The New England magazine . rk,and occupied by them during the summerseason, form a social centre that is some-times referred to as the summer socialcapital of the United States. At any rate,it supplies most of that palpitating societygossip with which the newspapers are wontto entertain wide-eyed readers of the lessaffluent classes. The narrow streets, thestatues of the Perrys, and the historicalbuildings clothe the older portion of thetown in a romantic atmosphere of bygonetimes. This mood in the casual travellersmind is likely to be rudely jarred by thesudden apparition of a splendid carriag
The New England magazine . rk,and occupied by them during the summerseason, form a social centre that is some-times referred to as the summer socialcapital of the United States. At any rate,it supplies most of that palpitating societygossip with which the newspapers are wontto entertain wide-eyed readers of the lessaffluent classes. The narrow streets, thestatues of the Perrys, and the historicalbuildings clothe the older portion of thetown in a romantic atmosphere of bygonetimes. This mood in the casual travellersmind is likely to be rudely jarred by thesudden apparition of a splendid carriagewith three gorgeously liveried flunkiesperched upon it, or by the passing of agroup of brisk and gay young blue-shirtedsoldiers from one of the near-by forts. The single railway-station at Newportis a marvel of decrepitude and dirt. It ismatched only by the ancient and unspeak-ably dirty, dusty passenger-cars that are runbetween Newport and Boston. The onlyinference the stranger can draw from this 144 NEW ENGLAND MAGAZINE. The Cathedral at Providence railway service into Americas summersocial capital is that the rich come inautomobiles arid private yachts and therest dont count with the railroad. At thispoint it may be set down as a general ob-servation that the railroad-passenger servicein old, rich, and thickly settled New Eng-land is as a whole decidedly inferior inquality to that of the better Western rail-roads. There is still some^show of com- petition in the Middle West. Even thoughone group of New York financiers maycontrol several roads in a given territory,the active managers of these roads have anincentive to competition in the desire toexcel each other in the amount of businessdone. This active rivalry for business mayobtain between divisions of the great systemwhich controls southern New England, butit does not show in sumptuous equipment. WHATS THE MATTER WITH RHODE ISLAND? 145
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidnewenglandma, bookyear1887
