Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 97 r
 
 
 NEW WORLD NOTES.
 
 Kelso : 
 Printed by Riitherfurd & Craig
 
 NEW WORLD NOTES: 
 
 BEING 
 
 Account ot Journewngs anb Sojournmgs 
 in Jlmcrka mtb 
 
 JOHN CLAY, JUN., 
 
 KERCHESTERS, KEI.SO. 
 
 K E L S O : 
 
 J. & J. H. RUTHERFORD, 20, SQUARE. 
 1875.
 
 E 
 
 168 
 - -CS 
 
 PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 HE papers forming this volume appeared in print 
 before being collected together in their present 
 shape. The first thirteen of the series were pub- 
 lished in the North British Agriculturist, a journal which 
 exercises a wide and beneficial influence on Scottish agri- 
 culture; and the remainder first met the public eye in the 
 columns of the Kelso Chronicle, a local newspaper of old 
 and high standing. They were written at intervals of a 
 somewhat busy life, and now appear with little altera- 
 tion on their original form. Having been written amid 
 the interferences of many other claims on the attention, 
 and in "free and easy" phraseology, the author is 
 conscious that they are open to criticism on the score 
 of literary finish ; but he trusts the general reader will 
 find some things in these pages to awaken his interest, 
 increase his knowledge, and stimulate thought. 
 
 J. C. 
 
 KERCHESTERS, July, 1875.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Paijt 
 
 I. VIRGINIA i 
 
 II. (SECOND PAPER) ... ... 9 
 
 III. (THIRD PAPER) ... ... 16 
 
 IV. ILLINOIS 27 
 
 V. CHICAGO 36 
 
 VI. IOWA 4z 
 
 VII. NEBRASKA 51 
 
 VIII. THE GOLD MINES OF COLORADO 61 
 
 IX. EMIGRATION TO THE WEST ... ... 71 
 
 X. ONTARIO 83 
 
 XI. Bow PARK ... ... ... ... ... ... 90 
 
 XII. ONTARIO 100 
 
 XIII. THE BACKWOODS ... m 
 
 XIV. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF ST. Louis 121 
 
 XV. NIAGARA FALLS 128 
 
 XVI. "OUR WESTERN HOME" ... 140 
 
 XVII. NIAGARA FALLS TO OTTAWA 148 
 
 XVIII. OTTAWA 156 
 
 XIX. THE RAPIDS OF THE ST. LAWRENCE AND 
 
 MONTREAL 165 
 
 XX. SARATOGA ... ... ... ... ... ... 175 
 
 XXI. SARATOGA TO SCOTLAND ... ... ... ... 191
 
 NEW WORLD NOTES. 
 
 i. 
 
 jjHE writer of this and some following articles 
 visited America during the summer of 1874. 
 He stayed over three months in the country, 
 and during that time travelled over a considerable portion 
 of the States and Canada. As a matter of course, it was 
 but a cursory glance he obtained of that immense contin- 
 ent, of whose size some estimate may be made when it is 
 kept in mind that the above State is nearly equal in extent 
 to the United Kingdom. He went there with no in- 
 tention of settling, but more through curiosity to see a 
 country he had read and heard so much about, to see 
 its people and their institutions ; and in travelling 
 through it, he made a few notes upon the land, agri- 
 culture, and inducements for emigration to that immense 
 and, as yet, but partially-developed continent. Such 
 notes he has much pleasure in placing before the public, 
 in the hope that they may help to guide any who
 
 2 New World Notes. 
 
 \ 
 
 at the present moment are turning their attention to that 
 great country, or that they may afford some information 
 to others who have no intention of leaving their native 
 land. They are the simple observations of a farmer 
 from the banks of the Tweed, and may be taken for 
 what they are worth. 
 
 The State of Virginia was originally settled by 
 Englishmen, and is one of the oldest and first consti- 
 tuted in the Union. It is bounded on the east by the 
 Atlantic, and possesses many fine harbours and shel- 
 tered bays, formed by the rivers Potomac, Rappahan- 
 nock, and James. Norfolk, perhaps the finest harbour 
 in the world, is situated at the bottom of the estuary 
 formed by the latter, and is rapidly becoming an im- 
 portant place through its shipping and railway interests. 
 Between Virginia proper and West Virginia, the 
 Alleghany Mountains run. They are, more correctly 
 speaking, good-sized hills, never rising much over 4000 
 feet above the sea level, are richly wooded, and 
 abound in iron and coal mines, both most important 
 items as regards the welfare of a country. Taking a 
 bird's-eye view, the State is in general flat, well- 
 wooded, and beautifully watered with, in some cases, 
 navigable rivers. It is intersected by various lines of 
 railway, which will, no doubt, soon be increased. The 
 roads are numerous, and perhaps of the worst descrip- 
 tion we ever came across. However, the inhabitants 
 appear to get along with them, such as they are. The 
 forests of Virginia are still large, and will turn out pro- 
 fitable. They consist largely of pine, oak, and hickory, 
 which are increasing rapidly in value ; and as most
 
 Virginia. 3 
 
 part of the State is within easy reach of the seaboard, 
 they cannot but prove a profitable investment. In our 
 idea, it is not how much land is cleared, but how much 
 is yet to clear of its virgin wood, that constitutes the value 
 of a farm. The cleared parts of the land in Virginia are 
 poor, and worked out through the culture of tobacco ; 
 while the forest land, over and above the value of the 
 timber to cut, is virgin soil. As, for instance, on a 
 farm which we rode over, there were 250 acres of 
 impoverished cleared lands, and 150 acres of wood. 
 The price paid for the whole place was 400 sterling, 
 payable in three yearly instalments. The planter or 
 proprietor had been in possession for three months, 
 and had already contracted to deliver wood of more 
 than the value of the whole estate. He had to cut and 
 deliver the logs at a distance of three or four miles, 
 which, no doubt, would incur considerable expense. 
 Yet there stands the fact, that in a short time he ex- 
 pected to redeem the price of his estate from the wood- 
 lands alone, before the whole cash was due. Of 
 course, such a bargain is not met with every day, and 
 no doubt he was a shrewd, business man who made 
 such a purchase. 
 
 Of the climate, we cannot speak so definitely as we 
 would wish. The white man cannot both work and 
 thrive during the heats of summer ; and, at the same 
 time, in any parts we visited, fever and ague were less 
 known than in many of the Western States. The 
 summers are undoubtedly very hot. The winters are 
 not unlike our own at home. The negro appears to 
 be the natural labourer. He can stand the hottest
 
 4 New World Notes. 
 
 sun in fact, he luxuriates in it ; -while the white 
 man is forced into the shady verandah. Of the pre- 
 sent state of agriculture little can be said but that it is 
 in a most backward state. The soil is light, sandy, 
 and easily worked. The implements used are most 
 primitive, and at best they only scrape the land with 
 the plough. Indian corn, the principal cereal, is 
 planted in rows of a yard apart, and each particle of 
 seed is dropped at a distance of a yard along the row. 
 It is worked through the summer, not unlike our tur- 
 nip break. Through the latter part of the summer 
 the leaves are gathered off the stalk, and saved for 
 fodder, on which the horses and cows are fed in winter 
 time. In the fall, the corn cobs are plucked off and 
 the stalks left standing. A small plot of tobacco is 
 cultivated, while the garden is generally well looked 
 after water melons and grapes being the principal 
 products. Round the house generally an orchard is 
 found, with apple and peach trees at intermediate dis- 
 tances. Instead of cropping all their land each year, 
 they only work from one third to a half each season. 
 Thus, if a man has a plantation of 100 acres, he 
 cultivates from 30 to 50 acres, leaving the remainder 
 to go to waste with weeds and brush. It is natural to 
 the soil to grow pine, and if cultivated land is left 
 alone for ten years, it grows up into a pine forest. 
 Such, then, is an example of the agriculture of the 
 State. What stock they have is of a most miserable 
 description, except in horses, which are light, active, 
 wiry, and well adapted to the nature of the soil. 
 They are suited to any kind of work, from ploughing
 
 Virginia. 5 
 
 to following foxhounds, which is a great sport here in 
 the fall. 
 
 The Virginian planter, as a rule, is a rough-looking, 
 ill-dressed individual. Perhaps never did we see such 
 a difference as between the ladies and gentlemen of 
 this State. The former are perhaps the most beautiful 
 and accomplished class we ever met to have been 
 brought up in the circumstances. The latter, although 
 there are some noble exceptions, are, as a class, boorish 
 and ill-educated. Curiosity is a remarkable feature of 
 their nature. The first afternoon we spent in Virginia 
 was at a small town on the east side of the State, not 
 far distant from the fruitful and rich bottom lands of 
 the Rappahannock and Mataponi. It was a Saturday, 
 and most of the neighbouring farmers had driven up in 
 their waggons to buy provisions for the ensuing week. 
 It is a custom m those parts among black and white 
 to take a holiday on the last day of the week, no 
 matter how busy or how important their work may be. 
 This is an idle afternoon ; ere long we were sur- 
 rounded by a crowd of eager inquirers. What were 
 our intentions ? How much money had we ? Were 
 we going to buy land ? And so the string of ques- 
 tions went on, and were answered, only to be cross- 
 examined by another fresh party. Every other man 
 here wants to sell his plantation. They are a poor 
 -class, and it happens thus. Before the war and it 
 only requires a man to visit Virginia to judge of the 
 horrors of a civil war those men were all slaveholders 
 to a large extent. Their great profit was raising slaves 
 for the Southern market, for the cotton plantations of
 
 6 Neiv World Notes. 
 
 South Carolina and Tennessee. Many of them lived 
 like little princes, and owned slaves to the amount of 
 100,000 dols. This was their wealth, as we in Scot- 
 land are rich in flocks and herds, but 
 
 " The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold" 
 
 in the shape of war, freed the slave, and spoilt their 
 property. All their spare cash and some of them 
 had no little of it went at that time also. Thus 
 they were left helpless ; the nigger, or, as they call 
 him in Virginia, the d d nigger, for the most part had 
 left the cursed land of slavery. Those who remained, 
 having once tasted the sweets of freedom, cared not for 
 work as long as they could keep life in them by any 
 other means. The imperious planter was thus without 
 labour or means. Brought up without knowing what 
 work was, they were fast, hand and foot. With a 
 slave to wait upon them, to fan them while asleep, it was 
 a mighty change to shift for themselves. It was like 
 setting an exotic of the rarest kind, fostered up under 
 glass, away to the field to take its chance among the 
 wild flowers that luxuriate there. Like these, some 
 never took root, but died away ; others are gradually 
 becoming acclimatised ; but from what we have seen, 
 they are so demoralised, both master and slave, that 
 they will not do much good for this generation at least. 
 It is the fate of war, and yet with all their faults no 
 one who visits that land can but be sorry for them. 
 They are a generous and hospitable class, and will 
 share their last morsel of bread with a stranger who 
 may happen to be within their gates. But Virginia and
 
 Virginia. 7 
 
 all the Southern States have a worse evil to contend 
 with than the mean and demoralised white. He is a 
 man of quick improvement and rapid intellectual growth 
 when placed beside the freed slave. The former will 
 die out or be supplanted by fresh blood in a generation ; 
 not so fast with the nigger ; naturally a man of low 
 attainments, long years of slavery have made him worse. 
 Brought up to work through the fear of the lash, 
 totally uneducated, and taught to hold loose and im- 
 moral ideas by their masters, was it a matter of surprise 
 that the nigger should hang himself on a rope of his 
 master's and his own construction ? Was it a wonder 
 that, after so many years of hard toil and degradation, he 
 should drink too much of the spirit of freedom, and 
 hunger very sorely after the fleshpots ? It is a just 
 retribution. The tobacco and cotton planters of the 
 generous South may complain of their hard lot in 
 having the uneducated, vicious negro put politically, and 
 in many respects socially, on a level with themselves ; 
 but they must remember who it was that produced this 
 calamity who it was that fostered up the system of 
 slavery so rudely destroyed by an all-powerful Creator. 
 They are reaping a judgment for their evil ways ; and 
 yet they were only the principal actors in the great drama 
 of slavery. The politicians of the North added their 
 support and moral influence to the trade in human 
 blood. However, we must make a halt, as we do not 
 intend to enter upon the great question of slavery in 
 the States. Such is the State of Virginia at present, 
 with its demoralised planter, its vicious and lazy la- 
 bourer. The great question is, Can the negro be
 
 8 
 
 New World Notes. 
 
 made a good and useful labourer ? It struck us for- 
 cibly that, under an Englishman's guidance, he appears 
 to work far better than with his former master.
 
 II. 
 
 (SECOND PAPER.) 
 
 AR at any time is a terrible calamity. A civil 
 war such as rent the United States of 
 America can only be realised by those who 
 saw it. Four years of constant fighting would try the 
 very strongest people in the world ; nay, would so level 
 and demoralise them that at least half a century would 
 require to elapse before their recovery. Not so with 
 the Americans. Ten years have passed, and the war in 
 most parts of it is a matter of history. But on approach- 
 ing Virginia visible traces crop up of the great struggle. 
 It was destined, from what cause it is hard to explain, 
 to be the great battle-field, the arena where brother was 
 to rise up against brother. The thousands of graves 
 that cover the mortal remains of many a brave and 
 patriotic man, the battered houses, the ruins of splendid 
 mansions, the unfenced state of the land, the once rich 
 and fruitful clearings now covered with pine growth are 
 terrible monuments of the death-struggle the American 
 people engaged in from 1860 to 1864. On every class
 
 IO New World Notes. 
 
 such a state of affairs had its effect, but in this parti- 
 cular part none suffered so much as the planters, the 
 great, slave-holders of Virginia. As we said in the 
 preceding paper, these are fast disappearing. They are 
 being supplanted in a great measure by a large intro- 
 duction of English blood. In fact, the British settler 
 is now a great institution, and the element to which the 
 old Virginian looks for the renovation of his fruitful 
 country. But notwithstanding the large ingress of 
 Britishers to the State, it is a matter of doubt whether 
 such an experiment for we can look at it only in that 
 light at present is to be a success. For ourselves, we 
 think it has been as yet a failure in a very great mea- 
 sure, not so much owing to the country itself, as to 
 the class who compose the emigrants. What is 
 wanted in Virginia is a class of good steady agricul- 
 turists, who know what it is to work and turn their 
 hand to anything, who have before their arrival there 
 experienced what it is to make their living by farming. 
 Such a class has not as yet found its way to Virginia. 
 There are some, and wherever they have gone, as a 
 rule, success has followed their efforts. But the great 
 majority of what are called middle-class emigrants is 
 made up of clerks, who are dissatisfied with their 
 masters at home, and who scarce know the difference 
 between a spade and a plough ; shopkeepers who know 
 as little ; retired army and navy officers, whose pecu- 
 liarities are well known ; younger sons of our country 
 gentry, who, too proud to work, leave their homes 
 brimful of conceit, and who do not take well with a 
 colonial life, where ofttimes they have to polish their
 
 Virginia. 1 1 
 
 own boots and wash their own clothes. Perhaps it is 
 the saddest spectacle imaginable to see large numbers of 
 the latter roughing it. Sent out with a small modicum 
 of ready money, this is soon spent in riotous living 
 either at the bar of a country store, where whisky of 
 the vilest description is doled out at 10 cents a glass, or 
 in some other questionable manner. It is one of the 
 cruellest and most heartrending actions, first to bring 
 up a lad in the greatest luxury, and then, when he 
 grows up, to slip him away to a distant shore, there, 
 with neither ideas nor resources, to- take his chance 
 among the roughs of society. Of such-like Virginia 
 has more than enough. Is it, then, matter for wonder 
 that the failures overweigh many times the successes ? 
 Men of caution are required here more than anything ; 
 men who will not try to improve too fast, who will 
 only invest part of their money at first and keep the 
 remainder in hand ; for once he has to borrow, no 
 matter how good his security, the interest charged is 
 ruinous, as the credit of the agriculturist is at a low 
 ebb. A settler must make up his mind to go quietly 
 and slowly on for a year or. two, keep his eyes open, 
 gather experience at every turn, and there is but little 
 doubt he will meet a fair share of success. In going 
 to that State, or any part of the Union, it is wise either 
 to go out with a band of colonists, or join a colony of 
 some years' standing. What has been the great secret 
 of success among the Germans on the Western Prairies 
 but the ability they have to stick together ? So it is 
 in Virginia. A large number of emigrants settle down 
 near one another. They have their own society, and
 
 12 New World Notes. 
 
 can help one another in a time of need. At other 
 
 points you find the settlers few and far between, and 
 
 for the most part dissatisfied and discouraged. By all 
 
 means let a Britisher settle as near as possible to his own 
 
 kinsfolk ; for, however clever he may be, he is none 
 
 the worse of their advice and support. While Virginia 
 
 is suited to the emigrant with capital and education, it 
 
 is as unsuitable to the labourer without either means or 
 
 learning. It has been asked, Why do not some of the 
 
 immense number of labourers who daily proceed from 
 
 this country to the American shores find their way to 
 
 some of the Southern States ? The answer is this, 
 
 that there the labour market is already supplied. 
 
 Throughout the South, there are five millions of niggers, 
 
 who, for the most part, are labourers. Virginia has 
 
 her share, and perhaps more than enough. He receives 
 
 about 50 cents, or 25. per day. Is it likely that for this 
 
 miserable sum, any stout German, English, or Irish 
 
 emigrant will be induced to try his fortune in the sunny 
 
 South ? No, there is but one labourer for the South, 
 
 and that is the nigger. He is there, and is daily on 
 
 the increase at least so say statistics and it is not 
 
 likely he will ever be removed. With education, 
 
 with fair dealing, and with proper management, much 
 
 may be made of him. With a superfluity of coloured 
 
 labour, the cry is not for more of his commodity, but 
 
 for capital and brains wherewith to employ it. 
 
 Coming to the point, the question to be asked runs 
 thus : Is Virginia a land of promise to the middle-class 
 emigrant ? Candidly, we think it is. But a short time 
 we remained there, yet enough we saw of it to con-
 
 Virginia. 1 3 
 
 vince us that for a certain class it is a suitable and pro- 
 fitable part. It is not a paradise, nor can dollar bills 
 be picked up like leaves from the trees. It is, how- 
 ever, a fine country ; the soil, and more especially the 
 bottom lands, are rich, and very susceptible of improve- 
 ment. It is well watered by the purest of spring water, 
 and beautifully wooded. There are difficulties also in the 
 way. The roads are deplorable ; the fences are worse. 
 Yet those are matters incident to the beginning of every 
 new country, for although this State has been settled 
 for nearly 300 years the work of improvement is to begin 
 afresh, with this difference from a virgin country, that 
 much of the soil is poor and exhausted, but there is still 
 left a boundless extent of fresh and good soil, and a 
 large extent of bottom land that is practically inexhaus- 
 tible. One fact, however, remains to be mentioned on 
 this subject ; it has no mean enemy to contend with in 
 the grog shop, a passion for which has been carried 
 from home by the British settlers, or, as in many cases 
 they might be termed, the unsettled British. Broken 
 down in health, the Englishman not unfrequently 
 blames the climate, but the true reason will be found 
 in the fact that he is too free in drinking of spirituous 
 liquor. No constitution, however strong, will allow a 
 man to indulge freely ; and it is absolutely necessary 
 for any person going to those parts to become very 
 temperate, if not a teetotaler altogether. Throughout 
 other parts of the Union, it is the fashion of many to 
 jeer at Virginia bad climate, fever and ague, not fit 
 for any Englishman, and far less for a Scotchman, say 
 they. It is not so bad as that -, let a man live there
 
 14 New World Notes. 
 
 carefully and temperately, and there is little doubt the 
 climate will have no more effect upon him than in the 
 State of New York. 
 
 The price of the land itself varies very much, run- 
 ning from r up to f 10 per acre. Good land, within 
 easy reach of a railway, a moderate quantity of wood 
 on it, with a good house and out-buildings, which 
 generally consist of a stable and a large tobacco barn, 
 can be bought from 2 to 3 sterling. An ordinary 
 estate that is, one not raised in value by being near a 
 town, or some other fortunate circumstance is pro- 
 curable at the price the buildings upon it are valued 
 at. In fact, pay for the house accommodation, 
 and the land is all but thrown into the bargain. In 
 the making of all bargains, either at home or abroad, 
 much depends upon the parties who are concerned in 
 the purchase. The first duty in buying an estate is to 
 find out if the title is valid, and if there are no mort- 
 gages upon the land. Such facts can be ascertained at 
 the register-office, in which are the title-deeds. Mort- 
 gages upon land are most correctly kept, and except such 
 deeds are entered there, they are of no value in a court 
 of law. The second and great duty lies with the 
 settler himself in choosing a suitable position. No 
 greater error is made than that of buying low-priced 
 land which has few or no advantages. A few pounds 
 are ill-spared upon a plantation which is near to market 
 and other conveniences. A third duty is never to buy 
 land without residing some time in the country, for 
 once you buy you are fixed for some years, at least till 
 you get your land improved. All improved lands sell
 
 Virginia. 1 5 
 
 readily and well. These are a few of the facts con- 
 cerning the purchase of land. Many others are to be 
 found out on arrival at the spot. The emigrant to 
 Virginia should remember the old motto that " there's 
 luck in leisure " keep in mind that he is not wise 
 above his fellow-men, and a man is never better paid 
 in any of the colonies than by having a year's trial of 
 colonial life before investing his money.
 
 III. 
 
 lirgittia. 
 
 (THIRD PAPER.) 
 
 JONDAY the 2 5 th day of May, 1874, will be 
 long remembered as commemorating a new 
 era in the history of the above State. Rich- 
 mond, one of the most picturesque and beautiful cities 
 of the Union, had put on her best attire to receive the 
 British settlers who in their loyalty had determined to 
 honour their Queen in a strange land, and at the same 
 time they had gathered together with the intention of 
 forming a British association to protect their interests, 
 and to help any emigrant who should fall among 
 sharpers on his arrival. Three or four hundred Eng- 
 lishmen from all parts of the State had gathered towards 
 the rendezvous on the days previous to Her Majesty's 
 birthday, which happened on Sunday the 24th ; but it 
 was not till the Monday morning that the streets 
 became crowded and the presence of the British ele- 
 ment was thoroughly distinguishable. At nine o'clock, 
 amid the roar of cannon from the hill which is 
 crowned by the capitol so famous in the civil war, the
 
 Virginia. 1 7 
 
 British boys cheered to the echo, and made the walls 
 ring with a true hurrah, when it was announced that 
 a telegram had been sent to congratulate our noble 
 Queen on the attainment of her fifty-fifth birthday by 
 her subjects in Virginia. For, be it remembered, 
 although there are many Englishmen in this State, few 
 if any are as yet American citizens, owing to the un- 
 settled state of political parties in the South. At 
 twelve o'clock, within the House of Delegates, a great 
 assemblage of British faces gathered round the Speaker's 
 chair, which for the time being was occupied by Captain 
 Jackson, who, after a few remarks, called upon Mr, St 
 Andrews, an English resident, to address his fellow- 
 countrymen. It was a stirring address, and not un- 
 frequently raised the enthusiasm of the meeting to an 
 overwhelming height. After he concluded, the British 
 Association was formed upon a firm and sound basis. 
 In the evening, the proceedings were continued by a 
 banquet and ball in the Exchange Hotel. The former 
 was attended by about 350 ladies and gentlemen, and 
 was one of the gayest scenes we ever saw. The 
 speaking was of the highest class, and excited the 
 audience so much towards the finish, that the wildest 
 confusion prevailed, till at last the scene closed with 
 three tremendous cheers and shouts for Queen Victoria, 
 which, no doubt, astonished the good citizens of Rich- 
 mond, and had no effect upon the object they were 
 intended to honour. Yet there is something noble and 
 heart-inspiring to see with what a reverence our country- 
 men look back to the old homes and haunts of their 
 youth. Far away, they still remember the green lanes
 
 1 8 New World Notes. 
 
 of Norfolk, the wolds of Yorkshire, the heather hills 
 of Scotia, the verdant fields of the Emerald Isle, the 
 sweet country villages, the church with its modest 
 spire aye, perchance, the old churchyard with its 
 tombstones o'erhung with ivy, beneath which lies the 
 dust of their ancestors. The man is to be honoured 
 who looks back with pride to the land of his birth ; 
 and I found in Virginia that, although away to seek 
 their fortune in another clime, the British settlers did 
 not disparage the old laws and customs of Great 
 Britain, while they looked with a great hope and 
 earnest expectation to the land of their adoption. Next 
 morning, at breakfast, we got placed alongside an 
 aristocratic-looking Englishman, a man evidently of 
 some mark. After the usual morning congratulations 
 and some cursory remarks upon the preceding day's 
 celebration, said he, " I reckon you are not long on 
 this side of the Atlantic?" We answered in the 
 negative, and so the conversation was carried on, till at 
 last we began to discover that we had some mutual 
 acquaintances. He invited us to go down to his plan- 
 tation and see what was being done in the way of im- 
 provement. But he was not going to start till the fol- 
 lowing day, so we had to remain in Richmond, and it 
 may not be uninteresting to give some account of how 
 we spent the 'day. 
 
 To begin with, it was " everlastingly hot," and 
 light-coloured garments were the order of the day. 
 Most of the forenoon was spent in looking about the 
 city. Richmond, unlike the large majority of new 
 world cities, is built on hilly ground, which adds much
 
 Virginia, 19 
 
 to its beauty. It stands on the east side of the James 
 river, on the other side of which Manchester, also a 
 considerable place, is situated. It is laid out in squares, 
 with broad, fine streets, lined with trees, which provide 
 a most welcome shade to the side-walks. It was a 
 busy place during the war, being the seat of the Con- 
 federate Government, and is surrounded by a system or 
 forts and earthworks which were considered nearly 
 impregnable. Large tobacco manufactories, flour mills, 
 &c., give the place a more than local importance, and 
 at this point some of our finest cigars are produced, as 
 well as some of our vilest smoking mixtures. Some 
 very inferior goods are manufactured at this spot. It 
 is a most extraordinary sight to see the tobacco sales. 
 Every barrel is sold by one auctioneer appointed by the 
 commission agents, and no little speculation is indulged 
 in. The people of Richmond are not unlike the Eng- 
 lish. The Virginians, as a rule, are lineal descendants 
 of the British, and have little or no foreign blood in 
 their veins. Every person has a military air, and you 
 can scarce converse with a man but he has had, di- 
 rectly or indirectly, some connection with the army. 
 Generals, colonels, and majors are as thick as the fallen 
 leaves of autumn, and like them they are considerably 
 faded in person and purse. 
 
 In the afternoon, we started for the Holy wood 
 Cemetery a mixture of park and burial-ground. It 
 is a most beautiful place, a fit res ting-ground for the 
 dead. One portion of it is set aside for the soldiers killed 
 in battle. Fifteen thousand brave men lie mouldering 
 there, shorn down in the fight by their brothers. Oh,
 
 2O New World Notes. 
 
 terrible thought ! civil war, a war between brethren, a 
 death-struggle betwixt children of the same blood ! 
 Standing among those graves, we longed for the day 
 when " men shall beat their swords into plough-shares 
 and their spears into pruning hooks." But it is past, 
 and, like fire, it has cleansed the land, and generations 
 yet unborn will feel the good effects of the burning 
 scourge. Luckily for us, this was a great commemora- 
 tion day in other words, an annual day of mourning 
 is held by all the inhabitants for the soldiers who 
 perished during the war. It was about three o'clock 
 when we reached the scene, and already an immense 
 crowd was gathered. The first object that attracted 
 our attention was a huge pyramid built of granite, 
 rough and rude. There was no aspiration to high art> 
 but the rugged pile, partially covered with the trumpet 
 vine and other creeping plants, is a fit memorial for 
 those who lie around. At the base were seated a 
 large number of ladies and gentlemen, sheltered from 
 the rays of the sun. At five o'clock, a battalion of 
 Virginia volunteers marched on to the ground, headed 
 by a splendid band, whose martial strains raised the old 
 fire in the bosom of many a veteran. At this time the 
 crowd reached its height, about 10,000 people being 
 present. It was a great sight to see them all seated on 
 the ground dressed in their summer garments, a bouquet 
 of a tasteful description in each hand. It is the habit 
 to strew the graves of the soldiers with flowers. Most 
 of those are numbered, a few have private tombstones, 
 but, monument or no monument, each had its flower 
 to deck it gaily, or a wreath woven by some fair hand.
 
 Virginia. 2 1 
 
 No nobler or more touching sight could be witnessed 
 than watching those people quietly and orderly paying 
 -i tribute to their departed friends. Here might be seen 
 the mother, the widow, the daughter, the brother, and 
 many a father mourning for those who had gone to 
 
 " That undiscovered country, 
 From whose bourne no traveller returns." 
 
 Many also of the private graves were decked artistically 
 with flowers and evergreens. The whole of the 
 cemetery is intersected by walks, pleasantly shaded by 
 magnificent trees. One of the sides is skirted by the 
 James river, which makes a series of small falls oppo- 
 site. The scenery here is most picturesque. The 
 water, as it comes rushing wildly over the rocks, the 
 beautiful wooded islets that stand amidst the foaming 
 stream, the majestic trees of the virgin forest that fringe 
 the river's side, the very fact of Nature being left alone 
 in her glory, renders the aspect of this romantic spot 
 enchanting beyond measure. The gloaming was with 
 us before we left this delightful place, much pleased 
 indeed to have seen a whole city mourning over their 
 departed friends. 
 
 Leaving next morning by the Richmond and Dan- 
 ville Railroad, we reached Amelia Courthouse, the 
 
 depot where our friend Mr. B leaves the train. 
 
 Entering a spring waggon, drawn by a very fine pair 
 of mules, and driven by a nigger boy, we started for 
 the plantation, a distance of some seven miles. At 
 first the road was a fair one for the country, but the 
 latter part was over a track through the forest, scarcely
 
 22 New World Notes. 
 
 formed, not even straight, round about the trees as best 
 the driver could, while, at some points, a stump, 2 feet 
 high, had to be managed the best way possible. The 
 bad access to this plantation is its worst evil. Seven 
 miles of a macadamised road is a mere nothing the 
 same distance of such as described above is a serious 
 obstacle, and will take no little expense to put right. 
 At last, after considerable jolting, we reached the farm- 
 house. It stands in the midst of a grove of trees that 
 are seldom equalled for elegance, even in Virginia. To 
 the south and west, orchards, some newly planted, 
 others in full bearing, add much to the amenity of the 
 place. In the background, the stables, barns, log- 
 shanties, the abode of the niggers, cottages for the ac- 
 commodation of guests, and other offices are situated. 
 The ice-house stands here also, and is of most simple 
 construction. A pit, some ic or 12 feet deep, is dug 
 into the sandy soil, and roofed over like a house ; the 
 object here being to let as much air as possible into it, 
 while preventing the rays of the sun from entering. Ice 
 is the simplest and greatest luxury that can be obtained 
 in such a hot climate. 
 
 This estate was bought about two years ago. It 
 contains about 1200 acres, of which 600 are cleared, 
 the remainder being woodland, of which much is virgin 
 forest, consisting of different varieties of pine, red and 
 white oak, hickory, &c., and is indeed very valuable. 
 The soil is sandy, except the bottom lands, which are 
 alluvial deposit, and extraordinarily rich and fertile. No 
 small proportion of the plantation consists of those deep 
 and inexhaustible flats, and it is to these that the pro-
 
 Virginia. 23 
 
 prietor has turned his attention in the first place. The 
 total cost of this estate was somewhere about 2700, or 
 455. per acre, a sum which would scarcely place the 
 house and outbuildings there when they were first 
 built ; but even suppose these had deteriorated to 
 half the sum, 1350, the land with all the wood upon 
 it cost little over i per acre. There is little doubt 
 such land in England would command an annual rent 
 of 453. per acre, and with the generous climate of 
 Virginia, its producing powers are considerably en- 
 hanced above the same quality of soil in Great Britain. 
 The labourers employed are all coloured men, with a 
 white " boss," or steward, to direct them. From the 
 experience gained here, they work very satisfactorily 
 when properly looked after ; mules do the ploughing 
 and carting, while oxen haul wood and other heavy 
 burdens ; the former are considered superior to horses, 
 and a first-class one costs about 40. 
 
