Spice The Wanderings of the Hermit of Westminster THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES J'J. ^be WanoediTos of ttbe IDermit of Westminster IRew ll)orfc a San jftanctsco THE DOMES, YOSEMITE. tbe Hutunin of 1881. Bf 1R. |p. Spice, ., the occupiers and owners of land. The industrial classes of this country, have quite enough to do to hold their own in these days, to compete successfully with those of other countries where the action of the stupid blindfold doctrine of " protection to native industry," is such as to exclude them, in whole or in part, from some of the markets of the world. No doubt the time will come, when the short-sighted politicians in distant climes, will learn that the best and permanent interests of any country, cannot be promoted by laws opposed to the sound principles of true political economy. Laws which, for the sake of making a few rich at the expense of the many, foster an artificial state of activity among manufacturers, by making their pro- ductions needlessly expensive to the consumer. But in the meantime the world goes round, and the battle goes on. The British manufacturer may be trusted to hold his own in the long run against such quackery, and may safely be backed in the race with those, who, in other countries, are coddled in the nurseries of protection; relying on unnatural aid to enable them to secure trade Farming Prospects in the Far West. 37 profits, which the self-reliant Englishman will obtain without such assistance. The English farmer, however, does not possess the manufacturers' resources; but is so handicapped in the race, as materially to reduce the chances he formerly had, of cultivating his land so as to obtain remunerative results. Free trade in corn, did not after the first few years materially interfere with his success, on the con- trary, his prosperity seemed to increase from one cause or another ; and this was plainly indicated, by active competition among farmers for farms, so that it became common for a landlord to have the choice of selection, when would-be tenants applied for a vacant holding, and very often at an increased rent. Unfortunately, of late all this has been changed, many farms are unoccupied, and some are even uncultivated; landlords are seeking tenants, too often in vain and those are fortunate who can let their land at a reduced rental, cases having been heard of, in which farms have been let rent free for a term, so as to prevent their going out of cultivation. The causes are not far to seek. First and foremost among these, is the rapid development of agriculture in the United States. In the Western States, excellent land, adapted for the growth of wheat or any grain, may be bought at such a price that in many cases the first or second year's crop will pay the purchase-money. This land will not require the stimulating aid of high- farming, nor assistance in the way of fertilising agents, for several years, to produce crops of from 40 to 60 bushels of wheat per acre. The Hermit was informed, on good authority, of a farm on which for three years in 286164 38 Farming Prospects in the Far West. succession, a crop of wheat had been grown from only one seed-sowing, the waste in harvesting the first crop, leaving sufficient seed on the surface to produce the second, and again, the second harvesting left enough on the ground to produce the third, the yield of the first crop being 60, the second 50, and the third 40 bushels per acre. The amazing increase of the acreage under cultiva- tion, has been largely due to the enterprise of the Americans in opening up the country by railroads, and by these, facilities for getting the produce to market, have been augmented to such a degree as to largely reduce the almost prohibitory cost of transit to ports of ship- ment ; and while these altered circumstances have been in course of development, the cost of freights by sea has been greatly reduced, by the employment of larger vessels, propelled by improved steam machinery. Thus it has come about, that distance has been nearly annihilated ; and year by year these agencies, which are all in favour of the Far West, will be found to tell more and more against the interests of the wheat grower in England. The Americans, sorely pressed by the heavy cost of manual labour, have long been remarkable for their skill and ingenuity in adapting machinery to the requirements of agriculture; and among their earliest achievements, some years since, was the reaping machine, which in the United States and in this country, has, by various devices of both American and English origin, been brought to great perfection, and rendered invaluable aid in harvest work. But this meritorious invention has been eclipsed Farming Prospects in the Far West. 39 recently through American genius, by a " harvester," which effects much greater economy; by clipping the ears only from standing corn, and inclining them towards a mechanical guide, which diverts them into a small thrasher, in which the chaff is separated from the grain, the kernels being delivered into bags which only require to be removed when full, and sewn up there and then ; nnd the crop is ready for delivery at the railway depot, or at a shipping wharf, as the case may be. The ma- chinery by which this work is effected, is operated by twenty mules and five men, and is capable of harvesting about 35 acres per day ; the economy effected is said to be very considerable. The straw left standing, not being of any value in California, is afterwards burned, and the ashes ploughed in. What, then, is the British farmer to do, who has no other resource at home but to cultivate land on the old system of rotation of crops, and is in so many ways placed at a disadvantage as regards soil, climate, and facilities, which are not available in his native land. This question, all men must answer for themselves ; but common sense suggests that those who are not too far advanced in life, and whose means have not been dissi- pated entirely, should transplant themselves and their belongings, to the regions where competence, as the result of industry wisely directed, is within easy reach. It, however, is not by any means to be understood, that the Hermit is of opinion that profitable farming is coming to an end in the Old Country, and that land is to be valueless. He is impressed with the conviction, that much may be done to remove the causes of that depression which has so long been felt in agriculture. 4O Farming Prospects in the Far West. although he has ceased to believe in the profitable pro- duction of home-grown wheat. But, not being a farmer, it would ill become him to presume to teach farmers their business. He would like, however, to know the reason why, seeing that butter is, and has been for years past, worth in the market quite twice as much as it was when he was a young man living in an agricultural district, that we have failed to meet the demand for it, and left foreigners to supply us with either the pure article, or " Butterine," or " Oleomargerine," to the tune of more than twelve mil- lions sterling per annum, which shows an increase of over eleven millions of money sent out of the country in 1880, more than in 1840, for this one article of domestic consumption, which might just as well be produced at home. Take cheese, again, as another example of the want of enterprise in England, for which a sum of nearly five mil- lions sterling was sent out of the country in 1880, in excess of the value of the cheese imported in 1840; and for eggs, something over two millions sterling was the excess paid in the one year over the other, and no one need be told that now, a new laid egg is an expensive luxury which indeed money will not always command, owing to scarcity. Comment on these facts ought to be super- fluous ; probably, excuses for non-production or non- attention to these trifles in farming administration, may be more plentiful than eggs, but it is difficult for an amateur to believe, that it is not a good business to cultivate the production of food in this nourishing form, at present prices, which have prevailed for some years ; nothing is more common than to hear that home laid Farming Prospects in the Far West. 4 1 eggs sell readily in our towns at 2and in this we succeeded admirably. 