THE RAILWAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 24, 29 January 1867, Page 2

THE RAILWAY.

To the Editor of the Evening Mail. Sir, — Having a few momeuts at my disposal, I glanced at the long yarn spun, by our worthy Superintendent on the occasion of his farewell oration to the Provincial Council. In the portion of his speech relating to the railway, he remarks, " Having seen the country through which this railway would have to be constructed, and the land it is in our power to offer as : payment, honesty compels me to say that I cannot entertain the smallest hope that a . work of such magnitude will ever be completed on the terms proposed, or indeed on any terms which the province could prudently offer." Now, sir, how many ■ days did his Honor take to examine the route of the proposed railway ? Some say, only a few horn's. Truly, he must ' have a remarkable amount of observation and engineering perception to be enabled : to examine the immense tract of country through which the railway would pass, in j a few hours, or even days. Did he ever < get off the bridle track, I wonder, except to camp ; or how many valleys did he enter ? If laud can be so easily explored, - ; why pay so much for explorations ? \ Again, he says " honesty compels me," , &c. Now, I beg leave to differ from him, -J j for how could he honestly judge of the value of the land adjacent to the proposed I line during his short trip through it ? Consequently, if honesty is to be carried to its proper limit, he should not have given aay expression of his opinion in such a public manner, whatever he might think privately. But let us look at it in another light. What should we think of a man whom we had placed to manage a business, if that manager were to advertise that the goods were not worth the amount they were offered at ; why we should very quickly give him his discharge, and that, too, without much ceremony. Now, in my humble opinion the Superintendent has acted in a manner somewhat similar to that. He states publicly to that effect that he does not think the exchange on our side of sufficient value. What has he, as the manager of our interests, to do with that. We surely do not require him to make such a statement as that to , the world. It is his place, I should think, to offer the terms proposed for the construction and a rough sketch of the line of the railway, in the various money markets, and the capitalists will take good care that they get the worth of their money. Everyone knows what a great way prejudice goes towards raising obstacles, and his remarks would go far£towards prejudicing the minds of capitalists against the railway scheme, as parties at a distance would think it must be a bad case indeed if the Superintendent of the province cannot entertain the smallest hope of its success. Yours, &c, A Reader.

To the Editor of the Evening Mail. Shi — Having been lately reading the "Lives of Greek Philosophers," it has occurred to me, that the doctrine of Pythagoras, viz., the transmutation of souls, is by no means improbable. In proof of my opinion I beg to inclose an imperfect sketch of a small incident in my own life. Yours respectfully, M. F. Nelson, 21st January, 1867. There's nothing so strange, Pythagoras That you, my old Greek boy, Remember how, in a former life, You fought at the siege of Troy. For I remember kissing a girl, Under a mulberry tree. Why, a couple of thousand years ago, Verily it must be. For, in the year when Carthage fell, Fell Corinth of less renown, And I was one of the Roman host, At the sacking of that town. And when I had finished my plundering work, Rested, and taken mine ease, I climbed up to Acro-Coiinth to view, The city between two seas. I saw Parnassus, but at the sight, I burst not into song, I have no music in my heart. No melody on my tongue. Far in the east Athena} shone, On Athenae, Pallas' smile, I looked on the goddess, and as I gazed, Wondered and worshipped the while. But down on the city I cast my eyes, And, tripping along the street, I saw a maiden, than whom my sight, Never so fair did meet. Pallas was soon forgotten ; I found A love less cold and coy, Ah, Pallas, old girl, as wine brings mirth, Verily, love brings joy. Ah well, I died as a Roman should, And alive again to-day, [ find my old Corinthian love, In the flesh too, just as gay. I knew her at once, there could not be Another so fresh and fair, With the very same smile, and the very same eyes, And the very same lips I swear. I drank Falernian then, and she, Falernian dipped in dew, But now, twin bibbers of Burgundy, We pledge, and our loves renew. She knew me again, and I still will hold, Whoever shall say me nay, It's the girl I kissed in Corinth of old, I've been kissing again to-day. M.F. Nelson, 21st January, 1867. / We publish the above poetry sent by a / correspondent, who signs himself M. F., ' and who offers to send his name and address if we required it. Of course M. F. wished to make us and the public believe that the verses are his own composition, and it never struck us that they were not, there being so- many poets in Nelson, till we read them in type. We then fancied the verses were familiar, and that M. F. was trying to hoax us. On turning to "Once a Week," Vol. 6, page 294, we discovered that M. F. is a confounded plagiarist, he having stolen the verses in question, which are there said to be written by Paul Short, 23rd R. W. Fusiliers, olim Paulus Curtillus, ex Legione Vicesima tertia. M. F. wants whipping.