 Mr. B., like a wise general, did not strike out into 
 great improvements at first, but went at them slowly, 
 and watched narrowly what effect they had. He 
 began first and tried to grow some grass, as well as 
 Indian corn, wheat, turnips, and mangolds. The grass 
 was a capital pasture, the Indian corn was just appear- 
 ing, and the turnips were only begun to when we visited 
 the place. The latter were merely an experiment, as 
 their culture had not been tried before in this State. 
 As a rule, root crops, except potatoes, do not thrive so 
 well as in our country. Then, the bottom land was 
 next looked after, ditching and draining being the prin- 
 cipal improvement required here. Already ico acres
 
 24 New World Notes. 
 
 had been cleared of the undergrowth which through 
 neglect had risen up on this fertile soil, and had been 
 planted with Indian corn. 
 
 Fencing is actively carried forward. A steam saw- 
 mill had just been erected previous to our visit, and as 
 wood is superabundant, the whole place will soon be 
 enclosed, the plan being to enclose the estate with a 
 ring fence, and then divide it, and fence the enclosures 
 as they are required. In three years' time, it is expected 
 all the cleared land will be improved, and after that the 
 forest land can be cleared, the wood sold, and a virgin soil 
 will remain. Ultimately, or whenever it is practicable, 
 Mr. B. intends turning his attention to the feeding of 
 sheep and cattle, which are easily managed, and entirely 
 free from disease of any kind such as pleuro-pneu- 
 monia and foot-and-mouth disease. The bottom lands 
 are intended for grazing in summer, and the uplands, 
 which are of a drier nature, are to be kept in a regular 
 rotation, something on this course i, green crops or 
 fallow ; 2, winter oats ; 3, hay ; 4, grazing \ 5, wheat ; 
 6, Indian corn farm-yard manure, crushed bones, and 
 plaster to be applied as fertilisers. On paper this looks 
 a very feasible plan, and, as far as the experiments have 
 gone, success has followed them. 
 
 Above all, it requires men of capital, with practical 
 heads ; and as the above planter has both, Virginia and 
 its soil will get a fair chance of being properly tried. 
 He told us that he calculated on spending other three 
 or four thousand pounds to finish his contemplated im- 
 provements of fencing, ditching, draining, and building. 
 Such a sum will work a mighty change, and will make
 
 Virginia. 25 
 
 the estate one of the most elegant in Virginia, bringing 
 back reminiscences of former times to the old inhabi- 
 tants. 
 
 Altogether, with the single exception of being far 
 from a railway, which in course of time is sure to come 
 nearer as the country gets settled and more productive, 
 this plantation is a most desirable place to live at. The 
 land here is your own, and the proprietor has no fear 
 of that bugbear which troubles the English farmer, of 
 being turned out at the end of his lease from the spot 
 where perhaps he has spent the best and happiest part 
 of his life. Far from us would it be to state that the 
 planters of this country will make more money than his 
 brother farmers at home ; but then as time with its cease- 
 less roll speeds on, the landed property of Virginia is 
 still owned by the proprietor, while the Englishman may 
 toU all his life and be turned to the door at the finish, 
 with perhaps a fair amount of money , but there is a 
 pleasure in standing upon soil and exclaiming " This 
 is my own ; no one can take it from me/' Such is the 
 lot of the farmer in America, whether in Virginia, 
 the prairies of the West, or among the forests of 
 Canada. 
 
 The climate is hot indeed, very hot somewhere 
 about 90 degrees in the shade the days we spent there ; 
 but it is a dry atmosphere, very unlike our moist, wet 
 climate, and the evenings are most delightful. Sitting 
 one night in the verandah, enjoying the cool breeze that 
 had risen up after the great heat of the midday sun, we 
 watched the sun sink over the western horizon. It 
 was a glorious sight, as it descended with a bright ruddy
 
 26 New World Notes. 
 
 glow, tinging the tops of the magnificent trees with a 
 golden hue. As if in an instant darkness came. The 
 sweet gloaming, so peculiar to our temperate climate, 
 was awanting, but instead, the clear, transparent light 
 of the moon shone down in all its glory. The song- 
 sters of the forest, so silent through the day, began to 
 warble forth, and all nature became alive. The wind 
 gently sighed through the leafy trees, the fire-fly flashed 
 its phosphoric light from every plot of grass, the hoarse 
 note of the bull-frog, as it came floating through the 
 air from some swampy spot not far distant, adds much 
 to the concert. The melancholy notes of the -whip- 
 poor-will sound strange to our ears, and bring back 
 memories of the cuckoo and its deceptive wail. Such 
 a medley of Nature's voices is never heard except in 
 the forests of the west. 
 
 It was in visiting such spots, and seeing such scenes, 
 that we spent not a few happy days in the State of 
 Virginia, visiting among the hospitable natives, staying 
 in the log shanty of some bold but generous and hos- 
 pitable young Englishman, or luxuriating in the house 
 of a well-to-do British settler, surrounded by all the 
 comforts so peculiar to the middle class in this our 
 native land.
 
 IV. 
 
 Illinois. 
 
 N the ist of June, we took leave of Richmond,, 
 and started westward by the Ohio and Chesa- 
 peake Railroad. The road passes through 
 the middle of the State of Virginia, crosses the rich 
 valley of the Shenandoah, and runs through the Al- 
 leghanies, past the White Sulphur Springs, on towards 
 the Ohio, where the traveller takes a boat at a place 
 called Huntington, and sails from thence down the 
 river to Cincinnati. One day sufficed us for sight-seeing 
 at the latter place, and, leaving behind the vine-clad 
 banks of the Ohio, we continued our journey to St 
 Louis, the great centre of the West. Four or five 
 days were profitably spent here visiting its schools, its 
 factories, its public parks, viewing the broad Mississippi, 
 on whose waters float those enormous steamers, familiar 
 to all readers of books upon American travel. One 
 day was spent in visiting the Valley of Flowers, which 
 is situated some ten miles further up the river than the 
 city. This is a most fertile valley, running westward 
 from the Mississippi. It is about ten miles long and 
 five broad. If one could imagine a land flowing with 
 milk and honey, or a Garden of Eden, this would be
 
 28 New World Notes. 
 
 the spot. The general aspect is most inviting. The 
 quiet homesteads, so neat and clean, surrounded by rich 
 vineyards and flourishing orchards, the fine clumps of 
 oak that dot the land at intervals, the splendid fields of 
 wheat and Indian corn, the regularity of the fences, 
 the fine pastures and heavy crops of hay, all bore evi- 
 dence to the prosperity and wealth of the farmers. 
 Tn,e wheat crop was expected to average 100 bushels 
 per acre, and the quantity of hay about 250 to 300 
 stones. But we hasten on ro our subject in hand. 
 
 Starting from St Louis on the morning of the loth of 
 June, we crossed the river by the new bridge to East 
 St Louis, which is situated in the State of Illinois, 
 and took the train to Springfield. The road runs 
 alongside the river, past the mouth of the Missouri 
 to Alton, a thriving town of 40,000 or 50,000 inhabi- 
 tants. Then it strikes through perhaps the best farmed 
 land in the States. Thirty years ago, this was wild 
 prairie land, and could be bought for about 55. per 
 acre ; now it is all settled, and can only be purchased 
 from 10 to ,15 per acre not a bad speculation for 
 the original buyers. The soil consists of a deep, dark 
 loam, rather of a sandy than a heavy nature, and is practi- 
 cally inexhaustible. Several parties stated they knew 
 portions of land that had been cropped with wheat for 
 over twenty years, and up to this time had yearly im- 
 proved. The prairie of Illinois is flatter than that of 
 some of the other Western States. It is a perfect 
 plain, with a gentle elevation from the banks of the 
 streams and rivers which intersect it at all points. This 
 abundant supply of water is very valuable. Where
 
 Illinois. 29 
 
 there is no stream, wells need only be sunk from 
 twenty to thirty feet, and a copious supply is obtained. 
 From these it has to be raised, an operation performed 
 by most ingenious pumps, driven on the windmill 
 principle. Nor is it entirely destitute of trees. Along 
 the sides of the creeks timber is abundant, while 
 throughout the whole State belts of forest are fre- 
 quently met. The osage orange, a plant of the same 
 nature as our hawthorn, grows in great luxuriance, and 
 has been turned to account for fencing, for which 
 purpose it is admirably adapted. In settling those 
 Western prairies, the want of wood for fencing was 
 severely felt by the earlier settlers, but the cultivation 
 of the above plant has done much to remove that diffi- 
 culty, and now the whole of this State is marked by 
 hedgerows as trim and more serviceable than ours at 
 home. Coal is found in considerable quantities, and 
 supplies fuel for the inhabitants, who have no wood on 
 their farms. It is of good quality, being of a soft 
 nature, and burns readily. With the osage orange for 
 fencing, and a sufficient supply of coal for burning, this 
 State is nearly independent of wood, except for build- 
 ing houses and barns ; stones are not readily found. 
 In talking about fuel, we may mention that Indian corn 
 cobs that is, the part of the plant on which the grains 
 grow, and from which they are stripped before being 
 sent to market are often used to supply the place of 
 coal and wood, and burn excellently. 
 
 The climate is very fine. The southern part of the 
 State is in the same line of latitude as Virginia and 
 Kansas, while the northern part touches the colder
 
 3O New World Notes. 
 
 climates of Iowa and Michigan and New York. But 
 the mildness of the winters is proverbial, while gentle 
 breezes make the heat of summer more pleasant than in 
 other parts of the Union. It is also free from those 
 terrible storms that sweep across some other portions 
 of the prairie, their violence being broken by the belts of 
 woodland. No better proof of the fine winter enjoyed 
 by the State can be found than in the fact that cattle and 
 sheep can find their food all the year round in the open 
 field. During some years they may need a little hay, 
 but during the season of 1873-4 no extra food was 
 given to stock. 
 
 The products of this State are principally Indian corn, 
 wheat, and Timothy hay. In travelling along the rail- 
 road, the eye is struck with the enormous fields of 
 Indian corn, which, by the way, is a most graceful plant. 
 Twenty miles may be traversed, and little else can be 
 seen but the latter plant. It is planted in rows about 
 three feet wide, each plant being about the same dis- 
 tance apart, and it is worked on the same plan as our 
 turnips are. The machinery for its cultivation is very 
 perfect, combining lightness and stability in a manner 
 our agricultural implement makers would do well to 
 follow. But while the above crops occupy the largest 
 proportion of the State, no mean area is taken up with 
 grazing lands, to which more attention is turned year by 
 year, and it is not improbable that most money is to be 
 derived from them at present. These are entirely used 
 for the raising of Shorthorn cattle and the fattening of 
 bullocks brought from the stock-raising regions of 
 Colorado, Kansas, and Texas. As considerable atten-
 
 Illinois. 3 1 
 
 tion has been paid and not a little written upon those 
 feeding farms of Illinois, it may be interesting to give a 
 description of one of the largest of those we personally 
 inspected. We left Springfield one wet morning (which, 
 it may be remarked, was the only day we had a sem- 
 blance of rain the whole time we were out West, ex- 
 cept an occasional thunder-shower), proceeding by the 
 Toledo and Wabash line. We left the cars at Berlin, 
 a pushing little village, consisting of a hotel, three 
 stores, and a livery stable. 
 
 Scarcely had we left the station when a Yankee, 
 with that peculiar eye to business so notable among the 
 race, accosted us with these words, although he knew 
 not where or wherefore we were going " I guess, 
 stranger, you will need a buggy to drive out to country ; 
 I am the boy to fix you up." Thanking him kindly, 
 we walked away, much to the astonishment of the 
 inhabitants ; and after a trudge of some five miles 
 through mud of the most tenacious character, we 
 reached Grove Park, the farm residence of the Brown 
 Brothers. The house stands amidst a grove of magni- 
 ficent oaks that would cast into the shade the brave old 
 trees that adorn our forests and parks at home. It is 
 built of wood, and is most complete as far as comfort 
 requires. Behind is situated the garden with its vines, 
 apple and peach trees, water melons, sweet potatoes, 
 and other vegetables. Not far distant stands the stables 
 on the one side, while on the other are some sheds and 
 boxes for the accommodation of young stock ; but as 
 a whole the buildings are poor, although, no doubt, 
 they may be quite equal to the requirements of the
 
 32 New World Notes. 
 
 place. The father of the present proprietor bought 
 most of the farm for 55. per acre. By some additions, 
 the acreage has been raised to 3000 acres, and the value 
 per acre has increased during that time to about 15. 
 At present the taxes amount to a little over 200. 
 Since it was bought no small amount of money has been 
 spent in improvements. It is all fenced, in the first 
 place in the second, the prairie was broken up, and 
 cropped for a series of years with Indian corn and wheat, 
 before being laid down with artificial grasses. When 
 we were there, the last fields had been sown down, 
 and, with the exception of something like 100 acres 
 kept in Indian corn and hay, the entire place is under 
 grass, which is of the richest nature. It consists of 
 blue grass (which appears to take the place of our rye- 
 grass), white and red clover, and Timothy. The great 
 advantage of this system is that it gives little trouble, 
 and few labourers are required. It is divided into 
 large enclosures, either by woods, fences, or osage 
 orange hedges. Through the farm various streams 
 run, and it is so arranged that each enclosure has a 
 plentiful supply of water. In case of a severe drought, 
 the above have been dammed at several points, so that 
 there is no fear of any lack of water even in the driest 
 summer. Altogether, the arrangements about this place 
 are most complete, and say a great deal for the father 
 of the present proprietors, who laid the foundation of 
 these improvements. 
 
 The stock upon this farm consists entirely of cattle. 
 In the first place, a herd of Shorthorns is kept, among 
 which are some animals of considerable merit. A
 
 Illinois. 33 
 
 three-year-old bull, Summit Airdrie, by the i5th Duke 
 of Airdrie, is an animal that would grace any show- 
 yard. He is directly descended from the Duchess 
 blood, which is the most popular in America at present. 
 Some valuable cows of the same strain, and a few par- 
 ticularly sweet yearling heifers, are also a part of this 
 herd, which numbers about 50 head, A biennial sale 
 is held for the disposal of the surplus animals, and, as 
 a rule, large prices are realised, making it a profitable 
 business. All the stock, except some of the more 
 valuable animals on the male side, live outside winter and 
 summer. The younger animals receive some attention, 
 the calves being allowed to suckle their mothers till 
 they are nine months old. After being weaned, they 
 are left very much to themselves, and certainly they are 
 as blooming as any stock we ever saw. Being allowed 
 perfect freedom, they get plenty exercise, which de- 
 velopes the muscles, and gives them a finished appear- 
 ance at an early age. It may be remarked that in 
 winter the herd are kept in a large park that surrounds 
 the house, and which is well sheltered by enormous oak 
 trees. But it is a novel idea to an old countryman to 
 think of valuable Shorthorns, with the most fashion- 
 able pedigrees, lying out in the field the whole year. 
 
 To complete the stocking of this farm, 800 Texas 
 cattle are fattened yearly. The system followed is 
 this : Every fall one of the brothers proceeds to 
 Kansas city and selects a herd from the cattle that are 
 brought there from the stock-raising regions of Texas. 
 The cattle, as a rule, are about five or six years old, 
 and are possessed of enormous long horns, not unlike 
 
 c
 
 34 New World Notes. 
 
 the Spanish cattle exhibited at Smithfield. They are 
 very bony, with large frames, and capable of carrying 
 a large amount of beef when properly fattened. About 
 i zoo Ibs. gross weight is above an average, although 
 in good seasons that figure is sometimes touched. Last 
 year the cost of those animals home to Grove Park 
 was about 3, IDS. per beast; that is a low price, be- 
 cause, owing to the depression in trade, lean stock were 
 cheap and easily bought. On their arrival, they are 
 put out to the pastures, and allowed to remain there 
 till the month of August, when they are sent to Chi- 
 cago at the rate of 100 per week, to be sold and make 
 room for a fresh supply. During the winter hay is 
 supplied in stormy weather, but last season none 
 was needed, owing its peculiar mildness. A little 
 hard weather is not objected to, as it strengthens the 
 constitution, and in a general way they thrive better 
 afterwards. In this respect they are like to our Che- 
 viot and blackfaced sheep, which are always the better 
 of a little snow during the winter. These cattle, when 
 sold, bring about 10 each, thus leaving a handsome 
 profit. 
 
 About 20 horses are kept for riding and other pur- 
 poses ; all the herding is done on horseback. Two of 
 the brothers and three men are the only individuals 
 employed, and they manage the stock, fences, dams, 
 crops, haymaking, &c., quite easily. The labour is 
 thus reduced to a minimum. The Brown boys ap- 
 pear to know their business, and the great secret of 
 their success is that they look after it themselves. 
 
 In conclusion, our impression is that the State of
 
 Illinois. 35 
 
 Illinois is the finest in the Union in an agricultural 
 point of view. It possesses the best soil in fact, the 
 richness of it can scarcely be imagined except by those 
 who have seen it ; it has a plentiful supply of water ; 
 and with St Louis on the south side and Chicago on 
 the north, it is unequalled for markets ; while its rail- 
 way system is perfect. At the same time, the climate 
 is. all that can be desired. As a field for emigration 
 little can be said, as already it is fully settled, every 
 inch of land being taken up. Desirable farms cannot 
 be purchased below 12 or 15 per ^cre, but when 
 you do purchase land in this part, there is the satisfac- 
 tion of knowing that it is of the best quality. It takes 
 a large capital to buy a holding in those parts ; but 
 whatever is the price paid, there is little fear but that 
 it will turn out a good speculation, as the advance on 
 real estate during the last few years has been enor- 
 mous, and will continue so as long as the tremendous 
 flow of emigration goes on to these western States.
 
 V. 
 
 Chicago. 
 
 |HO has not heard of Chicago, the great City 
 of the West ? What has it do with agri- 
 culture ? might be the next question. We 
 will answer that in the following article. In the year 
 1830 this place got its name, was surveyed and laid 
 out for a city by Mr. James Thompson, the original 
 map being still in the recorder's office. At that time 
 about one hundred individuals lived in a perfect hamlet 
 situated upon the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a 
 most unlikely place for a large city. The situation 
 was a perfect morass, and at this present time the 
 foundations of the dwellings are only ten feet above 
 the level of the lake. During the year 1837 a charter 
 was granted, and the population had increased to 5000. 
 So it went on until at the present time it is believed 
 there are resident in the city 500,000 people. For 
 growth it is not equalled in the page of history. In 
 the short space of forty-four years, a howling wilder- 
 ness has been transformed into a magnificent city, with 
 broad streets and substantial edifices, and with a popu- 
 lation more than equal to that of Liverpool, and con- 
 siderably above the last census returns of Glasgow.
 
 Chicago. 37 
 
 One day, while driving with a friend through the 
 city, we asked him to take us round the confines of 
 the fire of 1871, which covered an area of two miles 
 long by one in breadth. After doing so, he took us 
 to a point where we could get a view of the town as 
 it stretches away from the shores of Lake Michigan 
 into the boundless prairie. He pointed out the places 
 where the great destroyer began, where it ravaged 
 most furiously, and where it died out after a long 
 struggle for life. In the space mentioned above scarce 
 a dwelling was left. There was one notable excep- 
 tion. A house built of wood, but surrounded by a 
 miniature forest and beautiful gardens, escaped from the 
 jaws of the fire. Round and round it raged, and by 
 a miracle both the splendid trees and the house with its 
 piazzas and shingle roof remained untouched. By its 
 side no blackened and unseemly ruins were now to be 
 seen ; no spectral walls, broken and effaced, stood amidst 
 heaps of rubbish and debris. Instead, splendid stores, 
 costly mansions, wondrous hotels, handsome churches 
 with graceful spires, well-paved and cleanly streets, 
 filled with anxious multitudes, met the eye. What had 
 been a mass of smouldering ashes on one October 
 morning, 1871, is now rebuilt in the short space of 
 three years in a more substantial and lasting way. 
 This fact speaks volumes for the inhabitants of Chicago, 
 and is the best proof of their tremendous energy ; and 
 it also says much for the people of England, who sup- 
 plied a great part of the money to rebuild the business 
 part of the city. The wonders of Chicago lie not in 
 its classic associations. It has no museums, no picture-
 
 New World Notes. 
 
 galleries full of old masters, no monuments erected to 
 the great departed, no history of sieges it has withstood, 
 no battered walls to show the tourist. Its newness is 
 its greatness. Its commercial interests are its wonders. 
 Of these latter some conception may be gained from the 
 following figures, showing the shipments of agricultural 
 and other produce from this point in 1873 : 
 
 Shipments of flour and grain equal to 98,935,413 
 
 bushels, estimated value . $63,500,000 
 
 Live stock ... ... . 57,000,000 
 
 Product of cattle and hogs ... . 30,500,000 
 
 Product of dairy ... ... . 3,500,000 
 
 Wool and hides ... ... . 15,000,000 
 
 High wines and alcohol ... . 7,500,000 
 
 Seeds and brown corn . 2,000,000 
 
 Other commodities ... . 1,000,000 
 
 Total 
 
 ... 180,000,000 
 
 The manufacturing interests of the place are also 
 large, but mostly connected with the agricultural in- 
 terest, from which the whole prosperity of the place is 
 derived. It would be useless to go further into 
 statistics, and we shall content ourselves with giving a 
 short account of one of its industries, the pork-packing 
 business. 
 
 On a sultry afternoon, we started to see one of the 
 establishments in which this business is carried on. As 
 it happened, this was the only place running at the time, 
 as most of the houses stop during the summer on ac- 
 count of the heat. But the owner of this establishment 
 had procured a patent machine, by which he forced a 
 draught of cold air upon the carcases of the hogs and 
 froze them as if it had been winter, so that he was able
 
 Chicago. , 39 
 
 to kill, dress, and cure all the year round. It was 
 one of the least of the packing-houses, but in many 
 respects it was said to be the best planned. It had 
 cost altogether about 20,000, was built entirely of 
 wood and roofed with shingles. By a gangway, the 
 pigs are forced up to the level of the floor of the third 
 storey on to a large platform capable of accommodating 
 200 or 300 at a time. About 20 of these are driven 
 into a lesser enclosure, inside of which stands a man, 
 who catches hold of one of the pigs by the hind legs and 
 fixes a chain round them. Above him stands another 
 person, who, by means of a pulley worked by steam, 
 raises the unfortunate and squealing animal up to a 
 certain height, and places the animal which is attached 
 to the end of the chain upon an iron rail fixed to the 
 roof of the building, and along which it runs, and thus 
 conveys the pig a distance of some twelve feet to a third 
 party stationed on a level with the first. He grasps 
 the struggling beast (in some cases they are felled 
 beforehand by the first man, and remain motionless) by 
 the fore-legs, and gives it the death-thrust in a most 
 business-like manner with a two-edged knife. The 
 pig's head being downwards, it bleeds freely, and is 
 very soon in the land of forgetfulness. After death, 
 and sometimes before it, the carcase is dropped into a 
 large cauldron full of hot water, and capable of holding 
 about 20 at a time. On each side of this stands a man, 
 who keep stirring the contents about with a long pole. 
 From this the carcase is raised by machinery on to a 
 table, where it is scraped and the head is all but severed 
 from the body. Again they are hoisted up on to a
 
 4O New World Notes. 
 
 continuation of the rail, and passed round to a man who, 
 with three motions of his knife, takes out the whole 
 entrails. This was a very clever performance. It was 
 quite refreshing to watch the earnest countenance of 
 the labourer as he plied his knife most assiduously, no 
 smile breaking over his face. He gutted pigs at the 
 rate of two per minute. The inside portions are con- 
 veyed into another apartment, where a staff of men and 
 boys sort them, not a single part being wasted. In 
 this side room are placed a range of huge boilers for 
 manufacturing all the fat, cuttings, &c. Having been 
 gutted, the carcase is passed along to another person, 
 who washes it thoroughly with cold water. By his side 
 stands another, who cuts off the head and gives the 
 body a last finishing touch. From here it is run along 
 to other men, who chop it in two and take out the back- 
 bone. It is then sent away to its place and allowed to 
 cool. In winter time the carcases can stiffen any place, 
 but in warm weather they are slipped down into a 
 chamber situated in the second storey, and cooled 
 through the action of air blown by fanners from a 
 mixture of ice and salt water. By this process they 
 soon stiffen. Here all the ribs and other bones are 
 cut out. Allowed to remain in the freezing atmosphere 
 as long as necessary generally twelve hours, they are 
 next sent down to the under storey, which is also kept at 
 a lower temperature. Arrived there, the hind hams are 
 cut off and put into a trough of boiling water, while 
 the middle and other parts are laid upon rails and al- 
 lowed to dry for 24 hours. They are then salted, 
 and allowed to remain in the salt for 20 days or there-
 
 Chicago, 4 1 ' 
 
 abouts. In summer time they have to be turned. In 
 winter this is not necessary. The last process is pack- 
 ing the ham and bacon into boxes, and then the pork 
 is ready for the market. At this particular establish- 
 ment they manufacture, if such an operation can be 
 described by that word, about 700 per day. This is a 
 large number in our eyes, but what must it be to see 
 5000 per day put through the same process ? One com- 
 pany in Chicago kills at the rate of 30,000 per week 
 during the winter months. 
 
 Altogether, about 2,000,000 of hogs were slaugh- 
 tered and packed during season 1873-74 in this city. 
 It is a most interesting sight to look at those te battues" 
 among hogs, and shows forth in a marked degree the 
 ingenuity of the people. We took particular notice of 
 the people employed at this sort of work, and with the 
 exception of the foreman, who is a Scotchman, every 
 man was of Irish birth or extraction. They appear to 
 thrive well amidst the dirt and stench of the estab- 
 lishment. Of all the cities in the States, Chicago is the 
 most pushing and business-like. Perhaps there is too 
 much excitement, too much seeking after the "almighty 
 dollar j" but when we consider the terrible losses the 
 inhabitants suffered three years ago, no wonder they 
 work hard to get their wealth back again.
 
 VI. 
 
 fotoa. 
 
 |HE State of Iowa is situated between the 4Oth 
 and 43d deg. north latitude, and between 90 
 and 97 deg. west longtitude, being about 200 
 miles long from north to south, and rather more from east 
 to west. The broad Mississippi and the mighty Missouri 
 bound it on either side, and before the days of rail- 
 roads were the great highways for commerce, and even 
 yet a good trade is done by the steamers that ply upon 
 their waters. But their usefulness has been much im- 
 paired by the splendid railway system that has been 
 developed of late years in the State. Four roads strike 
 right across from one river to the other, and those are 
 intersected by many other branch railways, which are 
 yearly increasing. The prairies of Iowa differ from 
 those of Illinois in a marked degree. Those of the 
 latter are level, and stretch away for miles and miles 
 without a single elevation. They are flat to a fault, 
 and in some cases have scarcely enough decline to drain 
 the surface, while those of the former are of a rolling 
 nature. This is the prairie of the imagination, rolling 
 away like the billows of the ocean, forming what are 
 known as " land waves." It seems as if, at some time
 
 Iowa. 43 
 
 long past, a terrific wind had swept across the face of 
 the country with such awful violence as to blast the 
 very trees and raise the soil into the form of a tempest- 
 tossed ocean, when in a moment the elements had been 
 stopped and left the land in its undulating state. 
 Streams of all sizes, sunk deeply into the soil, flow 
 slowly but surely through all parts of the State, finding 
 their way either eastward to the Mississippi, or westward 
 to the Missouri. They drain the land and supply 
 water to man and beast, a point of no little value out 
 on these treeless plains. The soil is of a dry, sandy 
 nature, well adapted to the cultivation of Indian corn, 
 and especially wheat, which is grown in large quantities 
 and with much success. In fact, there is no other 
 State so well suited to the rearing of the wheat plant 
 as the above. The soil is not only suitable, but the 
 climate is favourable, neither too much heat nor cold. 
 Grass also appears to flourish, and no little space is 
 covered with hay and artificial pastures. In this re- 
 spect it is behind Illinois. It wants that deep, loamy 
 black soil, and, although the bottom lands and hollows 
 are very rich, yet, as a whole, it will not compare with 
 its sister State. Yet there is something very taking in 
 the general aspect that attracts the eye of the traveller. 
 There is the rolling prairie, with its meandering streams, 
 in most places broken up and planted with Indian corn, 
 or sown with wheat ; at other points good fields of hay 
 or rich luxuriant pastures, great in red clover and Ken- 
 tucky blue grass, are met. Sometimes the cars run 
 through a track of prairie land in its native state, over 
 which vast herds of cattle roam and gather their food
 
 44 New World Notes. 
 
 from the grass called blue-joint, which grows in the 
 greatest profusion in the low grounds, and which can 
 be cut and made into hay without difficulty. 
 
 Every now and again the iron horse steams through 
 a village, for it is the fashion out in these parts that the 
 railway occupies the centre of the principal street of 
 whatever place of any importance it honours with its 
 presence. These villages are, in truth, " sweet Au- 
 burns." In their simplicity consists their beauty. 
 Built of wood and whitewashed, they have a neat and 
 clean appearance, while around each one is an ample plot 
 of ground a home for the peach, the plum, the apple, 
 and vine. Yes ! out on yon western prairies, not long 
 since the home of the red man, the bison, and prairie 
 dog, there are rising up simple villages like unto those 
 that once adorned the landscape of England and stood 
 amidst the hills of old Scotland. As we see our hamlets 
 depopulated, and the population in our country districts 
 grow mournfully less, the old country traveller over 
 the plains of the great West cannot but mark the 
 rapidity with which a village springs into existence, with 
 its stores, its churches, its hotels, its schools, its private 
 houses, and the eternal grog-shop a feature that could 
 well be spared. The homesteads, as a rule, are poor, 
 the house being a mere cabin, and the barns and 
 stables of the cheapest order on account of the high 
 price of wood and the general poverty of the first 
 settlers. Here and there may be seen a well-built 
 dwelling-house, with good out-buildings surrounded with 
 cotton-wood trees 20 feet high and ten years old, and 
 fields enclosed with osage orange fences. Such a place
 
 Iowa. 45 
 
 is, however, the exception, and is probably the home of 
 some farmer who has migrated from the Eastern States. 
 The climate of this State is against it in some re- 
 spects. Its winters are severe, and it is subject to 
 storms and considerable quantities of snow. These 
 facts are serious drawbacks to its wealth as a stock- 
 raising country. The seasons are well defined, and, as 
 regards the health of its inhabitants, it will bear favour- 
 able comparison with any of its sister States. Fever 
 and ague, the pests of many parts of the Union, are 
 scarcely known here. The general appearance of the 
 men, women, and children prove the statements of re- 
 ports published. The heats of summer in a country 
 so far from any temperate influence are great, but they 
 are rendered less unpleasant by the delightful breezes 
 that are wafted across the prairies. The evenings are 
 cool, and heavy dews often fall in the silent hours of 
 the night. There is also abundance of rain to promote 
 vegetation. Its products are various. As we said 
 before, wheat is perhaps more at home here than in 
 any part of the United States. The cool evenings and 
 frosty nights are congenial to this plant. Indian corn 
 is also largely cultivated, but it is rather far from market 
 to leave much pay, and is turned to account for feeding 
 stock. In the season of 1873 this article got so low 
 that it paid to burn it rather than send per rail to 
 market. This year there is a better prospect. Barley, 
 oats, flax, and potatoes also grow well. Fruit of all 
 kinds grows in the greatest profusion, and no one has 
 any need to seek far for it. Timber is very scarce 
 even the creeks are badly supplied but coal is found
 
 46 New World Notes. 
 
 in great abundance. The absence of trees is due to the 
 fires that annually sweep across the prairies, for when 
 planted they grow well, and both the soil and climate 
 appear to suit the English larch. It may be remarked 
 that great advantages are given to settlers who plant any 
 portion of their homesteads with trees, as it is the 
 policy of the Government to make those tracts of land 
 not only to provide wood for building purposes, but 
 also to secure shelter from the terrific winds which sweep 
 across the plains periodically. The raising and feeding 
 of stock, notwithstanding the difficulties it has to con- 
 tend with from the severe winters, is largely followed, 
 and yearly increasing. It is this system of management 
 that looks most like paying. The country is specially 
 adapted for sheep, with its dry, friable soil and natural 
 shelters. No little money is yearly derived from the 
 manufacture of dairy produce, a species of farming that 
 yearly gains in favour. It is, of course, difficult to 
 judge what style of agriculture is most advantageous to 
 a certain part ; but one fact we are sure of, in regard 
 to the State of Iowa, that it will never be able to com- 
 pete with the State of Illinois in raising and feeding 
 stock. From all accounts, the winters will not allow 
 stock to remain outside without artificial food ; and as 
 the fact brings in the question of manual labour, it 
 cannot have the same advantages as those parts of the 
 Union where cattle and sheep gather their own food 
 all the year round. Notwithstanding the above hind- 
 rances, statistics state that last year the amount of wool 
 exported was 2,300,000 Ibs., while there were shipped 
 per rail from the State 130,000 live cattle, 500,000
 
 Iowa. 47 
 
 hogs, 30,000,000 Ibs. of dressed hogs, and 78,000 
 sheep. The above numbers are derived from the rail- 
 way returns. The amounts sent per river boats were 
 not ascertainable. 
 
