Scamper Through America, Or Fifteen Thousand Miles of Ocean and Continent in Sixty Days
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Library of Congress Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days A SCAMPER THROUGH AMERICA. PRINTED BY T. H. NORTH, NORTHERN EVENING MAIL OFFICE, WEST HARTLEPOOL. A SCAMPER THROUGH AMERICA OR, FIFTEEN THOUSAND MILES OF OCEAN AND CONTINEN1T IN SIXTY DAYS. By T. S. HUDSON. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SECOND THOUSAND GRIFFITH & FARRAN, Successors to Newbury and Harris, WEST CORNER ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, LONDON. E. P. DUTTON & Co., NEW YORK. 1882. E168 .H89 4888 .01 The Rights of Translation and Reproduction are Reserved. Dedication. TO MY OFTENTIMES Co-voyageur H. BYRON REED, ESQ., THIS RECORD OF A PLEASANT HOLIDAY IS DEDICATED WITH CORDIAL ASSURANCE THAT HIS GENIAL Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress COMPANIONSHIP AND READY RESOURCE WERE EVER BROUGHT TO MIND WHEN ON BROAD PRAIRIE, LOFTY MOUNTAIN, AND BARREN DESERT; WHILE BREAKING FAST AMID THE ETERNAL SNOWS, AND SUPPING IN THE LAND OF PERENNIAL SUMMER; BY HIS AFFECTIONATE FRIEND, THE AUTHOR. INTRODUCTION. A description of the voyages to and from, and a tour in, America, may appear to be the telling of a more than thrice-told tale; but, with all previous knowledge acquired by reading, one finds upon coming to have personal experience of such a journey that there is enough to fill volumes with facts and impressions that other, and more literary, travellers have not thought it worth while to narrate. CONTENTS. Dedication v Introduction vii Day One—Crossing the Bar—Vexatious Delays—To Bed—Good Friday—Rock of Tuscar —Cove of Cork—Queenstown—Irish Emigrants—Shillalaghs—Orange Sellers—Last sight of Land 1 Day Two—Heaving the Log—Taking Observations—Working of the Engines—Lounge on Deck—Ship's Library—Comforts of Steerage Passengers—Beverages of ditto— Amusements of ditto 6 Day Three— Mal-de-mer—Fall Sail-Easter Service—The Good Bishop—Sunday Music —The Catholic Priest—Detachment of Salvation Army—Irish Ditties—A Sudden Storm— Injuries to Sailors—A Dreary Evening—Dismal Forebodings 10 B x Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress Day Four—After the Storm—Infirmary—Convalescent Passengers—Bad Day's “Run” 16 Day Five—Maritime Courtesies—A Dissatisfied Emigrant—A Monstre Meal—Our Skipper 18 Day Six—Cold Weather—Barber's Shop—A Dear Shave—Signalling Passing Ships— Narrow Escape of Fellow Passenger 20 Day Seven—“Smooth as Oil”—Quicker Progress—Large number of Vessels 23 Day Eight—Boat Drill—Readiness for abandoning the Ship—Intense vitality of a Storm at Sea—Concert on Board—Liberality of Passengers 24 Day Nine—Taking Pilot—Sweepstakes—Kind Officers—Genial Doctor—Attentive Stewards and Stewardesses—Electric Lighting—Pneumatic Bells—Luxurious Appointments 27 Day Ten—Sandy Hook—Quarantine Station—Landing of the Mails—The Almighty Dollar —New York Harbour—Custom House Troubles—First Impression of Streets—Elevated Railroad—Fifth Avenue Hotel—Magnificence and Filth—Manners and Customs—Aurora Borealis 29 Day Eleven—Central Park—Broadway—Display of Bunting—Delmonico's—Hotel Charges —Boot Cleaning—No Bills—Hack Fares—Baggage Express— xi Hoffman House Drinking Bar—Irish Waiters and Porters—American Pronunciation—A Heavy Swell—Novel Lighthouse—A Railway Station—Description of the “Cars”—Stifling Atmosphere—Cold Drinks—Landscape blurred by Advertisements 36 Day Twelve—Negro Waiters—Tremendous Breakfasts—Bill of Fare—The Edinburgh of the States—Harvard University—Cambridge (not on the Cam)—Boston Harbour— Boundless Resources—“Elevators” or Lifts—Telephones—Big Telescope 45 Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress Day Thirteen—The Hoosic Tunnel—A Temperance Railway Refreshment Stall—No Beer —The Delavan Hotel at Albany—A Fire-escape—The New Capitol—The Cathedral—“Dim Religious Light” 49 Day Fourteen—The Hudson River—Comparison with the Rhine and the Danube—A Now York Billiard Hall—The Cannon Game—Pyramids—Novel mode of “Marking”—A Crowded Hotel—A Dear Bottle of Brandy 51 Day Fifteen—Philadelphia—Unusual Cold—Rugged and uneven Roadways—Locomotive Bells—The Tramways—Good English Spoken—Absence of Nasal Twang 54 Day Sixteen—A Street Twenty-three miles long—Convenient Numbering of Houses and Streets—Fairmount Park—Laurel Hill Cemetery—Handsome Dwellings—Centennial Exhibition Building— xii Memorial Museum—Girard Hospital—A Wealthy Institution—New Railway Station—Colossal Map—Usually Wretched Stations 56 Day Seventeen—Spring Snowstorm at Washington, in same Latitude as Madrid— Trees in Leaf weighted with