44 -^< l 't Francisco to the Yoseinite. And certainly our good nature was rewarded, for as we sped on our way the landscape became more varied and captivating, and the pleasures of the road increased. Puns, jokes, yarns, and travellers' stories, were not want- ing, and in this way John Bull got on very well with Cousin Jonathan, so that in a few hours the little party came to be a kind of mutual admiration society. At about noon, or a little after, we pulled up in front of a wood-framed house, which had been established for the convenience of travellers, as a feeding place, and here we had a double object to attain, namely, a wash and a mid -day meal. We alighted on a platform in front of the house, and before going in, shook as much dust as we could from off our overcoats of brown holland, which in America are called "dusters;" we then went through a central passage into the back yard, and helped ourselves to buckets of water out of a tub, by the liberal use of which we improved our personal appearance, and increased our comfort before sitting down at the dinner table, where we refreshed the inner man, and then started again on our way. The final stage of that day's journey ended at " Clarke's Ranch," as it is called, the house being a commodious hotel, situated in a valley with romantic surroundings. The way to it is over the Sierra Nevadas ; the wagon road is cut on the sides of the mountains, out of the solid rock, and is about as romantic a road as can well be imagined. Winding about so as to make the gradients as favourable as may be prac- ticable, the width of the wagon road is only sufficient for the passage of one vehicle at a time, except here and there, where one may pass another; always rising ground San Francisco to the Yosemite. 45 on one side, that ground towering upwards being rock, and, on the other, a ravine of varying depth, but generally frightful to look down upon, considering that the coach wheels on that side, were generally within about two feet of the edge, and that such an accident as the fracture of an axle, the giving way of a wheel, or the shying of a horse, would probably be sufficient to cause the destruction of coach and passengers, by the whole concern, horses included, being toppled over down a declivity of some thousand or more feet. Nervous people should not take this journey, but the grandeur of the ride is something never to be forgotten ; not only is the road very narrow, and the outer edge unprotected, but the curves are not only frequent, but so sharp, that sometimes the passengers sitting on the box seat, cannot see the heads of the leaders of the team, which sometimes consists of four, and sometimes of six horses. These curves, commonly passed round at a good swinging trot, are calculated to a nicety by the drivers, and these men, and the horses too, thoroughly un- derstand their work. As for the passengers, well, unless their nerves are pretty strong, they now and then can hardly help feeling a sensation of fear, lest the machine and everybody in it may be overturned into the deep valley, and the sides of the ravine are so precipitous as to afford no chance of a lodgment, such as could arrest the downward progress to inevitable destruction. But putting all such ideas on one side, the Hermit was charmed with the ever-changing views presented to the gaze of the traveller on these pine-clad mountains, on which the laws of Nature have not been regulated by 46 San Francisco to the Yosewite. the hand of man. He had made himself familiar with mountain scenery in several countries, but had never seen such heights so beautifully clad with living green, nor such slopes covered with noble pines, and these are the prevailing type of the trees in these forests. It was eight o'clock in the evening when we reached " Clarke's Ranch," and it had been dark for the last hour or two, obliging us to light our lamps. Had it not been for the great confidence we felt in our coachman who knew every inch of the road, as he told us, from con- stantly driving over it, this latter portion of the journey would have inspired us with very disquieting fears, but as it was, we simply considered it to be a bit of experience which we should ever remember. One sight we had during that ride in the dark, which afforded us gratification ; it was a very tall tree on fire, in the midst of the forest and very near our track; as we went along we could see the fire rising near the topmost branches, some 200 feet high, licking its way from branch to branch upwards; the sight was awful in the blackness of the surroundings, and excited reflection on the evi- dences we had seen, and afterwards saw, of the abomi- nable and wasteful habit or custom which has long prevailed, of making fires by kindling brushwood at the base of a tree. It seems that when a small party in the pursuit of game, or anything in the forest, require a fire, they simply pile up a few sticks against the trunk of any monarch of the woods and set a light to them ; and thus kindle a fire which not unfrequently destroys the tree ; just about as economical a trick as that attributed to the Chinese, of setting fire to a house when they desire roast San Francisco to the Yosemite. 47 pork, that a pig may be roasted inside it ; rather worse indeed, because another house may soon be built and fuel so provided, for more roast pork. Not so, however, with those grand trees, which cannot be replaced within the lapse of ages. These charred trunks of living trees may be counted by the thousand ; and thousands of others have been entirely destroyed, and stand or lie about, being nothing more than black stalks or logs, encumber- ing the ground. " Waste not, want not," is a motto not regarded in the forests of California. Peace and plenty prevailed in the plain and simple, clean and wholesome house of entertainment at Clarke's Ranch that evening, where the order of the day always is ^n accord with the first part of the proverb, i.e., " early to bed, early to rise;" but the Hermit's short ac- quaintance with the place did not enable him to determine whether the latter part of this saw, is strictly applicable in the meridian of Mariposa. However, there is no getting on in the world without a dinner, so, as usual, we dined ; and the Hermit having, after dinner, smoked the metaphorical pipe of peace, with an Indian, who was sitting in an adjoining room by the side of a wood fire, which was burning on a brick hearth, and exchanged friendly words and grunts, with this specimen of humanity, retired for the night. The following morning broke bright and fair, and afforded an opportunity of a pleasant stroll about the premises and in the precincts of a saw-mill just outside. The Hermit having thoroughly enjoyed a delightful ramble in the fresh morning air, returned to breakfast off mountain quail on toast, followed by a coupfe of boiled eggs, and finishing off with a few grapes. A well- 48 San Francisco to the Yosemite. provided table is a pleasant prospect in any wilderness, and not less in California than in any other region. Shortly after breakfast, the coach comes to the door, and after all adjustments have been made, and the usual inquiry of" All aboard?" having been called out, off we go for the valley, twenty-five miles distant, the'distance performed on the previous day being about sixty-five miles. CHAPTER VI. THE YOSEMITE, AND THE "BIG TREES." |HE journey from Clarke's Ranch, although the distance is only twenty-five miles, occupies about five hours, notwithstanding that the coach is well horsed ; for the road is mountainous and rough, therefore the average rate of progress is slow; but it cannot be considered tedious. Everything is entirely novel, and much that one sees is interesting; sometimes it is a case of creeping along up a winding bit of road, upon a mountain side in the midst of a dense forest, at other times a view opens up which baffles description ; the vast extent, and the sublimity of its grandeur, being too much for words to pourtray. Ever and anon you are whirled round the sharp curves in the track, which the engineers who constructed the road seem to have contrived for the fun of the thing. Well, by-and-by we reach a rocky emipence called " Inspiration Point," and from this vantage ground we get a glorious view of the famous valley we have travelled so far to see. Here we descend from our coach and take a limited stroll to look down upon the gorgeous scenery from several points, and feast our senses while we thus gaze on, apparently, some astonishing freaks of nature, by which granite rocks, now standing with bare and vertical D 5o The Yoseinite, and tJic Big Trees. sides, some 4,000 feet high, have been rent asunder by inconceivable force. These vertical walls of cream coloured granite, in some parts facing each other at a distance of less than half-a-milc apart, are of all conceivable varieties of outline and contour. After having obtained this view, we remounted our coach, and very soon afterwards commenced the continuous and rapid descent to the bottom of the valley. We next stop at the first house in the valley, " Leidig's Hotel ;" this is a wooden structure, of a simple and perfectly unpretentious character, such as a village carpenter might be supposed to have erected without the aid of an architect ; wood, wood, wood, verily all is wood in the valley, except the rocks which are granite ; and, as to Leidig's Hotel, it is all wood, excepting the locks or latches and hinges on the doors, the glass in the windows and the grates in the fire-places. But every- thing is clean and wholesome, and every possible atten- tion is paid to his guests by the proprietor, who is very obliging, looks after the business attentively, and does the waiting at table ; his wife is the cook of the esta- blishment, and a very good plain cook she is. Here we took up our abode ; and for two clear days the Hermit J^ed a very secluded life, leaving his friends to do the mountaineering, on foot or on horseback, for a few hours in the day, while he wandered about in the solitude and silence of the woods in the valley, and by the side of the River Merced, which runs through it at the foot of the grand old rocks. Among these intensely interesting memorials of long by-gone ages, he ruminated, varying the current of his thoughts by occasionally devoting an hour or two, to the agreeable occupation TJie Yoseniite, and tlie Big Trees. 