 Already the most part of this State has been taken 
 up either by actual settlers or outside speculators. The 
 Homestead Law, made in the interests of emigration, en- 
 titles every man who intends to settle to a grant of 160 
 acres on condition that he remains on it and cultivates 
 it for five years, after which he is entitled to the deeds 
 of possession. Such offers, of course, are rapidly 
 taken advantage of, and every man, whether he be a 
 farmer, a tailor, a shoemaker, a mason, or a jack-of- 
 all-trades, at once proceeds to secure his Government 
 grant. Compliance with this law is very easy ; erect a 
 hut either of sods or with lumber, plant some Indian 
 corn and reap it, are sufficient to satisfy the Govern- 
 ment, even if the settlers live some distance away and 
 practise a trade or profession. Such is the substance 
 of the above law, which offers such inducements to set- 
 tlers, and has drawn immense crowds of all sorts and 
 sizes of people to the Western prairies. Whether there 
 is any great quantity of land to dispose of under this 
 enactment in the above State, we cannot positively say. 
 However, there are still available large quantities of 
 railroad lands. When the railways were projected and 
 laid across those plains, there were few or no inhabi- 
 tants either to travel by them or supply freight. With- 
 out the iron horse and its waggons there was little 
 prospect of the inland portions of the country being 
 settled, for though there is no doubt about the fertility
 
 48 New World Notes. 
 
 of the soil, what was the good of corn and wine if 
 there was no outlet ? The Government very wisely 
 placed before any companies formed for the promotion of 
 railways certain advantages. They gave them a free 
 grant of half the lands on each side of the line for a 
 distance of twenty miles outward from the railroad. 
 The land was surveyed into square miles, or 640 acres. 
 The companies became possessors of every alternate 
 section on condition that they formed the roads. At 
 some points they got the whole lands adjacent to the 
 railways, but this system was not much followed, 
 because it allowed speculators to come in and buy up 
 large portions with the intention of waiting for the rise 
 of real estate. While the companies owned half the 
 sections, the other half was still procurable under the 
 Homestead Laws, but instead of 160 acres only 80 acres, 
 or one-eighth part of a square mile, was allowed to the 
 settler. In the State of Iowa, those free grant lands 
 near to the railroads are being rapidly taken advantage 
 of, and the country is becoming populated very quickly. 
 In our journey across the State, we passed through the 
 lands of the Iowa Railroad Land Company, which lie 
 in the middle region of the State, and comprise an area 
 of 1,500,000 acres. There are other companies having 
 lands for disposal, but we travelled by this line, as it 
 was the most advantageous by which to secure a view 
 of the country and judge of its merits. As the free 
 grants are being taken up, railroad lands are getting into 
 demand. Many people prefer to buy land near a rail- 
 way rather than go further west away from civilization. 
 or go back twenty miles from a railway, where pro-
 
 Iowa. 49 
 
 duce has to be sent a long way before shipping it. 
 Thus, many people with a little money are pushing out 
 to those lands, and securing a section either for present 
 or future use. The general price is from 155. to 255. 
 per acre. For the latter sum very good land, situated 
 advantageously in regard to a railway depot, can be ob- 
 tained. It is, of course, unfenced, and has to be 
 broken up and improved, which is a matter of some time. 
 Farms of from 40 acres and upwards can be bought, 
 and either paid in cash or bought on credit prices pay- 
 able in so many years. The emigrant who takes up 
 land under the Homestead Law has only to build his 
 hut (which can be made of sods), buy a pair of horses, 
 mules, or oxen, and procure some seed corn, and his 
 farm is commenced , a cow and two or three pigs are 
 added by-and-bye to the live stock. His first two 
 or three years are attended with hard struggles ; but 
 patience and perseverance, not always found in the 
 settler, generally prevail against all obstacles. At pre- 
 sent we do not speak further upon the advantages and 
 disadvantages of emigration to those parts, as we 
 intend in a future article to discuss this subject more 
 fully. But the capitalist and we do not class him 
 an emigrant proper who can buy his 640 acres, 
 and has money to stock, fence, and otherwise im- 
 prove, is very soon an independent man. He cam 
 easily live comfortably on his farm. It is not so 
 much what a man actually makes over and above his 
 food and clothing. It is the natural increase of real 
 estate. It is hard to say what land worth i per 
 acre at this date may be worth ten years after this,
 
 50 New World Notes. 
 
 especially after the soil has been broken up and im- 
 proved. 
 
 The above State has many advantages, but it has 
 also not a few obstacles to contend with. The rail- 
 way system is very good, but markets are no little 
 distance away. Chicago is the nearest point, and as 
 freights are high such bulky materials as Indian corn 
 and wheat do not leave a large profit when the car- 
 riage is deducted. Here the capitalist has the ad- 
 vantage over his poorer neighbours. He can turn his 
 Indian corn into beef, mutton, pork, or wool, and thus 
 reap a greater benefit. 
 
 As stated before, the winters are very severe, but 
 some moderation may be expected when the popula- 
 tion increases and the country is well cultivated and 
 covered with trees. As a State, it cannot be com- 
 pared to that of Illinois, Indiana, or Missouri ; but we 
 must keep in mind that these are fully settled, and the 
 price of land is very much greater. Iowa has still 
 some openings for the emigrant class who intend to 
 make their living by the pursuit of agriculture for the 
 farmer with his 1000 or 2000, as at some points 
 the company owns solid tracts of land, and can sell 
 any quantity.
 
 VII. 
 
 JEOGRAPHICALLY this State occupies a 
 most central position in the American con- 
 tinent. It lies between the 4Oth and 4jd 
 parallels north latitude, and i9th and ayth degrees of 
 longitude west from Washington, and is bounded on 
 the north by Dakota, on the south by Kansas and 
 Colorado, on the east by Iowa and Missouri, and on 
 the west by Colorado and Wyoming. The Missouri 
 forms a natural boundary on the east and part of the 
 north side ; while the Platte, a considerable tributary 
 of the above, although not navigable, flows nearly 
 through the centre, and acts as an enormous drain for 
 the larger part of the State. In schoolboy days this 
 was the "desert" of the American continent, and even 
 yet, in many respects, it could still be designated by 
 that name. With the railway came civilization. The 
 Union Pacific Railroad commences at Omaha, and fol- 
 lowing the course of the Platte River to North Platte 
 City, it leaves the main branch, continuing along the 
 southern tributary of the above to Julesburg, then it 
 follows a small creek from there to Cheyenne City in 
 the Wyoming Territory. The western terminus of the
 
 52 New World Notes. 
 
 road is at Ogden, where it connects with the Central 
 Pacific. Our experience of this State was wholly con- 
 fined to railway travelling, with one or two exceptions, 
 when we struck across the prairie for a few miles to 
 see the quality of the soil, and get some idea of how 
 the first settlers of those wild regions fare. Time did 
 not permit further investigation. The soil can be 
 judged from the cars, especially where there is a cut- 
 ting, and no little information can be gathered from the 
 free and easy Western boy with his bowie knife and 
 revolver, who very frequently takes advantage of the 
 train that passes along the route each day with its 
 freight of passengers principally bound for Denver, 
 Utah, and San Francisco. Speaking of the soil, the 
 valley of the Platte, which the road follows for 350 
 miles, is fertile, although not equal to the Eastern 
 States, and in some places it is apt to be flooded. 
 Out from the river sides the land may be divided into 
 two classes table land, or, as the natives term it, high 
 table land, and rolling prairie. The bottom lands are, 
 no doubt, very rich, being mostly alluvial deposits of 
 a sandy nature, and mixed with lime in a small degree, 
 but the others are far from being of such quality as 
 Iowa and Illinois. One hundred and fifty miles west 
 from Omaha the soil is fair, but after that it is con- 
 siderably mixed with alkali, and is of inferior quality. 
 The further west one goes it deteriorates. While the 
 larger portion of the State is not well adapted to arable 
 farming, it is of great use and value for raising stock 
 wherever water is to be found in any quantities, and, 
 as a rule, a sufficient supply of that precious liquid can.
 
 Nebraska. 53 
 
 be had at intervals. At present the great value of this 
 State lies in its powers of raising cattle and sheep. 
 This business has been largely gone into, and promises 
 to pay well. The climate, on which depends the suc- 
 cess of this branch of agriculture, is in many ways 
 suited to it. Although an inland State, and far from 
 softening influences, the climate is temperate, and not 
 subject to those great extremes so marked in many 
 -other places. Statistical tables, if they can be fol- 
 lowed, show the temperatures of the seasons to be 
 thus : Spring, 49 degs. ; summer, 74 degs. ; autumn, 
 5 1 degs. ; winter, 3 1 degs. During the summer months 
 the falls of rain is large. From April to October 2o*/ 
 inches is the average ; from October to April some- 
 where about 9 inches is the rainfall. Thus, at the 
 season when rain is most required, it falls liberally. 
 The snow does not come in large quantities. Cattle 
 live comparatively well all the year round with the 
 aid of a little hay. Terrific storms sometimes sweep 
 across the prairie, which is sheltered by no trees. The 
 violence of these outbreaks is tremendous. The Go- 
 vernment are trying all means in their power to stop 
 this evil by inducing settlers to plant trees, in the hope 
 that they will break the force of the winds. The 
 prairie is subject to fires, which sweep everything be- 
 fore them. The Indian difficulty does not interfere 
 with the peace of the inhabitants, at least along the 
 line of rails. A part of the Pawnee tribe dwell in 
 contentment near to Columbus ; they are a dirty race. 
 They do not care for work, and to beg they are not 
 ashamed.
 
 54 New World Notes. 
 
 The products of this State are the same as Iowa. 
 The soil is not so well adapted for wheat. It grows 
 Indian corn readily in the bottom lands. The prairie 
 is specially suitable for sheep, being of a dry, friable 
 nature, with good shelters. Wood is scarce, and coal 
 exists in thin seams, and is not worked to any ad- 
 vantage. On either side of the State plenty of fuel 
 is found. The grass of this region is principally short, 
 stunted buffalo grass, thinly planted. In the lower 
 grounds hay can be procured to provide against a 
 stormy winter. For the sale of produce, Nebraska 
 has not to depend entirely upon Chicago and St Louis, 
 but finds a ready market for its goods in the mining 
 regions of Colorado and Utah. Much of the wheat 
 and corn finds its way westward to those regions, in- 
 stead of going east. 
 
 The lands of this State are practically unbroken yer. 
 Nearly the whole State is subject to the Homestead 
 Law, with the exception of the grants held by the 
 Union Pacific Railroad Company, who are at present 
 selling those as far west as North Platte City. Along- 
 side the route the railway company have the usual 
 grant of twenty miles wide on each side, and here the 
 homestead grant is 80 acres instead of 160. This 
 company owns some of the best land in the State, 
 especially the bottom lands of the Platte River. No 
 doubt, the best lands are worthy of some attention, 
 and will be rapidly occupied, for settlers are trooping 
 out in large numbers in search of homesteads ; but the 
 present wealth of this State lies in its enormous tracts 
 of grazing land, extending to many thousands of
 
 Nebraska. 5 5 
 
 square miles. These are free. A person selects his 
 ranche, obtains a sure supply of water, and he may 
 rest undisturbed for many years to come. Already 
 enormous herds of cattle roam across those prairies, 
 so lately the home of the red man, but stock-raising 
 may be considered as yet in its infancy. Many cattle 
 of an inferior class are seen from the railway. One 
 morning, while steaming along, the train was stopped, 
 or nearly so, out on the open prairie. A herd of 
 cattle, numbering at least 5000, had lain down on the 
 track through the night, and the herdsman had been 
 unable to lift them from their lair; so, after much 
 touting of the whistle and ringing of the engine bell, 
 the long-horns moved slowly off the track. The cattle 
 on those prairies are not unlike the old Spanish cattle, 
 but they are being rapidly graded with shorthorns. 
 Sheep are being introduced, but as yet no definite re- 
 sults have been obtained. Mexican ewes, crossed with 
 merino rams, have succeeded to a certain degree with 
 some parties. There is an opening for the sheep far- 
 mer, as both soil and climate are suitable. Foot-rot 
 an objection of great weight in many of these Western 
 States, owing to the dry nature of the winter, and the 
 amount of lime impregnated in the soil is seldom 
 troublesome. The great objection is the fires that 
 sweep across and devastate whole regions at once. 
 The advantage, to our mind, in sheep farming, if this 
 danger can be avoided, is that wool is easily conveyed 
 to market. Like the vast sheep pastures of Australia, 
 the profit is to be principally derived from the above 
 product. While an income is made from this source,
 
 56 New World Notes. 
 
 the flock will go on increasing, and granting that little 
 is got for the live animal, yet the keep does not cost 
 much ; in fact, the only expense is the labour, and the 
 erection of a few corrals to protect flocks from the 
 wild animals, such as wolves, that infest rhe prairies. 
 Many people laugh at the idea of stock-raising in those 
 regions, but for ourselves we are convinced that it is 
 no dream. It is not every one who can be a stock 
 farmer, but at this moment there are men living along 
 the line of the Union Pacific who own many thousand 
 dollars worth of live stock, which is imperceptibly but 
 gradually increasing in value. Twenty or thirty thou- 
 sand cattle away in Nebraska are equal to a good few 
 thousand pounds when valued at 505. each. Talking 
 of sheep, it must be kept in mind that wool is not so 
 much below the price of our own at home. At the 
 same time, as emigration advances westward which it 
 is as sure to do as that the earth goes round the sun 
 live stock of all kinds will advance in value ; and as the 
 Cheviots and Lammermoors supply with stock the 
 feeding farms of the Merse and Lothians, so those 
 Far West prairies, that stretch away from the Missouri 
 to the Rocky Mountains, the vast plains of Nebraska, 
 Colorado, Kansas, and Texas, must, as a natural con- 
 sequence, supply the rich feeding soils of Iowa, Illinois, 
 Indiana, and the other Eastern States. 
 
 A remarkable fact connected with these Western 
 prairies is the rapidity with which villages spring into 
 life. The station, then a hotel, a store for all manner 
 of goods, from jumping-jacks to ploughs, a bar and 
 billiard saloon, a church and school, a lumber-yard and
 
 Nebraska. 57 
 
 flour mill, are the first commencement. In a short time 
 all manner of people gather about, and the real estate near 
 at hand is picked up by speculators. Along the line 
 many such places are found. They owed their birth 
 to the steam engine, and many of them are now con- 
 siderable towns of five years old. The town of 
 Columbus, situated ninety miles west from Omaha, is 
 one of those places which have sprung into life within 
 A few years. Before the railroad crossed to California 
 it was a small village, but since it has grown into a town 
 of i coo inhabitants, and has three or four hotels, twice 
 as many drinking saloons the curse of those regions 
 three churches, very fine public schools, a courthouse, 
 and a weekly newspaper. Society at such a place is 
 yet unformed. The inhabitants are more or less mi- 
 gratory, and a great number live in hotels or boarding- 
 houses. Life in a "Western hotel throws light upon 
 many aspects of humanity. Persons of all nationali- 
 ties and of all trades and professions gather together. 
 Where they come from it is difficult to say. Here 
 may be seen the doctor and the minister, the artist and 
 house-painter, the bricklayer and joiner, the dry- 
 goods man and grocer, the farmer and speculator, and, 
 amongst many others, the gentleman at large, who is 
 apt to borrow ten dollars and never pay them back. All 
 these collect round the same board. The swell, in 
 his pantaloons and surtout, the mason with his sleeves 
 tucked up, ready for either stones or bread and butter. 
 Yes i it was rather a surprise to find the above, with 
 his sleeves tucked up, living in the largest hotel the 
 place could boast of, quite at home and regardless of
 
 58 New World Notes. 
 
 everyone. Everybody is a gentleman out here, or at 
 least thinks himself such. The fare is plain and sub- 
 stantial, and the waiting is performed by damsels from 
 the Green Isle, who trip about as unlike fairies as pos- 
 sible. One afternoon, while staying there, we took a 
 drive across the prairie. Leaving the Platte River be- 
 hind, we gradually ascended from the bottom on to 
 the table land. It was a curious sensation driving 
 over the unbroken wilds no trees, no fences, nothing 
 but endless grassy plains. Continuing due north, we 
 crossed a stream called Cedar Creek, bordered by a 
 few stunted trees, and reached shortly after a divide or 
 watershed. From here a good view of the surround- 
 ing country is obtained. Cedar Valley consists of a 
 rich alluvial soil, and runs a long way through the 
 prairie. Most of it is under cultivation, the fertility 
 of the land drawing there the first settlers. Far away 
 as the eye can reach are the wigwams of the Pawnees, 
 who own a large reservation in this part. Around, 
 freely dispersed among the stunted buffalo grass, are 
 enormous sunflowers, otherwise termed the prairie- 
 flower. In some places there is a perfect mass of 
 yellow ; at other points the rosin weed grows in large 
 quantities. It is said that wherever it appears the land 
 is of good quality. Returning, we met a farmer whose 
 language soon betrayed his origin. f( The soil can't be 
 bate" was the answer to our first question. Sixteen 
 years ago this Irishman, braving the dangers of a fron- 
 tier life along with a few others, had pushed out thus 
 far, and taken up two or three hundred acres of land ; 
 a log cabin, patched with lime, served for his habita-
 
 Nebraska. 59 
 
 tion ; two tables, a cupboard, four chairs, an American 
 stove, and two beds were the furnishings of his dining- 
 room, kitchen, and sitting-room ; a small pantry and 
 an upstairs garret composed his dwelling-house. One 
 curtain is all the outside accommodation. In it stand 
 his horses, his cows, his pigs, and his implements. 
 This is an Irishman's shed, all holes and corners ; still, 
 he looked a most happy man. He owns his patch of 
 200 acres of fair good land, and supports his own 
 family and two aged relatives. The latter fact said not 
 a little for him. A well of pure cool water stood beside 
 the house, and a drink of it out of a gourd was most 
 refreshing. The crops were good. Indian corn planted 
 a month previous was already 18 inches in height; 75 
 acres of wheat looked well ; while his patch of potatoes 
 was being destroyed as fast as the Colorado bug could 
 demolish them. In addition to the land, he owned 200 
 cattle, which grazed upon the prairie summer and 
 winter. He sells a cast each year. This was one of 
 the few Irishmen we met who had raised himself above 
 the position of drawing water and hewing wood. Still 
 nearer our starting point our guide conducted us to a 
 mud cottage. Do not imagine this such a hovel a& 
 might be found in Ireland or the Highlands of Scotland,. 
 but a nice comfortable house with two rooms. The 
 walls and divisions are made of sods and plastered 
 inside, while the roof is formed by thin deals and rough 
 sods laid on the top of them. The above is not the 
 worst dwelling in the world, and the expense is very 
 little somewhere about 3, besides the man's labour 
 in making it. Our drive was a delightful one; a cool
 
 60 New World Notes. 
 
 breeze swept across the prairies, and dispelled the fierce 
 heat of summer. The crops looked beautiful, and 
 every one had a joyous look and kind word. 
 
 Not long after we left this region the wheat harvest 
 was gathered. A short interval, and a cloud of grass- 
 hoppers rested in their flight upon those fair regions, 
 and left not a green thing standing. Those farmers 
 whose prospects looked so bright were swamped in a 
 single day, and for a time at least serious distress was 
 felt among a large class of those settlers who have 
 made Nebraska their home. This is one of the diffi- 
 culties and a very serious one it is that the inhabi- 
 tants of those regions have to contend with, and, as a 
 rule, emigrants have no spare cash laid aside for a rainy 
 day. The result is, that most of those people whose 
 prospects were so flourishing in June and July would 
 -have a hard ordeal to pass through during the winter 
 -months, and little to start with in the spring.
 
 VIII. 
 
 [JEN or twelve years ago, Denver, the capital of 
 Colorado, was but a village of rough wooden 
 cabins, containing about 3000 inhabitants. 
 To build those houses, such as they are, lumber had 
 to be brought from the Missouri river, a distance of 
 700 miles across the prairies, as well as most of the 
 necessaries of life. At that time, also, western society 
 was in a curious state. Might was pretty much the 
 only right, and the revolver and bowie knife the judges 
 between man and man. Murder was common, and 
 robbery stalked openly through the streets. There 
 was no law, no police, no religion, and little morality. 
 To check this course of crime and ensure the life of 
 respectable citizens, a secret committee was organised, 
 who kept a sharp look-out upon the brothels and gam- 
 bling hells, and the suspicious characters who infested 
 them. Many a curious tale is told of the operations of 
 this self-constituted court, who sat during the dead 
 hours of the night, and not unfrequently a corpse 
 swinging in the wind in the grey dawn of the morning 
 was the only remnant of the criminal brought before 
 them. Time wore on, and with it a railway found its
 
 62 New World Notes. 
 
 way, via the Smoky Hill Fork, to this point, and 
 changed its aspect. The iron horse, as it came rolling 
 into the town, turned confusion into order, and insti- 
 tuted the reign of law and justice. Denver is now a 
 lovely city, with a population of 30,000 inhabitants. 
 The streets are wide and spacious, and lined with costly 
 stores and large hotels. But although every man 
 carries his revolver for its day is not yet past still the 
 stranger is free from being molested that is to say, if 
 he behaves himself in a proper manner. The question 
 will not unnaturally arise What has caused, first, this 
 city to be here at all ? Why did people continue to 
 flock to such a notorious place ? What brought a 
 railway here through a country with no inhabitants but 
 the red man, who neither cultivates corn nor wheat, nor 
 raises stock of any description ? The answer is simple, 
 and found in one short word Gold. Up among yon 
 Rocky Mountains the precious ore is found. To this 
 El Dorado men from all parts of the world hastened, re- 
 gardless of expense or danger, braving the journey 
 across the treeless plains, where water was scarce, and 
 ofttimes mixed with alkaline salts, so that neither man 
 nor beast could drink it and live. No matter about the 
 difficulties, the Yankee, inquisitive and speculative, the 
 impetuous Englishman, a few canny Scots, the calculat- 
 ing German, the irrepressible Frenchman, the dark, 
 fiery Italian, the wily Jew, and the "heathen Chinee" all 
 gathered here, and vied with each other in their race for 
 gold. The above city, standing on the South Platte, 
 about twelve miles from the base of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains, became the depot for supplying the mining dis-
 
 The Gold Mines of Colorado. 63 
 
 tricts. Taking the train from this point, we reach 
 Golden City, at the base of the Mountains, which rises 
 abruptly from the level plains, and at the entrance to 
 Clear Creek Canon. Here we change carriages and 
 enter the cars, which run upon a narrow guage railroad, 
 the rails being laid 3 ^ f eet apart. Leaving the plains, 
 we enter a canon or gorge, up which a road has been 
 formed by blasting with nitro-glycerine and powder the 
 rocks on one side of the stream, along whose banks the 
 foot of man never trod till then. The debris was built 
 into a bulwark or wall, on which the rails for the 
 narrow guage road were laid. The gradient rises at 
 the rate of 170 feet per mile, and up this steep way the 
 small engine and diminutive cars proceed at the rate of 
 nine or ten miles per hour. The scenery is the wildest 
 we ever saw. Far above, the beetling rocks hang omi- 
 nously over the little stranger and its living freight. 
 At some spots the precipices rise perpendicularly up to 
 a height of three or four hundred feet above the stream. 
 Along the face great rents are seen running through the 
 rocks, and some of the pieces do not appear too securely 
 fixed. Where any soil has found a resting place 
 pine and cedar trees drag out a bare existence. The 
 spectacle is very impressive, and not easily forgotten. 
 As we looked up to the rocks, at some places nearly 
 closing overhead, an involuntary shudder passed over 
 us, while the gloom of the afternoon cast a melancholy 
 look over the scene, and damped our ardent spirits. In 
 this sterile pass no living animal appears to have taken 
 up its abode, save the human beings whose thirst for 
 filthy lucre has brought them hither. The train runs
 
 64 New World Notes. 
 
 round sharp curves, while every fresh turn produces 
 new pictures of wildness and desolation. A few feet 
 below, the stream rushes wildly down the gorge over im- 
 mense boulders, placed there by the operations of the engi- 
 neers, or detached from the main body by the action of 
 the weather, and which only make the waters rage more 
 impetuously down their course. Near the top of the 
 stream the canon widens into a valley, and the moun- 
 tains become less rugged. Here begins regular habita- 
 tion. A log or wood hut of the most miserable 
 description ofttimes a pit dug in the hillside, and made 
 into the shape of a house with sods meets the eye. 
 This is the dwelling of the gold-hunter, who works in 
 the following manner : A water-course is made parallel 
 to the stream, from fifty to a hundred yards long. It 
 is two feet wide and one foot in depth, and is enclosed 
 on the sides by boards, while the bottom is also of wood, 
 but notches are nailed on to it at short intervals. The 
 waters of the creek being dammed, they are turned into 
 this course. And it may be well to explain that, when 
 the streams come rushing down the mountain sides, they 
 bring with them a large quantity of sand, which contains 
 particles of gold. Thus, as the waters flow through 
 those narrow flume boxes, as they are termed, the sand, 
 and more particularly the gold particles, rest behind the 
 impediments placed to catch them. The water is turned 
 into its natural course, and the sediment collected. The 
 latter is washed and washed, till at last gold, pure and 
 undefiled, is left as the workman's trouble. Men at 
 this business, with reasonable luck, can earn from zos. 
 to 303. per day. A colony of pig-tailed Celestials are
 
 The Gold Mines of Colorado. 65 
 
 employed by a company at this process, and are said to 
 be capital and industrious labourers. Towards evening, 
 we reach the depot at Black Hawk, and from thence 
 take a 'bus to the hotel situated in Central City, about 
 one mile up the creek. Next day was spent in examin- 
 ing the mines and their surroundings. 
 
 In the year 1858, about ten years after the discovery 
 of gold in California, the same precious metal was 
 found amid the sandbanks of the South Platte River 
 near to Denver. A pioneer, named Gregory, made 
 his way over the mountains to the place where Central 
 City now stands, and struck upon the lode named in 
 his honour. A rush took place, Denver grew, and 
 the top of Clear Creek received a population, who were 
 content with very humble buildings. But the place 
 has increased, and now, perched like eyries amid the 
 rocks, stand hotels and boarding-houses, some schools, 
 one or two churches, and large numbers of unseemly 
 buildings, that cover the mouth of pits. A system of 
 streets could not exist, and long stairs reach up to 
 houses above from those below. There is a bus} 
 sound about the place. The tinkling of bells from 
 the trains of mules that draw the waggons, the dull 
 sound of the stamping mills, the excited looks of the 
 passing crowd, betoken a stirring place. The moun- 
 tains above are wild and sterile, no vegetation save a 
 few stunted bushes, but, on the other hand, immense 
 piles of rubbish at the shaft mouths and prospect holes 
 freely interspersed over their sides, meet the eye of the 
 stranger, while to the practised eye the precious streaks 
 of rich mineral are visible.
 
 66 New World Notes. 
 
 There are two ways of finding gold viz., " Placer" 
 and " Lode" mining. The former of these methods 
 is largely practised in California, and to some advantage 
 in Colorado , but the latter, although requiring large 
 capital, labour, and machinery, is found to be the most 
 profitable in this district. The term "placer" is ap- 
 plied to those modes where gold is found amid sand 
 in the rivers and streams, or lying in deposits amongst 
 the same material in the gulches of the mountains. To 
 this class of mining the descriptions of the method we 
 have given above is applied. But the lode mining oc- 
 cupies the inhabitants of Central City for the most part. 
 These lodes or veins run through the mountain from 
 south-west to north-east, from 2 to 10 feet in width, 
 are supposed to lie to a distance of 3000 feet below 
 the surface, and are enclosed on each side by a wall 
 of solid granite. The seams are distant from each 
 other about fifty to one hundred yards, and are exactly 
 parallel. The general way is to sink a shaft to some 
 depth, as near the surface the ore is not of good 
 quality, although what is brought to the surface gene- 
 rally pays the sinking. The best parts are selected, 
 and the hauling up is performed by steam power. The 
 Bobtail lode, which is the richest vein yet discovered, 
 is reached by a tunnel run through the mountain side 
 from the principal street, through which the ore is 
 brought to light by small trucks and ponies, and thence 
 conveyed to the factories by mules and large-sized wag- 
 gons. The ore when brought out of the bowels of 
 the earth resembles quartz, is of a light grey colour, 
 and sparkles in the sun. The inexperienced at once
 
 The Gold Mines of Colorado. 67 
 
 take the particles which flash back the solar rays to 
 be gold, but not so ; they are only pyrites. The gold 
 is invisible. The real article is here, although unseen, 
 but the difficulty is to extract it. Many processes are 
 in operation, and fortune after fortune has been spent 
 upon erecting factories, which now only stand as monu- 
 ments of the mad folly that tempted their originators 
 to build them. The depot at Black Hawk is one of 
 those speculations which cost about 150,000 dollars, 
 and ruined more than one party. Perhaps the simplest 
 and most primitive of those modes is the stamping pro- 
 cess. The raw material is thrown into a trough, and 
 immense stampers allowed to fall on it, and grind it to 
 pieces. Through the above a stream of water is al- 
 lowed to run, carrying away the particles of sand, 
 gold, &c., with it. The water runs over copper 
 plates amalgamated with quicksilver. To these the 
 gold, or part of it, sticks, while the sand runs away. 
 When the water is stopped, the residue upon the cop- 
 per is relieved from it by indiarubber sponges and 
 quicksilver. It is then put into a small furnace. The 
 silver evaporates, and the precious metal is left. It is 
 calculated that at least 70 per cent, is thus obtained. 
 The refuse which runs away is concentrated outside 
 by a simple process, is heaped up, and left for another 
 time, when some ingenious person may find out a 
 process whereby to secure the remaining 30 per cent, 
 without much trouble and expense. Good ore is too 
 plentiful at present to think about working the poorer 
 material. The most complete and successful process 
 is to be seen at the Black Hawk Smelting Mills,
 
 68 New World Notes. 
 
 where all the richest of the ore is manufactured. 
 The quartz is piled upon a small platform of wood, 
 and set on fire. It burns easily, as the stone is largely 
 charged with sulphur. It is therefore allowed to 
 smoulder away of its own accord. It is then placed 
 in a retort, and allowed to remain there for some time. 
 It then goes through various processes of smelting and 
 burning, till at last it is brought to the dividing room, 
 where the different congruents are separated by the aid 
 of chemicals. We regret that we are unable to ex- 
 plain the outs and ins of the above process ; but the 
 officials, although most courteous, do not care to en- 
 lighten strangers very fully. In this place some idea 
 of the richness of the stone may be approximated, 
 becauses it produces not only gold but silver, copper, 
 iron, arsenic, vitriol, and sulphur. There are many 
 other such mills working with indifferent success. The 
 above is the only one that can claim to have prospered. 
 The company who work it have made an enormous 
 sum of money, and have placed the poor miner at a 
 serious disadvantage, as they hold the reins in their 
 hand. Why some other parties have not started one 
 on the same principle is a mystery to our mind. 
 When there, we met a body of capitalists who were 
 thinking of erecting a mill as like the one above as 
 possible. Gold ore is measured by the cord of 128 
 square feet. A cord is worth, in its raw state that 
 is, of average quality from 100 to 150 dollars. Ore 
 taken from the Bobtail or Gregory lodes may easily 
 sell at 300 dollars for that quantity. 
 
 To show the wealth of this wild and sterile region,
 
 The Gold Mines of Colorado. 69 
 
 it may be mentioned that on either side of the gold 
 mines lie deposits of silver. Copper is also found in 
 considerable quantities, and coal is plentiful on the 
 plains round about Golden City, while six miles from 
 Central are the famous Idaho Hot Soda Springs. There 
 the soda water comes boiling out of the mountain side 
 at a temperature of no degs. Fahrenheit. This is one 
 of the most picturesque watering-places imaginable. 
 Lying cradled among the rugged mountains, it has a 
 delightful climate, and to it many a person far spent 
 with consumption has come, and gone away as if 
 brought back from the verge of the grave to renewed 
 life. 
 