Snow—Impassible Streets—Church of the Ascension—Low Church Service—“Sit and Sing”—A “Collared Baptist” Church—A Negro Minister and Congregation—Sweet Singing—Church of the Holy Cross—A Ritualistic Evensong—The Capitol, snow-covered, by Moonlight—What the Washington Post recorded 59 Day Eighteen—Baltimore—Sail down the Harbour—Quick Work of the Port—Potatoes from England—Chrome Ore from Turkey—Grain Elevators—Oyster Packing—Always in Season—Uses for Oyster-Shells—City of Monuments—Explanation of Misnomer 63 Day Nineteen—Spring at Last—The Backdoor of the Capitol—Plan of the City— Washington's Intentions as to its Foundation—Natural Conservatories—American Parsimony—Sensible Hours of Sitting of Congress—Method of Business—Objectionable Tobacco-smoking in Parliament—Visitors' Gallery—Anti-British Speech in the House— Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress Taking a Division—Extensive Corruption—A Gigantic Piece of Jobbery—The Supreme Court—Gownless Barristers Spot where Garfield was Shot—Memorial Marks 66 xiii Day Twenty—A Drive in a “Herdick”—The White House—Pictures the reverse of Complimentary to England—The Treasury—The Navy Yard—Naval Museum and Library —Gunboat to Convey President Arthur to Naval Review—Hospitable Friends—A Romantic Family History 74 Day Twenty-One—Inconvenience of Running Trains by different “Times”—Baggage “Smashers”—Harper's Ferry—Valley of Virginia—The Allegheny Mountains—Mountain Torrents rushing over and under the Railway—Summit of the Range—Descent to Grafton 78 Day Twenty-Two—Cincinnati—A German Roman Catholic Church—Breakfast Bill of Fare on Board the Cars—Robust Republicanism—Speculations as to Coming Evil— Inconsistencies in the Constitution and Actions of the United States Government 82 Day Twenty-Three—East St. Louis—The City of St. Louis—Likeness to Gateshead and Newcastle-on-Tyne—Bridge Across the Mississippi—Leviathan River Steamer—Lafayette Park—Thriving Port in the Centre of a Continent—German Population—The Southern Hotel 86 Day Twenty-Four—The Wheat Fields of Missouri—Prospects of Harvest—Farmsteads and Prosperous Towns—English ideas of going from Home for a Change—A Big Figure 8— Council Bluffs—Bridge xiv over the Missouri River—Omaha—Union Pacific Railroad 90 Day Twenty-Five—The Plate River—Cheyenne—Territory of Wyoming—Spreading Prairie —Antelope and Prairie Dogs—Emigrant Waggons drawn by Mules—Skeletons of Cattle —Work of a “Vigilance Committee”—First Sight of the Rocky Mountains—Pike's Peak— Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress Snowsheds—Sherman—The Highest Railway Station in the World—Life “on board” the Cars—Frequency of Stoppages 93 Day Twenty-Six—The Dividing Ridge of Mountains—A Train-load of Oysters—Collieries— Slow Travelling—Soldiers en route to “quell” the Indians—Lack of Greenness of American Pastures—Scanty Pasturage—Utter Desolation—Sagebrush—Alkali—Want of Water— Government Ignorance as to Capabilities of the West—Land Too Dear—A Suggested Remedy—The Heathen Chinee—More Coal Mines—Echo and Weber Canons—Salt Lake Valley—Ogden 98 Day Twenty-Seven—Salt Lake City—Distinguished Guests at the Continental Hotel— Plan of the City—Encompassing Mountains—Mormonism the Enemy of Progress— Polygamy Discredited—The Electric Light and Telephone—The Tabernacle—Marvellous Acoustic Properties—Conversation with Aged Mormon—Interviewing President Taylor—A Lancashire Man's Defence of Polygamy 104 Day Twenty-Eight—The Humbolt Valley, River and xv Mountains—Traces of Volcanic Action—Wells of Water in the Extinct Craters-Be-o-wa-we Station—Boiling Sulphuric Springs—Humboldt Lake and Carson Sink—No Visible Outlet—Rapid Evaporation— Dreary Desert—Nevada Plains—Great Mineral Wealth—Strange Names of Places—Use of Spanish Words—Governmental Care of the Indians 113 Day Twenty-Nine—The Truckee River—The Comet—The Sierra Nevada Mountains —Rounding “Cape Horn”—A Transformation Scene—Vineyards—Seas of Wheat— Orchards—Climate of California—The Largest Ferryboat in the World—Oakland Pier— San Francisco—The Palace Hotel—The Ceylon—The Bay and Harbour—Fine Sailing Ships—Graving Dock out out of Solid Rock—Chinatown—Act of Congress prohibiting Chinese Immigration—Enterprising Newsagent 120 Day Thirty—Daily Ocean Breeze and Mist—The Cliff House—Pacific Breakers—The Seal Rocks—Immense Seals—Freemasons' and Oddfellows' Cemeteries—Houses Built Scamper through America, or fifteen thousand miles of ocean and continent in sixty days http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.08552 Library of Congress of Wood—Domestic Comforts—“House Removers”—Universal Use of the Telephone —Indifference to Small Money—The Safe Deposit Block—Perfect