5 i of writing to his far-off friends, who, although absent in the body, were present in the spirit, as he was with them. In quite another way the immense granite rocks of the Yosemite, remind one of the effect produced upon the senses when looking at, and endeavouring to realise, just conceptions of the vastness of Niagara. In regard to that stupendous scenery and to this, the precise im- pressions produced are such as cannot be defined. Such overwhelmingly grand manifestations of Al- mighty power, are calculated to overawe and subdue the mind of man, and produce a wholesome sense of feeble- ness and littleness. Doctor Bunnell, in his interesting " History of the Yosemite," quotes the following from Richardson's charming book entitled, " Beyond the Mississippi " : " See Yosemite, and die ! I shall not attempt to describe it ; the subject is too large, and my capacity is too small. * * * Painfully at first, these stupendous walls confuse the mind. By degrees, day after day, the sight of them clears it, until at last one receives a just impression of their solemn immensity. * * Volumes ought to be, and will be written about it." Again, that entertaining writer on California, Charles Nordhoff, says, in his " Book for Travellers and Settlers " : " I read before I made the journey, Hutchings's book, Professor Whitney's book, and all the accounts of the valley I could lay my hands on, including White's in the Chicago Tribune, one of the best. Yet, when I came to see the valley, it was as though I had never read a line concerning it. All I had read D 2 T/ie Yosemite, and tlie Big Trees. 5 3 passed out of my mind in the presence of those stupendous rocks; all I had seen, was as nothing, compared with the grand, white, scarred granite face of El Capitan, which rears its precipitous side 3,300 feet above the level along which you ride." And this is only one of seventeen of the mountains of rock in the valley, a list of which he gives, the highest, called Cloud's Rest, being 6,034 feet above the level of the road at its foot. On the opposite page is a view of El Capitan, repro- duced from a photograph by Watkins, of Montgomery Street, San Francisco. The Indian name of this Captain of the Valley is " lote-ack-a-mu-la," the signification being, Rock Chief or Captain, the American name being, El Capitan, which is the Spanish interpretation of the Indian name. On the morning of the third day, after having entered this marvellous valley, we started at about eight o'clock to return to Clarke's Ranch, by the way we had come, and having wound our way up the tortuous ascent on to the high ground outside the valley, we stopped at "Inspiration Point" to have one more look on the scene beneath us a parting glance and then we retraced the road to Clarke's, whose now familiar house of wood, with its verandahs, we reached at about noon, and after the indispensable " wash and brush-up " we dined. Having thus made ourselves tolerably com- fortable, we again took the road on our trusty coach, with four good and fresh horses, for a drive of a few miles to visit the Mariposa grove of " Big Trees." The road to these mighty denizens of the " Grove," as it is called, is through forest haunts of Nature, all the 54 The Yosemite, and the Big Trees. way, and trees of great diameter and height are numerous. It is astonishing and grievous to see, the extent of mis- chief done among them by fire at their base, extending as it does, in many instances, a considerable height up their magnificent trunks. Having arrived at the grove of what are emphatically called " big trees," we are amazed at the vast proportions of these living memorials of bye-gone centuries; 1,255 years of the growth of one of these patriarchs of the forest, have been actually ascertained, by counting the number of the concentric rings, which denote the annual growth of all trees; this, however, was not the full measure of the age of this one, because there was a small cavity in the centre, which prevented the comple- tion of the sum, and this deficiency of actual data, has been estimated at about 50 years, so that in round numbers its age may be put at 1,300 years. To ascertain this interesting fact, the tree was cut down, by boring through it with pump augers, and then by driving in wedges on one side, causing the giant to incline to the opposite side till it fell over. The work of boring occupied five men twenty-two days, and the operation of causing it to fall, by driving in wedges, was effected by three days' labour. The details of the crime of murdering this monster, may be found in Professor Whitney's " Description of the Yosemite Valley and the Adjacent Region of the Sierra Nevada," &c. One of these prodigious specimens, being hollow for some distance upward, has had an opening cut in two opposite sides, of ample width and height for a coach and six horses to be driven through it, and the interior The Yosemite, and the Big Trees. 5 5 is large enough for a long-bodied coach and pair of horses to stand within it. A view of this, reproduced from a photograph by Watkins, is given as a frontispiece to this account of the Hermit's wanderings. The generic name of these trees is Sequoia Gigantea, and there are eight distinct patches or groves of them. The eight groves are, in geogra- phical order, from north to south : first, the Calaveras ; second, the Stanislaus; third, Crane Flat and Merced; fourth, Mariposa; fifth, Fresno; sixth, King's and Kaweah Rivers; seventh, North Fork, Yule River; eighth, South Fork, Nile River. There are in the Calaveras Grove between 90 and 100 trees of large size, and a considerable number of small ones on the outskirts. One has had the bark stripped from it to the height of 1 16 feet above the ground. The bark thus removed, after being exhibited in different places, was set up in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and unfortunately destroyed there by a fire. The tallest tree now standing in this grove is the one called " Keystone State," and this has been ascertained by actual measurement to be 325 feet in height. Professor Whitney says " this is the tallest tree yet measured on this continent"; therefore the boast of the cute Yankee, who declared there are in America, some trees so tall that it " takes two men and a boy to see the top of them," has not yet been proved to be correct. CHAPTER VII. TO SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN. |HE Hermit having seen the wonderful valley, and the Big Trees, and secured some seed from them in their cones ; also some acorns from the Californian evergreen oaks, which grow and abound in the valleys, to take home for propagation in the old country, so that long-lived mementos of his visit may testify, to his wanderings in the Far West, returned to Clarke's ; and here he enjoyed an evening meal, a cigarette with an Indian, and a good night's rest. Early the next morning we turned out of our dormi- tories, and after an early breakfast, and having resumed our seats on the coach, set forth on our way towards the bright and gay city of San Francisco. " Hail smiling morn, that tips the hills with gold," might well have been sung in chorus, on that lovely morning, as we sped along the track over the glorious pine-clad mountains. We had now before us a stage coach journey of sixty-five miles, and having gone over the ground once before, we knew pretty well what to look for, as regards the character of the road, with its thick coating of dust, and its rough places ; which frequently caused our being jumped or bumped off our seats, thereby combining the advantages of travelling on wheels with the exercise derivable from riding on horseback. To San Francisco again. 