 It was indeed a strange scene at those mines. No 
 more miserable picture of human depravity can be seen 
 than there. Every one has the " yellow fever,'' and, 
 infuriated with a terrible thirst for the filthy lucre, 
 those men who inhabit yon regions are worse than 
 savages. They make money fast, and it goes as 
 rapidly. Far from any humanising influences, all the 
 bad passions incident to mankind are fostered in their 
 bosoms, and, what is worse, a man, however sober 
 and industrious he may have been, catches the infection 
 on his arrival there. Out among yon gulches of the 
 Rocky Mountains, which nature has made so rich, 
 men have gone mad, have turned the church into a 
 dancing casino, the reading-room into a gambling hell. 
 Up among yon mountains, more rugged than the Alps, 
 where twenty years ago the foot of man scarce ever 
 trod, the home of the grizzly and the resting-place of 
 the eagle, there is one universal cry
 
 70 New World Notes. 
 
 " Gold, gold, gold, gold ! 
 Bright and yellow, hard and cold, 
 Molten, graven, hammer'd, rolled ; 
 Heavy to get and light to hold : 
 Hoarded, battered, bought and sold, 
 Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled ; 
 Spurned by the young, but hugged by the old 
 To the very verge of the churchyard mould j 
 Price of many a crime untold ; 
 Gold, gold, gold, gold!" 
 
 All the while those mines have had a great influence 
 upon agriculture. Previous to the discovery of gold 
 in California in the year 1848, that fertile land, now 
 so famous for its wheat, was lying unfilled by the 
 hand of man. Men, hungering and thirsting after 
 riches, crossed the prairies, right over the Sierra 
 Madre, and reached the object of their desire. So, 
 ten years later, a rush took place to the above El 
 Dorado. New countries were opened up. While gold 
 was found, the immense agricultural resources of the 
 great West and California were ascertained. " All is 
 not gold that glitters," and those streams of men, eager 
 for the fray, and brimful of expectation, found much 
 tinsel and great disappointments in store for them, 
 after wandering so far in search of the great god. 
 They had no alternative but to settle down upon the 
 nearest piece of land, and gain their living by a more 
 certain, though slower and less exciting process. Thus. 
 last summer it was calculated that 20,000 or 30,000 
 people were on their way to Denver and its neighbour- 
 hood in search of a fortune. The mines are already 
 too crowded, and those people, being for the most 
 part unable to return for want of means, will have to
 
 The Gold Mines of Colorado. 71 
 
 settle down to the more peaceful employment of agri- 
 culture upon the plains of Colorado, Nebraska, or 
 Kansas.
 
 IX. 
 
 (Emigration to the cHcst. 
 
 F there is one idea greater than another that 
 takes hold of the traveller through America, 
 it is the vastness, the immense scale upon 
 which everything is made by Nature in that continent, 
 and nowhere more so than in crossing the prairies, 
 those immense plains that stretch from the Mississippi 
 to the Rocky Mountains, from the Gulf Mexico to the 
 regions of eternal snow. Here every clime is met with, 
 from a tropical heat to a Polar cold. For the most 
 part, the seasons are distinctly marked, and even in the 
 Northern States and British North America the heat of 
 summer is very great ; while down as far South as 
 Kansas the winter is intense and severe. Already we 
 have described at some length the State of Illinois, 
 Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. These are but a por- 
 tion of the immense tract of country designated by the 
 general name of the Great West. But we believe they 
 offer a fair example, and from them may be imagined 
 the general aspect of the other States. It is unneces- 
 sary to dwell upon the richness and fertility of the soil. 
 A person who has not travelled personally over the 
 country can only approximate the immense agricultural
 
 Emigration to the West. 73 
 
 wealth that lies undeveloped in that region. Agricul- 
 ture, as practised in those regions, is in a most unsatis- 
 factory state, with a few exceptions. The original 
 settlers are a poor class, who have a hard struggle to 
 make ends meet, and, as a consequence, tax their land 
 to the utmost. In such places as Illinois, it is nearly 
 impossible to exhaust the soil. Land cropped with 
 wheat for twenty years successively has improved year 
 by year. But all the soil is not like the above, nor is 
 the amount of bottom land very extensive, so that if the 
 system is not changed, the very richest land in course 
 of time must become unproductive if it is not fed ; even 
 the straw, instead of being turned into manure, is 
 burned. Such a circumstance owes its existence to the 
 fact that the farmers have not cash to buy stock, nor 
 are they able to erect barns and curtains for the same 
 reason. In passing through the Eastern and Southern 
 States, it is found that the soil is very much exhausted, 
 and the inhabitants are beginning to see the folly of not 
 keeping stock to enrich their land. Another cause why 
 farming is in such a rough and backward state is no 
 doubt to be found in the men who are engaged in it. 
 In first beginning to cultivate their homestead, necessity 
 forces them to a certain course, and they appear to be 
 content to follow it up ; so that in the older settled pans 
 there is little or no improvement upon the commencement, 
 while there are few really practical men who make their 
 living by the plough. As far as we could judge, few 
 men who know anything about agriculture in this country 
 follow it up on reaching the New World, while men 
 of all trades and professions grasp at the grand idea of
 
 74 New World Notes. 
 
 being landlords. From this cause many failures are 
 heard of among the emigrants who go west. 
 
 The Government of the States, by the policy it has 
 followed, has more than realised its anticipations of set- 
 tling the West. The famous Homestead Law holds out 
 a glittering prize before the intending emigrant. But this 
 was not enough. It was clearly seen that men might 
 go to the prairie, take up their 160 acres, break it up, 
 and cultivate it ; but to what good, if the produce was 
 of no value ? Man cannot live on bread alone, and, 
 although the settler might raise corn and meat enough 
 to keep in life, money must be had to clothe him and 
 meet sundry expenses. The great railway schemes 
 were put in motion. The States and territories were 
 surveyed and laid out into sections of 640 acres each. 
 A company was organised. On condition that these 
 parties would construct a railway through an almost 
 uninhabited region, the Government contracted to grant 
 such persons every other section of land for twenty 
 miles on each side of the route. Thus, most of the 
 lines that intersect Iowa have such grants. The Union 
 Pacific has for sale over 12,000,000 of acres. The 
 Kansas Pacific has also a large grant. The policy of 
 giving the railway companies half of the land adjoining 
 their lines was to get the country fairly settled, not to 
 allow leviathan speculators either from England or the 
 Eastern States to buy up enormous stretches of land, 
 and deal them out at leisure. Outside the radius of the 
 railway lands 160 acres is the Government grant, while 
 within it 80 acres is the portion allowed to the emigrant 
 free of all charge, except the registration and some
 
 Emigration to the West. 75 
 
 other small fees. The railway companies may sell as 
 much as they like to one party, but the Government 
 section can only be taken up by eight different persons, 
 who are bound to a residence of five years. This 
 clause is not very strictly enforced, and a man can 
 easily make good his claim by constructing a mud hut, 
 living there for two or three days annually, and sowing 
 an acre or two of Indian corn or wheat. Thus, out 
 west, every man, whatever his trade or profession^. 
 takes up a Government grant on his arrival. With 
 such prospects, little wonder that thousands of men and 
 women have hurried out to those broad prairies, burn- 
 ing with ambition and high hope, filled with the grand 
 idea of a farm a property to themselves such as a 
 fabulous sum could not procure in the Old World. 
 But how often have the glorious day-dreams vanished 
 before the stern reality. The first years of a frontier 
 life are perhaps the most trying that can well be 
 imagined. To succeed, a man must be blest with in- 
 domitable perseverance, great endurance, and perfect 
 sobriety ; for among those wild districts not the least 
 enemy to contend with is the demon whisky ; and with 
 all these qualities he may not succeed. What can the 
 poor settlers of Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Min- 
 nesota do when their crops have been totally destroyed 
 by the grasshoppers or locusts ? Or what will be the 
 result of the fires which last fall swept across portions 
 of the stock-raising regions ? The grasshopper plague 
 is a fearful calamity ; most of the new settlements are 
 subject to it, while as a country becomes more fully 
 populated the scourge disappears. With such calami-
 
 76 New World Notes. 
 
 ties before their eyes, it would appear reasonable for 
 men to halt before proceeding to the frontier and face 
 such difficulties. Yet the stream goes on ; and last 
 summer, when trade got slow in the Eastern States, 
 which is at present the manufacturing portion of the 
 country, and people were thrown out of work, many 
 came back to Europe, but not a few proceeded west to 
 those regions where " free land for the landless " is 
 found. Shorter hours and less work a great idea 
 among the labouring classes both at home and abroad 
 finds few advocates on yon homesteads. From sun- 
 rise to sunset is the stereotyped rule, with one hour for 
 the midday meal ; in fact, all through America, the 
 agricultural labourer has both hard work and long 
 hours. And not only has the emigrant to those 
 western regions to contend with nature and harder 
 work, but he is also subject to many snares. Land 
 agents, and others of that class, ofttimes hold out 
 glorious pictures fortunes for a trifle, and such illu- 
 sions which not unfrequently turn out gross frauds. 
 Men are brought with the expectation of seeing a per- 
 fect paradise, and only view a howling wilderness. No 
 more pitiable picture can be seen than a homeless emi- 
 grant, with perchance a wife and family, and nothing to 
 support them. It is a sad affair, and such cases are 
 often met with. No man should ever venture into a 
 new country without sufficient means to meet a rainy 
 <iay. Money, also, is extremely difficult to obtain on 
 any terms, for original settlers have not the reputation 
 of being good payers, for the simple reason that they 
 have not the wherewithal. Although cent, per cent.
 
 Emigration to the West. 77 
 
 is unknown, yet twenty or twenty-five per cent, is quite 
 commonly paid for accommodation. A gentleman told 
 us that he got the latter return for some capital he had 
 lent a farmer. Our natural inquiry was to ascertain 
 the means brought into play to extract such an enor- 
 mous revenue. It appeared the bargain was executed 
 in kind. The lender, instead of giving the borrower 
 money, supplied him with twenty cows on condition 
 that he returned him forty such animals at the end of 
 four years. It was a novel plan, and caused us no 
 little thought. But on further examination, we found 
 it to be a common practice in the district. With these 
 and many other difficulties to face, it is wonderful to see 
 the happiness and contentment that reigns over all. 
 Trials are soon forgot and a fresh start made. But it 
 would be useless to hide such facts, and, notwithstand- 
 ing their truth, it must be conceded that emigration to 
 the west has, on the whole, been a great success, and 
 that there the working man who is steady and in- 
 dustrious has a fair field and a good return for his 
 abilities. We must not look at narrow consequences, 
 but at broad results. We must consider that thirty 
 years ago Illinois, and fifteen years ago Iowa and Mis- 
 souri, were in the same condition as Kansas and 
 Nebraska are at present. We conversed with men who 
 had faced the first difficulties of settling in those parts , 
 we enjoyed their hospitality, saw their comforts and 
 easy independence, and came to the conclusion that, 
 while a hard battle had been fought, a great victory had 
 been won. No more independent class of people than 
 the Illinois farmers can be imagined, and those of Iowa
 
 7 8 New World Notes. 
 
 are fast following in their footsteps. The more a 
 country is populated, its prosperity increases. It is not 
 the immediate gain an emigrant reaps ; it is the ultimate 
 benefit that is his reward. Take, for example, an agri- 
 cultural labourer who leaves his country at the age of 
 forty, and has a moderate-sized family who can do a 
 little for themselves. They go out west, and take up a 
 homestead near a railway. The man will get his 80 
 acres. A house is built at little expense, and the land 
 broken up and seeded. Their stock of money may be 
 .spent, but both the man and his family can procure 
 something at least to do not far from home, because, as 
 a rule, near the railroad routes some men farm on a 
 larger scale than the emigrant. No doubt, he will have 
 the difficulties enumerated above to contend with, but 
 through patience and perseverance he conquers them, 
 and at the end of ten or fifteen years his own property 
 is not only, keeping him, but probably the male members 
 of his family also own and cultivate farms of their own. 
 The question comes to be asked, What would have 
 been the position of the man if he had remained at 
 home ? The answer is not far to seek. We see every 
 day among our aged and infirm farm-servants the pro- 
 blem solved. As in all other accomplishments, true 
 progress lies more in the man than the means. Crossing 
 the prairie one day, we struck up an acquaintance with an 
 Irishman and a Scotchman, who in conversation turned 
 out to have come West about the same time. A wild 
 " body " the former proved to be. After some preli- 
 minary remarks, he began an oration upon the griefs of 
 down-trodden Ireland, trodden down by the English,
 
 Emigration to the West. 79 
 
 kept poor by the taxes, and all the old story so familiar 
 to our ears from Irish lips. This man, who had left 
 his native country thirty-three years ago, was as vehe- 
 ment as ever against the English rule. After this, he 
 attacked the Protestant Church. Argument was use- 
 less. After he had finished, we ventured to ask him 
 how much money he had made in his sojourn in 
 the land of his adoption ? " Not a cent.," was the 
 reply, and forthwith he began to abuse America also. 
 Now, mark the contrast. The Scot, a native of Auch- 
 termuchty, had emigrated about the same time, had 
 saved money, bought land fifteen years ago for 125. per 
 acre, which, with improvements, was now worth 8 or 10 
 a remarkable increase, but quite possible. We only 
 quote this anecdote to show the dispositions of different 
 men, and as an example of success and the opposite. 
 Far be it from us to depreciate the one country and 
 extol the other. It is admitted on all hands that Irish- 
 men do not succeed well as emigrants. They are too 
 excitable. Nor is the Scotchman the most successful. 
 The Germans are the best settlers in fact, they are by 
 far the most superior citizens the Union possesses. 
 Their great success upon the prairies lies in the fact that 
 they emigrate in colonies. Union is strength, and the 
 philosophical Germans band themselves together, and 
 settle up a whole district, so that they are able to con- 
 front any intruders, and, at the same time, assist their 
 poorer brethren. In this lies the true success of Western 
 emigration. 
 
 Society in those western regions is as yet in an un- 
 settled state, but life and property are quite safe and
 
 8o New World Notes. 
 
 sure. The people themselves are generally a rough- 
 and-ready class ; but it is a remarkable feature that 
 in commencing a village, the school is the first build- 
 ing erected, while the church follows soon after. This 
 speaks well for the dwellers in those regions. In visit- 
 ing the State of Nebraska, nothing struck us so much 
 as the provision made for the education of the young. 
 By the Act which incorporated this State with the 
 others of the Union every i8th section, or otherwise 
 one-eighteenth part, of the whole lands of the State 
 were appropriated for educational purposes. The 
 schools at Omaha, the principal town of Nebraska, 
 are upon a large and enlightened scale. The High 
 School is a noble edifice, where education of the highest 
 class is provided. Those in the villages and country 
 districts are far in advance of the population. The 
 originators of this great scheme must have had in their 
 minds the well-known lines 
 
 " A little learning is a dangerous thing, 
 Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring." 
 
 They must also have known that a nation's greatness 
 consists not in the present, but in the generations yet 
 unborn ; that the mind is the measure of the man, not 
 the amount of manual labour he can perform with his 
 hands. When necessity is the mother of invention, 
 when steam and water power, and all kinds of ma- 
 chinery, have to supply the place of human hands, is 
 it not the greatest benefit that can be conferred on a 
 country to give her sons and daughters an education 
 that will do them credit in any station of life, and help
 
 Emigration to the West. 81 
 
 them, with the use of a logical mind, to plan and con- 
 trive every action of their daily life ? It has been 
 urged by many who are enemies to emigration, among 
 other objections, that the social advantages of the 
 people the settlers had to rise and grow up with were 
 humble. In that opinion we partially concurred, but 
 the mist has been removed from our eyes on this sub- 
 ject. The education of the young, which at the bot- 
 tom is the great society-former, is not only equal, but 
 is in advance of the old country. We may have, and 
 no doubt we have, finer institutions for our higher and 
 wealthier classes ; but give us a well disciplined and 
 liberally educated middle and lower class, for those 
 are the stamina of a country's back-bone. It is those 
 classes that rule a country's destinies, and it is well 
 they should be taught in their infancy the way they 
 are expected to follow. 
 
 On the great subject of stock-raising, which pro- 
 perly should be included in our article, we do not 
 enter. Our time was too short to judge of its merits 
 so minutely and correctly as to give a positive opinion. 
 Of its advantages and disadvantages we are convinced 
 in our own mind, but it would be a dangerous subject 
 to offer many suggestions upon, having only spent a 
 week in the great stock-raising regions of Nebraska and 
 Colorado. Some parties have gone out to those wide 
 and extensive plains, spent a fortnight or three weeks, 
 and then, coming home, offer the wildest suggestions, 
 and have ofttimes stated as facts what have turned out to 
 be entirely untrue. Men such as these may be pos- 
 sessed of wonderful insight. This danger we wish to
 
 82 New World Notes. 
 
 avoid ; and therefore, rather than mislead a single 
 person, leave without remark a subject so wide, and 
 one that requires actual experience before it can be 
 written upon.
 
 X. 
 
 (Ontario 
 
 ilRITISH NORTH AMERICA has an area 
 of 3,500,000 square miles, the United States 
 contains in round numbers 3,000,000, while 
 the continent of Europe is about 3,700,000. Our 
 colony is a big place in most senses of the word. It 
 lies in the region of the temperate zone, and both its 
 soil and climate are adapted to wheat and grass grow- 
 ing. Of this immense tract we only traversed the 
 above province, and that in a cursory and imperfect 
 manner. Ontario is the most populous and, at the 
 present moment, the richest part of the Dominion. 
 The 43d degree of latitude runs through the south part, 
 and as it is nearly surrounded by the immense lakes 
 Ontario, Huron, and Superior, it has a capital climate 
 in many ways. The general aspect of the country is 
 pleasing to the eye. On leaving the western prairies, 
 with their far-stretching and treeless plains, the traveller, 
 on entering Canada, meets a finely-wooded country, 
 undulating, yet with not the semblance of a hill, 
 while pure streams meander through the forest ocean, 
 which is diversified with clearings and neat homesteads. 
 The blackened stumps, standing amidst corn and hay
 
 84 New World Notes. 
 
 fields, look strange, and the fences, constructed of tree 
 roots after they have been extracted from the soil, are 
 stranger still to the old country traveller. 
 
 We entered Canada during the still hours of night, 
 and on our first glance from the platform of the Pull- 
 man car early one morning, while yet the sun was low 
 in the eastern horizon, imagination carried us back to 
 Virginia. There were the glorious forests ; the trees 
 were larger and more stately ; small rivers and murmur- 
 ing streams ran slowly through the thick woodlands, 
 and were soon lost to view. The soil is not unlike 
 that of the late slave-raising State, being mostly of a 
 light, friable description, but it bore evident traces of a 
 more skilful class of agriculturists. Yet it did not 
 come up to our expectations, and certainly the crops 
 were far below our anticipations. The wheat had a 
 sickly look, while oats and pease were fair and gene- 
 rally healthy-looking. The pastures were stocked with 
 well-bred cattle, mostly cows, and not unfrequently 
 sheep met the eye a sight always pleasing to a Scot- 
 tish agriculturist. Towns and villages had a healthy, 
 business-like look about them. Well laid out, clean, 
 and comfortable, with an air of great solidity, are their 
 distinctive features, and further acquaintance justified in 
 a marked degree first impressions. At some parts the 
 country has quite a cleared appearance, and it is then 
 that the traveller sees the real strength of this thriving 
 province. The homesteads of the farmers convey at a 
 glance to the practised eye the wealth of the population. 
 Southern Ontario for it is of that part we speak in 
 this paper is blessed with perhaps the most indus-
 
 Ontario. 85 
 
 trious, frugal, and honest class of farmers that can be 
 well imagined, and perhaps, next to the dwellers upon 
 the rich prairie of Illinois, they are the most indepen- 
 dent and well-doing class of men we met in the New 
 World. The houses are substantially built, ofttimes of 
 stone and lime; the out-houses, always of wood, are 
 large, commodious, and well planned ; the fields are 
 well fenced and carefully cultivated ; while the garden 
 a home for all vegetables and pleasant fruits gets 
 its due and proper attention. There the rose, the 
 glorious flower of old England, luxuriates in a most re- 
 markable manner, and fills many a well-stocked garden 
 with a fragrant perfume. The grape forms frequently 
 a trellis over the porch, and apple orchards can only be 
 termed miniature forests, so extensive is their culture. 
 We have mentioned that our first glimpse of this 
 country reminded us of Virginia. In some respects 
 they are much alike. The soil, the forests, the brooks, 
 and the general landscape of each agree in many parti- 
 culars, but the mode of agriculture, the buildings, and 
 more especially the people, are totally different. Per- 
 haps nowhere on the American continent do you find 
 so many useless characters, much given to that otium 
 cum dignitate which begets no money, who swear at 
 large, and pay noisy devotion to the Bacchanalian god, 
 as in the former. Even on the western prairie, where 
 life is gained by a harder race after the world and its 
 vanities, there are a considerable number of that class 
 of men, best designated by the general term loafer, 
 who, in fact, try to gain a livelihood by all means but 
 the true and honest way of hard work and a just re-
 
 86 New World Notes. 
 
 ward. In Canada such are happily nearly unknown. 
 You meet there a people in many respects like the 
 Scotch a broad-chested, open-faced, and intellectual 
 class of men, possessing much of that common sense 
 and caution so peculiar to the inhabitants of the mother 
 country. Scotland may claim Canada as her own 
 peculiar child. There are rising up a hardy race of 
 people, who, righting with a stern climate, appear to 
 thrive all the more on account of its severity. By 
 them a country possessed of many drawbacks has been 
 turned to very great usefulness, for not only are they 
 agriculturally a great people, but commercially, in pro- 
 portion to the population, they stand higher than any 
 other nation. A steady, unflagging zeal pervades the 
 whole people. No spasmodic efforts mark their course, 
 but gradual and sure wrestling up the path of great- 
 ness with an ultimate success and victory. They are 
 emphatically a people who do not stick at trifles, and, 
 to use a common phrase, know well how to " knock 
 doors out of windows." With all their prudence,* 
 caution, and industry, contentment and happiness mark 
 the whole nation. It contains few grumblers. Social 
 life swims smoothly on, while religion has a proper 
 place in the minds of all. Drinking, the bane of old 
 Scotland, has partially, and perhaps more than the 
 Canadians are willing to admit, found its place among 
 their customs, but praiseworthy efforts are being di- 
 rected against this source of evil. 
 
 No doubt, much of the country's well-being is due 
 to its splendid system of Government. Here there is 
 liberty, true individual freedom, a Legislature compara-
 
 Ontario. 87 
 
 tively pure, one that curbs the strong and fosters the 
 weak. No country in the world has attained such a 
 perfect system of justice. The State is trammelled by 
 no ecclesiastical disputes ; but it watches with a fatherly 
 care the education of the young, its commercial interests, 
 as well as the advancement of agriculture. In this 
 latter respect our rulers at home might take a lesson, 
 and deal out in a fair-handed manner justice to the 
 farmer community. This article does not admit of an 
 explanation of Canadian politics : suffice it to say that 
 its members of Parliament are chosen by all respectable 
 citizens, and that they work truly for the country's 
 good. 
 
 In the climate the prosperity of Canada has its 
 greatest enemy. A generous summer of seven or eight 
 months, followed by a stern and severe winter of four 
 or five, makes up the year. It is a remarkable in- 
 stance of a hunger and a burst. Like the snake, who, 
 after a vigorous search, surrounds his prey, and, de- 
 vouring it, lies down to sleep ; so the Canadian farmer 
 has a never-ceasing fight through the summer, followed 
 by a quiet dosing winter, when hard elements close up 
 with an iron grip the face of nature. The working 
 man glories in fine warm weather, luxuriates in big 
 wages, and then relapses into a low state of spirits with 
 the appearance of winter's snowy coat. Many men 
 laugh at this circumstance, and make light of it ; but 
 we met too many parties well able to judge, men who 
 made their living by the sweat of their brow, mechanics, 
 farmers, or others, who could tell a sad tale of the 
 effects of a Canadian winter. No doubt, much can be
 
 88 New World Notes. 
 
 done during the winter months, but with all that traffic 
 and all manner of works are stopped by its oppressive 
 foot. The climate has its effect upon the race of 
 people, and as in the Old World the temperate zone 
 produces the conquering nations of the earth, so in 
 Canada there is found the hardiest, most prolific, and 
 indomitable people of the New World. 
 
 As we have said above, agriculture practised here is 
 far advanced. Rough, no doubt, as it looks to the 
 old country farmer, Southern Ontario is kept like a 
 garden in comparison to the other parts of the Do- 
 minion, and most parts of the United States. The 
 nature of the people helps the system, and thorough- 
 ness is a distinctive feature in all their operations. The 
 days of backwood life have nearly passed away, when 
 wheat was the universal rule, because it was the only 
 cereal that would pay. Straw, instead of being burned, 
 is turned into valuable dung, and the advantage of arti- 
 ficial manures is becoming impressed upon the mind. 
 Necessity forces this plan upon the farmers, for the 
 soil of Canada, in a general way, will not stand severe 
 cropping. It is most susceptible of kind treatment, 
 and gives back tenfold the money expended on it. 
 
 The crops most generally cultivated are Indian corn, 
 wheat, oats, and pease, while a large breadth of hay 
 is annually cut. Purely arable farming is most in 
 vogue, but fruit farms occupy no mean space of 
 ground. Of late years cattle-rearing and feeding, 
 cheese-making, and such like industries, have been 
 largely followed. Stock-farming is receiving much at- 
 tention from the farmers of Canada, and as far as cattle
 
 Ontario. 89 
 
 are concerned, their efforts have been most successful. 
 The severe climate does not suit sheep so well, and as 
 yet little trouble has been taken with them. Most people 
 were surprised at the dimensions of Mr. Brown's levi- 
 athan herd at Bow Park, and some went so far as to 
 doubt the possibility of collecting above 300 first-class 
 shorthorns, with herd-book pedigrees, in the short space 
 of five years. To those unbelievers we say, take a trip 
 across to Canada, and see for yourselves what the 
 energy of Canadian farmers can do for themselves ; 
 for not only can a lesson be reaped from such places 
 as Bow Park, but from many others, such as the im- 
 mense fruit farms and cheese factories that abound in 
 Southern Ontario the garden of British North 
 America, as far as that immense continent is opened up 
 to agricultural enterprise. Our eyes were opened in 
 many ways while across the Atlantic 5 but, speaking 
 from an agricultural point of view, we were most sur- 
 prised, first, by the rich fertile prairie lands of Illinois, 
 and, second, by the splendid herd of shorthorns at Bow 
 Park a sight worth travelling many miles to see.
 
 XL 
 
 Jlarh. 
 
 |T was our pleasure to spend a few days with 
 the Hon. George Brown at his farm, and it 
 may not be uninteresting to give a detailed 
 description of this interesting place. 
 
 Bow Park farm lies in the heart of the western penin- 
 sula of the Province of Ontario, in the very garden of 
 Canada. It consists of 900 acres of the most fertile 
 soil, mostly alluvial deposit, with the Grand River, a 
 noble stream, almost surrounding it. Nearly 800 acres 
 are arable, in the highest state of cultivation, and the 
 balance is in ornamental timber, beautifully interspersed 
 over the estate too much so for our ideas of Scotch 
 farming but if it retards the plough at certain inter- 
 vals, it adds elegance and good shelter. Brantford, a 
 flourishing and rapidly increasing town of 10,000 in- 
 habitants, is but three miles distant, and the Great 
 Western and Grand Trunk Railways have both sta- 
 tions in close proximity. The river is navigable up to 
 the farm, and by this route manures are laid down 
 upon the land at any point for a nominal sum. At 
 the same time, a capital macadamised road traverses the 
 farm, and direct communication is made between the
 
 Bow Park. 91 
 
 farm buildings and every field. The enclosures are 
 large and squarely laid out, well fenced and watered, 
 and sheltered on one side or other by a strip of wood, 
 while throughout enormous trees have been left stand- 
 ing for ornament. As stated before, the soil is mostly 
 alluvial deposit from the Grand River. On the higher 
 lands, there is a considerable portion of sandy soil 
 resting on a clay subsoil, well adapted for cultivating 
 Indian corn and wheat. Magnificent crops of man- 
 golds, beets, and turnips are raised on the bottom or 
 low lands. 
 
 At present the farm is entirely devoted to the rear- 
 ing of thorough-bred shorthorns, long wool sheep, and 
 Berkshire hogs, for which it is admirably adapted. 
 The farm buildings have been erected specially for the 
 business carried on, and are very complete and exten- 
 sive. They are all of wood, but put up in the most 
 substantial style, with careful regard to ventilation, 
 drainage, and economy of labour. The great barn is 
 220 feet long, by 48 feet wide, and 45 feet high ; un- 
 derneath is a root cellar, the full size of the building 
 and 8 feet high, with concrete floor, and capable of 
 holding 20,000 bushels of turnips, mangolds, and car- 
 rots, which are annually stored in November for winter 
 consumption. A building is attached at the centre, on 
 the west side of the barn, 60 feet by 30 feet, with cut- 
 ting, grinding, and steaming machinery, and a 2o-horse 
 boiler and steam-engine to drive it, to pulp turnips, cut 
 firewood, pump up water, &c., &c. The stable is 180 
 feet by 20, with 24 stalls, and a large hay-loft above. 
 The cart and implement shed is 200 feet by 24 feet
 
 92 New World Notes. 
 
 wide, with a granary above the entire length of the 
 building. The sheep-house is 350 feet long by 20 
 feet wide, and the hay-loft occupies the whole of the 
 second storey. 
 
 The soiling system is strictly adhered to, and the 
 cows suckle their calves. There are three great short- 
 horn houses for their calves and heifers, each of them 
 270 feet long by 34 feet wide. Up the centre runs a 
 passage 8 feet wide, and on each side a row of boxes, 
 10 feet by 12 feet each. There is an outside door to 
 each box, opening into a yard the full length of the 
 building, about 100 feet wide, into which the cows and 
 their calves are allowed for two or three hours daily in 
 fine weather. The bull-house is 270 feet long by 20 
 feet wide, with a passage up one side, and the remainder 
 divided into boxes, with a yard to each box and a door 
 leading into it. The calving-house is 80 feet by 20. 
 The calf-house is 200 feet by 24, with a passage up the 
 centre, and boxes on each side for the calves when 
 they are taken from their dams. The hog-house is 
 170 feet by 24, with a passage up the centre, and pens 
 along the sides for 100 Berkshires. The hogs have the 
 liberty to go into a yard where plenty of water is con- 
 stantly at hand, so that they can wallow in the mire as 
 much as they please in warm weather. There are at 
 present about 220 thorough-bred shorthorn cows and 
 heifers, and over 60 bulls, with registered pedigrees, 
 besides some very fine grade stock and milch cows. 
 There are also 60 Cotswold sheep of a fair class, 50 
 as fine Berkshires as ever stood on four legs ; and 
 about 30 mares and horses, all young, and of a good
 
 Bow Park. 93 
 
 average class. All the stock was in capital condition, 
 very sweet, nicely groomed, well fed, but not over fat, 
 except the pigs, which are enormous. 
 
 The wonderful health of these animals is almost in- 
 credible ; but still it is fact, that since the commence- 
 ment of the herd, five years ago, only three cows have 
 died from disease, and one bull, who, however, was 
 unwell before he came home. 
 
 Foot-and-mouth disease, pleuro-pneumonia, and other 
 ills so common to our English herds, are absolutely un- 
 known here, and may it long continue so. Among the 
 shorthorns are scores of magnificent animals that might 
 stand up in any show-yard of either Great Britain or 
 the United States, and we give this impression not as 
 our own alone, but also as the opinion of Mr. Page, 
 the celebrated auctioneer, at the great sale at New York 
 Mills last fall, and who is one of the most acute judges 
 in the world, as well as being a most correct painter 
 and sketcher of animals. Many, indeed, of the im- 
 ported animals have been prize-takers in the highest 
 competition fields of Great Britain and the United 
 States. 
 
