACKENSACK AND NEW YORK RAILROAD, which has averaged about 500 car loads of pas- seugers each way per month for the ferry. quantity and character of our freighting business has expanded to such an extent ay to prove the comparatively large property at Long Dock aito- gether madequate ior the purposes of the company, and we have deemed it absolutery necessary to pro- eure mor OPERTY FRONTING HUDSON RIVER. We have purchased, at a cost of $1.600,000, the property of the Weebawken Docks Company, situ- ated just north of Hoboken, of about sixty acres, giving a river frontage of 2,000 feet, where we have coustructed a large pier for the handling of coal in twansferring it from cars to boats. ‘This pier has the best workulg arrangements and 1s one of the largest ie river—Capavie of handing avout 400 cars per Vins property 18 also used a3 the depot for hand- ling refined oii ip barreis and crude oil in bulk. We have also concluded arrangements Lor the construc- ton here of a large ana cofhmodious grain elevator, Which will be the means of very largely increasing our transportation of bulk grain and facilitate the unloading and prompt return of grain cars; thus enabling us to get much more service out of them. We have also purcnased the “Gregory farm,” situ- ated avout two miles norih of the Weehawken docks, of elguty acres, giving a river frontage of 1,600 leet. Hee we have estaalisbed our aepot for the unloading of liv@ siock, and built large and commodious barns and = pens, aifording it all the facilities for making it @ live stock market. It ts already very popuiar with the stock men and will undoubtedly become the live stock market of this city. The river frontage of this property we have linproved by the construction of a gstrupg aud substantial buiknead the whole length, making it avaiable and desirable tor the erection of ware- houses, abattoirs, or other simular structures and for @ lumber yard, Between the Weehawken docks and the stock yards 1s the property of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, where they have large iacilities for unloading and storing cual transported over our road. Access is had to this property over the road of the Hoboken Land and improvemen Company, running north from the east end of Bergen tunnel to the canal company’s property, thence over the Fort Lee Railroad. With both of these companies we have fair and equitable arrangements for use of their tracks. So much of the Fort Lee Raurogd as is com- pleted Was built by us, Which enables us to obtain much more Juv ie terms Jor its use to our stock yards. AT LONG DOCK we have built two new piers, for the accom- modaiion of our freight business, and added to and mmproved che oid piers. We have also built ®& Lew passenger depot on an _ enlarged plan to enable us to provide accommodation for the traing of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey and the Hackensack Railroad, and we are now rebulld- ing and adding to the number of the ferry slips. JERSBY CITY SHOPS. We have commenced the construction of a large machine shop, which we found to be necessary on account Of our large additious to our motive power. ‘The walls, of brick, were all up when winter set in and stopped the work. Soon as the spring weather will admit we shall resume work, and hope to suortly after complete it, when we shall have one of the largest and best ap- pointed shops in the country. We have also built an extensive car shop, where, in addition to our repairs of coaches and freight cars, we are now turning out twenty new coal ears per day. Wew are also buliding several new coaches, with ail the modern improvements, at this shop. At PEN HORN we have made extensive purchases of real estate for Uhe handling of crude oil in bulk, as we found the hauling of tank oll cars east of the tunnel was con- sidered as endangering propercy and increasing rates of Insurauce, while it was too valuable a trafic for us not vo work for and give it all neces- gary accommodations. ‘The oil is conveyed from here in pipes to Weenawken, and is only pumped through as vessels may be there to take it. All of tuis property will be in demand in a few years for refineries aud warehouses of various Kinds, a8 it 1s accessible py vesseis via the Hackensack river. Already one refinery baa been established there with a capacity of 1,200 barrels per week, all the oil for which 1 transported over our road. TUE PATERSON AND NEWARK RAILROAD which connects with us at Paterson was built with our aid, and we have entered into @ contract with that company for operating the road. We found this raitroad being consvructed with a narrow gauge, and intended to connect at Newark with the harrow gauge roads runniag thence in connection with tue Pennsylvania reads for the West, and they were also promising to make such connections aa would enabie them to compete with us for passen- gers and freigut between Newark and Paterson. Kather wan allow @ rival to reach the carrying busi- hess of our line we conciuded it would be better to control the instrument, and, by making 1t of the Erie broad gauge, enable us to tap the business of the extensive manufactories of the city of Newark and compete with the other roads for Western trade from that point, and also extend the market for coal and lumber from our mainline. By the char- ver of that company they will construct their road from Newark to make another connection with us at the west end of ‘the tunnel, and such extension wii make the road a profitable one and bring « large business to our ferry. THE NEWBURG AND NEW YORK RAILROAD was constructed by us from the junction near Green- wood to a point on the Newburg branch, five miles from Newburg—a distance of thirteen miles—thus giving us @ direct line between New York and New- vurg—sixty-.wo miles—and enabling us to compete wit the river and with the Hudson River Railroad for the Newburg and Cornwall travel. THE DOUBLE TRACK has been extended by us by the construction of the second track on the Delaware Division from ‘“furn- out’ to ““Middaugh,” nine miles, and from Hancock to Deposit, thirteen miles; aud on the Susquehanna Division from Painted