57 Glad indeed we were, when wa reached the end of that day's journey, and found ourselves safely landed once more at the little Hotel at Madera; from which, after dinner in the evening, we walked across to our sleeping car, which we found on the railroad siding, ready to receive us. What time the train started the Hermit cannot say, for he very soon retired to his berth and went to sleep without any persuasion. Early the next morning, at about the dawn of day indeed, he awoke refreshed, and indulged in observations of the agricultural country he was passing through, by frequently peeping out of his window as he lay in bed, the land being nearly level, with mountains in the distant background ; and thus he was occupied till he rose from his couch and prepared for breakfast, which was found ready, on the arrival of the train at Lathrop. At the restaurant here they keep a fine grizzly bear in a cage, by the side of a platform on which all the passengers walk to and from the refreshment room. This is an interesting specimen of the kind of big game which sportsmen, who were pioneers of the country about the valley, had to deal with. In a few years, these rough customers were so reduced by death and by banishment, that they became scarce. At about noon we again reached San Francisco, and found the inhabitants devoted to an extraordinary demonstration in honour of the late President James Garfield. A funereal procession had been arranged and organised on a vast scale, and was to pass through the principal streets of the city ; passing through Market Street at the time we arrived there, which was near one o'clock, it had then been passing for some two hours, 58 To San Francisco again. and continued to pass for nearly two hours afterwards ; the number of people forming it, was stated to be about seventy thousand. Vehicular traffic was suspended for the time, and we had to wait until it was resumed before we could get to our hotel. This display of loyal fervour may be taken, as the measure of the strong hold, which the murdered President had upon the best feelings of the people. Few men, raised to the topmost pinnacle of honour by the voice of any nation, have ever been known to take such a firm hold of the affections of any people as President Garfield had, of those of the United States of America. The Hermit having at last reached his hotel, after- wards took a stroll about the City till dinner time; and after dinner went to see a representation of " Old Kentucky " at the Baldwin Theatre, which amused and interested him for an hour, before he retired to his rooms for the night. The next day was the last which he allowed himself the pleasure of spending in this very charming city; and having done a little shopping, securing little mementos and a supply of photographs, so that on his return to his native country, his friends might see in this pictured form, some of the scenery he had beheld ; he next tested a tramway, the cars on which are drawn by an invisible mechanical power underground, namely, a wire rope which is kept in constant action by a fixed steam engine, established in some out of the way place, and after two trial rides in one of these cars, he became enamoured with it, and formed an opinion decidedly favorable to its adoption in London. The traction is smooth and pleasant, and as regards comfort, greatly in To San Francisco again. 59 advance of anything known in Europe. It is now about being introduced at Chicago, and if perchance it finds its way to London it would be regarded as a boon. Always bearing in mind that tramways per se are a nuisance everywhere, to those who have to drive across their rails, and that in the streets of a city they are an abominable nuisance. One of the last arrangements the Hermit had to make, was, for his return from the West to the East, and, having consulted the railway authorities, he found it practicable to adopt a route which would include Southern California, Los Angeles, Arizona, New Mexico, and a corner of Colorado. This, therefore, he decided on ; forthwith took a through ticket round that southerly side of the country to New York, returned to the " Baldwin " to dinner ; spent a pleasant evening, next morning bade good-bye to the charming city, and set out on his return to the East, delighted with his comfortable temporary home, at the " Baldwin." CHAPTER VIII. TO LOS ANGELES. (HE way from San Francisco to Los Angeles is over the same ground as that to the Yosemite, so far as the first ninety miles is concerned, which ends at Madera. We left at 9.30 one morning, dined at Lathrop and supped at Madera; after which we retired to our beds as we pleased, and at 8 o'clock the next morning arrived at Los Angeles. The Hermit put up at the " Pico House," and after a refreshing wash and breakfast, set himself the task of exploring the district; and collecting, from trusty sources, information concerning the products of the soil ; upon which all else here depends. With this object he applied to one of the proprietors of the hotel, who readily responded to his appeal with information, and directed him to two establishments well worthy of a visit; and to one of these two gave him a letter of introduction. A well-appointed buggy, and pair of well bred small horses, was ordered round to the front door, and in a very little time the Hermit was being driven into the country, in a style which would not be at all discreditable in Hyde Park. Thus prepared for the day's work, the Hermit started with an intelligent driver by his side, who gave him much useful information concerning the nature of the To Los Angeles. 61 soil, its value in the market, the cost of working it irrigation, the method of leading water from the foot hills, respecting the artesian wells of the district, the value of the produce, and a great variety of things in general. Evidences of the great fertility of the land, were plentiful enough, consisting of hundreds of acres of grapes, orange and lemon groves, pomegranates, pears, apples and peaches, all in thriving condition. Peace and plenty reigned supreme; and at the first stopping place, which was about ten or twelve miles from Los Angeles, the Hermit found a very satisfactory example, typical of the enterprising spirit which animates the American mind. This place is called "Sierra Madre Villa;" and the information concerning it, which he obtained from the proprietor, maybe summarised in the following story, or relation of facts: The estate consists of between 500 and 600 acres of land ; which had been purchased, about six years before the Hermit's visit, by a prosperous man of business living in New York, then and still, the proprietor of two drug stores in that city. This gentleman conceived the idea, of investing some capital in the purchase of land in the Western States ; and in the course of his journeyings, he found and pur- chased this small tract, which is situated near the base of some foot hills, and slopes down, several hundred feet towards the Pacific Ocean, thirty miles distant ; and so clear is the atmosphere that the sea is, at that distance, visible to the naked eye. At the time he made the purchase there was not a tree on the land ; all was arid and barren, nothing but 62 To Los Angeles. useless scrub existing upon it. At the time of the Hermit's visit there were twenty acres of fruit trees, and twenty-five acres of grape vines, all flourishing. The trees consisted of an orange grove, flanked on each side by lemons, limes, and pomegranates ; and outside these were pears, and peach orchards, all fruitful, the oranges being surprisingly so, and the then green fruit hanging on the trees had to be propped up to pre- vent the branches from breaking ; and as regard the grape vines, wagons were then employed daily in carry- ing the fruit to a neighbouring distillery, to be converted into wine. About 500 acres were devoted to the growth of corn of several kinds, and other ordinary farming produce, and these acres were very soon cleared and sown ; and in a few months afforded support for all the horses and cattle, required to do the work of the entire farm. Such is the fertility of the soil that a quarter of an acre of beet, re-planted as the roots are used, will sup- port two cows during the whole year. The Chilian clover, or Alfalfa, as it is called, which is very good food for pigs, cows, and plough-horses, will, when irrigated, yield enormous crops, as much as fifteen tons per acre, eight cuttings being commonly taken in a year. The successful proprietor of this farm, having far-seeing instincts, conceived the notion of adding materially to the value of his investment, by building an Hotel in close proximity to the residence he had built for himself; he carried out his idea by erecting a wood frame building, which is a delightful residence for people desiring a pleasant health resort. This house is always full of guests all the year round, and seventy or eighty horses To Los Angeles. 