 The published catalogue of the shorthorns on the 
 estate is a volume of 260 pages, with the pedigrees in 
 full length of each animal, as well as a short history 
 of the sires as far back as the izth or i4th in many 
 cases ; and in the list will be found Booth's and Bate's 
 pedigrees of the highest character. Among the for- 
 mer are found Mantalinas, Madrigals, Frills, Phillises, 
 Fames, Princess Royals, Genevas, Placedas, Waterloo 
 Plumes, Mr. Torr's G tribe, Mr. Booth's Bellona
 
 94 New World Notes. 
 
 tribe, &c. ; and among the latter are fine specimens of 
 the Barrington, Roan Duchess, Mazurka, Craggs, 
 Blanche, Lady Welbourn, Sanspareil, Cambridge, Rose 
 of Sharon, Cambridge Rose, Isabella, Towneley, But- 
 terfly, Sidonia, Rosamond, Duchess of York, and 
 other much-prized families. It would be impossible 
 to characterise the breeding stock ; suffice it to say, 
 that the young heifers are very elegant and shapely, 
 especially a red roan Mazurka heifer of the greatest 
 quality. The first bull on the catalogue, King of the 
 Ocean, is an animal of extraordinary quality, has a 
 noble carriage, is a fine toucher, carries his beef well, 
 and as for his back ribs they are perfection, but his 
 head and horn are rather coarse. His stock on the 
 heifer side are unequalled, but his bulls slightly retain 
 the coarse head. King Richard (26523), a Booth bull, 
 is the sire of this animal. Lord Barrington, now un- 
 serviceable through an accident, got by Duke of Brailes 
 (23723) ; Duke of Barrington 4th, got by 9th Duke 
 of Geneva (28391); Imperial Caesar, got by Royal 
 Broughton (27352), and bred by Hugh Aylmer, Nor- 
 folk, England, are among the few imported bulls at 
 Bow Park, and from these British readers can judge 
 of the purity of the stock as regards pedigree. The 
 herd has not yet been five years in existence, but it is 
 already the largest and most valuable on this continent. 
 The surplus stock is mostly disposed of at half-yearly 
 sales by auction on the farm to purchasers from all 
 pans of Canada and the States. As yet only bulls 
 have been sold, as Mr. Brown has been working up 
 his herd, although the prices have rapidly increased
 
 Bow Park. 95 
 
 % 
 
 with die gradual improvement and the extended know- 
 ledge of the herd's merits. 
 
 With the exception of two or three hoars' ran daily 
 in a yard or paddock in fine weather, all the short- 
 horns are kept systematically in their several boxes. 
 They are fed five times each day, and watered once in 
 winter and twice in summer; each animal is well 
 groomed each day. The food is all cot or ground, 
 and in winter steamed. It is distributed by one man 
 from a low, large box-cart, drawn by a horse up the 
 centre of each house, and the water is supplied from a 
 barrel in the same manner. One man is able to look 
 after thirty animals, and do everything that is necessary. 
 We suggested to Mr. Brown a railway for carrying the 
 food, but on account of the hard frosts in winter this 
 is impracticable, as well as introducing water by pipes 
 into each box. 
 
 The supply of green food commences in die spring 
 with winter rye in the first week of May, which lasts 
 usually for five weeks or thereby. This is followed 
 by oats, peas, and tares, drilled together, on the first 
 possible movement of spring, which furnishes a very 
 large supply of succulent food from the middle of June 
 to the middle of August. As soon as the rye is 
 cleared off the earth is again ploughed, and Indian com 
 planted in drills of 27 or 30 inches apart, five or six 
 grains being dropped every 15 inches, which grows 
 most luxuriantly, and takes the place of the tares and 
 peas. This corn, which is called the Ohio Buck- 
 Tooth, grows to the enormous height of 12 or 14 feet, 
 and as much as 36 tons of rich succulent green fodder
 
 96 New World Notes. 
 
 has been cut from one acre of it at Bow Park. The 
 cattle, we are told, eat this ravenously, and it is the 
 sole green food until winter sets in, when it is chopped 
 up with pea straw and hay, and steamed, along with 
 2 Ibs. of Indian meal to each animal. Two feeds of 
 this mixture, a small feed of pulped turnips, and about 
 5 Ibs. dry meal and linseed cake are the daily food of 
 the full-grown animals. It takes about 5 tons of 
 chopped food to serve the 300 animals. All those 
 rules of feeding are carried out to the letter, so as to 
 keep the animals in a healthy state and in proper con- 
 dition. 
 
 In like manner to the rye-land, the tares are fol- 
 lowed by a second crop of Indian corn, and even the 
 first cuttings of the Indian corn have been followed in 
 favourable seasons by catch crops of rape and yellow 
 turnips. From the ist of May to the 2oth July, the 
 day on which we write, or nearly twelve weeks, the 
 entire herd at Bow Park has been fed from 23 acres of 
 green rye and under 30 acres of beans, oats, and tares. 
 On the land from which the rye was cut, the second 
 crops of Indian corn and Hungarian grass are already 
 well advanced and healthy looking. Of course, to 
 crop any land in this manner requires liberal manuring ; 
 and Mr. Brown has found out that the kinder he is to 
 his soil he gets the greater increase. The cattle make 
 a very large quantity of farmyard manure, and he buys 
 annually a large quantity of straw from his neighbours at 
 about 8s. per ton of 2000 Ibs. This is found to be 
 the cheapest manure that he can apply, and is the great 
 foundation of every crop. Fifty tons of gypsum, de-
 
 Bow Park. 97 
 
 livered by boat at i6s. per ton, and superphosphates are 
 also used. About seventy tons of linseed cake are also 
 consumed -, but Indian corn is again found to be the 
 cheapest artificial food, as large quantities are annually 
 raised upon this farm. The variety raised for grain is 
 the Canadian or yellow corn. 
 
 The labour employed upon this farm is necessarily 
 large. About thirty-five men and boys in summer and 
 twenty-two in winter are employed. They are kept 
 mostly in boarding-houses, and fed just about as well 
 as at the "big ha'." They receive about 35 in hard 
 cash. Some women are also employed, and receive 
 about as. per day, and find their own food. Our own 
 wages will compare favourably with these, as clothes 
 are much dearer here than in Great Britain. The only 
 advantage is that they are better fed than they would 
 be at home. They work ten hours per day the gene- 
 ral custom in the country being for farm servants to 
 begin at sunrise and labour till the sun goes down o'er 
 the western forest. Will it pay ? is the great impor- 
 tant question now to be asked. Without going into 
 figures or a long explanation, we answer in the affirma- 
 tive ; at the same time, we attribute the profitableness 
 of the place to Mr. Brown's ability more than anything 
 else, and the wonderful selection he has made of ani- 
 mals, some of great value having been bought very 
 cheap. On the other hand, it depends much upon the 
 price of shorthorns for the next few years. If they 
 keep at the present prices, there is no doubt a mine of 
 wealth at Bow Park. 
 
 Enough, we think, has been said about the hard 
 
 G
 
 98 New World Notes. 
 
 statistics of the farm, and quite sufficient to give readers 
 an idea of this model farm, which, we maintain, is the 
 best college a student of agriculture can attend, where 
 he can both live and learn. And, in conclusion, let us 
 give a short description of an afternoon spent at the 
 Indian farm, which is situated on the west side of the 
 property. It is a romantic spot, clad in its native gar- 
 ments, for the unholy axe has never touched it since 
 Mr. Brown bought it from its Indian proprietors. 
 Mrs. Brown, a sister of the Nelsons, whose name is a 
 household word all over Scotland, and who herself is 
 one of the most accomplished and pleasant ladies we 
 have met in America, along with the family, accom- 
 panied us ; also, a Mrs. Ball, a sister of Mr. Brown's, 
 well knowti for her good deeds in Canada. Leaving 
 the carriage, we entered an oak copse of great luxuri- 
 ance, and it was no easy matter for the ladies to pene- 
 trate it. From that we passed down into a glen, but 
 here an ox path made the way more easy. We made 
 acquaintance with the mosquitoes at this point, and they 
 kept us in action, ourselves as strangers getting a special 
 benefit. Wandering through this wooded glen, luxuri- 
 ant with bushes and fragrant with perfume from a 
 thousand odoriferous plants, we find ourselves upon a 
 glade from which the hay has just been led away. It 
 is a little paradise : around it is a perfect labyrinth of 
 bushes. The graceful sumac fills up many a space, 
 and all is interwoven by vine plants of great growth, 
 which are covered with bunches of grapes now a good 
 size. At intervals the wild plum, cherry, and apple 
 stud the fence. All is left as Nature made it. Below
 
 Bow Park. 99 
 
 runs the river Grand, deep, slow, and muddy, but hid 
 from our eyes by a perfect network of vine trellis 
 hanging upon the oak, walnut, and cotton wood trees. 
 Many such glades as this are found; the peeps through 
 from one to the other are very attractive. There is a 
 peculiar softness about this sylvan scene. It is even- 
 ing, and all Nature is alive. The song of birds and 
 the graceful motion of the squirrel add much to the 
 works of Nature ; while the ethereal sky, calm, serene, 
 and tinged with the glow of the retiring sun, added a 
 glory to our walk that summer's eve. The merry 
 laugh of children rings through the wood, which not 
 long ago re-echoed the fierce whoop of the Red In- 
 dian, and it reminds us of many a happy day spent in 
 youth on the banks of the silver Tweed with its beau- 
 tiful wooded landscape. Such is an imperfect picture 
 of the farm and the home life of the Hon. George 
 Brown, the proprietor of the Toronto Globe, and the 
 first man in Canada as a politician, journalist, and, may 
 we add, agriculturist.
 
 XII. 
 
 Ontario. 
 
 |T. CATHERINE'S is a beautiful town, pleas- 
 antly situated upon the Welland Canal, dis- 
 tant some ten miles from the Falls of Niagara. 
 It has been termed the " Saratoga" of Canada, and is 
 famous for its springs, supposed to contain all the heal- 
 ing attributes of Siloam's Pool. It is also a business 
 place, and is the centre of an important agricultural 
 district. Here we get a glimpse of Canadian farming 
 as practised in the peninsula lying betwixt Lakes Erie 
 and Ontario, whose broad and expansive waters make 
 the extremes of winter and summer more temperate 
 than in other parts of the Dominion. By a strange 
 coincidence, which it is unnecessary to relate, we had 
 made the acquaintance of a most respectable citizen of 
 the above town, and in company with him saw much 
 and gained no little information. He was originally a 
 native of Oldhamstocks, East Lothian. His father 
 was a small farmer and miller near that spot, paying 
 a yearly rental of 52, IDS. to a landlord who shall be 
 nameless. Being an ardent reformer, he voted for the 
 Liberal candidate in 1832. This enraged the landed 
 potentate so much that he took all manners and means
 
 Ontario. 101 
 
 to hurt his tenant, who, however, by his lease, was 
 entitled to sublet the farm, which he did in 1837. 
 Three years before the expiry of his tack he sailed for 
 America, and after a most tempestuous voyage, and a 
 long time spent upon the canals, he and his family 
 reached Canada, where they throve and did well. 
 Our friend was one of those jovial, industrious Scotch- 
 men so often met with in quiet-going places, who, un- 
 like the rolling stone, gather much fog in the shape of 
 gear, and we suspect the mouse will not often leave 
 the meal chest of such with a tear in its e'e. In fact, 
 this was a man of no mean attainments, with a con- 
 siderable deal of common sense, and a vast amount of 
 Scottish humour, a blacksmith to trade, now a mill- 
 owner and a large grain dealer. One afternoon we 
 drove for some distance alongside the Welland Canal, 
 which connects Lakes Erie and Ontario. They were 
 making part of it new and enlarging the remainder, so 
 as to allow ships drawing 12 feet of water to proceed 
 the whole way from Chicago to Quebec. This is a 
 great work, and is expected to cost about 15,000,000 
 dols. Our companion, along with three others, had a 
 section to make, and was in hopes of reaping some gain. 
 Labourers on this canal were receiving 55. a-day. A 
 man with two horses and a waggon was paid 133. for 
 his services. Those rates were below the general ave- 
 rage, owing to the depression of trade throughout the 
 States last summer, which caused a considerable quan- 
 tity of labourers to come across to Canada. From 
 here we drove past Port Dalhousie, which is situated 
 at the mouth of the canal, on the Lake Ontario side.
 
 IO2 New World Notes. 
 
 Here our friend owns a very complete flouring mill. 
 Leaving this spot, we went to see a fruit farm, with- 
 an orchard of 45 acres, containing above 2000 apple 
 trees. They are planted in lines equi-distant in every 
 way, and each of them on maturity is expected to yield 
 five barrels, worth about 6s. per barrel. In planting 
 an orchard very frequently a peach tree is introduced 
 betwixt the apples. Being of a rapid growth, it bears 
 well for a year or two, so that when the apples are 
 sufficiently strong it is cut down, and is of no further 
 use. The varieties mostly planted in this neighbour- 
 hood are the Baldwin, the Spit/enberg, and the Rhode 
 Island Greening. No pruning is required, and the 
 labour is thus small. Seldom upon this peninsula is a 
 crop missed, but sometimes apples have been so plen- 
 tiful and of so little value that the pigs have been let 
 loose in the orchard to consume the falling produce. 
 On this farm, along with trees, were seen some good 
 wheat and oats, and about the whole place there existed 
 an air of ease and comfort. Through all this district 
 fruit-growing is much practised by the inhabitants, and 
 pays very well. The following afternoon we drove 
 down to another farm situated on the shores of On- 
 tario, and spent the night. The place was 225 acres 
 in extent, and divided by rail fences into four equal 
 enclosures, three of which were cropped with hay and 
 one with wheat. The latter would average 25 bushels 
 per acre. The hay was calculated about 150 stones to 
 the acre, valued at 3 per ton of 2000 Ibs., which is a 
 large price, considering the labour employed one man 
 and three boys, with a little help at busy seasons, do
 
 Ontario. 103 
 
 the work. The hay land is only once cut, the second 
 crop being allowed to die down and manure the land. 
 The boys employed were sent from England, and were 
 happy and contented with their lot. Most of the class 
 sent out have been saved from a life of crime and vice, 
 and exported to Canada to gain their livelihood amid 
 its forests and virgin lands. The system has succeeded 
 well, and some of the country's best farmers and citizens 
 have arisen from among these poor lads, who find a 
 genial home and a good example amid the Canadian 
 farmers. Land in this region is very valuable, ranging 
 from 10 to 20 per acre; most of the land is entirely 
 free from stumps, but on each farm there is generally 
 found a piece of virgin forest, which is of considerable 
 value. 
 
 Within less than a week after having visited the 
 town of Toronto, with its fine harbour, magnificent 
 University, and generous inhabitants, and having stayed 
 three days at Bow Park, we arrived one bright fore- 
 noon at Ingersoll, a town situated upon the line of the 
 Great Western Railway. Canadians associate Ingersoll 
 with cheese, and here may be seen in full swing the 
 factories for producing that valuable article. It is a 
 nice little town of three or four thousand inhabitants, 
 depending for its trade upon a district entirely given up 
 to agriculture. Here we met by chance one of three 
 brothers who had gone from the Kelso district as poor 
 men, but at the present moment rank among the 
 wealthiest and most respected citizens of the district ; 
 in fact, their father was for many years a servant to 
 the writer's grandfather. With him we had a look at
 
 IO4 New World Notes. 
 
 the surrounding district and cheese factories. Co- 
 operation among farmers is demonstrated to be of great 
 and mutual advantage in the making of cheese. A 
 farmer in a central position erects a factory. To this 
 point the neighbours send their milk, or the manufac- 
 turer sends for it. The first place of business we 
 visited, 1,100 pounds of cheese is made per day. The 
 milk, which generally arrives night and morning, is 
 weighed by a patent machine, and from thence run by 
 a spout into a cistern 10 feet long, 3 feet broad, and 16 
 inches deep. After this is filled, it is heated from be- 
 low by steam, and raised to a temperature of 82 degs. 
 The rennet is then added, and forms the curd. Then 
 the temperature is raised to 98 degs., after which it is 
 allowed to cool till it gets sufficiently acid. In warm 
 weather from three to five hours is sufficient for it to 
 remain in the tanks. In colder seasons it sometimes 
 remains much longer. The whey is run off into 
 another cistern, and is used for pig feeding as required. 
 The custom in this respect is, that if a farmer drives 
 his milk to the factory, he gets his whey home with 
 him ; while, if the manufacturer sends for the milk, 
 he keeps the whey as payment for driving. The dry 
 curd is then removed to a large box, and there worked 
 up, salted, and at last placed in boxes ready for press- 
 ing. Before this operation, a muslin cloth is placed 
 round it. After pressing, the top of the cheese is 
 smeared with a thin coat of butter, a substance made 
 from the skimmings of the whey. It is placed in a 
 drying house, and before being sent away is put into a 
 small box made of thin pieces of wood. Cheddar
 
 Ontario. 105 
 
 cheese is made on a slightly different principle. The 
 whey is taken from the curd while it is yet sweet. 
 Being exposed to atmosphere, the acid is allowed to 
 form on the dry curd, which is ground down into 
 small particles and then pressed. 
 
 It is calculated that 10 Ibs. of milk forms i Ib. of 
 cheese. This article is worth, on an average, 12 cents, 
 per Ib. The manufacturer receives 2 cents, as com- 
 mission for making it, so that for every 10 Ibs. of milk 
 a farmer sends to the factory, he receives 10 cents., or 
 about one-halfpenny for every pound of milk. This 
 is considered a capital price, and pays the producer and 
 the manufacturer well. The system is upon a sound 
 basis. The farmer's milk is most correctly weighed 
 upon its arrival, and the amount marked into a book. 
 At the end of the season, the manufacturer sells his 
 stock of cheese at the highest possible price, deducts 
 his charge for making, and then divides the money 
 among his supporters on the data that every TO Ibs. of 
 milk produces a pound of good cheese. It is found 
 that the above quantity of milk produces rather more 
 than the pound, so that the owner of the factory has a 
 slight balance in his favour over and above his com- 
 mission. This style of doing business is a good proof 
 of what co-operation can do if judiciously managed. 
 The Canadian holdings are generally small, and cheese- 
 making at each separate farm would be a round-about 
 and laborious process. Under the above system, it is 
 reduced to a cheap and effectual method of money- 
 making. It is also of immense value to agriculture by 
 the manner in which it enriches the land. Under the
 
 io6 New World Notes, 
 
 old regime of no stock and constant cropping the land 
 was greatly impoverished, and although virgin soil can 
 stand much, yet it is possible to tax it too severely. 
 By this system of dairy farming, manure is made upon 
 a cheap style, while the pasture lands are much im- 
 proved. Slowly but surely the Canadian farmers are 
 realising the value of artificial manures. It is a necessity 
 with them, and there is no class of men who will so 
 readily follow up the idea when it fairly fills their 
 mind. In a country like Canada, where every farmer 
 owns his land, there will be little fear of avaricious 
 landlords getting the better of improving tenants. 
 There every man will reap the benefit of his own 
 energy. In driving through the country the crops do 
 not look large to the eye of an old country farmer. 
 The wheat crop is inferior. Pease and oats are a 
 large crop, while hay is also good. The houses are 
 neat and well built, with good furnishing. The out- 
 houses are not extensive, and are put up in a temporary 
 manner. The gardens appear to receive much atten- 
 tion, and vegetables of all kinds, along with various 
 fruits, grow very luxuriantly. There is a look of easy 
 independence and contentment ; and as we entered In- 
 gersoll towards evening, it made one imagine what 
 " sweet Auburn" must have been in its balmy days. 
 The neat villas on the outskirts of the town, the broad 
 streets, shaded by the dark green foliage of graceful 
 trees, the elegant churches o'ertopped with modest 
 spires -, then in the centre the large stores well stocked 
 with goods, the rattle of the street cars, the toll of 
 the locomotive's bell, all betokened signs of activity 
 and prosperity.
 
 Ontario. 107 
 
 Next morning, at six o'clock, we left Ingersoll, and 
 proceeded to Woodstock, a sister town upon the same 
 railroad, about the same dimensions, but not so pic- 
 turesque. Some breakfast was obtained in the prin- 
 cipal hotel, a pretty rough shop, and an hour was 
 spent in a place which appeared to serve as an office, 
 luggage-room, bar-room, and sitting-room. A con- 
 stant stream of people flowed out and in towards the 
 bar, and swallowed eye-openers, cock-tails, and mint 
 juleps, and went their way without a word. The day 
 was spent in driving round the neighbourhood. The 
 heat was very great ; the Canadian sun had no mercy ; 
 and even with the shelter of the buggy's leather top 
 the perspiration poured from us, although clad in light 
 summer garments. In this district the roads are good, 
 the country undulating more than usual, and. intersected 
 with clear streams ; the soil is rich and well farmed, 
 while the clumps of virgin forest add beauty and di- 
 versity to the landscape. It was more like an old 
 country scene than any we met, only the woodlands 
 were more extensive and grander. The houses of the 
 farmers are in many cases stately mansions surrounded 
 by orchards and grassy lawns, ofttimes a croquet green. 
 Towards midday we stopped at one of these and got 
 a hospitable reception, for Canadian farmers are un- 
 equalled in this line, and give you what they have 
 without remark or apology. There is no indelicacy 
 in stepping in upon them unawares. You are wel- 
 come to what is before them. Take it or want it. 
 Here our lines had fallen in pleasant places. A fine 
 drive through evergreens leads up to the front. Round
 
 io8 New World Notes. 
 
 the house is a verandah, over which luxuriant vines 
 creep, and while bearing good fruit, add a pleasant 
 shade, which is much needed in this hot climate. In- 
 side the furnishings were complete, and would compare 
 favourably with any old country house of the first 
 rank. Two or three hours were pleasantly spent ; for 
 the owner was a Scotchman, who, leaving his native 
 county of Ayrshire fourteen years ago, had settled 
 here, and was a most enthusiastic admirer of his 
 adopted land. He was a shrewd man, and had gathered 
 gear, like most of his brethren. Another stage brought 
 us to a house of less pretensions, yet quite as hospitable 
 was the entertainment, and in as free and easy a man- 
 ner. The farm buildings are also good, consisting in 
 general of a large barn, a stable, byre, and some small 
 courts. Canadian farmers thrash their grain in the 
 field by a travelling machine, convey the produce 
 straight to the depot, carting the straw either into the 
 barn, or leaving it in the field until it is needed. The 
 appearance and utility of the farms are much impaired 
 by the small irregular fields they are divided into, and 
 it is to be hoped, as the fences are not permanent, being 
 mostly of split rails, that this fault will be remedied in 
 time, and that large square enclosures will be the rule. 
 The absence of labourers' cottages is a remarkable fact. 
 No doubt, an answer is found, so far, in the fact that 
 very few married men with families are employed upon 
 farms, as they prefer to take up a lot for themselves, 
 either by buying or renting a piece of ground, or pro- 
 ceeding to the backwoods and claiming a free grant. 
 Yet it must be said that whatever the other advantages
 
 Ontario. 109 
 
 the agricultural labourer reaps in Canada, he has to put 
 up with greatly inferior accommodation, and work much 
 longer hours under a severe and trying climate, than in 
 the old country. From sunrise to sunset, under a 
 broiling sun, or with thermometer standing at zero, is 
 not an improvement upon the hours at home. Wages 
 at i per week, with board, is no doubt above our 
 rates ; but it must be remembered that the price of 
 clothes and other materials are at least 50 per cent, 
 above home prices. Even calculating the wages at that 
 rate, which is far above the sum paid at Bow Park, the 
 model farm (35 per annum, with board, being the 
 rate there), we do not hesitate to affirm that at least 
 our Border agricultural servants would change for the 
 worse, considering the high rates now paid here. The 
 emigration of English farm labourers is a move in the 
 right direction, taking away a surplus population, and 
 stirring up a class of slovenly and careless farmers , 
 but there is little fear at the present moment of either 
 the States or Canada drawing upon our supplies as 
 long as we keep pace with the times, and allow our 
 wages to be regulated by the natural laws of supply 
 and demand. 
 
 The country through all this section is of the very 
 first quality, and the crops were better than most other 
 districts, especially oats and spring wheat. Hay was 
 fair, and was being cut during our visit on the i4th of 
 July. Dairy farming is coming generally into opera- 
 tion, and at every turn we saw large tins full of milk 
 upon stances near the wayside ready to be lifted by the 
 cheese manufacturer's cart as it went its afternoon
 
 no New World Notes. 
 
 rounds. In fact, this system is becoming very general 
 throughout Canada, as cheese is very dear, and growing 
 daily a more popular food. The climate and many 
 other circumstances are very favourable to its produc- 
 tion. Land is valued from 10 to 12 per acre in 
 this region, and, at the price, is not unworthy of the 
 attention of the Scottish agriculturist who, with a few 
 thousands, has a good opening, and we venture to say 
 will make more than at home upon an average-sized 
 farm at least, our friend from the land of Burns 
 made no secret of his success by changing to the New 
 World. The society of Canada is of a high order ; 
 it is perhaps not so polished, but, as far as we were 
 able to judge, intellectually it is above that of our own 
 country.
 
 XIII. 
 
 ORTH WARDS from the city of Toronto 
 about 150 miles is situated the region known 
 as Muskoka, which has lately been devoted 
 by the Government of the Dominion to encouraging 
 immigration. Here may be seen a specimen of the free 
 grant lands of Ontario ; and thither, on the morning 
 of the 1 8th of July, we directed our steps, accom- 
 panied by the Hon. Arch. Mackellar, Minister of Agri- 
 culture for the above province. The Northern Railway 
 proceeds from Toronto through rather a wild and poorly 
 cultivated country to Lake Simcoe, a beautiful sheet of 
 water, on whose shores stands the town of Barrie, a 
 thriving place, owing much of its importance to the 
 lumber trade. Leaving this spot, we pass over a 
 bridge that crosses a canal connecting Lakes Simcoe 
 and Couchiching. Soon after we pass through the 
 Indian settlement of Rama, where some degenerate 
 red-skins dwell in peace ; and here we enter the back- 
 woods proper, those vast forests that stretch away for 
 hundreds of miles northwards, never interrupted except 
 where some lake or river intervenes. As the train 
 slowly and not very steadily runs through the woods,
 
 ii2 New World Notes. 
 
 the traveller notices the damage done by the fires that 
 ofttimes sweep through the forest, leaving the blackened 
 branchless trunks as the sole monuments of its remorse- 
 less power. At Washago the terminus of the road is 
 reached. We leave the cars and take the stage to 
 Gravenhurst, situated at the foot of Lake Muskoka. 
 The road is good, considering that five or six years 
 ago there was but an Indian trail to mark the path. 
 Along most of the route a tremendous fire has raged 
 at some recent date, and little else is seen but rocks 
 and boulders, leafless trees intermingled with brush, 
 and at some intervals productive pieces of land, but 
 such are few and far between. At one point the 
 scenery is taking, as the stage passes through a deep 
 rocky glen, whose sides are covered with creeping 
 plants and overtopped with immense pines. It is a 
 wild country hereabouts, and utterly valueless for agri- 
 cultural purposes, although here and there a clearing 
 has been made, evidently to little purpose, as many of 
 the places seem deserted. This part of the road is 
 only fourteen miles, and, after three hours' hard work, 
 the Lake of Muskoka is reached. Close by a wooden 
 pier stands a house for the use of immigrants. There 
 were two Norwegian families in it when we saw it, and 
 they looked comfortably well. Immigrants, when they 
 first arrive, get the use of this abode before they fix 
 upon a location. They get the use of the place, but 
 provide their own food. Embarking on board the 
 neat steamer Nipissing, she steams away from the wharf 
 up the Lake of Muskoka, a picturesque sheet of water, 
 studded with rocky islands of all shapes and sizes,
 
 The Backwoods. 1 1 3 
 
 wooded to the water's edge with pine and cedar trees. 
 It was evening, and the scene was exquisite. The 
 water is so calm, and sends back, clear as the original, 
 the fleecy clouds that seem suspended in the blue azure 
 sky of heaven ; then it reflects the dark green trees 
 that fringe the water's edge. This lake is not unlike 
 some of our Scotch ones ; it has more islands, but it 
 wants the glorious mountains that rise majestically from 
 the sides of the Scottish lochs. If it had a Ben Lo- 
 mond or Schiehallion to rear their heads far above it, 
 the landscape would be unequalled ; yet it is in some 
 respects a fairy place, and especially at a spot some ten 
 miles from our starting point, where we enter the river 
 Muskoka, a dark, deep stream, guarded by dense forests 
 on each side. Many a sudden curve is here ; and as 
 the steamboat winds her way slowly up the stream, 
 fresh pictures meet the eye at every turn. It is a ro- 
 mantic sail up that stream, and brings to mind many a 
 story of Indian warfare and trapper life. It seems as 
 if that beautiful verse taken from "The Graves of a 
 Household" had been penned in such a spot as this 
 
 " One 'mid the forests of the west 
 
 By a dark stream is laid, 
 The Indian knows his place of rest, 
 Far in the cedar shade." 
 
 The traveller is enchanted with the scene, and ere he 
 is aware of it the steamer has turned round a sharper 
 corner than usual, and floats up to a wharf near to the 
 town of Bracebridge, and just below a series of falls. 
 The river rushes wildly over the rocks, and empties 
 itself into a broad expansive pool. Jumping into a 
 waggon provided for us, we took a drive through the
 
 H4 New World Notes. 
 
 town and out some distance into the country while the 
 boat was discharging some cargo. Bracebridge is the 
 largest town of the Muskoka district, and contained 
 last census 916 inhabitants. It bears many marks of 
 newness. Its houses are all of wood, being rather scat- 
 tered and roughly built. Yet if we remember cor- 
 rectly, it supports either two or three weekly papers, 
 along with lots of stores and grog shops. Outside 
 the town we saw land being cleared and made ready 
 for cropping. It was of good quality. At one point 
 were the remains of an old beaver dam, long since de- 
 serted by those industrious animals, who flee from 
 civilisation faster even than the Redskin. But they 
 had made a barrier across the stream, and through ages 
 that are long past, the sand that comes down with the 
 water at each freshet has been stopped by this impedi- 
 ment, and now there is left a fine level meadow con- 
 sisting of rich alluvial deposit. Lucky is the man in 
 those regions who possesses such a piece of land. But 
 the captain's whistle was sounding impatiently, so, hur- 
 rying back, we get aboard, and steam away down to- 
 wards the lake. The evening falls, and by moonlight 
 we thread the intricate way up the lake to Port Carling, 
 when, passing through a short canal with a loch in it, 
 we enter Lake Rosseau, a lake similar to Muskoka, at 
 the top of which stands a hotel, kept by a genius called 
 Pratt, a sort of Yankee-Canadian if such a hybrid can 
 exist but a capital landlord, and ready for any emer- 
 gency. At twelve o'clock this point is reached, and 
 after some scheming on mine host's part, the guests are 
 accommodated with beds in the hotel, which is lathed
 
 The Backwoods. 115 
 
 but not plastered, and requires little artificial ventil- 
 ation. 
 