Post to Erwin, four miles, and from Canisteo to Hornelisvilfe, tonr miles. In all we have completed and opened thirty miles of double track; besides which we have done a large amount of work for tne second track on other parts of tne Delaware Division, and have done the grading aod masonry for sécond track on Buffalo Diviaton from Lancaster to Buftaio, ten miles, which is now all ready for the ties and iron. ADDITIONAL SIDE TRACKS : have been put in on ali parts of the road as rendered necessary by the increased number of trains, At Buffalo alone within the past year more than two miles have been laid; Jersey City, two miles; Mill- ville, Waverly, Hornelisville and Uastle, about ene mule each, ana other stations in proportion. AT BUFFALO We have also erected a large and well appointed car shop Tor tue construction aud repairs of coaches and Treight cars at tat end of tue road. We have also erected an engine house and machine shop’ at Rochester, ‘The improvements at other stations, in the way of Dew freigit depots, &c., a¢ at Binghamton and Hor- hellsvilie, have been commensurate with the bust- ness requirements, ‘The increase i the tonnage and mileage of trains has made @ corresponding mcrease in the quantity of fuel consumed, which 1s one of the very import- ant items of operating expenses. Considering that the use of Wood 4s locomotive fuel, besides veing more expensive in the first cost per mile run, re- quires @ very large amount of capital invested all the tune, to keep a years supply of Properly seasoned wood ahead, we concluded to change our lovomot to coal burners as fast as possivie, and but a comparative small number now ‘burning wood, are now using about eighty-five thousand tons of anthracite coal and one hundred and fifty thousand tons of bitumi- <4 HoUp Com per year; and ip order thas this large | NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, JANUARY amount shall be procured at the lowest possible price, we have for the bituminous coal secured the BARCLAY RALLMOAD AND TOWANDA COAL MINES, ‘Typ railroad runs from Towanda, Bradiord county, Peni ran twenty miles froin Waverly by the extension of the Lenigh Valley d, to the coal mines, digiance of sixteen miles, and the coal is delivered on our road at Waverly to the transportion department at cost-at the present writing this coal is costing us about four cents oer Mile run less than tn former years for the same kind of fuel, We have also made a proportionately good arrangement for our supply of anthracite coal, and we confidently expect that future statements will show @ large reduction m this item of our Operating expenses. iN GENERAL OFFICES, TWENTY-THIRD STREET, ‘The old oitices of the company in Erle Buildings, ‘West street, were constructed nearly twenty years ago, when the requirements of the road for oiice room for we accommodauion of the oflicers and clerks were uot one-fourth of what they now are, and this old building has been so enlarged and altered over to weet the iucreased Wants froin time to time, that by many it was considered unsafe to make any inore aiterations to it, 1t had alse arrived at that condition on account of its Various changes as to be lucapable of being eon heated 1 winter, aud the ventilation was 80 bad as to be destructive 10 tle health of the mauy persons em- ployed la tt, We therefore considered it mecessary 10 make & change, inasmuch as we required more room, aud as there was no necessity of the offices being on the dock, we thought best to move up town, wiere it would be more convenient tor all persons cou- nected with the company in going to and from taeir homes, ‘Ihe ouilding where we now are was the only one large enougn for the purpose that we couid secure, und here we have ottices to suit the wanis of the several departwents; in fittiug them up it wasconsidered the economy to ake them novonly cowmsortaole and .convenient, but at- tractive for tie Many persons necessarily cinpoyed On the premises, as well “as for the | number ot oificers of otuer railroads, and the business publi whom we have to receive from time to ume. ‘The Nempry 9 fg a brief stavement of the principal Operavons of the present management, on tie ie 01 te road; the object, in ail cases, as wil cearly appear, has for the ‘ma ment improvement and lasting beneill of tue company; if mistakes have been inade in any time alone will show them, In my judgment they were all entered into on correct principies, and on review- ing the work at this ume | am clearly of the opimon ‘that 16 ig but a few months before that fact will oe clearly demonstrated to all. Having treated so tar of our domestic arrange- ments aud policy J have a few words Co say a regard to our FOREIGN RELATIONS, When we assumed the management we found combinations being formed ail around us, by te New york Centra: and the Penusylvauia Cen- tral Railroad jcompanics, which threatened to cut us of from all connections controiling any of the through buginess of the West and so leave us merely a local institution. Believing the capacity of tals road to be such as to enable it to take cure of ils full share of the through trailic, and that it was the intention of tae originators of this enterprise that it should be @ national institution and one of the main (if not the very principat) chan- nels of commerce between the Kast and tne far West, we considered that the good of tne wavie country, a8 Well as the interests of our stockholders, demanded of us that these combinations should be defeated. We, thereiore, entered into the spirit of tis contest, determined, if pogsibie, that the Erie Railway should take ts true position i the carry- ing trade of the country. Our first attenuon was called to the ATLANTIC AND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY, which was buiit wiih a six feet gauge from Salaman- ca, New York, to Dayton, Onto, where tt connects with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Raliroad, over whico there is # track of the’ same gauge to C nctnnat, connecung with the Ohio aud Mississippi Railroad to St. Louis, making a road of continuous six feet gauge from New York to the Mississippi