63 are commonly required daily for them, either for the saddle or the carriage. These guests, and the horses which they require, are all maintained, and their material wants provided for, by the produce of the farm. Beef, mutton, veal, pork, fowls, milk, butter, eggs, and fruit, all are produced in abundance on this farm, which, six years before was barren land. The secret of this successful farming, so far as every- thing is concerned except corn, may be defined in one word Irrigation. The springs in the foot hills in the background, were conveyed by a small aqueduct to a reservoir, so as to obtain the pressure of a head of water for the supply of the house and hotel ; and thence, by arterial pipes, commanded by valves, the water was delivered wherever it might be wanted. It so happened that at the time the Hermit was en- gaged in conversation with Mr. Cogswell, the proprietor, in front of his chateau, two Chinese labourers, who attend to the irrigation business, commenced operations for giving the grove of orange trees a soaking. The modus operandi was, to lay a V trough or troughs of wood, from a stand pipe near the first tree in the grove, to conduct the water to it ; the soil around each tree, all the way down the grove, having been raised by rough hoeing so as to form a basin, some three yards in diameter and about nine inches deep, there being a space of some two or three yards between each of these basins. It was one man's work to connect them all, one by one, with these troughs, while the other man adjusted and superintended the flow of water, from tree to tree, down the entire grove, the ground falling all 64 To Los Angeles. the way to the further end which may be a mile or so distant from the top; and thus all the basins were filled by gravitation. This irrigating operation is required only about eight times in the year, and is done at a trifling cost. The inspection by the Hermit induced a question, as to the economy of Chinese labour. This has been and is, a vexed question in America, and the reply was, that, "but for it, California would not have risen to its present state of prosperity so soon by at least ten years." This, the Hermit was assured, was not on account of its cheap- ness, but because of the reliable character of " John Chinaman" as a labourer; he is paid at about the same rate as the white man, but he sticks to his work, and does it all the week through, whereas the white labourer too commonly, under the influence of whiskey, shirks his work, and frequently absents himself from his employ- ment, as long as may suit his convenience; quite regard- less of his employer's interest. Finally, the Hermit ascertained, that the entire cost of this establishment, which includes the purchase of the land, the clearing of its wild scrub, sowing the farm seeds for corn, grasses and root crops ; the purchase, planting and cultivation of the trees and vines, until they bore fruit, had been recouped within the first three years. And such is the owner's estimate of its value, that he told the Hermit he would not sell it for ten nor for fifteen times its cost. After this inspection and a lunch at this lovely health resort, with its semi-tropical garden, and its captivating surroundings, the Hermit drove two or three miles further on to the vineyard and distillery of Mr. Rose. To Los Angeles. 65 The land all about the distillery is nearly covered with grape vines and fruit trees, and the distillery is a model concern. The only measure of its capacity which the Hermit took note of, was, the capital employed in such vessels of wood as casks, vats, and tuns, and this was 63,000 dollars. The only difficulty experienced in the conduct of the undertaking, is, to produce wine and brandy in sufficient quantity to meet the demand which is not confined to California nor to America, but, such have been the improvements effected in the manu- facture, that, large quantities are exported to France. The Hermit tasted some samples, and has no hesi- tation in saying that some hock which he tried was exceedingly fine, and wanted nothing but age. The same with the brandy, of which the manager politely presented a bottle to him to bring to London for his friends to taste ; and here it has been pronounced by connoisseurs to be equal to any French brandy of the same age, and superior to much which conies to this country from France. And judging by all he saw, and all he could learn of the business, he considers it certain, that the Californian wine manufacture will quickly develop into a highly important trade ; and that the extinction of any existing prejudices against the wine will be effected by its increasing excellence. The country is admirably adapted for the production of the raw material, and those in the trade possess the capital and skill, to ensure excellence in the manufactured article. Mr. Rose has three distilleries, and at the Mission of San Gabriel he has 2,000 acres of land, so situated that he can irrigate the whole of it. Twelve hundred E 66 To Los Angeles. acres are fenced in and besides fruit, he grows wheat, barley and oats, and keeps a stud of high bred horses. In his orchard, orange and lemon trees may be counted by the thousand, and other fruit trees by the hundred these latter include almonds, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, nectarines, pomegranates, figs, chest- nuts, and olives, and English walnuts. This undertaking is so perfect in its organisation, that it goes on without the least friction ; all that the proprietor has to do is to invest his overflowing profits ; while he leads the life of a country gentleman, as many such men do who are engaged, as he is, in the vast production of such fruits as thrive in this climate. Between the two establishments thus referred to, one belonging to Mr. Cogswell, of New York, and the other to Mr. Rose, there is the extensive farm, of some 36,000 acres, belonging to Mr. Baldwin, of San Francisco, who is the proprietor of the Baldwin Hotel, which cost with its furniture ^"600,000. This leviathan man of business keeps his gigantic hotel supplied daily with provisions of all kinds, furnished from his farm, on which he breeds cattle, sheep, hogs, and race-horses of the highest class. All his transactions are on an extensive scale, and he is, besides, a large grower of grapes, oranges, lemons, and all fruits for which the district is famous. He is also a distiller, and has a high reputation for his wines and brandies, which are exported in considerable quantities; and, as if all this were not sufficient, he is the owner of about 100,000 acres of land in the occupation of tenants, in different parts of the State. Such is the amazing spirit of enterprise, To Los Angeles. 67 examples of which come under one's notice in this great country. Returning to Los Angeles the town of the Angels, the Hermit dined in the evening at the " Pico House," and afterwards took a seat on a chair in front of it, on the foot pavement ; and while having a quiet smoke, and reading a newspaper, given to him by mine host, was a listener and an observer of local habits and customs. The impressions received this day produced a feeling of astonishment that such a district of Southern Cali- fornia should have remained undeveloped till the present time. A field almost without limit for the profitable employment of capital and labour ; rich beyond mea- sure, as regards the fertility of the soil, to say nothing of the boundless metalliferous riches existing beneath the surface ; within 3,000 miles of New York, and 6,000 miles from London. To talk in Europe of thousands on thousands wanting employment and .bread to eat, and farmers in distress, seems like a mockery, and induces the question, Why need it be ? The land of Southern California now lying fallow, is only waiting to be tickled into fertility, to maintain those who may come to work it, and supply, at a good profit, the food markets of Europe, at much less cost than Europe can supply food from its own soil, which is overlaid with burdens, and the fertility of which, has to be stimulated by artificial and expensive aids. E 2 CHAPTER IX. ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, KANSAS AND ST. LOUIS. |AVING thus obtained an insight into the re- sources of the district, the Hermit retired to rest, and after breakfast, the next morning, bidding adieu to Dr. Norman R. Griswold, one of the obliging proprietors of the Pico House, he took the train going south. By this, he crossed Arizona, a country, which he would advise everybody, at all afraid of heat, not to venture into, for he found his thermometer indi- cating a degree with which he had previously had no experience, namely, 110 in the shade; this was not comfortable. But he crossed the hot plains, which lay considerably below the level of the sea, in a spirit of quiet submission ; and in due course, found himself in New Mexico, several thousand feet higher than sea level. At about the time the Hermit was passing through this State, a highwayman was tried, and found guilty of a crime, so atrocious in its character, that the judge considered the penalty provided by the law to be inade- quate as a punishment ; and as he could not find either precedent or authority for a sentence of imprisonment for life, he committed the man to 99 years confinement in a penitentiary ; and thus got over the little difficulty. Here the passengers learned the exciting fact that the Indians were out on the " war path" in the country the A rizona, New Mexico, Kansas and St. Louis. 69 train was passing through; and such was the risk, that a military guard, consisting of several men and two officers, were taken on board our train ; they were well armed with loaded rifles and furnished with plenty of cartridges in their waist belts. Quite an exciting episode for a quiet tourist like the Hermit, but men of his age and class are not easily disturbed or alarmed ; and so in this case, he availed himself of the opportunity of obtain- ing information, from the officer in command ; in a quiet chat at night, after the other passengers had retired, on the vexed question of the " Indians' wrongs." This chat resulted in a conviction that blame is fairly attributable to both sides in these perpetually recurring differences; and let the errors of the past be what they may, it seems idle to expect permanent peace, on the condition of these various tribes of Indians keeping within the reservations which have been assigned to them ; cooped up, as it were, in limited space, altogether unequal to their natural wants, and partly dependent on government support. They are expected to conform to laws binding on citizens, while denied the privileges of citizenship, a vain and unreasonable expectation ; and the Hermit concluded that while this unequal balance is maintained, the poor Indians will continue to be troublesome, and oblige the government to employ armed force to punish infractions of the law, and protect settlers, who may be sufferers from the retaliatory natives, who, justly or unjustly, feel them- selves aggrieved. After passing through Arizona and over the heights of New Mexico, in neither of which States can the Hermit advise an English farmer to pitch his tent, a 7o Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas and St. Louis. corner of Colorado was crossed; and with this State he had no opportunity of making personal acquaintance, but, from all he could learn, it seems to be beautiful to an uncommon degree, a happy hunting ground for the admirer of grand and charming natural scenery, for the miner, the farmer, and the stock breeder, the sportsman, and the seeker after health, a land in which the hand of time is said to be arrested, so far as human life is concerned, and in which the painter and the poet may revel with delight. The next place of importance, worth mentioning, after travelling in sleeping cars four days and four nights consecutively, was Kansas city. This commercial centre has a very rough business focus, and outside this, there are charming suburban residences, standing in the prettiest of pretty gardens and beautifully kept. It is a lively city, inhabited by very mixed society, not too particular as to manners and customs ; whisky bars and beer saloons appeared to be thriving insti- tutions, and sharp fellows seemed to be pretty much at home there, and after his survey, the Hermit came to the conclusion, that folks who have not cut their eye teeth would do well to think twice about.it, before deciding on settling there, or anywhere near it. Having obtained at a Land Agency office, opposite the railway depot, a parcel of papers giving an account of farming operations and disposable farms, so that he might bring home information which may be useful to others, the Hermit went on his way that night for St. Louis, at which city he arrived the next morning at eight o'clock. Here he found an agricultural fair going on in full Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas and St. Louis. 71 swing, the city so full of visitors that not a bed was to be had at the monster hotel he stopped at, except one in a double-bedded room ; this did not suit his ideas, therefore he declined the luxury, and resolved on spending the day only, in this great and thriving city, and going on again at night in a sleeping car. This annual fair, or agricultural show, as it would be called in England, was the twenty-first since its estab- lishment by an association. The stimulating influence of premiums to the amourit of 50,000 dollars, was given this year as prizes to exhibitors. The fair is held on grounds admirably suited to the purpose, and comprises a zoological department, which is a permanent establishment, after the fashion of the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park, but not so extensive. The Hermit wandered about these grounds with the multitude, looking at the live stock and the mechanical exhibits, and came to the conclusion that, after all, the Christmas show at Islington can hold its own in the race as regards the excellence of live stock of all kinds, and agricultural machinery also, and as to the latter, Englishmen can lick the Americans in prime cost. One peculiar attraction took the Hermit's fancy, and it was announced in the official catalogues thus : " At two o'clock a band of Modoc Indians, in full war costume, will appear in the amphitheatre, give chase, and capture an Indian bride, and perform other horse- back exercises. They are in charge of ' Muskogee.' formerly chief under ' Sitting Bull.' " The city was en fete, and on the previous night, bril- liantly illuminated ; the Gas Company and the electric 72 Arizona, Nnv Mexico, Kansas and St. Louis. light promoters, both embraced the coveted opportunity of showing what they could do. The electricians, with the courage of lions, " wired up " and threw down the gauntlet, which was at once picked up by the gasmen, who were threatened with annihilation. But the elec- tricians disregarded the injunction, " Boast not thyself of to-morrow," and came to grief, for by common con- sent, gas had by far the best of it, and nobly held its own. The electric lights were, as they very often are, de- cidedly refractory, winking, and blinking, and going out, in spite of the applied skill of the experts in charge of the ways and means of producing cold moonshine; and it was amusing to find the electricians finding fault with the Gas Company, for giving too much light by means of Sugg's burners, and so, overshadowing their arcs, which would otherwise have been arcs of triumph. CHAPTER X. PITTSBURG, PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK AND BOSTON. a four o'clock dinner at his hotel, the Hermit started that evening at 6.55 for Cin- cinnati, where he arrived the next morning at 8.30, and put up at the Gibson House. Here he spent a quieter day than the day before. He visited the Exposition, which was then open, and the Zoological Gardens, took a drive into the suburbs of the city, and ascended the heights by means of a wire-rope railway ; a car is drawn very smoothly up an inclined plane, and let down again, by powerful machinery, working an endless wire-rope. A fine view of the city is thus obtained with a minimum of fatigue. The afternoon was spent wandering about the streets, and after dining, the Hermit bid adieu to Cincinnati at 8.30, in a sleeper, arriving at Pittsburg at 8 o'clock the next morning. Here, quite another kind of interest was awakened ; coal, iron, and steel, constitute the chief industries of busy Pittsburg ; but, unlike our Sheffield, Pittsburg is not strong enough to leave the nursery and fight its own way in the world. It cannot make a steel rail which can face an English rail without shrinking ; the life of an American steel rail being seven years, and that of an English rail, twenty-one ! This fact, the Hermit learned 74 Pittsburg^ Philadelphia, Neiv York and Boston. from a practical man an American too who fills the important post of Superintendent of 1,400 miles of rail- road belonging to one Company, and who has occupied this post for twenty years. This man's experience of steel rails dates from the year 1868, when