 On the Sunday we took advantage of a sail in the 
 steamer down Lake Rosseau, and from thence up Lake 
 Joseph, to deliver the mails and land a party upon one of 
 the numerous islands that stud the latter lake. During 
 the evening after our arrival, a sermon was preached 
 in the hotel by a minister who had been camping in the 
 neighbourhood. Early the following morning we leftfor 
 Parry Sound, a lumber station situated on the shores of 
 Georgian Bay. A waggon, drawn by a pair of horses, 
 serves for a stage coach, mail cart, and other purposes, 
 such as carrying flour, salt, and tobacco to the inhabi- 
 tants on the way-side. The road, a Government one, 
 runs through the forest as straight as a perfect labyrinth 
 of picturesque lakes will allow it. Those sheets of 
 water are seldom of great size, on the average about a 
 square mile, but they lend a diversity to the scenery, 
 and are famous places for fishing and duck shooting. 
 The road itself is, without doubt, the worst we ever 
 travelled over, what with rocks and boulders, miry 
 places, and corduroy. The latter expression may, no 
 doubt, puzzle the reader. In passing through a morass 
 or spongy piece of ground, the Canadians, instead of 
 macadamising it, cut down small trees and lay them 
 close together, so that vehicles may pass over in safety. 
 This is, no doubt, easy work for the road contractors, 
 but pity the poor travellers over it. The waggon, 
 generally without springs, goes jolting along, giving 
 those unaccustomed to such travelling rather a painful 
 sensation. To add to the sufferings of the journey in
 
 n6 New World Notes. 
 
 this respect, the sun, nearly direct overhead, sent down 
 its powerful rays, while not a breath of air disturbed 
 the close atmosphere. The mosquitoes in myriads 
 buzzed about, and gave us the full benefit of their 
 company. On either side of the route at short inter- 
 vals are small clearings, consisting of two-thirds soil 
 and one-third rock, and dotted thickly with blackened 
 stumps. The soil at no point is very deep. Close by 
 the* roadside stands the home of the settler, generally ;i 
 log shanty, in some cases a frame-house of good dimen- 
 sions. Entering several of those abodes, they vary 
 much with the circumstances of the owner. Some are 
 clean and well kept, others dirty and squalid ; but, as 
 a rule, they possess a certain degree of comfort. The 
 ground already cleared has not a favourable appearance, 
 and there is little to show for the labour spent. The 
 first point a settler aims at on taking up his free grant 
 is to build a log shanty. And here it may be ex- 
 plained that every head of a family having children 
 under eighteen years of age can obtain a section of land 
 extending to 200 acres, and any person over eighteen 
 years of age, but with no family, can obtain 100 acres, 
 on condition of settlement. These lands are protected 
 from seizure for debt incurred before taking possession, 
 and for twenty years afterwards. These are, no doubt, 
 very favourable terms. To proceed, the house being 
 erected, a condition upon which the land is held, the 
 settler next clears away all the brushwood and under- 
 growth, which is gathered into heaps. The trees are 
 then felled, and this part of the business being generally 
 done in winter, when the snow lies deep upon the
 
 The Backwoods. 117 
 
 ground, a stump of three or four feet is left. The 
 trunks are stripped of their branches, which are also 
 heaped. When dry weather comes these are burned. 
 The logs, if not disposed of for lumber purposes a 
 rare circumstance, except on the banks of a stream 
 are next gathered together. The neighbours assist at 
 this operation, and "logging bees'' are great days in 
 the backwoods something like the sheep-shearing times 
 in the pastoral districts of Scotland. The trees are 
 also burned. The land is now clear except the stumps, 
 which are the bugbears of those new-cleared farms. 
 Oats are generally scattered among them, and har- 
 rowed in by oxen without grubbing or ploughing. 
 Those animals are preferable to horses or mules for 
 rough work, as they are more docile, pull steadier, and 
 require less food, or, at least, food of an inferior de- 
 scription. Grass seeds are also sown. The first year's 
 crop is generally a good one. Hay, consisting of 
 Timothy and red clover, is cut for five or six years in 
 succession, or even longer, till the stumps can be ex- 
 tracted. If the trees have been hardwood, the roots 
 are easily taken out ; but if they have been pine, they 
 are difficult to get out. After this operation the land 
 is ready for the plough. Altogether, it is a great ex- 
 pense clearing forest land ; and, as far as we could 
 judge from our limited experience, it will leave little 
 remuneration in Muskoka. The southern part of On- 
 tario is a garden in many respects. When the land 
 was cleared there, a deep good soil was the reward of 
 the bone and sinew spent on felling and clearing away 
 the trees and stumps. The northern part is wild and
 
 1 1 8 New World Notes. 
 
 barren. Rocks and stones may do for the tourist, but 
 not for the agriculturist. The lumber trade at present 
 gives employment to a large number of hands. Not 
 only are many needed for the mills, the felling and 
 hauling of trees, but much food is required for both 
 man and beast. In this way a capital market is found 
 for the oats and hay produced. But the lumber can- 
 not last for ever. When the inhabitants have no ex- 
 terior help to depend upon, it will be a hard struggle 
 to keep life in among those wild regions. For English 
 or Scotchmen it will not suit. Irishmen may thrive 
 better ; but the men to succeed there are Norwegians, 
 Icelanders, and such like people who have come from 
 a poor district and been accustomed to a simple and 
 frugal style of living. Such a class of immigrants the 
 Canadian Government are wisely encouraging to settle. 
 The lakes are a most providential circumstance, supply- 
 ing any amount of fish. Fruit of various kinds also 
 grows in great quantities. 
 
 Towards three o'clock, after eight hours' jolting in- 
 the waggon, and having travelled a distance of twenty- 
 four miles, we reached Parry Sound, a sweet village 
 opposite to an island of the same name, which is now 
 possessed and inhabited by the Ojibeways, a quiet, 
 peaceable tribe of Indians, who, along with their land, 
 receive a bounty from the Government. In the even- 
 ing we sailed over the narrow strait to their abodes. 
 The first wigwams visited were placed upon an islet 
 romantically situated betwixt the mainland and the 
 larger island. 
 
 As we landed, the stolid Indian smoked his pipe,.
 
 The Backwoods. 119 
 
 the squaw worked industriously at her moccassin, the 
 children scarce appeared to heed us, although at times 
 their curiosity appeared to overcome them. The only 
 creatures visibly affected were two young bears, who 
 clambered up the nearest trees, and looked on at a safe 
 distance with silent admiration, or, perchance, disgust \ 
 a huge fire of pine branches blazed forth in front of 
 the chief wigwam, and lit up the whole scene with a 
 weird, strange light. The waters of the lake gently 
 laved the shore, while ever and anon a birch canoe 
 skimmed along the water at a rapid rate. Those Red- 
 skins are a mysterious people, and difficult to under- 
 stand ; but they were civil and kind, and, through an 
 interpreter, we had a long harangue with some of the 
 tribe. In their way they are big gentlemen, and love 
 an idle life. Here they dwell in peace. The Canadian 
 Indian is not such a noble-looking man as those who 
 inhabit the prairie, but they enjoy peace and justice. 
 The Dominion Government have tried to preserve the 
 race, while their neighbour's policy has been to extirpate 
 and demoralise their red brethren. 
 
 Our intention was to leave Parry Sound next morn- 
 ing by steamer ; but, as it was not expected for three 
 or four days, there was no remedy but to retrace our 
 steps. So we commenced our return journey in the 
 blessed waggon over the corduroy. The monotony of 
 the ride was only marked by intenser heat and a more 
 vigorous onslaught on the part of the mosquitoes. On 
 Wednesday we embarked once more on board the 
 steamer, and, threading our way amidst the numerous 
 islands, which looked more beautiful than ever in the
 
 i2O New World Notes. 
 
 morning sun, every tree glistening with dew, we reached 
 the foot of Lake Muskoka. Thence, taking the stage 
 to Washago late that evening, we stood once more in 
 our hotel at Toronto. Much of the pleasure of our 
 trip was due to our companion. He was a gentleman 
 of great acuteness and versatility, with an immense 
 fund of anecdote. The weary hours upon the rough- 
 set waggon were beguiled with many a story of back- 
 wood life. In fact, he was full of humour, mixed 
 with keen sarcasm, which, no doubt, adds much to his 
 immense popularity. It was also a very instructive 
 journey. It gave an old-countryman an insight into the 
 nature of the trials undergone by the original settlers in 
 Canada. What a work must have been performed to 
 clear first the trees and then the stumps from the land. 
 The person who goes to Canada in the hope of shorter 
 hours and less labour falls into a deep mistake. It is 
 emphatically a country not adapted to idlers ; but while 
 its lands are not so rich, it appears to give birth to a 
 most energetic class of men. In conclusion, it may be 
 mentioned that the school system in those Free Grant 
 Districts is very perfect, and perhaps nowhere in our 
 travels did we see so many children to take advantage 
 of the education provided all but free of expense.
 
 XIV. 
 
 public Schools of St. 
 
 |N Great Britain the necessity of a proper school 
 system has begun to dawn upon the people. 
 Our statesmen are realising the fact that edu- 
 cation on a liberal scale must be provided for the lower 
 classes, who, day by day, are gaining ground in our 
 country, and promise ere long to take the lead in ruling 
 its destinies. In America this great fact was foreseen 
 by its early inhabitants. They saw that a country's 
 prosperity lay in the manner in which the youth were 
 prepared for their future life, and now it is an idea 
 fixed into the mind of the nation, that however rude 
 and uncultivated a parent may be, he sends his children 
 to school, with the hope that at a future day they may 
 rise above the position of their sire. In St. Louis an 
 example of a nearly perfect school system is to be 
 found. At this point people of all nations are to be 
 found, something like ten different languages being 
 spoken by the inhabitants. To unite this Babel into 
 one mass is a difficult task. To mould all these people, 
 or rather their descendants, into one community, re- 
 quires some thought and generalship. A remedy of an 
 easy nature is found in the Public Schools, where the 
 English language is taught. Having nationalised the
 
 122 New World Notes. 
 
 system of education, the next object was to provide suffi- 
 cient accommodation and teaching for the rapidly-in- 
 creasing population. That this has been attempted and ac- 
 complished in a most satisfactory style we can answer for. 
 We visited one of the Public Schools, and it may be as 
 well to explain that there are three grades. In the first 
 place, the Normal for the education of those who intend 
 making teaching their profession ; second, High schools 
 for pupils who continue their studies further than the 
 third class namely, the District Schools of which 
 we intend principally to speak. Every citizen's child 
 is entitled to education in these seminaries free of 
 charge, the only expense being the provision of school 
 books. The education provided is of a high class, 
 being more inclined to the practical than the theoretical. 
 It rests on a basis like the following : 
 
 Reading and Writing the mastery of letters. 
 Arithmetic the mastery of numbers. 
 Geography the mastery over place. 
 Grammar the mastery over the word. 
 History the mastery over time. 
 
 All grades of society send their children to be taught 
 here. There are some people who object to this mix- 
 ing of classes the high and the low. No doubt, there 
 are many private schools where a different system is 
 followed. Those can only be patronised by the rich ; 
 but, as a rule, sensible people are content with the Free 
 Schools. A great feature, and one on which much 
 stress is laid, is the fact that boys and girls are taught 
 together. They sit in the same school-room, and re- 
 ceive the same lessons. We mention such a circumstance
 
 The Public Schools of St. Louis. 123 
 
 because the same course is not followed throughout the 
 whole States. But it is nearly general out west, where 
 the system of public education is founded upon a more 
 enlightened basis. The superintendent of the St. Louis 
 schools, in his report, argues at some length that the 
 moral tone is more healthy, and that it is a more natural 
 order of things to have co-education of the sexes than 
 a separation. A Board of Directors, elected by the 
 population, manage the affairs, and the funds are pro- 
 vided by taxation, interest from property, and Govern- 
 ment grants. The Laclede National School, which we 
 inspected, is a fair sample of the above. It is situated 
 in a poor part of the city, where the population is 
 densely packed, and consists principally of Germans. 
 The children were clean, healthy, and cheerful looking, 
 and in a perfect state of discipline. It was play hour 
 when we arrived, and we saw them pass into school 
 from the ground. This school, which is on the same 
 plan as about a dozen others, is a square building, three 
 storeys high, and on each floor are situated four rooms 
 of the same size, 27 feet broad by 32 feet long, and 14 
 feet in height ; also, necessary closets for hats and 
 cloaks. The large rooms are lighted by four windows 
 each, two in the back part of the room and two at the 
 side ; whilst the teacher's desk is placed against the 
 inside wall, so that the pupils do not face the light. 
 In the second and third storeys, the rooms on each 
 side of the central passage are divided by sliding doors, 
 and thus they can be made into one large hall for such 
 exercises as singing. In winter-time the rooms are 
 heated by pipes, and in summer the greatest attention
 
 124 New World Notes. 
 
 is paid to ventilation. Altogether, as a building, this 
 is a model school, and can accommodate about 700 
 children. Twelve teachers are employed, one for each 
 room, and these are supervised by a principal. The 
 above are all females, or rather ladies, at least their 
 looks and manners would entitle them to be called such, 
 and another reason, every woman out west considers 
 herself a lady, and would resent any other name ; but 
 we mean that those teachers would be considered such in 
 Great Britain, where society is marked by various and 
 wide lines of demarcation. It is believed that members 
 of the weaker sex are the most proficient teachers, and 
 there are many reasons for this. Women, as a rule, are 
 of a quick perception, and have a deeper insight into 
 human nature than men ; and they have more influence 
 over the young mind, especially over boys, who ofttimes 
 fear a single glance from their eye more than the lash 
 of a schoolmaster ; at least, it is a fact that through all 
 America they are employed not only largely in the 
 schools, but also in many of the other public depart- 
 ments. The discipline and thorough order we wit- 
 nessed, at any rate, proved the efHcacy of woman's rule 
 in the Laclede School, with its noble-looking principal 
 and intelligent staff of assistants. The salaries paid may 
 be mentioned to enlighten the natives of this country : 
 
 Principal 
 
 1 Assistant 
 
 2 Do. . 
 2 Do. . 
 6 Do. . 
 i Do. 
 
 ... 400 per annum. 
 ... 150 
 ... 280 
 
 240 
 
 660 
 
 13 1830
 
 The Public Schools of St. Louis. 125 
 
 It thus cost about 2 123. per year for teaching alone, 
 not counting the other expenses incident to a school, 
 such as interest on money invested, expenses of manage- 
 ment, and other items, which will cost nearly as much, 
 and raise the total for each pupil to about 5 per head. 
 There are grades of teachers, as will be seen from the 
 above list, and it is a fact worthy of notice that to the 
 two junior classes the best teachers are allotted, the 
 third highest teacher takes the senior class, and so on 
 downwards. In this case the labourers are worthy of 
 their hire. 
 
 The great idea here is to get, in the first place, strict 
 discipline, not by the rod, but by gentler means ; and 
 in the second, to have the children thoroughly grounded 
 in spelling, and to have a perfect knowledge of the Eng- 
 lish language. If those habits are once attained by 
 scholars, they can accomplish most other tasks after- 
 wards. We found children of seven years old spelling 
 the most difficult words in the English language. A 
 thorough system is kept up. Children have twelve 
 rooms to go through, and it takes about seven years 
 before they reach this point. Generally, at the age of 
 fourteen they are considered perfect, as far as national 
 education is concerned. After this they can enter 
 upon a wider field of study in the Normal or High 
 Schools. 
 
 The attendance upon the Public Schools is large, and 
 is daily increasing. Six years ago 17,000 pupils were 
 enrolled ; at present about 40,000 are in attendance, 
 which is a most remarkable increase. About 800 
 teachers are on the staff. These are the numbers for
 
 126 New World Notes. 
 
 the year ending in 1873, and during 1874 the progress 
 would be in the same ratio as in those byegone. As 
 stated above, the average cost to the city for educating 
 each pupil is 5, and the average salary to every 
 teacher, male and female, high or low, is about 150, 
 nearly equal to the amount paid our ministers of the 
 gospel. 
 
 Education here, while embracing all the useful 
 branches of learning, and notably excluding in its 
 primary courses the dead languages, is purely unsec- 
 tarian no Bible, no religion those weighty matters 
 are left to the parents, the ministers, and the noble 
 array of good Samaritans, who make the Sunday 
 Schools of America one of its wonders j but, on the 
 other hand, morality of the strictest kind is engendered 
 in every young mind, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, 
 "Lutherans or Roman Catholics. It is admitted on all 
 hands that a proper education is one of the foundations 
 upon which a country should rest. In our country the 
 general belief is that religious education should accom- 
 pany the secular duties. " Give us the Bible," ex- 
 claimed some of our wiseacres while electing boards to 
 take charge of our lately nationalised schools, "and 
 we are sure to have an improvement throughout the 
 country." But we might ask, What has been the result 
 of this system of religious teaching in our Parochial 
 Schools since the days of John Knox ? Has it im- 
 proved the moral tone, the religious sentiment, of our 
 people, and more especially of our country population ? 
 Has it not, instead of that, removed the responsibility 
 from off the shoulders of the proper parties, the
 
 The Public Schools of St. Louis. 127 
 
 parents and the ministers, whose duty it is to look after 
 the spiritual welfare of the community. Those dwellers 
 upon the Mississippi, away upon the western prairies, saw 
 the error of such a policy, and while they organised a 
 proper tuition for the young, as regards religion, they 
 escaped those conflicts which are apt to arise on such 
 subjects in a mixed community. The State does not 
 provide an Established Church ; the schools are ham- 
 pered by no religious differences. It is this fact that 
 makes those schools so popular, and brings all classes 
 to their doors. Religion belongs to the sphere of the 
 heart, of the spirit, and the less generally said about it 
 the better. Different people have different opinions. 
 They do not ask one man to pay for the support of a 
 doctrine he does not believe ; in fact, one which he 
 looks at with contempt. Morality, the mainstay of 
 social life, can exist without parading religion. 
 
 In conclusion, the schools of America are one of its 
 wonders. Some of our stiff-necked School Boards and 
 rebellious schoolmasters would do well to take a lesson 
 out of their book. They do not mean strife, but edu- 
 cation upon a simple, enlightened, and thorough system.
 
 XV. 
 
 fliagava Jails. 
 
 |N the forenoon of the i st of July, we reached 
 St. Catherine's, a beautiful watering place 
 situated on the Welland Canal, and some ten 
 miles distant from the world- renowned Falls, and took 
 up our quarters in a first-class hotel, kept by a gentle- 
 man who has relations in the Kelso district, and 
 knows it well. It was a holiday, an annual one, held 
 in commemoration of the confederation of all the separate 
 provinces of British North America into a grand and 
 glorious dominion a scheme planned and perfected 
 through the ability and indomitable perseverance of the 
 Hon. George Brown. Circumstances detained us a 
 day at this place, and, having nothing in particular to 
 do through the afternoon, we sauntered down to a 
 public park to see the games and other performances. 
 The "Highland fling" and the "sword dance" were 
 being performed as we entered the place. Then came 
 throwing the caber, and all manner of Scotch games, 
 till at last we imagined ourselves about Blair Athole 
 instead of standing upon Canadian soil. It was one 
 of the pleasantest afternoons we ever passed, and we 
 left much delighted with the loyal feeling that appears
 
 Niagara Falls. 129 
 
 to dwell among the people. Scotland may look upon 
 Canada as her own peculiar child. The hardy sons of 
 the mountains are her greatest citizens, and have made 
 her commercially the greatest country in the world in 
 proportion to the population. 
 
 Next forenoon we started for Suspension Bridge 
 Depot, a station situated about two miles below the 
 famous cataract upon the Canadian side. No sooner 
 Janded from the train, and being dressed in knicker- 
 bockers (evidently a style of dress not common in those 
 parts), than the omnipresent 'bus and cab men salute 
 us " Take you cheap, sir." " Only a dollar to the 
 Falls, my lord," exclaims a slick Yankee Jehu. It was 
 in vain to tell them we could exist for two miles upon 
 our own pair; they evidently meant business, and stuck 
 with the pertinacity of an Italian beggar to their suite. 
 At last they dropped off, and went back to salute the 
 next unfortunate wanderer. Five hundred yards up 
 the side, and just at the first bend of the river, we got 
 alongside of an old Scotch gentleman, who turned out 
 to be a native of Dumfries, and who, although he had 
 lived for thirty years within one hundred miles of Nia- 
 gara, had never yet visited it. Talking away, as if we 
 had known each other for twenty years, we proceeded 
 slowly up the high road which runs along the brink of 
 the mighty stream. At this spot, and, in fact, for a 
 number of miles after it leaves the Falls, the river flows 
 through a narrow pass, the waters being of a light blue 
 colour, with streaks of foam all over their bosom. The 
 sides of this ravine, if it can be so called, are very steep 
 and abrupt, rising to the height of 300 feet from the
 
 130 New World Notes. 
 
 river-side. This narrow gulph is spanned at the depot 
 by a railway suspension bridge, also adapted for pas- 
 senger traffic, and about half a mile below the Falls by 
 a carriage and foot-bridge of the same character, and 
 of great beauty in an architectural point of view. It 
 was standing near the latter we realised the magnifi- 
 cence of the great scene. In the fore-ground were the 
 Falls, the rushing rapids, and the dark green woods 
 along the banks of the river and Goat Island. Some 
 cynics had drummed into our minds that Niagara was a 
 delusion, a mere hallucination, ranted upon by brain- 
 stricken tourists. With these ideas in our head, we 
 came in the full expectation of being disappointed. But 
 when the beauty of the surrounding scene, the rush of 
 mighty waters, the deafening noise, the clouds of spray 
 that rose into the air between us and the sun, the gor- 
 geous rainbows that spanned across the Falls, came up 
 before the eye and scattered to the wind the pictures 
 of our fancy, it was then that we confessed in our own 
 mind that the Niagara of reality was greater than that 
 of the imagination. No one can gather at first glance 
 the splendour of such a scene. There is something so 
 fascinating that the eye rests upon the object it first 
 catches for a considerable time. So we caught at first 
 the American Fall, and there we feasted our sight till 
 the eye was satiated. Then it followed round by the 
 wood-fringed brink of Goat Island to the Canadian 
 Fall, the famous Horse-Shoe, and then burst upon the 
 traveller the real glory of the scene, as the waters came 
 wildly, like the waves of a tempest-tossed ocean, and 
 were hurled with tremendous fury over the precipice
 
 Niagara Falls. 131 
 
 into the fathomless gulph below, and as the spray rose 
 cloud after cloud into the warm air of the Canadian 
 summer, turned into a thousand diamonds by the 
 rays of the bright sun, we felt that no picture of 
 this great sight can be overdrawn. There are many 
 scenes of great beauty, from the heather hills of the 
 Scottish Highlands, with their picturesque lakes, to the 
 rugged Alps ; from the Rocky Mountains, with their 
 eternal snow, to the Rhine, classic with castles and 
 romantic with many a heroic legend ; but is there 
 another Niagara ? No ! Standing upon yon bridge, 
 and gazing upon yon rolling waters, the tourist looks 
 upon the greatest water-fall in the wide, wide world. 
 
 That afternoon we went back to St Catherine's, re- 
 turning to the Falls the next evening, and took up our 
 abode at the Clifton House a large and rather anti- 
 quated hotel, situated upon the Canadian side, and com- 
 manding from its windows a very fine view of the 
 whole scene. After tea, we wandered down a steep 
 path to the place where the ferry boat starts for the 
 American side, and then away -up the river side amid 
 rocks, boulders, and bushes to the foot of the great 
 fall. Here the banks, which consist of immense stones, 
 with trees, shrubs, and flowers of the most beautiful 
 description freely interspersed among them, ascend with 
 A steep incline for some distance ; then suddenly they 
 rise perpendicularly to a distance of 100 feet, at some 
 places hanging dangerously over the adventurous pedes- 
 trian who clambers over the pathway below. Those 
 cliffs are of a curious formation, being in some places 
 of hard rocks, among which the remnants of a former
 
 132 New World Notes. 
 
 world are distinguished by the fossils that are embedded 
 therein. Spar and other stones are also picked up, 
 from which small trinkets are made, and vended at 
 fabulous prices to passers by. Petrified moss is also 
 plentiful, and with diligent search fine specimens can 
 be obtained. Among those cliffs grow plants of all 
 kinds, such as the grape, honeysuckle, and a curious 
 species of ivy. It was a dark, dull night, and we 
 stood looking upon the foaming waters as they fell 
 with a cannon sound, sending up one continuous cloud 
 of spray. They have an awe-inspiring feeling, and 
 their grandeur grows upon the gazer. It was a fitting 
 time to moralise to look back on the great past, and 
 try to pierce the brooding darkness of futurity. But 
 ever and anon the strange sound brought the thoughts 
 back to the mighty work before us the emblem of a 
 great eternity, the proof of a mighty and all-powerful 
 Creator. Darkness had covered the scene with her 
 mantle before we were able to draw ourselves away, 
 so fascinating were the whole surroundings, and the 
 hotel was reached with no little difficulty. Sitting that 
 evening in the piazza, enjoying the cool air, and lolling 
 luxuriously in a rocking chair, we saw a flash of light- 
 ning gleam across the clouded sky ; then bursts the 
 thunder-cloud, drowning the sound of the Fall. It was 
 a wild and fantastic panorama, as flash followed flash, 
 lighting up with a vivid clearness the whole surround- 
 ings. For a moment it was there ; the dark surging 
 waters, the pillar of spray, the museums and monster 
 hotels ; then all was darkness once more. For an 
 hour the storm raged with tremendous fury. Niagara
 
 Niagara Falls. 133 
 
 looked more terrible than ever, more fierce in its con- 
 vulsions, and more fantastic in its wild leaps. 
 
 Next morning the thunder-clouds had rolled away, 
 and had left the air more cool and pleasant, while the 
 heavy rain had laid the dust. This was the 4th of 
 July, the anniversary of the declaration of American 
 Independence ninety-eight years ago, a fact duly notified 
 by the liberal supply of bunting on the other side. The 
 forenoon was spent in making a call upon a gentleman 
 who lives in a delightful house that overlooks the wild 
 rapids before they make the grand leap, and in visiting 
 the famous burning spring situated on the edge of the 
 rapids about one mile above the fall. This is a most 
 wonderful freak of Nature. A well bubbles up at the 
 water's edge, and from this proceeds a flow of gas 
 which burns most brilliantly. There is a cylinder 
 placed over the well which receives the gas, this passes 
 up a pipe, and a light being applied, a bright flame 
 lights up the darkened room which has been con- 
 structed over the spot to give- the phenomenon more 
 effect. A piece of cloth being placed over the top of 
 the tube, the flame still continued burning, and did not 
 injure the handkerchief which was used. Then we 
 asked them to lift off the cylinder and apply the flame 
 to the water itself which was bubbling up ; this had 
 the same effect a fire on the top of the liquid. Next 
 we drank the water, which has a slight taste of sulphur. 
 Emptying the glasses, the flame is applied to the inside, 
 producing a fire inside the tumbler for a few moments. 
 Altogether, this is a most wonderful sight, and well 
 worthy of a visit.
 
 134 -A 7 ^ World Notes. 
 
 The previous evening we had made the acquaintance 
 of a lady and gentleman and their daughter. Such an 
 operation is an easy matter in American travel ; there- 
 is none of that stiffness peculiar to this side of the 
 water. But it is seldom that such pleasant and ac- 
 complished companions as the above turned out to be 
 are met even by chance in the New World. With 
 them we spent two of the happiest days it was our lot 
 to pass on the other side of the Atlantic Ferry. In 
 the afternoon we started in a carriage and pair, driven 
 by a decent old Canadian, who had evidently seen 
 better days, for the American side. . In the first place, 
 we crossed the suspension bridge fare for each, 50 
 cents. ; carriage and driver extra. Passing by the In- 
 ternational and Cataract Hotels, which do not com- 
 mand a good view of the Falls, we pass over a bridge 
 on to Goat Islands fare same as above. This island 
 is 75 acres in size, and divides the river, thus forming 
 two falls the American and the Canadian, or Horse 
 Shoe Fall ; the former falls a distance of 164 feet, 
 while the latter makes a leap of 158 feet. It is covered 
 with a variety of trees, which grow luxuriantly and to 
 a great size ; wild flowers and creeping plants are freely 
 intermixed ; while curiosity-vendors, from fat squaws 
 to limbless men, are nearly as numerous as the tourists, 
 and it looked as if every pleasure-seeker had his own 
 particular attendant. The drive round is most delight- 
 ful, and at some parts we descend and get good views 
 of the Falls. From here the stranger can realize the 
 enormous volume of water that pours over the Horse 
 Shoe Fall, as you can stand upon the brink, and with
 
 Niagara Falls. 135 
 
 the support of an iron railing, look down into the 
 chasm below. The Fall is exactly in the form of a 
 horse shoe, extends round the circle about 300 yards, 
 and at the centre of the concave the heaviest body of 
 water is gathered, supposed to be about 25 feet in 
 depth as it falls over the brink into the immense pool 
 below, which has never been fathomed. From Goat 
 Island we pass by bridges on to the Three Sister Isles, 
 which lie in the centre of the wild roaring rapids. In 
 our idea these rushing waters, as they come racing to- 
 wards the Falls at railway pace, breaking here and 
 there over long lines of rock, and carrying everything 
 before them, are as wonderful and majestic as the 
 cataracts themselves. Many an accident of a fearful 
 character has happened here. Either through fool- 
 hardiness or carelessness the deceptive current is ap- 
 proached ; too late the mistake is discovered, and then 
 follows one of the most terrible scenes imaginable, such 
 as no pen can picture. T^at relentless current gives 
 back no life ; it has no pity, nothing but stern reality. 
 It was difficult to break away from such a fascinating 
 scene ; and, to tell the truth, a terrible feeling crossed 
 the mind sitting upon the furthest isle a feeling that 
 tempted one to cast his lot in with the surging waters, 
 and banish in oblivion the cares and toils of life. Such 
 a wild fancy crosses the mind, but only for a moment. 
 Leaving here, we recross to the mainland, and, driving 
 through the village, proceed about two miles down the 
 river side to the whirlpool, to have a look at it and the 
 rapids above. Reaching there, we pay that everlasting 
 50 cents, and, entering an elevator, descend from the
 
 136 New World Notes. 
 
 bank to the water's edge, some 200 or 300 feet below, 
 and there view the rapids and whirlpool. The latter 
 is rather an immense eddy. The waters come rushing 
 down a narrow gorge, and racing past the outlet of the 
 stream, which takes a quick turn at this point, whirl 
 round in a wide circle. There is little or no suction, 
 but it is said that the waters in the centre are 1 1 feet 
 above the level of the sides. The wildness of the 
 rushing river as it comes dashing through the gorge, 
 the comparative calm of the whirling eddy, the wood- 
 fringed and vine-clad banks, make the scene very at- 
 tractive and sublime. 
 
 At last we got back to our hotel after a most de- 
 lightful afternoon. It would be impossible to go 
 much further into this subject. We have sketched, in 
 a rough and imperfect manner, a part of the time we 
 spent at this wonderful spot. Further we did not 
 intend to write, but we may be excused in relating an 
 adventure that befel us at this spot, to show the temp- 
 tations and snares laid for travellers. On the Monday 
 following, I had 'gone up to the station to see the 
 excellent and accomplished friends who had been my 
 companions for the last day or two away by the train 
 to catch the boat that crosses Lake Ontario to Toronto. 
 While waiting there, a young man of prepossessing 
 appearance, evidently an Englishman, accosted me, and, 
 as a matter of course, I returned the salutation in a 
 cordial, friendly manner. A long conversation fol- 
 lowed, in which he inquired how long I had been 
 across the Atlantic ? What boat I had come by ? 
 Then he told his simple history. How he had fallen
 
 Niagara Falls. 137 
 
 into bad health, and was travelling to regain his strength. 
 " 'Twas pitiful ; 'twas wondrous pitiful." At last he 
 told me his name, and asked me what cognomen I 
 travelled under. So I told him in my unsuspecting 
 innocence. From this we began to talk of future plans. 
 His coincided with mine so exactly that the next proposal 
 was that we should club together, and share our joys 
 and our sorrows. The train drew up to the platform 
 shortly after, and I bade adieu to my pleasant com- 
 panions, not without a sigh of regret, but bearing in 
 mind the hope that we expect to meet some day in the 
 land that Scott has immortalised ; that at some future 
 date we shall view together the hallowed scenes of 
 Melrose, Abbotsford, and Dryburgh. I turned to 
 look for my new friend, whose kindly words and suave 
 expression were quite refreshing to see. He was gone ; 
 so I followed down to the hotel, expecting to see him 
 there. Just half way I met another well-dressed young 
 fellow, who came up in the most consequential style, 
 
 exclaiming, " How are you, C ; d it, I am 
 
 glad to see you, old fellow." Mildly I hinted he must 
 have mistaken his man. " Don't you remember me 
 coming across in the 'Queen' last April?" "Can't 
 say I do ; by the way, perhaps you were a steerage 
 passenger," was my reply. This was a poser. How- 
 ever, he was equal to the occasion, and began to explain 
 that he remembered he was sick most part of the time, 
 and also that he had shaved his beard off since then. 
 A thought flashed across my mind, and I remembered 
 that some people have green in their eye. After some 
 hesitation, I owned my mistake, and shook hands, cor-
 
 138 New World Notes. 
 
 dially expressing my stupidity in not recognising him 
 sooner. I asked him about his travels and adventures, 
 and so we began to talk of Western society and the 
 gold mines of Colorado. I took up the tale, and com- 
 menced to tell an adventure that befel me at Denver 
 City. He was eager to hear it. Like the Jew, I had 
 fallen among thieves, cardsharpers in fact, and there 
 was no Samaritan to help me. However, said I, in 
 conclusion, one of the swindlers will bear the mark of 
 a pistol shot all his life. Then grasping Mr Miller, as 
 he designated himself, by the coat neck, with an iron 
 grip, I told him, in a confidential tone, that the next I 
 came across would be shot as dead as cock robin. He 
 slipped from my hand like an eel and fled, for he 
 looked a coward at bottom. Not long after, I saw 
 my first friend and the above gentleman cross the water 
 to the American side. Some of the cabmen, who were 
 watching the scene, were not a little amused at the 
 summary way in which I treated the swell young man. 
 In conclusion, Niagara Falls left vivid impressions in 
 many ways -, but while it is one of God's mightiest 
 works, it has been turned to account as a place for 
 carrying on swindling on the most gigantic scale. 
 Cardsharpers, pickpockets, and all such like, not ex- 
 cepting the hotel-keepers and hackneymen, vie with 
 each other how to make most money out of the unsus- 
 pecting sight-seer. Cabmen have the first innings, and 
 when they get a chance swindle you most unmercifully. 
 In your walks men with curiosities for sale spring up, 
 as if by magic from the windows of museums, where 
 everything is exhibited and sold, from mummies to live
 
 Niagara Falls. 139 
 
 buffaloes, young ladies smile and bow, and ask you 
 to look at their fancy ware with the most betwitching 
 airs, while their hands are itching for your dollar bills. 
 Three-card-monte men, smooth faced and close shaven, 
 are ever hovering round, like the eagle, ready to pounce 
 on their prey. The best way to go to Niagara is to put 
 so much money in your pocket, make it last as long as 
 you can, and then depart in peace.
 