river, with @ branch to Cleveland and another to the oil regions of Pennsylvania. The Atlantic and Great Western Kaulway had been built under the Influencesgot tne Erie Kallway Company, who had for a term of years paid tribute vo 1t ia the way of extra allowances or commissions tor the turough freight and passengers brought to Salamanca, which extra allowances had amounted to more than half a iiilion of dollars aud had beeu the ineaus of enabling it to get through, Dut was then in the bands of areceiver., Jt was in contemplation to take that roaa into the narrow gauge sysiein and in the interest of tne Pennsylvania Central Railroad, which would leave us ouly the ne- ceasary traiiic between cheir local stuttons and we local stations of our road, when, in December, 1568, we took possession under the terms of @ loase to operave it for @ percentage of the gross earnings. Alter we wok possession and had advanced the necessary money ty. pay the obiigations of the récetver, wnich was a conuition of tie court, It was fuund that under the then existing laws of the State of Onio the lease, so fur as related to the operations of the road, was of no validity. We then bad a bill placed befvre the Ohio Legisiature amending the statutes 60 as to remove tne dimcul- ties of tae questions raised, which was passed, when Mr. McHenry, who had a scheme tor funding the past due interest on the bonds, and wich ae founa likely to fall througa, interposed objections aud prevented ratificauon of the lease under the amended law. ‘The road then, necessarily, went again into the hauds of receivers. ‘hat iease was entered into by us in good faith, but we were unwilling to be a party to the payment of any money on it for the bencilt of any one watt the bond- holders were satisfied; otherwise there would pe no permanency to the arrangement, as any unsatis- fled bondholder could break 1 aud remove us from possession by obtaining the appointment of another receiver. Uncertainty and litigation, brought on by disappointed parties, followed; but tue mutter has pow all been adjusted, and we are again in posses- sion and operating the road on substantially the same terms as of the original ease. THE CINCINNATI, HAMILTON AND DAYTON RAILROAD COMPANY bave made a contfact with us, giving us the use of the broad gauge track over their road to Cinciunati, and of their depots and station accommodations at all their stations on very favorabie terms, the expenses of the road being pro-rated according to the amount of business done on tie broad and nar- row tracks. We thus have control of @ road to Cin- cinnati and to Cleveland, and by an arrangement with the OHIO AND: MISSISSIPPL RAILROAD for mutual exchange of basiness have unbroken communication with St. Louis, and tu @ few weeks ® broad gauge line will be open to Louisville. We have also secured control of 4 majority of the east- ward business on Lake Erie, at Bullalo, by an ar- rangewent with the UNION STEAMBOAT COMPANY, who, in season cf navigation, run a line of twenty- two steamboats from that port, At the same time our relations with the LAKE SHORE AND MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD for exchange of business at Bulfaio, Dunkirk and Cleveland are eminently satisfactory and secured py mutual understanding and agreement: ness counccuons and relations are secured with wil Western roads, and we are placed on the same fuot- ing with them in that respect as other trunk Imes, BOSTON, HARTFORD AND EWIE RAILIOAD. Prior to my becoming the executive officer of the company the Board of Directors had voted to give tne Boston, - Hartford and Erie Ratlroad Company substantial aid in the shape of a purchase of $6,000,000 of their first mortgage bonds. Since I have been President, we have paid for and taken up the bonds. This road will be a very important con- nection, as it wili open tolus the heart of the manufac- turing district of New Englana. itis expected that the line will be open for business during the year. NAKRAGANSEIT STEAMSHIP COMPANY, Our relations with New £ngiand have been further greatly improved and cemeated during the past year by a close alliance with this popular line of finest Inland steamers in the world, connecuing us directly with Newport, Fall River and Boston. Our business of cotton froim Cinciauad and the Southwest to Pall River—which has more spindles than any other manufacturing town in this country—is large and Tapidly increasing. THE DIRECTORS’ BILL. Before closing this report I have afew words to say in regard to the so-called ‘Directors’ Bill,” which Was passed by the Legislature of this State last winter, providing for tie classiiication of the diree- tors of several railway coinpanies and the elec- tion of but one-fifih of the whole board each year, This law was careiuily considered in both branches of the State Legisiuture and was passed with scarcely a dissenting vote. No action whatever Was taken on It by the then existing Board of Directors of this company; and they bad aright to take advantage of iv and excend their term of office; but 1t was left for the stockholders tnemselves toxay whether they would accept the Jaw or not. Al the aunual election, last October, 11 was accepled without a dissenting voice, and the present Board waselected by over 365,000 voles. In my judgment this is a wise aw, and will secure to the prop- perty a responsible, experienced and intelligent management, and be tue means of preventing in the future the sudden changes in the policy of this mag. nificent railway pecuiar to it in the past, while it was a mere creature of Wall street specuiation. ‘The litigation that has been forced on us from time to time has not been of our seeking. We have con- sidered that we were put in charge of this great trust by the expressed choice’’nd wil of the svocks holders, and we considered it to be our duty to them, atter having accepted, to retain possession against any small minority until the stockuolders themselves should expresa their pleasure fora change dy the choice of another board, and to manage tne pro- perty ag we might consider for the permanent good. AY GOULD, President. Orrick Etif Raiway