the chairman of his Company bought some 200 tons of steel rails, of Browne & Co., at Shef- field, and he laid them down as soon as they were delivered ; the next year 5,000 tons were bought of the same firm, and at this day all these rails, having been subjected to all the traffic of the line for 13 years and 12 years respectively, are nearly as good as when first laid; whereas, American steel rails have been worn out on the same road in 6^ years. These are the rails that are protected by the paternal Government, in the interests of the American people, so that they may have the proud satisfaction of paying 30 per cent, more for a thing than they could otherwise buy it for. Well, if they like it, other people have no business to complain. They can afford, for the present, to play such fantastic tricks, and unduly increase the cost of every commodity, because they are not only a great, but an exuberantly rich country; corn, and oil, and wine, and gold, and silver, and the constantly increasing herds of cattle on their boundless prairies and plains ; all producing wealth which cannot be counted, cause the people to be comparatively independent of those economic laws which they now disregard. But the natural effect of persistence in the application of such unsound doctrines, as now prevail among American politicians, becomes strikingly manifest, if this rich country be compared with a poor one like Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Neiv York and Boston. 75 Germany, where the same want of proper regard to sound principles, has been and is the order of the day; under the pilotage of a statesman, whose powerful guiding hand has carried into execution, laws and regulations under which commerce has been almost ruined, pros- perity has departed, and the Nation depleted of her industrious population. After having wandered about the smoky, bustling, busy, and thriving city of Pittsburg, the Hermit was agreeably surprised, by being recognised and warmly greeted at his hotel, the " Monongahela House," by a lady and gentleman, friends from Blackheath. How pleasant such unexpected greetings are, when friends or acquaintances thus meet in strange lands ! Nearly two days were spent in this rough place, and then, the rail was taken for Philadelphia. At this city of elegancies and refinement, the Hermit arrived at 6 o'clock a.m., after a comfortable night in a " Pulman Sleeper." What would be done by travellers in this country of long distances, without these clever con- trivances of Mr. Pulman, it is difficult to imagine. All the world knows that Philadelphia is famed for its high position in Art, Science and Literature; that, con- sidered structurally, it is a modern Athens, that in all respects, as regards its general features, it has only one competitor in the United States, and with which its honours are proudly shared that envied city is Boston in Massachusetts. But, although all this is well-known, it remains for the Hermit to give expression to his admiration of an edifice not yet completed, but which will be the crowning glory of Philadelphia ; an architectural monument, grand in 76 Pittsburg^ Philadelphia, New York and Boston. its conception, and so solid in construction, that it will endure for ages to come. This may be briefly described as a magnificent build- ing inclosing a courtyard or quadrangle. The entire structure will contain 520 rooms, providing stately accommodation for all the Departments of the City Government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; and for additional purposes and requirements which may have to be provided for hereafter. The vast extent of this building may be imagined, when the fact is stated, that the actual floor room in- cluded within the walls, covers a superficial area of 14^ acres, all under one roof; and the courtyard has an area of 4^ acres. The lighting, heating, and ventilating arrangements are as complete in all their details as human ingenuity, aided by practical experience, can possibly make them. The cost of this immense building, up to the end of 1 88 1, may be stated in round numbers to amount to something over seven millions of dollars. It was the Hermit's good fortune, when in this city, to make the acquaintance of the President of the Com- missioners for the erection of this building, Mr. Samuel C. Perkins, under whose fostering and constant care it has been erected. This gentleman, who is a Grand Master Mason, kindly took the Hermit over the principal parts of the vast pile, and explained the details of numerous noticeable points. This survey was highly gratifying, and deeply impressed the Hermit with the magnitude, boldness, and perfection of the design; the harmony of its various parts, and the masterly execution of the work. Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. 77 Having thus made himself tolerably familiar with some of the chief objects of interest in this first class city, and obtained a few photographic mementos of his visit, the Hermit took the train for New York, where he arrived at about 5. 40 p.m., thus completing a railroad tour of about 7,000 miles. At the terminus of the railway, he was met by his daughter-in-law and his grandson, and taken by them to their home at Brooklyn ; there to recount, in the family circle, the toils, the pleasures, and the many memorable incidents of a journey, across the great continent, which, on that side of the Atlantic is without a parallel, in a country, marvellous for its resources, its rapid development, and the enterprise of its people The Hermit having accomplished his main object of crossing the country on its northern side, and returning in safety by a southern route, and having thus performed this great journey in a short space of time, took a few days' rest in a quiet retreat, and then saw a little more of New York. The intercommunications between this City and the City of Brooklyn, at present, are solely by means of enor- mous ferry-boats crossing the Hudson River, which separates the two. Two additional means of crossing this great water highway have, however, long been in contemplation, and both are in course of being realised. One of these is a suspension bridge, so high up in the air, as to impress the mind of a beholder with an idea of its being inadequate for the traffic it is intended to carry, so aerial does it appear to be. It has, however, been designed by commanding genius, and its strength calculated in accord with well-known data, and wanting 78 Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Neiv York and Boston. nothing so much, it is said, for its completion, as a sufficient supply of the more precious metal to induce the delivery of the steel of which it is being constructed. The design is characteristic of the country ; nothing is too vast for the American mind to grasp. Greatness pervades the continent, and great ideas possess the spirit of the people. It has been said that the dining room in one of their monster hotels, is so vast, that the head waiter has to ride on horseback in it, so as to get from one end to the other in time, to save the incon- venience which would be felt by the guests if they had to wait while he walked. But the Hermit cannot endorse this statement, not having seen the room nor the horse marine. The second scheme for superseding the ferry steam- boats, is to carry the traffic by railway, tramway, or by common carriages, through a tunnel under the Hudson ; both these schemes are well advanced, and are within measurable distance of completion. It cannot be doubted that the vast traffic between the two cities demands such accommodation, and, when provided, the relief cannot fail to be an immense boon. The next great conception, which attracted the Hermit's notice, was Mr. Vanderbilt's house in the Fifth Avenue. The following is an account of it, copied from a paper published in San Francisco: " William H. Vanderbilt's house, when completed, will be the finest in America, if not in the world. A New York correspondent thus describes it : " ' The house is on the corner of Fifty-second Street and Fifth Avenue. The ground is 200 feet square, and cost $1,140,000. A vestibule or portico, connects the Pittsburgh Philadelphia, New York and Boston. 