 XVI. 
 
 "(Dur 
 
 HE river Niagara, after it leaves the Falls, 
 rushes wildly for five or six miles through 
 a narrow channel guarded by a wall of rock 
 on each side. At some places magnificent rapids are 
 formed, and career madly through the chasm. At 
 Lewiston, the stream, although swift, is calm, and 
 renders navigation practicable. Nine miles more, and 
 the broad green waters of the Niagara river find a rest- 
 ing place in Lake Ontario. Close by the spot where 
 the stream mingles with the placid lake stands the town 
 of Niagara, beautifully situated on a piece of ground 
 that slopes away from the shore. It is a considerable 
 place at least it covers a large area of ground but in 
 driving through it there are signs of decay : grey hairs 
 are upon its head. The grass growing in the midst of 
 streets where no green thing should flourish, the un- 
 occupied houses, the dilapidated appearance of many 
 others, the indolent gaze of the inhabitants, all tell a 
 tale that from here the glory has departed former 
 greatness is passing rapidly away. There is a reason 
 for everything, and the cause of this once flourishing 
 town's decay is the result of its former inhabitants'
 
 " Our Western Home" 141 
 
 stupidity. The Welland Canal is a great source of 
 business. When that great project of connecting 
 Lakes Erie and Ontario was mooted, it was proposed 
 to make this the starting point from the latter lake ; 
 but no ! the wise men of the place would not have it, 
 and, as a matter of course, little trade falls to its lot. 
 Yet there are some signs of life. Not far from an 
 old-fashioned fort on the Lake shore stands a magnifi- 
 cent hotel, a great resort for gay Southerners from the 
 warm and relaxing climes of Louisiana and Tennessee, 
 who come north during the intense heat of summer to 
 enjoy the comparative cool atmosphere of Canada. It 
 is a fascinating place, with ball-rooms and billiard 
 saloons, a spot where life passes away like a day- 
 dream. But it was not to see nor taste of this luxurious 
 life that we visited the decaying town of Niagara. 
 Here, on the southern outskirts of the town, stands 
 " Our Western Home," a refuge for girls, conducted 
 by Miss Rye, who periodically visits England, and 
 brings over with her a batch of girls from the " Rye 
 Home," the workhouse, and other places of refuge for 
 outcast and orphan children situated in London. After 
 a short stay at this health-giving spot, they are dis- 
 persed throughout the dominion of Canada, among its 
 well-to-do and industrious farmers, either as servants, 
 or, in many cases, as adopted children. It may be 
 asked, Who is Miss Rye ? Perchance, the reader may 
 have read of Florence Nightingale, the heroine of the 
 Crimea ; of Baroness Burdett Coutts, whose princely 
 gifts and earnest work have done much to enliven and 
 cheer the spirits of her humbler brothers and sisters ;
 
 142 New World Notes. 
 
 of Miss Clugston and her convalescent Homes ; or of 
 the many other ladies who are labouring for their fel- 
 low-creatures. To this noble band Miss Rye belongs, 
 who, giving up all the frivolous vanities of fast-fleeting 
 life, work with all their heart and soul for suffering 
 humanity: not with a flourish of trumpets, but in a 
 quiet, unassuming manner this lady conducts her work. 
 Being absent from home, we did not see the lady her- 
 self, but a worthy lady superintendent guided us through 
 the " Home." The work has now been in operation 
 for above three years, and already 1200 orphan children, 
 all females, have been received from London, and 
 thence despatched to comfortable homes. Our visit 
 was made on the 3d of July, and at that time only 30 
 girls were in the Home, being all that remained of 160 
 brought out in the month of April. Entering the 
 house, which is a large square building, we were con- 
 ducted to the schoolroom, where the children were en- 
 gaged in writing on slates. There they sat, quietly 
 working away at their task, every one looking a perfect 
 picture of health. The matron told the history of one 
 or two, for each one of them appeared to have some 
 remarkable coincidence connected with their former life. 
 Then she pointed out girls that had come covered with 
 diseases of the most loathsome character, but had been 
 restored to health by proper treatment and the genial 
 air. Amongst the number was a solitary boy, who 
 was found one morning at the door of a London refuge 
 and taken up for dead. But not so. He now flourishes 
 under the care of Miss Rye. He is a bright-eyed boy, 
 between two and three years old, and shook us by the
 
 Western Home" 143 
 
 hand firmly and heartily on being introduced to our 
 notice. He is a noble specimen of an English child, 
 with a broad, massive head. May this waif only grow 
 up to be a protector to other foundlings ! Yes, gazing 
 upon that motley group, the tears began to trickle down 
 the cheeks, and our thoughts turned to Thomas Guthrie 
 and his ragged schools ; to the crowded cities of Great 
 Britain, with their sins and their sorrows. Looking at 
 some of those girls, the simple yet pathetic words of 
 Tom Hood flashed across the mind 
 
 " Who was her father ? 
 Who was her mother ? 
 Had she a sister ? 
 Had she a brother?" 
 
 Some of their lives, young though they were, would, 
 no doubt, have formed a strange and stirring tale ; but 
 sitting in the Home they looked contented, and ap- 
 peared to be happy as the day was long, within sound 
 of the mighty Niagara, but far from the land of their 
 birth. Following the matron, she guided us up stairs 
 to the dormitories and it may be mentioned that the 
 house was originally an old prison, with a court-room 
 in it, which has been converted into the principal sleep- 
 ing room. The beds are of iron, with straw mattresses 
 and clean coverings ; in fact, all through the house 
 cleanliness is the most important point sought after, 
 and certainly it is attained. To this circumstance, no 
 doubt, the wonderful health of the inmates is attribut- 
 able. Out of twelve hundred children who have passed 
 through the Home, only three have died in it a very 
 small number considering the state of health some are
 
 144 New World Notes. 
 
 in on arrival. In one of the small sleeping rooms, we 
 were shown three children confined there for misbe- 
 haviour. They were called before us one by one. The 
 first was a round-faced, fine-looking girl of sixteen sum- 
 mers, strong and active-looking. Her fault was decep- 
 tion of an incurable character. She had been sent out 
 and returned several times, but was to have another 
 trial. The second was a young red-haired child, with 
 a wild eye. Her faults are not great as yet. Third, 
 and lastly, was one of those creatures of humanity, so 
 ably described by Dickens, and yet we cannot recall 
 any of his masterpieces to whom she might have been 
 compared. She looked a perfect little virago, with a 
 shock head of sandy hair, a narrow forehead, eyes that 
 looked out from beneath a heavy brow, and of what 
 colour we were unable to decern. Her nose was good, 
 but the lips were thin and sarcastic ; all over the face 
 betrayed the worst passions that can belong to a bad 
 woman. Being called before us, she appeared to have 
 a feeling of shame a false one, we doubt. She had 
 torn a new dress, only a fortnight old, nearly off her 
 back, and there she stood with her eyes fixed on the 
 ground a terrible example of human depravity. She 
 attempted to speak once or twice, but the matron 
 stopped her, and she stood with sullen indifference as 
 we got her history recounted. We are glad to say 
 that this is the only case that has fairly beat those per- 
 severing women, and their idea was to send this rebelli- 
 ous sinner back to England before she reaches the age 
 entitling her to freedom from Miss Rye's restraint, and 
 have her placed in a reformatory. Passing down stairs,
 
 " Our Western Home" 145 
 
 we had a look at the dining-room and box-room. In 
 the latter are stored all the articles of clothing belong- 
 ing to the girls when they are despatched from Eng- 
 land, and which are kept for sending them out to their 
 future abodes. While staying in the Home, they wear 
 clothes kept there for the purpose, so that they go to 
 their future residences with a full supply of clothing. 
 From thence we were taken to Miss Rye's private sit- 
 ting rooms, which command a view of the town, and 
 look forth upon the blue waters of Ontario. A piano 
 and a well-stocked bookcase are the principal furnish- 
 ings. All about the rooms, from the pictures on the 
 walls to the books upon the table, savoured of that 
 great word Charity. " Faith, hope, and charity, 
 these three, but the greatest of these is charity." 
 
 Considerable expense is incurred to keep the above in 
 working order. With each child Miss Rye receives a 
 sum of 8 from the parish authorities, or some such 
 parties, who place the girls in her hands. A bonus is 
 allowed by the Canadian Government, while, if we mis- 
 take not, a few private individuals subscribe to the 
 " Home." In this way sufficient means are raised to 
 make all go smooth in a financial way. 
 
 The system of emigration being carried out at " Our 
 Western Home" is, without doubt, a bold experiment. 
 There is no question about the kindness and considera- 
 tion with which the children are treated while under 
 the immediate eye of Miss Rye or her assistants ; but 
 their safety, physically and morally, is not so certain 
 after they leave her care to be servants in families or 
 take the place of adopted children. Practically, the
 
 146 New World Notes. 
 
 child, when taken by the Canadian farmer, is little 
 better than a slave if he wishes. To obviate such a 
 state of affairs, considerable judgment is required in 
 placing the child with thoroughly respectable parties. 
 To help her in this part of the work, Miss Rye has 
 associated herself with some of the foremost citizens in 
 Canada, who act as trustees along with her, and do all 
 in their power to forward the work. The character 
 of the applicant for a child is thoroughly investigated. 
 He or she is bound to answer a number of questions, 
 among which they have to give the name of the Mayor 
 or Reeve, in whose township they dwell, as well as 
 that of the minister whose church they attend. From 
 these parties, as a rule, the true character of any appli- 
 cant can be correctly ascertained. The preliminaries 
 being satisfactory, an indenture is entered into between 
 the applicant, Miss Rye, and two of the most respected 
 men in the neighbourhood of Niagara. The indenture 
 provides for the child being properly educated in all 
 branches of knowledge and religion, that she shall re- 
 ceive wages at the rate of 128. per month from the age 
 of 15 to 17, and i6s. per month from 17 to 18, after 
 which she is free to go and do as she likes. 
 
 There will be, no doubt, many cases of hardship in 
 this system ; but, as far as we were able to judge per- 
 sonally, and on the assurance of some of the most in- 
 fluential men Canada possesses, the treatment of those 
 pauper children is generally kind and considerate in 
 their new homes. It is the interest of Canadians to 
 treat those females in a proper manner, for women 
 servants are very scarce. But, supposing this system
 
 " Our Western Home" 147 
 
 is not without its drawbacks, one thing is certain, that 
 it is more successful than the results obtained at home 
 in our upbringing of pauper children. Those who 
 know the farmers of Ontario, who have dwelt in their 
 pleasant homes, and witnessed the position the servant, 
 and more especially the female one, takes, will come to 
 the conclusion that these outcasts will fare better than 
 in the work-houses and reformatories of the old country. 
 Separated from any contaminating influence, the mind 
 must be directed for the better if there is left in it a 
 single spark of truth and honour. Whether it be a 
 success or not and we humbly give forth the opinion 
 that it is there is no one but admires Miss Rye for 
 her disinterested labours in the work of the Great 
 Master. Time, with its ceaseless roll, will perfect a 
 system yet in its infancy. Meanwhile, we wish it only 
 a fair field and no favour.
 
 XVII. 
 
 fttagara Jails to (Dttatoa. 
 
 JFTER a fortnight's sojourn in the province of 
 Ontario, we returned to the famous Falls. 
 The city of Toronto was left one bright 
 afternoon at two o'clock. A swift steamer plies across 
 the bosom of Lake Ontario, and, entering the river 
 Niagara, proceeds up that picturesque stream to Lewis- 
 town, where navigation stops. An omnibus connects 
 with the boat and the railway cars, and, as a matter 
 of course, good pay is exacted for the ride. The 
 train runs along the top of the precipitous banks that 
 enclose the foaming waters of the river 300 feet below. 
 The rapids are seen to perfection, and as we come near 
 the end of our journey, the Falls meet the eye of the 
 traveller. From the depot, we proceeded to the " Ca- 
 taract" House, standing on the brink of the American 
 Fall. It is a big hotel, but evidently the glory has 
 departed from this hotel and its neighbours that stand 
 hard by it. For the last few years a systematic course 
 of fleecing tourists has been in vogue, and people 
 rather than be swindled stay at home and keep their 
 cash. There were no lack of loafers, no scarcity of 
 ambitious cabmen or porters ; but there was no stir,
 
 Niagara Falls to Ottawa. 149 
 
 and, although the very height of the season, the mon- 
 strous halls looked blank and desolate. A band at 
 night tried to cheer up the quiet scene, but scarce two 
 hundred of an audience blessed their spasmodic efforts 
 in a hotel that can accommodate six to eight hundred 
 people. Next forenoon was spent in visiting Goat Is- 
 land, and at midday, taking leave of that fascinating 
 spot, and shaking the dust from our feet as regards 
 hotel keepers, hackney men, fancy goods merchants, 
 cardsharpers, and such like, bade adieu to Niagara Falls, 
 with its roaring waters and glorious scenery. Nature 
 has formed there a theatre more gorgeous in its aspect 
 and greater in its work than at any other spot on 
 earth. But alas ! some guardian spirit is required to 
 protect the lover of Nature. Scarce have you sat 
 down to enjoy the scene than some human eagle 
 pounces upon you as a lawful prey. To enjoy scenery 
 requires the mind to feel as if it were alone in drink- 
 ing in the beauties of the situation. 
 
 Into the dusty cars once more. Right east through 
 the State of New York, through the Genessee valley, 
 the famous wheat-producing region, to Rochester, a 
 town of 60,000 inhabitants, noted for its flour mills, 
 nurseries, and gardens. Here the Genessee river forms 
 a fall a pigmy in comparison to Niagara yet it would 
 be a famous affair in Great Britain ; but as we rushed 
 across the bridge that stands above it, no thundering 
 sound was heard nor falling water seen. The mills 
 had drained the whole supply, and now these falls only 
 exist in winter when water is plentiful. The road 
 continues through a fruitful country, and now and again
 
 150 New World Notes. 
 
 the reaping machine is seen at work, for the hay har- 
 vest is finished and that of the wheat begun in this 
 neighbourhood. Towards eight o'clock, the engine 
 and its freight approach Syracuse, our present destina- 
 tion. It may be asked, What took us there ? A 
 year previous to our visit, a gentleman from that city 
 had visited Kelso, and was charmed not only by its 
 surroundings and scenery, but also by one of its citi- 
 zens, whose hospitality knows no bounds. Armed 
 with a letter of introduction, we left our route by a 
 hundred and fifty miles on an earnest invitation from 
 the above party to let him have his revenge, as he ex- 
 pressed it, upon his Border friends, and great was the 
 reward of the detour. On the platform at the depot 
 stood a short, stout man, with an intellectual face, 
 with rather an English expression ; grey locks covered 
 a noble head, one that denoted a turn for philanthropy 
 and good deeds. That was our host, and without de- 
 lay his house was reached, and a generous reception 
 from its inmates was the result, such as made a stranger 
 feel at home. His house stood in one of the most 
 fashionable streets in the city, removed by some dis- 
 tance from the centre. That street, like many others 
 in Syracuse, was a sight in itself. Broad and ample 
 was the carriage way, while no less commodious were 
 the side walks, but shaded by virgin trees that reared 
 their mantled heads, spreading branches up in mid air. 
 Back some 100 or 150 feet from the street were the 
 houses, while the space between was green with well- 
 cut grass. Magnificent trees studded the lawns, add- 
 ing shade and beauty in summer, shelter in winter.
 
 Niagara Falls to Ottawa. 151 
 
 Here, also, might have been seen the grape growing 
 up a trellis : the rose bloomed forth, and sent its 
 aroma through the air. The cool breeze of evening 
 sighed amidst the leafy trees, and many a rare creeping 
 plant twined its arms round the trunks and branches 
 of the trees, or up and over the verandah that encircles 
 the house. After the scorching heat of the sun, after 
 the din and excitement of cars, with the remembrance 
 of the mosquito that infests the backwoods of Canada, 
 and follows the traveller with a terrible pertinacity, and 
 burying his proboscis in the most inviting place, away 
 from the loafers of the Falls, this house was the dearest 
 spot a very paradise to us. Sitting in the verandah 
 after the evening meal, a feeling of satisfaction stole 
 o'er the mind a pleasure heightened by the conversa- 
 tion of our host, who travelled through our land with 
 an observant and careful eye. There was an inter- 
 change of ideas. A sensible and cultivated American, 
 not given to big talk or vituperative eloquence, told his 
 estimate of Britishers ; while a patriotic Scotchman de- 
 claimed upon the dwellers on Uncle Sam's estate. 
 
 The next day Saturday the 25th July was spent 
 profitably and well. Good arrangements beforehand 
 lead to fruitful results. Our host was a silversmith, 
 and carried on a large trade in a very unpretending fac- 
 tory to appearance, but well-planned inside. " Great 
 is Diana of the Ephesians" is his motto. His works 
 were standing, so we could not inspect the various pro- 
 cesses. During a dull trade, an opportunity had been 
 taken to fix up the workshop ; but the trade of Syra- 
 cuse lies neither in silver nor gold, but in salt. Look-
 
 152 New World Notes. 
 
 ing back for half a century, the present site of the city 
 was a howling wilderness a forest of luxuriant growth 
 which, when the city was laid out, was turned to 
 account for beautifying the streets and public parks. 
 From the salt springs all its wealth and prosperity 
 flow, and as the Erie Canal and a trunk railroad pass 
 through the centre of the city, it is likely to go on in- 
 creasing. There is a legend told that De Sota and 
 his followers, while exploring the Ohio Valley, heard 
 from the Indians that far inland, nearer the rising sun, 
 was a lake whose shores were covered with silver, and 
 whose wavelets cast upon the beach untold treasures. 
 Enticed by the brilliant description, they set out to seek 
 this El Dorado. After toiling through forests, over 
 mountains, and crossing mighty streams, they reached 
 the Lake of Oneida, and found it was salt instead of 
 silver that existed. 
 
 The Indians in the vicinity treated them kindly, and 
 soon they began to intermarry. But the hot-headed, 
 fiery Spaniards could not rest, and were continually 
 quarrelling among themselves, till the Redskins, tired 
 of their feuds, rose up one night and murdered them 
 all thinking, no doubt, it was the best method of pre- 
 serving peace. This was the first discovery of the 
 above valuable article. For many years it was utilised 
 at the village of Salina, about a mile west from Syra- 
 cuse. At this moment the works stretch for many 
 miles around the city, and an immense trade is carried 
 on. The supplies are derived from springs, some of 
 them being of great depth. The Government own 
 them, and pump the water for the manufacturers, who
 
 Niagara Falls to Ottawa. 153 
 
 pay a slight percentage upon the quantity supplied, 
 which just covers the expense of the pumping. Two 
 systems of manufacturing are followed. First, through 
 the sola, or evaporation system, by the rays of the sun ; 
 second, by evaporating the water through artificial heat. 
 For the former process immense shallow tanks are used. 
 The water is conducted through wood pipes from the 
 reservoirs to these, and the salt is crystalized through 
 the intense heat of the sun. This is the cheapest way, 
 but the process is slow, and can only be relied on dur- 
 ing the height of summer, whereas the latter can be 
 used at any season. Eight millions of bushels are an- 
 nually shipped from here to various points in the 
 Union. Hard by the saline springs are also others 
 of great medicinal value, and largely resorted to by 
 the inhabitants. 
 
 In the afternoon we had a long drive. In the first 
 place, round by the University, a noble building crown- 
 ing a hill that throws its shadow over the city below ; 
 then through the grounds of a wealthy merchant, a 
 wonderfully sweet and artistically laid-out place. 
 Looking down from these points, Syracuse is seen 
 to great advantage. In a level basin is the city laid 
 off into squares, each street lined with splendid trees, 
 while beyond lies a placid lake j and then, as far as 
 the eye can reach, on every side an undulating land- 
 scape, covered with numerous clumps of dark green 
 forest, which are again relieved by the fields of golden 
 grain. Leaving here, our driver strikes out into the 
 country for five or six miles, passing up a long 
 straight road, the continuation of a street, on each side
 
 154 New World Notes. 
 
 of which handsome villas are built, but scarce visible 
 at some points from the dense foliage. The surround- 
 ing neighbourhood, clad in all the gay garments of 
 summer, is beautiful. Rich in agricultural resources, 
 with a varied and picturesque landscape, the farmers 
 looked contented and happy. It is only an example 
 of many an inland town met with in the Eastern States, 
 combining energy, industry, and a certain degree of 
 stability in its trade and commerce. 
 
 On Monday, shortly after noon, accompanied by 
 our kind friend, we left for Cape St Vincent, and pass- 
 ing through a flourishing country, intersected with 
 streams that give immense power for manufacturing, 
 and of considerable value as an agricultural district, we 
 reached the latter point towards evening. From here 
 we take a ferryboat, evidently built a century ago, and 
 fit for a museum, in comparison to other American 
 river boats, that plies across the broad waters of the 
 St. Lawrence to Kingston, a town on the Canadian 
 side, without apparently any life but that imparted by 
 its grog shops. Next morning at 5.30 the " Corin- 
 thian," a steamer of the first class, came alongside the 
 pier, and ere long she was steaming swiftly down the 
 St. Lawrence, and soon entered among the far-famed 
 Thousand Isles that stud this portion of the river as it 
 leaves Lake Ontario. These islands number in all 
 1800, and occupy about forty miles of the stream. 
 They vary in size from a few square yards to an area 
 of several miles, and their rocky surface is covered 
 with stunted pines and cedars. The morning of our 
 passage was dull and cold, marring the beauties of the
 
 Niagara Falls to Ottawa. 155 
 
 scene. The big steamer winds her way gracefully 
 through the rock-bound straits, for at places there ap- 
 pears scarcely room to pass. Ever and anon new 
 scenes present themselves, while frequently a boat or 
 graceful canoe glides from one islet to another. Nearly 
 every one of them appears to be inhabited by pleasure- 
 seekers, for tents are seen at all points, and half-dressed 
 campers peep out from their temporary dwellings at 
 the passing steamers. Many a romantic story, many a 
 legend, is told of those wondrous isles. Imagination 
 can fancy them the natural abode and battle-field of the 
 Redskins, and so they were. Then at a later day they 
 offered secure retreat for insurgents and outlaws, for 
 the labyrinth of channels defied pursuit. Around these 
 rocky shores fish are found in abundance, and wild fowl 
 frequent them at certain seasons in large numbers. 
 Unfortunately, with the weather being so unpropitious, 
 we did not realise the beauty of the scene so much as if 
 the sun had cast his genial rays upon it. At eleven 
 o'clock we landed at Prescott, and after three hours' 
 delay took the train to Ottawa, reaching that point at 
 five o'clock in the afternoon.
 
 XVIII. 
 
 (Dttatoa. 
 
 JHE city of Ottawa stands upon a river of the 
 same name, contains a population of 30,000, 
 and is the capital of British North America. 
 It is a thriving place, owing much of its prosperity to 
 its lumber trade. To a tourist the chief attractions 
 are the Parliament buildings, the saw mills, and the 
 Chaudiere Falls. Our abode for the time was the 
 Russell House, a mighty poor hotel for the capital of 
 the Canadas. On the night of our arrival we called 
 upon the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, Premier of the 
 Dominion, whose acquaintance we had made some days 
 previous at Hamilton. After a half hour's chat, he 
 arranged to call at the hotel the next morning ; at the 
 same time inviting the writer and his Syracuse friend to 
 dinner in the evening. Punctual to a moment the next 
 morning came the Premier, and guided us to the Parlia- 
 ment buildings. Before entering the main portion of the 
 buildings, he conducted us to the place that is meant 
 for the library. It is a round building with a dome 
 1 20 feet high, on the top of which is an area or look- 
 out. After toiling up the narrow staircase scarce 
 finished, and which exercised our Yankee friend con-
 
 Ottawa. 157 
 
 siderably, whose build resembled the famous Falstaff, 
 the view well repays the trouble. Situated upon a 
 natural eminence, a perfect panorama stretches away on 
 all sides. Below is the dark river that makes a giant 
 leap over the falls, and then slowly wends its way 
 through the forest ocean. On its bosom float immense 
 rafts, some of them acres in size, with houses erected 
 upon them for the comfort of the voyageurs who guide 
 them down the stream to the great St. Lawrence. On 
 either side of the river stands the town, rather straggled 
 and poorly built at some parts, but the country sur- 
 rounding it is most beautiful, and the scenery diversified 
 a rolling country clad with magnificent trees, a vast 
 green waste as far as the eye can reach, the dark foliage 
 of the pine trees being relieved by the lighter hues of 
 the hard-wood varieties. Through the calm air of the 
 summer's morn rose the shouts of the raftsmen as they 
 steered their unwieldy vessels down the stream, the 
 great highway of commerce in this region. Descending 
 from here, we passed through the committee rooms to 
 the House of Commons, a large room, expensively 
 fitted up, and well arranged for both the members and 
 the public. From there we proceeded to inspect the 
 library, which is temporarily accommodated in another 
 part of the structure before being removed to its proper 
 place. At present it contains 72,000 volumes. In the 
 year 1850, the original collection was totally destroyed 
 by fire, and the above number has been collected since. 
 We also had a look at the Senate room, the dining 
 rooms, the heating and ventilating apparatus, and other 
 points of interest, through which Mr. Mackenzie con-
 
 158 New World Notes. 
 
 ducted us personally, and took great pains to point out 
 all the details. There are altogether three buildings 
 the centre one for the Houses of Parliament, and two 
 wings for offices. The style is Gothic, and not well 
 suited to the purpose, as the windows are consequently 
 small. Many of the rooms, and especially the passages, 
 are dark and dingy. Outwardly the appearance im- 
 parted by this mode of architecture is most imposing. 
 The cost, when they are finished, will be nearly one 
 million pounds sterling. A considerable quantity of the 
 stone used for the corners and other fine work came 
 from the State of Ohio ; some quarries close at hand 
 supplied material for the rubble work. 
 
 About noon, after having done the Houses of Parlia- 
 ment in a perfect manner, the Premier's secretary took 
 us to some of the monster lumber yards that line the 
 river side. The largest visited was conducted by a Mr. 
 Gilmour, who employs 1 50 hands, and where 950 logs 
 are daily manufactured by means of steam. Four large 
 saws, along with various others for lighter work, are 
 employed. The logs are drawn up from the water by 
 steam, and nearly every other operation is managed 
 by machinery. Scarcely from the time that the raw 
 material leaves the water, in which it has perhaps lain for 
 two or three seasons, till it is cut up into boards, lathes, 
 or shingles,' is any manual labour bestowed. The rate 
 at which everything is done, and the regularity of the 
 whole works, also astonish the stranger. The men 
 employed are nearly all French Canadians, who are 
 considered the most expert woodsmen in the world. 
 Our next visit was to a planing mill, where windows,
 
 Ottawa. 159 
 
 doors, and flooring are manufactured. Necessarily 
 there is considerable waste from these processes, which 
 is utilised in making pails and matches. It is nearly 
 impossible to describe the making of those articles, but 
 certainly it is wonderful how machinery has been 
 turned to account in every department. About 2400 
 pails and 12,000,000 matches are made per day. It 
 took considerable time to inspect those enormous works, 
 which are situated on the Quebec side, where most of 
 the population are French Canadian. In crossing the 
 bridge back to the principal part of the town, the 
 spectator gets a capital view of the largest of the Chau- 
 diere Falls, about 150 yards above. It is a wild foam- 
 ing cataract, leaping some 40 feet over the rugged 
 rocks. On either side of the falls slips have been made 
 to bring the rafts down, as it is impossible for them to 
 jump down with the stream. The rafts are so arranged 
 as to divide into separate portions. Five or six logs 
 are floated down at a time, and, having run down the 
 slips into the immense area of calm water below the 
 falls, are once more connected with a monster raft, and 
 floated away down the stream. It is said to be very 
 exciting work shooting those rapids, but the pleasure, 
 if any, was not enjoyed, as time did not permit more 
 than a look at the raftsmen as they skilfully guided 
 their vessels over the slides. 
 
 At 6.30 we went to dine with Mr. Mackenzie at his 
 own residence, or rather at the house of Mr. Scott, 
 the Secretary of State. The Premier's house had 
 been burned down some weeks before, and he had 
 borrowed, for the time being, a brother minister's resi-
 
 160 New World Notes. 
 
 dence, who was spending some time at his farm. It 
 was a house of no great pretensions, but inside a lady 
 and gentleman did the honours with the most unassum- 
 ing grace. Amidst all the labours, the many anxieties 
 and countless troubles connected with the government 
 of such a vast place as British North America, the 
 Premier had still time on his hands to entertain a 
 " brither Scot." Some twenty or thirty years ago, a 
 stone mason left Perth to push his fortune in Canada. 
 It may surprise our readers to know that that man was 
 Alexander Mackenzie, now, after a hard struggle up 
 the ladder of fame, Prime Minister of the Dominion 
 a noble example of self-help and indomitable persever- 
 ance, and a proof of how intellect and steadiness rise 
 above all obstacles in those western lands. Some men 
 grow famous, and more especially as regards politics, 
 in the New World through trickery and irrepressible 
 cheek; but you see in the present Premier of Canada 
 not only a great orator, a man of broad views and 
 liberal ideas, a party leader second to none, but, above 
 all things, an individual of sterling honesty and earnest 
 sincerity; and by those latter qualities he commands 
 the confidence of the Canadian people, and has at his 
 back a strong majority in Parliament. Such, then, was 
 our host. After dinner the conversation turned upon 
 literature, as the forenoon had been engaged in discuss- 
 ing the operations and prospects of the Government, as 
 well as the system under which the country is ruled. 
 The ballad poetry of Scotland, and, in particular, the 
 poetry of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, first 
 formed the subject of conversation. Then we turned
 
 Ottawa. 1 6 1 
 
 to Byron's works, which the Premier thinks are the 
 most intellectual and brilliant in the English language, 
 excepting those of William Shakespeare. Never can 
 we forget the enthusiasm and beauty with which our 
 host quoted that marvellous passage from the " Giaour," 
 respecting the present aspect of Greece : 
 
 " He who hath bent him o'er the dead, 
 Ere the first day of death is fled 
 The first dark day of nothingness, 
 The last of danger and distress, 
 (Before decay's effacing fingers 
 Have swept the lines where beauty lingers,) 
 And mark'd the mild angelic air, 
 The rapture of repose that's there, 
 The fix'd yet tender traits that streak 
 The langour of the placid cheek, 
 And but for that sad, shrouded eye, 
 
 That fires not, wins not, weeps not, now 
 
 And but for that chill, changeless brow, 
 Where cold Obstruction's apathy 
 Appals the gazing mourner's heart, 
 As if to him it could impart 
 The doom he dreads, yet dwells upon 
 Yet, but for these, and these alone, 
 Some moments, ay, one treacherous hour, 
 He still might doubt the tyrant's power j 
 So fair, so calm, so softly seal'd, 
 The first, last look by death reveal'd ! 
 