Company, New York, Jan. 17,,1870, THE ERIE STRIKE, Temporary Truce Along the Line—secret ipleyes at Port Jervis © Result in Doubt, There was actually no change yesterday in the condition of the strike of soine of the Erie Railway employés at Jersey City. The menon strike held meir usual meetings, at which Mr, Lane, the vice president of the Jersey City branch association, pre- sided. The commitiees for picket duty, to persuade other workingmen from taking their places, were appointed, and the general routine business passed, Peace and order were maintained, notwith- standing the considerable number of spectal po- hee which the company had stationed around ite shops. Within the shop@ things Jooked more deserted and dreary than the day before, a number of new employes having Sailec tw retwo youterday, . ree GP ap and others being discharged for unfitness, In the blacksmith’s shop bur two fires were golug, wi there were four on Wednesday, and only two black- smiths and two helpers were at work; in the repair shop a few hands and some apprentices, and in the machine shop oe mann and three apprentices were observed as on duty. ‘The meetings at Port Jervis and Susquehanna were held on Wednesday evening a8 per an- nouncement in yeaverday’s HERALD, at whieh some of the delegates irom the several shops, who were go unceremoniously anubved by Mr. Rucker, were present and gave their experience and volun- leered their advice. The meetings were entirely private, no outsider bewg admitted, and as the members yesterday kept unusualiy mum avout the proceedings but litule could be ascertained. it seems, however. pretty certain that the men wt botL places expre: themselves quite unreservediy about the conduct of Mr. Rucker, and were not dis- inclined to resort to the extreme measure of a aurike iM they coula only be assured that all the shops of tue rie Railway Would make common cause against Mr. Kucker and quit Work sunultancously. Hence, both at Port Jervis and Susquehanna, the men were at work a3 usual, awalting the action of Buf- falo to-night aud che reault of a special agreement lo be brougut about by a meeting to-day somewhere on the, road, possibly at Binghamton to-day. In fact, 1 Was rutmored in Jersey Ciiy yesterday siter- noon tat all the men employed in the turner shpp atthe Bergen tunnel would anticipate this action aud jeave the shop in a this morning. up the contrary, the company have received nu- merous wlessages from various points along the road, especially from Port Jervis, Susquehanna, Biughawiou, kimira, Buffalo and other places, giv- Mg assurances that even after the meetings and harangues by the delegates the men expressed no syimpatoy with the hasty action of their comrades at Jersey City, were ull at work, ud that there need be no fear of any trouble. ‘nus contradictory reports chase each other, casting doubt over the Whole. ‘To-day, perhaps, someedefinite issue may be reached. IRE FEELING ALONG THE ROAD The Trouble and Its Causes—Absence of Syui- pathy und Expressions of Censure—All About the toad and Its Management. SUSQUEHANNA, Pa, Jan. 18, 1870. There ts no strike bere and no likelihood of any occurring. ‘Those reports to the etfect that the men here and at Port Jervis sympatnized with their fel- low craftsmen In Jersey City in the present difculty and expressed their determination to join them I find are altogether unfounded. From this standpoint the strike is looked upon as a rash, inconsiderate and altogether unwise movement, productive of no good, injurious to the interests of the men themselves and decidedly incapabie of securing any greater har- mony im the future between the company and its workmen. As was stated in the letter from Port Jervis, the men there discountenanced the action of their brethren in Jersey City, because of its ill-timed character, but here 1 find they not only view it in the gaine light, but they consider there has been & most unwarranted trifling with the legitimate pur- pose of the associauion. Tiey say an agreement Was eutered into that when a positive grievance to their tnterests was inflicted by the company a strike should be simultaneously entered upon, but no dim- culty of the kind that happened at Jersey City, and which might have been quietly aud quickiy adjusted, afforded sufficient grounds for a number of men quitting their customary work and involving them- selves and their families in embarrassment. When such sentiments are heli by those who of all others should be most In sympathy with the strikers, there must be someting radically wrong m the whole affair, and attention is naturally directed to the nature of the employments which the men foilow, their pay; their prospects and the capacity of the road to which they belong. The outside public are apt to suppose, wien hearing of a railroad strike, that everybody attached to the concern bas put on his hat and leit. The brakeman has given a last disgusted turn to the wheel, the conductor made a finai and tretful panca in a paswenger’s Ucket, the engmeer jumped from his sad and sient locomotive, the switchman made @ pocket handkerciuef of bia signal flag, and all the rest of the ratiroad army have siaken the dust trom their fect and struck out fora change of air. Tne idea is, of course, a delusion. This road, with a much exaggerated strike at one end of it, a8 working just the same as if no commotion whatever had occurred; and even if ali the shops here and elsewhere were empty of their industrious inmates, the road, it seema to me, could get along for a considerable time without them. It is an old and extensive road, with an enormous supply on hand of all that material which forms the product of the mechanic's tabor. It has more locomouves than 1t can conveniently use, and as for cars they are reckoned by thousands. To building and repairing locomotives the labor of the machinists is directed, and they are the men who almost entirely mono- polize the glorious privilege of striking. The car builders do not share im the luxury, as they noid themselves aloof from the organization. Tne brake- men once struck, but it broke them down froma sheer miscalculation of their mechanical vaiue. ‘They were swept out on the instant and twice as many other brakemen offered their services nex t morning. The strixe of the machinists interferes with nothing tn the line of travel, whether of freight or passenger traias, All these run just as usual, and the general worn of the road 1s in nowise disturbed, KFFKCT OF THB STRIKE ON THE COMPANY. It 18 doubtful if a body of mechaaics could select @more unit presstonable corporation to operate upon at this particalur ume than the Erie. ‘Their supply of rolling stock 1s so large that tey fave been iorced to reduce the working capacity of tue shops, and Mechanical labor 13 aonseyuently at a aiscount, Again, judging from the characcer of public opinion here, the new management, embracing the blonde and bola Priace of Erie—the immortal Jim Fisk, Jr.