154 BOTANY OF THE 
down betwixt places we should think had scarcely traffic enough 
to pay the cost of construction, far less to enable the concern to 
be worked at a profit to the company. The inflexible regula- 
tion as to time and stoppages, so requisite for safety on longer 
and main lines, are relaxed on these minor railroads for the ac- 
commodation of passengers, who are taken up or put down at 
intervals, so short as pretty completely to satisfy the requirements of 
individual convenience or caprice; and as the trains run at few 
and distant periods during the day, no risk is incurred by not 
keeping strictly to time. The “cars” to West Chester, which 
leave Philadelphia twice in the day, namely, at 8 a.m. and 3 P.M., 
are, however, pretty punctual, and make the transit in about three 
hours or a little less. . 
I found the worthy Doctor at the Chester County Bank, (of 
which he is president), a chaste and elegant Doric structure, and 
where he introduced me to his botanical and banking colleague, 
David Townsend, Esq., the cashier, who vied with his coadjutor 
in showing me every kindness and attention in his power on this 
and my two subsequent visits to their “ village,” as they are wont 
modestly to designate the important and still increasing capital of 
Chester County. It is in fact a handsome, well-built town, laid 
out, as all towns of modern date are in America, with great regu- 
larity, the streets crossing at right angles; but the houses, which 
are mostly of brick, stand detached or few together, and 
though various in their architecture are many of them elegant and 
commodious, and usually have neat gardens about them. The 
new court-house, when completed, (which is probably the case by. - 
this time), will be a sumptuous building, and with the bank and 
principal church would do credit to places of ten times the size 
and population of West Chester. It possesses an institution (the - 
Chester County Cabinet of Natural Sciences) for the promotion - 
of Natural History and other branches of knowledge, with a very 
respectable Museum, in which is an Herbarium of considerable — 
extent, rich in North American plants, formed by the exertions of - 2 
Dr. Darlington, and kept in excellent order. Lectures are occa- — — 
sionally delivered to a class at this institution, which meets with | 