79 house with those of his daughters, on either hand. In front of this vestibule is laid the enormous side-walk slab of blue-stone, 15 feet wide and 25 feet long, which cost $5,000. At the entrance of the vestibule, facing the avenue, are to swing the famous bronze gates, or doors, ordered in Europe at a cost of $20,000. The entrance hall is small, barely 12 feet wide, and lands the visitor in a square hall, out of which open the library, drawing- room, and parlour on the east or Fifth Avenue side ; the dining-room on the south ; the picture-gallery or ball- room on the west. To the north are the entrance-hall, of which I speak, and the grand staircase. The chief feature of the hall, which is 30 feet square, is a monumental fire-place and chimney-piece, 20 feet wide- and reaching to the ceiling. It is of mahogany and Egyptian marble, and is said to have occupied 1 1 men for two years. The parlour, library and drawing-room are 25 feet square each, and are finished respectively in cherry, ebony and mahogany. The finish of the wood- work is so perfect that it is like velvet to the touch. Through all the rooms, and through the whole house in fact, the magnificence is monotonous. Every room has its chimney-piece, upon which a fortune has been lavished in the way of carving. Throughout the first and second floors there is not one inch of plaster wall to be seen, the walls from floor to ceiling, being panelled with marble, wood, leather, or tapestry. Up stairs, silk and satin are the chief wall-covering ; down stairs, it is marble and wood. The dining-room, a superb apartment, 36 feet long by 28 feet wide, has a chimney-piece almost as big as a house, and buffets of oak to match. The whole room is 8o Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. panelled in oak, minutely carved in most superb style, at a cost of $160 for every square yard, the cost of the wood-carving for this room alone footing up $37,000. Sixteen panels in the walls will contain paintings of sporting scenes, fish, and game, by famous artists. The butler's pantry is a room 18 feet square, finished in a style which would be considered very costly for a hand- some drawing-room, and contains five ponderous steel safes, built into the walls, to contain, I suppose, the ser- vice of solid gold which Vanderbilt is said to have ordered in Paris. The elevator is not yet in place. It is said to be an exact copy, on a big scale, of a silver jewel-box made for Diane de Poitiers. It will be seen from all four sides, as it rises and falls at one side of the main staircase, and will be entirely of fretted silver, lined with silk cushions. The main staircase is of oak, 13 feet wide, and presents an exceedingly beautiful and novel feature. Each rise of the steps contains two long panels, one on each side of the strip of Persian stair carpet. These panels are to be filled with paintings, done in France, at a cost of $100 a-piece. Each one is 6 inches wide by 2 feet long. There are eighty of them in all. Mrs. Vanderbilt's bed-room will be a wonder, if only on account of the painting for the ceiling, ordered from Lefebvre, the Frenchman, for $32,000. It represents the dawn of day. The room is finished in amaranthe and white marble, and hung with white silk. The other rooms are only a little less magnificent. There are eight rooms on the first floor, eleven on the second, and sixteen on the third. Not one of these thirty-five rooms on the first three floors cost less than $4,000 to finish. The chandeliers including one of solid silver, weighing half Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. 8 1 a ton for the ball-room or picture gallery, are now being made by Barbedienne, of Paris. Vanderbilt has two of Herter's men scouring Europe for whatever may be unique in furniture. Cost is said to be of no impor- tance whatever."' The Hermit, having seen a little more of New York, next visited the important city of Boston, whose 2$oth anniversary was celebrated on the i/th September, 1880. The home of those pilgrims who, for conscience' sake, left their native land in the ' Mayflower,' and " landed on Plymouth Rock, amid the snows and ice of a New England winter, one hundred and one emigrants, weary, worn, and tempest-tost, but brave, hopeful, and undaunted." What a city! What a history! What struggles for life and liberty! And to-day this proud city exists, as one vast monument of greatness, power, and glory; built on foundations of righteous integrity of purpose, and manly independence ; laid by men who nobly went forth from the land of their fathers, a land which, at that unhappy period of its history, was governed cruelly and despotically by men, who, although they may be allowed to have been animated by patriotic motives, can only be described as obstinate and blind bigots. The Hermit wandered about "the streets of this city with feelings of deep interest, and gazed on landmarks which connected much of the past with the present. The " Old South Church," for instance, hallowed as it is by association with stirring events in history, and Bunker's Hill, the battle-field on which the Hermit stood and looked around, conjuring up visions of the bravery there displayed by citizen soldiers, who F 82 Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. astonished the world by their valour, and afterwards achieved enduring glory and secured a lasting triumph, ungrudged by any Englishman of the present generation. It is not too much to say that in American affairs, and in all eventful periods of the political and social life of the Great Country, the voice of Boston has always been heard, and her great influence for good has on all occasions been felt. Many grand institutions have been planted, and solidly established, mainly by the public spirit and wise fore- thought of her sons. It is claimed, and has not been disputed, that Boston established the first church, the first free school, and the first college ; built the first vessel, and the first hotel ; set up the first printing press, and constructed the first railroad, on the Continent of America. There is a beautiful park in the centre of the city, and with loving pride the people call it "our Boston Common." The Hermit regarded it as the Hyde Park of Boston. The city has one hundred and seventy-one free schools, and the largest public library on the Continent. The Hermit had the honour of being shown over this latter institution by the President of the Board of Trustees, who most courteously and kindly directed his attention to many of the priceless literary treasures which it contains. There are also two hundred and sixteen churches ; and six hundred and sixty-six charitable, religious, literary, scientific, and art societies. In the city, architecture shows up exceedingly well in every way; and in the suburbs, variety, beauty, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. 83 elegance, and refinement, are combined with the picturesque, harmoniously and delightfully. Now for a peep into Canada; and to get this the Hermit took a night train from Boston to Montreal. This cold, hard, ungenial, unimpulsive, granitic city, was reached in the afternoon at 3.30 p.m., instead of 8.30 a.m., just seven hours over time. Everything is fast in the United States, and it seemed to the Hermit that everything was slow in Canada ; but it might be, that he was unfortunate in his first experiences in this hybrid kind of country, which is neither English nor American, a poor sort of imitation ; not exactly a sham, but, not the real thing; deficient in grit, push-on go-aheaded- ness. However, it is not the Hermit's habit to say unkind things of "any other man," and if he cannot say any good of an individual, or an institution, or a country, why then he says " mum's the word," and so he will leave Montreal and Canada, undescribed until he may have an opportunity of penetrating into its interior under more favourable circumstances. Having had this little peep, the Hermit retraced his steps to New York, and from thence in a few days set sail for Liverpool, where he arrived after a fairly pleasant voyage. His first feeling on landing, being one of deep gratitude for mercies enjoyed, through a period of fourteen weeks, and a tour of some 15,000 miles. He has nothing to be more thankful for, than the constantly-recurring courtesies, and genuine, hearty hospitality of Americans, who, from one end of this continent to the other, made his sojourn in their country exceedingly agreeable by their geniality. People who read daily newspapers, and current litera- 84 Pittsbitrx, Philadelphia New York and Boston. ture, cannot avoid coming across evidences which prove, that, for selfish or political ends, unkind words and thoughts are not unfrequently expressed by office- holders or office-seekers, reflecting on Englishmen ; but let nobody hereafter attempt to make the Hermit believe in anything incompatible with the fact, that, in America and in England, there is an increasing and undying spirit of brotherly love, existing, and taking deeper and deeper root, between the American and the English people. 21, PARLIAMENT STREKT. WESTMINSTER, February, 1882. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. MM 3 11975 "3 01975 Form L9-50m-4,'61(B8994s4)444 Syrocu.e, Stockton,