—and vrime Minister Jay Gould, are credited with a share of determination that promises to put an end w strikes forever. They will stamp out dis- ailection or perish in the attempt, while at tae same Uime they suow every disposition to agree to anytmng reasonabic. £18k has & curious reputation up this way. People think he stumbied on the lamp of Alad- qin, and some tine day wil: cone up to Susquehanna and tara its barren hil.e into virgin gold, Gouid is very popular with the railroad inen. ‘They say he knows & locomotive from the nose of the cowcatcner ‘to the coupling at her tal! end, can rua with the ma- chine, piau a oridge, lay a rail. switch a freight train aud divers other things too namerous vo mention. ‘The truth is, one has to leave home to learn the news. Wegave Gould credit enougn for raising “old Harry” in Wall street, but it is hardy within the popular estimate of his ability that he could drive a locomotive aud Keep out of a smashup. Candidly speakusg and atter impartial tnvestigatioa, the present manugemeut, Whoever they are, have done vastly lor this road, which anybody who knew it some years ago will readily admit, in the work of improvement and retormation they have to con- tend with established prejudices with oid, venera- bie empivyés, of comparatively stage coach notions and with lazy and turbwent labor. ‘to get a proper appreciation of what is disturbed in the worcings of ihe Erie Ratiroad by a strike of machinists it is necessary to give some idea of the class of men employed, the interests involved, the kind of work doue and the scale upon which it 1s performed. A sketch of the shops at vhis point wiil, therefore, be appropriate, while at the same time the views here and there of some of the men will tend to shed @ better light upon tne subject. VIEWS OF ONE OF THE MEN. Mr. T. J. Mayo, engine despatcner, in answer to the question 4s to the cause of the strike In Jersey City, replie: I believe if the association makes & demand of the men all along the road to strike lor the purpose of supporting those in Jersey City there wii! be a split in the camp here and very few will respond .to he summons, You see, most of the mechanics witi us who have been here any time possess property in real ea tate, and perhaps design spending ail their lived in Susqueuanna. ‘the whole popuation, of course, depends upon the road and take an interest in it. In 1843, when the company concluded to select this place for a leading point on the line, they bougut 300 acres of land, and after putting up their shops upon it they concluded to dispose of what remained to the employes at @ low price. The men saved their earnings, bought lots and put up bouses, and natu- rally feel & concern for the welfare of the town. ‘That large number of houses you may observe scat- tered over the face of the bill above are owned by men who work in the shops. ‘They are more com- fortably situated than any class of mechanics in America, and perlaps more independent. Now thege men know the folly of suco a strike as the wont go into it, nor will the but those at Jersey City and Bumtalo are a different class. ‘They are unsettied and floating, witheut much to lose from # strike and ready for one at any tine.” “li there any cause of complaint here?” I in- mired. a “None that I know of,’? replied Mr. Mayo.. “We ‘Were promptly paid, and I can’t see any reason for troubie. I have been connected with the road a good many years, and I don’t know that it was ever betler managed than itis now, Within the last two years there has been @ big change for the better, and if the same management continues a little while longer there wo’nt be any fault to find with Erie. We have fresh, new locomotives, freight and passen- ger cara added to the roiling stock every day; new road bed for miles, steel ratls, iron culverts, new bridges built of iron goiag up tn place of the old waoden ones, and a hundred other improvements that go to @ railroad complete according to the \Knglish standard. These strikes don’t agree with our people here, because they want to see the road Ctyep disuch things have a bad effect, but I think this is the last of them you will see for some ume. qe managenient will hardly stand it apy Jonger.: Other mpp like Mr. Mayo spoke ins similar way, 21, 1870.—TRIPLE SHEET. indicat More censure than sympathy for the jnovement im Jersey City, There is no question that officials have it frequently in their power to annoy aud harass those immediately under them, and that the exercise of such authority may lead to ng Without the company directly respoa- Ie. HOW SUSQUEHANNA WOULD SUFFER. Some tdea of tue disastrous results wich would happen to the natives of Susquehanna from 4 strike fm fond formed trom the fact that the Erie Company disburse for wages at this point from $30, $35,000 per moni, A strike cnduring for a tern of two weeks would consequently Involve a loss of at least $15,000, Buc tis iutis to measure the extent of pecuniary embarassment entatied; for 113 easy Wo see thal a large bouy of men idle for two weeks will encrouch upon their savings consideraoly, and, perhaps, dissipate ail they laid by. ‘Then tnere are trany other Ways in which Lue thing works injurl- ously, It breeds ill leehng ane leaves Irritauion alter At; for whichever side joses is bound to take the tirst opportunity for revenge. A RAILROAD RIDE. An invitation from wr. J. T. Camero, to the new experience of taking au airing in tue (resi and carly morning, was accepted by your correspoudent, aud ander the guidaice of Messrs, Mayo and Atwater we started & nule or so down the roud from here to see one of the great wonders of American engineer ing, the Starrucca viaduct. ‘This iumense structure 4s 80 ilke the High bridge that the visitor from New York fancies tinsell on the banks of Spuyten Duyvil creek. It 181,200 feet in Jength, 110 feet in height and bas eighteen arches. Looking up at it from below, at its vast and solid buttresses, one is tempted to believe for @ momenv that this work of 1oan’s hands will last jong as the eternal huis upon which 1s extremitics repose. Having satisiled our curiosity weil and fully we again mounted our steam carriage and few away past Susquebvanua a snort distance Lo Ses anasnes: bridge—one of 1ron—m process of being built. ‘ ‘The original structure was of wood, but here was the iron going in, rod and bolt and bar replacing dhe beams of wood and lifting up @ light, aury aud strong framework of metal many hundreas ot fect loug over the turbid and brawling Susquebanna. We stayed @ brief time; talked with the accomplished engineer, Mr. 8. 8. Post, and thea’ rattied back to view the celebrated ENGINEER'S QUARTERS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA WORKS. They are very complete, indeed—neat, clean and handsome? as the drawing room of the hotel—a place for everytuing and everything in ite proper piace. ‘The building 1 devoted exciusively to tue use of the reat WH care the arp erage done a world of tng e] pleasant, octal “way, and W! tne attractions of a sitting and reading room, where books and paj furnish a relaxa.uon from the fatiguing iavors of the day. This is a great trout fishing region, and in one of the lower rooms of the engineers’ quarters a big Lub, like a tank, contains # countiess shoul of minnows Lo serve as bait when they go on their piscatorial ram- bles up the higher waters of the loveiy Susquehanna, A GLIMPSE AT THE WORKSHOR: Butit 1s the workshops proper that giv: harac- ter and an importance to this piace. They cover over #ix acres and employ altogether something like a@thousand men. They are under the management of @ gentieman named Mr. J. b. Gregg, Wao has been over twenty-live years connectel with the road, ‘The macuine shop is 774 fee? long by 135 wide, its interior appearance, when all the slippery belts of leather are movigg to and fro overnead in a seem- Ingly endless series and the machinery beneath is poishing, pairing, punching and hammering the thousand things ivat make up the analomy of a loco- motive, has an extremely impressive appearance. Here the steam engine, so famuliar to the eyes of the mullion, With 1t3 fuunel shaped smokestack and pol- ished belts of brass, is built trom the loundation up. ‘There you see them as you look along tu all stages of coustrucuon and 12 all stages of repair. Tney stand in & long, imposing row, like soidiers on parade, and look as u they could carry the house away with them if the steam was turned on. Nothing strikes the visitor 50 much as the scrupulous cleauliuess and order of tas im- mense workshop. You tancy for a moment you are in some great government arsenal, aud the im- pression 18 confirmed in looking at the determmed, clear cut military features of your chaperone, Mr. Gregg. His lace 18 in fact one of Meinodisuc severity. Nota scrap of iron hes jouse around, and you walk between twe huge locomotives hited of their legs several feet above their ordinary level without having occasion to step an inch aside by reason of any rubbish lying in your path. All along one side of the puliding benches are ranged of curiously complicated machinery, which perlorms the mive fine work of turning out finished pieces of brass and steel that one notices stuck here and there around # locomotive. Not mauy men seem to be attending these machi for tney are of such im- pn aud semi-auto: ic character that they need 1s & limited guidance from human hands. No better idea.of the magnitude of tae railroad and its traffic can be had than tu looking through this shop at ite colossal coliection of macuimery and the capacity it exhibits to perform an immense mea- sure of labor. Adjoming the machine department are tne boller shop, 200 feet by 116; biacksmith shop, 180 by 86; carpenter shop, 120 by 70; patvern shop, 120 by 70; paiut suop, 120 by 60; pattern store- room, 120 by 6v; coppersmith, tin and sheet iron shop, 120 by 50; storeroom, 120 by 60; foundry, 200 by 62; cleaning room, 36 by 40; sand rooms, 100 by 25; engine rooi for ioundry, 35 by 20; engine room for sbops, 85 by 25, and the hammer shop, whicls con- tains several steam hammers, the heaviest being a 2,200 pounder. ‘The semi-circular engine house near ‘at hand has accommodation tor forty locomotives, the most of tuat number being generally under its shelter in reserve, HER WORKS OF THE COMPANY. A gas manulactory belonging to the company sup- plies the worke with light. Adjommg the machine saop 1s the superintendent’s oifice, and in the same building are a well appoimted library and reading room for the men, and a lecture hall ‘that need tear no Qisparaging comparison with out- side of Phiiadelpni The ditferent depari- ments are heated by about 200 miles of steam pipes. A Corliss engine of 100 horse power drives the machinery of the shops, and a fire engiwe of 100 pounds pressure is ever ready to throw a powerful stream of waier on any conflagration that may occur. All the builaings are built Of massive stone and substantial brick work, aud taken aliogether, with the order and cleanliness everywhere apparent, form, perhaps, the most complete railroad work- shops in the country. About @ stone’s throw from the works the company have & hotel, kuown as the Starrucca House, which tn tts appointments beats iy thing of the kind known this side of New York. ‘The dining room 1s |1ke @ barontal banquetting hali, or the transept section of a Gothic cathedral. It 19 120 feet by 40, aud fiity feet from the floor to the roof. The whole of Susquehanna might be coimfort- ably fed within its capacious and gorgeous tntertor, d it is no unmerited eulogy to say that its meals are of a higher order than those of Mugby Junction. TRADES AND WAGES OF THE MBCHANICS. The foliowing gives tne occupations of the men in the shops and the average rate of wages earned by each per day. It should be understood that they are bow working on waat is called three-quarters time, or eight nours a day, for which time their com- pensation is reckoued:- No. Clerk 2 ‘Timekeeper. 1 Generai roreme: 3 Department foromen iB Gang foremen. wv Machinist, . + 200 ae) Machinists apprentices. Machinists’ heipers. seta teten Se BaalakS by By B ivi lv 0 1 68 13 2 bs $ 80 40 6 56 oo 6 62 ry St 98 2 62 49 90 Pte ct gg pe OS EE te ee Be ON RS CI RC Mm Bre EH $ » 4 Oliman—ma i Shop sweepers 2 48 Watchmen, 3 a % “as 4 6 Ww 5S 1 6 Copperamith’s appreati 1 76 Paluter'a apprentice 1 00 M 1 16 1 wo 2 68 2 16 2 iz 4 ty apprentices, Py 7 helper. =e rr The Hasty Action of the Strikers Condomned by a Port Jervis Machinist. Port JEXVIS, Y., Jan, 19, 1870, To THE Epiror or THE Herat in your paper of January 19 concerning the Erie strike you state that one good turn deserves another, and that when the Vort Jervis employes struck last fall all the other shops immeaately turned out their forces to assist them, and rejused to Teturn to work until they were reinstated. In the month of September the employs of the Buffalo, Sus- quehanna, Port Jervis and Long Dock shops appointed delegates to wait upon Messrs. Fisk and Gould for the purpose of having a regular pay day appointed. Mr. Fisk told them they shoula be paid on or before the 15th of the month, or he would sell his snirt, ‘The 16th came around, but no pay- Master or money. ‘The pyesident of the Branch Muti Protective Association of Port Jervis iele- ped to the Centra President of the society, and it was with Ma consent that we stopped work. When the strike was ended there was an agreement entere: into between Messrs. Fisk and Gould and the representatives of all the shops that if the com. Dany gave a satisfactory reason for not paying the men on the uppointed day they were willing to give them ten days’ grace. The majority of the members Of the association consider that the company’s rea- son for the delay in paying at Jersey City was, or Ought to be, perfectly satisfactory to any reasonable man, and that the Long Dock men were altogether too hasty, Another reason: ‘Che rules of the associa- tion are that no body of men shall scrike without fret consulting the President of the society, and he shall confer with the presidents of the different branches, Long Dock failed aigo in this, Conse- pa she Lusewarm foeling of woick we are ac 9 A Poh JERYID AGING Dy r at A NEW WHISKEY WAR, Charge Against a City Father---Alderman Barker Arrested. A Speculative Prosecution Foiled—The Gove ernment Declining to Back Up Specu- lntors in Fines and Penalties— A Blackmailing Operation. The whiskey war, or the war against the whiskey ring, 80 successfully waged by Vollcctor Bauey ® year and a half ago, and which resulted in aunint- lating the Johnson-Kentucky Bourboo Company Ring, aud exterminating the whole brood of vam- pires that so long had been fattening on the govern ment, by defrauding the country of the lawful tax imposed by the act of Congress on ali distiilers, Fectiflers and inanufacturers of distilled . spirits, has broken out in anew form. The government had no reason to suppose, nor had the revenue authorities here the least suspicion of the present existence of frauds against the department. It remained for @ Mr. Warrick Martin and his associates,’ Bernard Hess and Le Duc, to go back a year or two and rake up charges against a great number of persons. Some of the parties charged by Martin & Co. are beyond the reach of any prose- cution, as they are at the present time suffering from the penalties inficted upon them after fair trials im the United States Circuit and District Courts of this cliy, and in which Mr. Samuel G, Courtney was the prosecuting otticer. Martin & Co., however, drag in a number of most respectable citizens, and endeavor by the asec Ciation of their names with real criminals to awake the attention of the authorities to an investigation into these charges. It is said that Martin bas been endeavoring for the last six months to induce United States District Attorney Pierrepont to commence on ‘his (Martin’s) sworn afidavite, proceedings against @ number of distillers and rectifiers, in tue nope of securing the imposition of penalties and forfeiture of property, 80 that they (Martin & Co.) might draw the moeities allowed by the law to informers tn in- ternal revenue cases. But Mr. Pierrepout declined to act as directed, for which sort of action, indeed, there is no law. This little game of private prosecus tion, with the glitiering prospect ahead of heavy and numerous moieties, having been bluffed, Martia has gone into the ousiness of anidavit swearmg wholesale. it should be here said that the rumor, and, indeed, geuerai beliel, is that Martin some time ago, on the representation of uterested parties— interested in making him their «ape and enjoying some o1 nis loose cash—a regular got up ring, in fact—was mu.cted 10 a sum of $1v,000. Tne philanthropic motive wich induced hun to part with his cash was tie statement made to him that these parties knew of a number o! cases in which whiskey distiilers had deirauded the government of $17,000,009, and (nat all that was wanted was to Taige @ suificient suin of money to enable a joint stock company of lulormers to proceed against and secure for the company large sums in the moieties of penaities that were pure to be levied trum the de- faultera. As stated, Martin puilanthropically and patriotically jumped at the bait, and hence, as alleged, his great interest in the prosecutions he ig setting on foot. In one of Martin’s affidavits Alderman Jame! Barker, of the sixteenti ward, 1s cuurged as & aetaulting “distiller, having conspired, with other parties, co deiraud the government by the removal of large quanuties of disulled spirits froin the dige tillery in Kiguteenth street, upon which no tax to a piace other than a bonded warehouse, er, having heard of the charge, the issuance of @ Warrant for his arrest and what the next move of the officers wouid be, repaired to Lis counsel, Mr. Josepn Bell, in Whose Company he weni before Com- missioner Usborn und voluutarily surrendered bime seif to the proper action of the law in tue premises, He gignified his aoility to give any amotnt of baile ‘The amount’ was fixed at $5,000, and Ase sistant United States District Attorney Purdy allowed Mr. asker to go at large at once, the latter promising to send his bondsman before tue Commis. sioner wuenever that gentieman’s (Judge ere | duties would permit hun to leave tue beuch for purpose. Noue of the other parties enumerated 1m the alidavit and warrants with Aix. Barker have been yet arrested, It is to be hoped that the District Attorney and the Commissioners of the United States courts will be exceedingly cautious in granting warrants on the allidavits of parties wuo Oly swear to their know- ledge and belici, and from the represeniations of anoiber set of parties. Whenever a biackmailing operation 13 decided on, or whenever reat cruninals are anxious to get prosecuung officers or material witnesses Out of the way, they cau casily suborm false witnesses to make affidavits on which these omicers and we government witnesses can be are rested. Itis only necessary im this connection to refer to the faise afidavits which the wiuskey rng of eighteen months ago were enabied to have sworn against Collector Bailey and against Commissioner Koilina and Deputy Commissioner Hariand. Com- missioner Osborn, before whom the preseut case hag been instituted, will insist upon the observance of every requirement of the Jaw ou the part of Messrs, Marin & Co.vefore he issues warrants for tn arrest of the parties charged by thie company informers. * Whatever is in the charge against Mr. Barker will be made appareit on Monday next, on which day, at li o'clock A. M., the examination into at will Dé eld. THE DALiEN EXPLORING EXPEDITION, To THe Epiror oF THR HekALD:— It 1s, indeed, very satisfactory to learn from your columns that after so many deplorable failures ta survey the Isthmus of Darien canal routes by Messrs. Gisbourne and Strain, Whom it is asserted, wnethes intentlonaliy or not, passed over the nignest insiead Of the lowest sumuit level of the Cordilleras—it ig, Isay, afterso much mismanagement and blunder- ing rambles on the isthinus, @ gratification to know the exninent officers now avout to leave bere fgr the scene ofexploratiou are well qualified for thé task before them and are determined to push anead d@ spite all obstacles and oppositions from whatever quarter they may emanate. Still, it would be gratl fying to know how many of these distinguishea gene tlemen have visited, or are at all acquaimted, exceps by books, witit the Darien country. its people, climate, the patois and manners oi tue natives, &0. The idea of bringing tents Into such a clisate strikes one with the fear that the officers of tiv expedition have not the brightest knowledge of th work before them. Why, sir, 00 tenis can be pitcicd tiere until the undergrowth suall have been fest :iv.ied away, and while that Would be doing one acyuaimted with tropicat chimes would have numerous suciters of pain leaves erected, undes which the jp irty could re~ pose quite as cumtortabiy. Be that as i may, itis to be hoped No red-vapism, no ring uti ucn:cs of con~ flicting interests will be suffered to inveriere with @ carefui and impartial survey of the uiicrent prow posed lines. 1 see vy papers before me that Dr. Kaward Cullen claims to have “notched the trees {roi vcean to ocean,” and tough this may be dout by some, 10 would be only lair and just to give lin an oppore tunity, by accompanying the explo: party, to Verify his statciment, and as he claims ».14 notches indicate tue lowest summit level of th: wountain, it woud seem but asimple act of jusuce i one who has spent ius tortaue and over twenty ycars of nw life in studying, planning and surveying (nis route, to Nave him on the spot to point out in person the line, which it would be his pride to show if for no ovber purpose than to expedite the desisavie success: Of tuls great undertaking. » RS CURIOSITIES OF POLITICS. Prematore Resignation of a New York Canal Appraiser. {From the Binghamton Republican, Jan. 18.) Judge E. i. Brooks, of Elmira, Cana, Appraiser for a numoer of years, recently found uiusell out of oifice under circumstances that are very carious. Im pursuance of a purpose to resign his otilze to the new administration when some business he nad Om hand was finished, he made @ drait oi a letier of Tesignation and jeit it in his private oulce. A few days ufterward he recetved a iewer fruia Governor Hofman complimenting him upon very iuithfal per- tormance of ducy and accepting his res2uuation. the same time Colonel Nortn’s name was sent to the Senate as his successor. When the faci came to the attention of the Governor he saw the anomaly of the Position occupied by Judge Brooks ant himself re- spectively, and at once returned tie resignation Which Was a rough draft or first copy, uot Intended { be forwarded to Alpany). Lt had been stolen by some scamp, whose precise object is 1 ed. It 18 not very probavle that Govecn ‘3 good opinion of Judge Brooks, periectly well founded as it 1s, Will sufllce to keep the iwtter in the position of Cagal Appraizer—whicn, by the way, a a matter of far more importance to tie people than to Judge Brooks. New Hamrsuire Necro.ocy.—A New Hampshire journal publishes a@ list of people w.» died In thas state the past year at the age of niuety years and upwards, Tne list amounts to forty-4.x, of whom toirty are women. Four reached ine age of 1 viz.:—Linda M. Crapo, Rochester, 101 years and 2! ‘anny Morse, wast Weare, 100 years and 9 Kuth Hemphill, Henniker, 100 years, 8 Hannah G. Calef, Salisbury, 10 years. Two—Stepnen P, Allard, of Albany, and Mrs, Buzzell, of Antrim—were 99. The average age ig nearly 94 years, and the ratio to the population of ‘Whe Biate is about one in 7,000,