 Such is the aspect of this shore ; 
 'Tis Greece, but living Greece no more ! 
 So coldly sweet, so deadly fair, 
 We start, for soul is wanting there. 
 Her's is the loveliness in death, 
 That parts not quite with parting breath ; 
 But beauty with that fearful bloom, 
 That hue which haunts it to the tomb 
 Expression's last receding ray, 
 A gilded halo hovering round decay, 
 The farewell beam of Feeling pass'd away 
 Spark of that flame, perchance of heavenly birth, 
 Which gleams, but warms no more its cherish'd earth ! " 
 
 L
 
 1 62 New World Notes. 
 
 This is, no doubt, one of the most magnificent passages 
 in the English language, so true to life and full of feel- 
 ing that it almost makes one see the very image before 
 him, and mark how beautifully the illustration fits the 
 subject in hand. Greece, the land of ancient learning 
 and art, of romance and chivalry, is grovelling in the 
 dust. A death-like shadow has been spread over her, 
 and yet remnants of a former greatness are left behind 
 to remind us of the land which gave birth to so many 
 great and glorious men in the brave days of old. The 
 poetry of Byron is something extraordinary, when 
 viewed from the place from which it emanated. And 
 turning from this point to his life, a good deal of talk 
 ensued upon his unhappy marriage and the conse- 
 quences that flowed from it. The less said about the 
 scandals connected therewith the better; for no one 
 can but remember the terrible mess the authoress of 
 " Uncle Tom's Cabin" got into by committing some 
 of her marvellous secrets connected with that subject 
 to paper. 
 
 Next in order of conversation came the Patronage 
 Bill, which was then stirring up the rigid Presbyterians 
 of old Scotland. Since that time patronage has been 
 abolished, and the surmise of the Premier's, that it 
 would harm the very persons it was intended for, is 
 gradually becoming apparent. Naturally, while speak- 
 ing about the right of patrons, the position of the Free 
 Church of Scotland was mentioned. The secession of 
 that body from the Old Kirk of Scotland Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie regards as one of the most wonderful religious 
 events of the present century. He is himself a Baptist,
 
 Ottawa. 163 
 
 and, of course, thoroughly sympathises with our dis- 
 senting bodies as do all Americans for the New 
 World appears to flourish under the doctrine of the 
 Church and State being entirely separate. Canada has 
 no Church Establishments, but she has plenty of 
 churches, and hundreds of workers, both in the kirk 
 and Sabbath school, and supported by voluntary aid 
 alone. We do not hesitate to say that the religious 
 requirements of the people are more earnestly looked 
 after than in the old country, with its elaborate system 
 of churches depending upon State support, but which, 
 to our mind, appear to be a hot-bed for Erastianism 
 and Ritualism. Let us shake off this viper which is 
 hanging round the neck of our religious structure. 
 Great and good men, no doubt, belong to it ; but it 
 must be evident to all impartial minds that a Church 
 supported by voluntary aid is doing most good for the 
 cause of humanity. Nor is it fair to ask any man to 
 support a Church he cares no more for than the man 
 of the moon. The practical common sense of those 
 Canadians led them to see the effect of religious Estab- 
 lishments, and the result at the present moment is that 
 all the Protestant bodies of the Dominion are united 
 and working as one for the great cause. The Premier 
 evidently knew well the events of 1843 and the ten 
 years' conflict that preceded it, and he spoke in terms 
 of almost veneration of the great heroes of the fight 
 Chalmers, Candlish, Cunningham, Guthrie, and others ; 
 not forgetting, as the late Dr. Buchanan evidently did, 
 the mighty genius of Hugh Miller, the stone mason of 
 Cromarty. Yes, he remembered Miller, for did he
 
 164 New World Notes. 
 
 not belong to the same class of men ? Both stone 
 masons, they knew geology well : one has fallen, as 
 it were, in the field of battle ; while the other, more 
 steady, and, perchance, more practical, flourishes 
 amidst the forests of Canada. Altogether, our visit 
 to Ottawa was a very happy and instructive one, and 
 our evening with Mr. Mackenzie most enjoyable. 
 Among other things, he is a man of most retentive 
 memory, with great conversational powers, the logical 
 points of which are relieved by numerous anecdotes. 
 The general observation he has is very wonderful. 
 He grasps all political subjects with a determined 
 power, and states his opinion shortly and concisely. 
 He is well read in all kinds of literature, and he men- 
 tioned a fact worth recording, which also shows the 
 extent of his observation, that, as far as he had read, 
 he believed, in regard to illustration, that the late Rev. 
 William Arnot's (of Edinburgh) discourses were the 
 best examples of how sermons could be made out 
 of stones, and great lessons drawn from the Book of 
 Nature.
 
 XIX. 
 
 uhc Jlapibs ot the St. |atorena anb 
 Montreal 
 
 N the 30th of July, at 7.45 A.M., Ottawa was 
 left by rail, and about eleven o'clock we 
 had again reached Prescott. Fifteen minutes 
 later, and the splendid steamer Bohemian drew grace- 
 fully alongside the wharf. Time and tide wait for no 
 man, and in a short while the steamer loosed away. 
 On the pier stood the portly figure of our friend the 
 silversmith, and as it grew less and less, distance lent 
 no enchantment to the view. He waved his handker- 
 chief to the big boat, but as she swiftly descended the 
 stream we saw him no longer. A feeling of loneliness 
 crept over us. He was a most enjoyable person to 
 travel with, so full of fun and humour, and he knew 
 the neighbourhood of Kelso very correctly, so power- 
 ful and characteristic had been his observation while 
 visiting it. To meet a man of this kind, and enjoy 
 three or four days' fellowship together, is indeed a 
 pleasure. Not only are there many subjects in com- 
 mon, but reliance can be placed upon the opinion of a 
 person who, having seen both the Old and the New
 
 1 66 New World Notes. 
 
 i 
 
 World, can judge correctly of their various merits and 
 failings. Yankees, as a rule, think their own land far 
 ahead of all others ; and why blame them so severely 
 as some critics do for holding such an opinion. Our 
 Syracuse friend looked upon his native land with the 
 greatest pride and veneration ; yet, having seen anti- 
 quated England, he gave us credit for our industry and 
 steadiness, our tenacity to old ideas a grand feature in 
 any nation; while he admired our Government, with 
 its stainless reputation for honesty and justice. Like 
 sensible Americans, he was quite aware of the potori- 
 ous state into which the administration of the laws are 
 falling in the United States. Bribery and corruption 
 on the most gigantic scale have taken hold of all the 
 rulers, from the President downwards. The judges, 
 under the system of holding their posts for only four 
 years, try to do their best in gathering gear during that 
 short time, so that the largest purse generally is victori- 
 ous in a law case. Contracts are manipulated in the 
 most extraordinary fashion, and, as a general rule, the 
 building of a State or court house costs three times 
 what it should do. Our straightforward and honest 
 friend admitted these facts, while we were not loathe 
 to give Americans their due for their remarkable 
 energy and foresight. After meeting with such men 
 as the above, one comes to the conclusion that a 
 Yankee at home is in many respects a "jolly good 
 fellow." 
 
 Once more upon the broad St. Lawrence, with its 
 light blue waters. In mid-stream here and there a 
 wooded islet is met. Along the banks small villages
 
 The Rapids of the St. Lawrence. 167 
 
 and neat farm houses are seen, but the scenery other- 
 wise is tame. But apart from the landscape, the great 
 pleasure of this trip is the sensation of being carried 
 over the foaming rapids in the monster steamboat. 
 With the exception of Niagara Falls, the tourist in 
 those western parts hears more about the Thousand 
 Isles and the Rapids of St. Lawrence than any other 
 sights. The weather did not let us see the beauties 
 of the former scene, but in the latter the reality was 
 greater than the imagination. The first great rapid is 
 called the Long Sault, nine miles in length, with a velocity 
 of nearly twenty miles per hour. Before entering it 
 one can scarcely imagine the wildness of the current. 
 It is when the steamer is in the midst of the foaming 
 waters, which present to the eye the appearance of a 
 storm at sea, that one can conceive the danger and 
 grandeur of our passage. If the pilot happened t;o 
 make a mistake, one can only fancy the consequence 
 of such a calamity. Enormous power is used to steer 
 the bulky vessel, and seldom or never does an accident 
 of any moment happen. But to the uninitiated it is a 
 most exciting passage down those wild roaring rapids. 
 Further down the stream, after having sailed through 
 Lake St. Francis, we next enter the Cedar Rapids, 
 named from the trees of that description which line the 
 water's edge. While the boat sails swiftly on her way 
 the passengers see before them some ugly rocks, to 
 which the boat appears to be hastening with all possible 
 speed. It is a moment of almost agony. There she 
 goes, right on to them. No doubt, faces grew pale 
 and the nerves were shaken but so earnest was the
 
 1 68 Neio World Notes. 
 
 writer upon the rocks in mid-stream that he heeded 
 nothing else. Nearer still, and then, as if by magic, 
 the course is changed, and, before one can turn about 
 to look, the vessel has passed the dreaded object, and 
 proceeds swiftly on her journey. Just below those 
 rapids a branch of the Ottawa river joins the St. Law- 
 rence. Near to the junction stands the picturesque 
 little village of St. Anne's, a great summer resort, and 
 rather noted from its connection with Moore's " Cana- 
 dian Boat Song," a most touching piece 
 
 " Faintly, as tolls the evening chime, 
 
 Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time} 
 ^ Soon as the woods on shore look dim, 
 
 We'll sing at St. Anne's our parting hymn. 
 Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast, 
 The rapids are near and the daylight's past. 
 
 " Why should we yet our sail unfurl ? 
 There is not a breath the blue wave to curl ; 
 But when the wind blows from off the shore, 
 Oh ! sweetly we'll rest our weary oar. 
 Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast, 
 The rapids are near, and the daylight's past. 
 
 " Ottawa's tide, this trembling moon 
 Shall see us float o'er the surges soon ; 
 Saint of this green isle ! hear our prayers, 
 Oh, grant us cool heavens and favouring airs. 
 Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast, 
 The rapids are near, and the daylight's past." 
 
 Just before reaching Montreal the Indian village of 
 Caughnawaga is passed. Then come the La Chine 
 Rapids, the shortest and wildest on the route. A 
 broad calm sheet of water lies below them, and some 
 two or three miles still further is the City of Montreal, 
 the commercial capital of British North America. Be-
 
 Montreal. 1 69 
 
 fore reaching the landing stage, the steamer sails quietly 
 through one of the arches of the Victoria Bridge, a 
 magnificent structure, one of the younger Stephenson's 
 many triumphs. It is a mile and a quarter long, and 
 rests upon twenty- four piers, so constructed as to with- 
 stand the pressure of the ice that lodges annually be- 
 hind it during the winter months. The sun was sink- 
 ing in the horizon as we approached the dock, and lit 
 up the tall spires of the numerous churches with a 
 blaze of golden hue, at the same time changing the 
 dark green foliage of the trees into a rich purple. Ere 
 long we were seated at supper in the St. Lawrence 
 Hall, a substantial hostelry of no mean pretensions. 
 
 Montreal stands upon a rich and fertile island, 
 formed by the branches of the Ottawa river. It is 
 nearly thirty miles in length and ten broad. On the 
 south shore stands the city, with a river frontage of 
 three or four miles, while to its rear stands the Mount 
 Royal, a mere hill, but dignified with the name of 
 mountain. Founded in 1642, Montreal was originally 
 a French settlement, and to this day visible traces of 
 their occupation is seen in the narrow lanes and streets 
 met with in the older portions of the place. Of later 
 years a more liberal and enlightened policy has marked 
 the inhabitants broad expansive streets and elegant 
 buildings are its characteristics. It is eminently a well- 
 built city in comparison to many others we visited. It 
 is a substantial and steadily increasing place. We spent 
 one day in it. By a strange coincidence we remember 
 it in one respect rather vividly. Our cash was all gone. 
 Money goes like snow before a west wind in those
 
 170 New World Notes. 
 
 popular routes of travel. A letter of introduction was 
 presented over the counter of a large insurance office. 
 The head of the business was not at home. We 
 opened the letter, showed it to the clerk, and explained 
 our object in as few words as possible, but it was of 
 no use. He only shook his head with an incredulous 
 leer. It was no joke ; money must be had at any 
 price. To frighten the fellow, empty a shooting-iron at 
 him, as the Yankees say, were the first thoughts ; but 
 discretion is the better part of valour so we shook the 
 dust from our feet, and departed without committing a 
 breach of the peace. In calmer moments such treat- 
 ment appears natural enough. The letter of introduc- 
 tion might appear to the said party to have either been 
 forged or stolen, and it takes great caution to be exer- 
 cised, as the New World has a fair share of swindlers. 
 Yet this was the first place our credit or honour had been 
 suspected. The dollars were obtained at last through 
 a gentleman who had far less proof of our identity. 
 With this exception, nothing remarkable happened. 
 
 Before breakfast, the morning after our arrival, we 
 went to see the Bousecours Market, where, just as the 
 day breaks, hundreds of the French peasants may be 
 seen flocking with their garden produce, poultry, and 
 other articles for sale ; whole cart-loads of fruit were 
 there, and chickens out of number ; while vendors of 
 curiosities and trinkets were found incongruously along- 
 side butchers and bakers. Some distance from this 
 spot stands the Notre Dame Cathedral, and to this 
 point streams of people were wending their way. En- 
 tering the door, the peasant reverently dips his finger
 
 Montreal. 171 
 
 in the holy water, and crosses himself devoutly-, others, 
 like ourselves, were drawn through curiosity, and it 
 was no uninteresting sight to sit and watch the crowds 
 of pious Catholics ; for, to give them their due, they 
 looked sincere as they came, counted their beads, 
 breathed a prayer, dropt a coin into the plate, and then 
 retired quietly into the street. But when some peni- 
 tent sinner approached the confessional, and disappeared 
 for some time, to lay his sins and misdeeds before a 
 man no higher in intellect than himself, and from him 
 expect forgiveness, a feeling of pity came over us. 
 How such a revolting doctrine can lay hold of people 
 is past comprehension. A Unitarian minister, a man 
 of fine intellect and poetic feeling, accompanied us, and 
 expressed his profound contempt for such a proceeding. 
 One can sympathise with the holders of many doctrines 
 of various kinds that would be called far from orthodox 
 in Presbyterian Scotland ; but it is difficult to have any 
 feeling but one of the greatest disgust for this peculiar 
 tenet of Roman Catholicism. After breakfast, we pro- 
 ceeded to the Church of the " Gesu," another Roman 
 Catholic edifice of singular beauty both outside and in- 
 side. It is in the form of a cross, and the frescoes 
 and pictures are said to vie with those of the European 
 Cathedrals. After visiting various other churches and 
 colleges for they appear to be the correct places for 
 tourists to look at in Montreal we directed our steps 
 to the Grey Nunnery, where 500 old people and chil- 
 dren are looked after by 80 nuns. The wonderful 
 order and cleanliness of this place are among its re- 
 markable features, and speak volumes for the good
 
 172 New World Notes. 
 
 ladies who undertake the work of nursing the old and 
 training the young, for inside that building age and 
 youth are seen in their greatest extremes. At twelve 
 o'clock the pious nuns offer up their midday paternos- 
 ters. In a large hall, on each side of which are rows 
 of seats, strangers are admitted to witness this perform- 
 ance. Up the wide centre passage, the nuns, dressed 
 in the garb of their order, walked two by two, bowing 
 low as they entered the doorway. When they were 
 all inside the room, they knelt down on the bare 
 stones that form the floor. A bell with a jingling 
 sound pealed forth all the time while they were en- 
 gaged at prayers. It was a sad sight as they gave 
 vent to their pent-up feelings in low yet deep tones. 
 Then, when all was done, they retired slowly through 
 the door-way back to their duties. These nuns are 
 mostly middle-aged to appearance, and have a cold 
 ascetic look. That they have noble traits in their cha- 
 racter no one can doubt, for it requires a great amount 
 of self-denial to give up all the world and its vanities 
 for the cloister, and a life of constant watching over 
 the aged and infirm. As we passed through the 
 churches and convents belonging to Roman Catholics, 
 not only seeing but hearing from various sources of the 
 enormous wealth possessed by that Church, it must be 
 obvious what a power over the mind their religion exer- 
 cises. It is wonderful to see the thousands who give 
 up under its control not only all earthly pleasures, but 
 also much of their means, to advance its doctrines. 
 Might we Protestants yea, the good Presbyterians of 
 Scotland not take a lesson from their book ?
 
 Montreal. 173 
 
 The afternoon, which was wet and disagreeable, 
 was spent in walking round the mountain which lies to 
 the north of the city ; but, as the sun did not put in 
 an appearance till our return, the magnificent view 
 which is obtained from it was not enjoyed. Next 
 morning, getting on board the train at six o'clock, we 
 crossed the Victoria Bridge, and proceeded to Rouses 
 Point, a station at the head of Lake Champlain. Here 
 we enter a splendid steamer named the " Vermont," 
 which proceeds rapidly down the lake. The scenery 
 is tame at first, but half-way down it improves. The 
 mountains of Vermont on the one side, and the Adi- 
 rondacks on the other, form a fine background to the 
 dark rich woods and steep rocks that border the shore. 
 At some parts a level meadow stretches' away some dis- 
 tance from the lake's side. A neat cottage, nestled 
 among some trees, stands in the midst ; but it is like 
 an oasis in the desert, for a fruitful soil is a rare 
 commodity, the land being generally covered with 
 stunted trees. Towards the southern end of the lake 
 the scene grows more picturesque and taking. Before 
 entering a narrow passage, resembling a canal more 
 than a lake, we pass the old Fort of Ticonderago, 
 situated upon a bold headland of rock. The boat then 
 proceeds slowly down a narrow passage overgrown 
 with tall grasses and enclosed with frowning rocks, 
 till Whitehall is reached, where the passengers again 
 get aboard the cars and proceed to Saratoga, which 
 place is reached by six o'clock at night. Space has 
 not allowed us to describe at length the passage down 
 the above lake. It is a most enjoyable one, and brings
 
 174 New World Notes. 
 
 back to memory the Scotch lochs with their numerous 
 islets and imposing mountains. Such is Champlain, 
 studded in some parts with rocky pine-clad isles, 
 guarded by the rocky eminences of the Adirondacks 
 and wood-clad summits of the Green mountains, that 
 rear their lofty heads into mid-air.
 
 XX. 
 
 Saratoga. 
 
 HE thought of loneliness is doubtless romantic, 
 but the stern reality brings no such feeling 
 in its train. To be alone amidst a bustling 
 crowd, amidst people with strange faces and different 
 purposes, produces a sensation in the mind far from 
 pleasant. So I felt on landing from the train at Sara- 
 toga. Up to this moment in all my wanderings, 
 whether through the forests of Virginia, across the 
 broad ocean-like prairies, amidst gold hunters, or the 
 more staid dwellers in Canada, some one, either by 
 chance or through letter of introduction, had come to 
 hand, and been the sharer of my toils and pleasures. 
 Such a fact has led me to use the plural number 
 throughout these papers. But on leaving Montreal, 
 no such fellow-creature turned up, and, truth to tell, I 
 little cared for companions, for it gave infinite pleasure 
 to think of the past and look forward to the future. 
 Many passengers crowded the boat that sailed swiftly 
 through Lake Champlain, and with not a few I passed 
 a civil word or two. Even one, after a fair number of 
 whiskies straight, opened his heart to tell me a dodge. 
 Said he u Everybody who goes to Canada buys an
 
 176 New World Notes. 
 
 umbrella : the heavy tariff charged by our Govern- 
 ment is saved, for personal effects are free from custom 
 duties." So far good, but this sharp Yankee had in- 
 vested in a couple of the said articles, and was made to 
 pay for one by the dutiful custom-house officers. Thus 
 at the railway depot I was alone. Hotel runners, 'bus- 
 men, and others had failed to disturb the even tenor 
 of my mind, and my baggage check having been de- 
 livered to an expressman, I shaped my course for the 
 Grand Union Hotel. Arrived there, no bed is to 
 spare, although it can accommodate near 2000 guests. 
 It is Saturday, and " all the world and his wife" have 
 come to Saratoga. Exactly opposite the above house, 
 on the other side of a broad magnificent street, stands 
 the Congress Hall, the oldest and perhaps the most 
 aristocratic hotel at this fashionable watering-place. 
 Just in time to get a room about six storeys high, but 
 what matters it in those places of luxury to be up in 
 the sixth floor ? No stairs to climb here. Constant, 
 from early morn to late at night, a huge elevator runs 
 up and down for the accommodation of guests. Of 
 these American hostelries I have spoken more than 
 once; but the hotels at Saratoga " whip creation," as 
 far as I have seen. No one can imagine the luxury of 
 living in such places, and the most fanciful tale of the 
 " Arabian Nights" can only lead one to imagine the 
 gorgeous richness of their furnishings. The mag- 
 nificent drawing and retiring rooms, the ball-room, 
 large, airy, and tastefully decorated, the billiard saloon 
 with its bright lights and well-made tables, the table 
 that is crowned with every delicacy of the season, the
 
 Saratoga. 177 
 
 band that daily discourses sweet music, are things of 
 wonder to a stranger. But it may be asked, What 
 reason for all this splendour ? Here is the answer. 
 Springs of water water that gives life to the sickly 
 and invigorates the weary one. At Saratoga there 
 well up in all directions streams more prized than any 
 others in the State. Looking back upon its history, 
 General Burgoyne here surrendered to the army of 
 patriotic Americans who fought the mother country for 
 their freedom. Now more peaceful is this spot ; but 
 instead of the hardy backwoodsmen who fought under 
 George Washington, we find their descendants flocking 
 to receive the water of life. A century has elapsed 
 since those days of war ; but if the mighty dead rose 
 and saw the occupants of the present, got a glimpse of 
 their dresses and equipages, methinks their hair would 
 stand on end. That evening found me sitting in the 
 ball-room of the hotel watching the gay and giddy 
 crowd. Seated in a quiet corner behind a row of 
 elderly young ladies, on whom the popular eye was 
 not directed, I could gaze with impunity upon the pass- 
 ing scene. What a phalanx of beauty was there } 
 Ladies of all sizes and ages, from the six-year-old, pre- 
 cocious and sharp, to the elderly matron, thronged the 
 hall all intent upon enjoyment. Girls and boys are 
 here turned into ladies and gentlemen long before the 
 natural time. " It is a fast life out here, stranger," 
 said a gold miner to me one day ; and " a short one," 
 remarked a laconic bystander a fact too true over all 
 Uncle Sam's estate, and nowhere more clearly demon- 
 strated than in that ball-room. The youth of America 
 
 H
 
 178 New World Notes. 
 
 for by far the largest proportion of visitors belong to 
 that class come here, not to receive benefit, but seek- 
 ing gaiety and excitement. They can endure under a 
 false energy the whirl of the ball-room for any length 
 of time. Next morn behold them at the spring, hav- 
 ing been brought from the hotel some hundred yards 
 distant in a carriage, pale and worn. Thus far I had 
 been moralising, a state of mind engendered by the cir- 
 cumstances. Looking by chance towards the door, the 
 eye fell upon the well-known, massive figure of Dr. 
 
 N , a dentist of the highest standing, from New 
 
 York. " Fortune favours the brave." Not alone 
 after all. It was but the work of a moment to rush 
 up and grasp his hand, and then look up to his 
 astonished countenance. This was the man for me. 
 He knew everybody and about everything. So, after 
 some conversation, he began to point out the beaus and 
 belles among the number a Miss Wall, who brought 
 out the immortal Grecian bend. She is perhaps one of 
 the handsomest women one can see, and, although re- 
 port says she has seen twenty-six for the eighteenth 
 time, the bloom of youth, whether it be artificial or 
 otherwise, has not faded. Many other distinguished 
 parties were there poets, preachers, railway kings, 
 and rascals who had grown famous through their in- 
 famy. Before retiring, we took a stroll through the 
 streets and other hotels. Night during the months of 
 July and August is a most enjoyable time. After the 
 burning heat of the sun, the pleasant breeze that sighs 
 amidst the trees is perfect bliss. Such crowds were 
 there, all promenading up and down in light summer
 
 Saratoga. 1 79 
 
 dresses, and no hats to shield the head ; so dry is the 
 atmosphere that no danger is feared. 
 
 The next day was the Sabbath, not in the sense we 
 look upon it in Scotland. Church-going had few ad- 
 vocates at Saratoga. In place of a sermon came the 
 Sunday morning edition of the Neiv York Herald^ per 
 special train, for the welfare, either spiritual or physical, 
 of its inhabitants. But, apart from this, the first com- 
 mandment, and the one most rigidly observed, whether 
 Sunday or Monday, is to visit the spring and drink 
 deep of the waters. So before breakfast, we turned 
 our steps to the Congress Spring. Under a canopy, 
 down below the level of the soil by some two or three 
 feet, are five or six boys termed dippers, who most in- 
 dustriously plunge a set of three tumblers fixed in an 
 iron stand into a spring that boils up with great force. 
 The bystanders help themselves to a glass of water. 
 The boy, relieved of his burden, places empty glasses 
 in his stand, and gives another dash at the spring. For 
 hours, from early morn till late at night, this process 
 goes on. To this water all are free the merchant 
 prince, the nigger shoe-black, the man-servant and the 
 maid-servant stand side by side. A continual flow of 
 visitors keeps up the whole forenoon. Towards after- 
 noon it grows less. While the waters are nominally 
 free, it is the custom to give the dipper boy a small 
 fee, something like a penny per glass, but that is op- 
 tional. The astonishing capacity, the tremendous im- 
 bibing powers of crowds who attend this spot, is mar- 
 vellous. Fifteen tumbler men, now nearly all gone to 
 their grave in this part of the world, would stand
 
 i8o New World Notes. 
 
 aghast and watch the people drinking at those springs. 
 Twenty-five to thirty glasses per day is a common dose 
 for a strong man, and generally that quantity is taken 
 before dinner. At the same time, the glasses contain 
 rather less than our ordinary tumblers. These waters, 
 when first tasted, are a little unpleasant, but the taste is 
 soon acquired, and before leaving, I preferred them to 
 any other liquor Saratoga could produce , in fact, so 
 fascinated did we get that every day the doctor and I 
 made a round of the principal springs. Of these the 
 Congress is the most popular; but among other famous 
 ones are the Hawthorn, the Clarendon, the various 
 Geyser springs, situated about a mile from the .village, 
 and the High Rock, which is perhaps the most interest- 
 ing of them all. From the centre of a conical piece 
 of rock about three feet high there bubbles up a strong 
 icy stream, which sends its overflow down the sides 
 of the miniature mountain like a stream of lava. This 
 water contains some sediment in it, of what character I 
 do not recollect, but which forms a species of rock, 
 leaving always an outlet at the top for the overflow. 
 Sunday at Saratoga is given evidently much to drinking, 
 eating, promenading, and lolling in a rocking-chair under 
 the shade of the broad piazza; and as you must follow 
 the example of the Romans when at Rome, so we did 
 as other people, and passed a quiet day, taking a walk 
 during the forenoon to the Geyser springs, and spent 
 the remainder of it in watching our neighbours. 
 Through the evening, we had the doctrine of spiritual- 
 ism talked over with two ladies whom the doctor was 
 acquainted with. Now, it would be out of place here
 
 Saratoga. 1 8 1 
 
 to enter into the peculiar opinions held by the believers 
 m this doctrine, but certainly the tenets advanced by its 
 advocates are rather astounding to a Presbyterian who 
 has been brought up under the rigid rule of Free 
 Kirkism. Nor is it easy to fathom the views of Spi- 
 litualists, for every member of that body has a separate 
 idea of his or her own ; for it is females whose minds 
 are most largely charged with faith in the revelations 
 produced through mediums and clairvoyants. In as 
 few words as possible, let us relate some instances of 
 spiritualistic revelations. The doctrine lies in the be- 
 lief that the spirits of the departed of fathers and 
 mothers, brothers and sisters, relations and friends, of 
 kings and conquerors long since forgotten can appear 
 to human mortals through the agency of mediums. 
 Thus, to illustrate : a gentleman whom we met at 
 Saratoga had just returned from spending a week with 
 the Eddies of Vermont. Far away from the busy 
 scenes of ordinary traffic and travel live a family in 
 the country district of Vermont. Farmers by profes- 
 sion, mediums by nature and inspiration, are the three 
 brothers and like number of sisters, who compose this 
 curious family. Seances are held every evening in a 
 room lighted by one solitary candle. The brothers 
 and sisters all go into a trance, and the spirits appear. 
 The latter are very fastidious, sometimes never appear- 
 ing, at others coming in crowds. An apparition, a 
 mere shadow at first, appears upon a platform ; then 
 gradually, in the uncertain light of the candle, it fills 
 out to the form of a human being, and stands before 
 the audience, who have come either to seek peace, or
 
 1 82 New World Notes. 
 
 unravel the dark and bloody mystery. Many ques- 
 tions are asked of this spirit, and answers are freely re- 
 turned. Of the present and the past they can speak. 
 In respect of the future, they are but as mortals ; but 
 there are some curious scenes at these seances. Some- 
 times a party of Indian braves appeared, decked with 
 feathers and war-paint, and danced as only the red 
 man can, whooping and yelling to their hearts' content. 
 It is supposed these warriors have returned from their 
 happy hunting grounds to have a look at their de- 
 scendants of the present day. In another case a widow 
 saw, or imagined she looked upon, her departed hus- 
 band, whom in her innocence she thought had gone to 
 that great land of forgetfulness. But not so ; there 
 stood her husband, dead some three or four years. A 
 scene followed such a remarkable instance of spiritual- 
 istic power. In another case a father saw a beloved 
 daughter, and talked long and eagerly to her, but she 
 vanished, promising to return, which she never did 
 while the relater of the story stayed at the place. Bur 
 from one of the ladies who kept us company during 
 the evening, we got a more vivid example than from 
 any other person I ever met. Some five or six years 
 ago her husband died. Every September, on a par- 
 ticular day, she proceeds to a medium, who has the 
 marvellous power of recalling her husband's spirit back 
 to earth, and through the medium she holds a limited 
 conversation with her late departed one. " Ah ! sir," 
 she said in a pathetic and sincere tone for she was a 
 lady in all senses of the word " it is a comforting doc- 
 trine to look across that dark river, and know that the
 
 Saratoga. 183 
 
 dearest ones are safe and happy." "But," inquired 
 I, "do you really believe it is your husband ?" Such 
 a look of scorn met my question that I proceeded no 
 further on this tack, but commenced inquiry upon the 
 future state, as revealed to her and others. From 
 rather a confused description, it would appear that a 
 spirit, on leaving the body, has certain states to go 
 through before reaching its ultimate dwelling place. 
 While in the first stages of its new life, it can return 
 to the regions known as earth, its former abode ; so 
 that believers in this doctrine hold the opinion that our 
 ancestors see all that goes on that, in fact, as I write 
 at this present moment, relations and friends watch the 
 operation according to the doctrine of the Spiritualists. 
 Such, then, is an outline of some of the peculiar ideas 
 held by a large mass of people in America and else- 
 where, but more particularly among the New Englanders, 
 who are originally descended from the Puritans of 
 England. To my own mind, it is most astonishing 
 that such a doctrine has got hold of a large number of 
 sensible people ; for, while I despise the belief, I am 
 far from depreciating some of the master minds who 
 place implicit confidence in mediums. Nor would I 
 laugh at them. Spiritualists believe in God, but they 
 look upon Christ as a man, certainly a most extraordi- 
 nary manifestation of human nature, but yet a human 
 creature. (This would seem to identify the system 
 with one of the many forms of ami- Christ of which 
 we read in the scriptures.) But, apart from all the 
 doctrinal points involved, the manner in which the so- 
 called spirits appear at once raises suspicion. If they
 
 184 New World Notes. 
 
 are proper spirits sent from God to do good, why not 
 appear in open daylight, instead of in dark rooms, from 
 recesses of walls, and mysterious closets. Some time 
 last winter the spiritualism of the Homes of Phila- 
 delphia was proved a hoax. I think the rest will soon 
 follow. You may hear of strange apparitions, of won- 
 derful feats performed by mediums, but, as far as I 
 inquired, I never saw any benefits flowing from them. 
 From Christianity much good is derived in various 
 ways ; at the same time, not much danger is to be 
 expected from the above. The religion of America, 
 which at the root is strong and healthy, has more to 
 fear from the disgusting doctrines of Free Loveism, 
 Bible Communism, Shakerism, and Mormonism. 
 
 Monday forenoon was spent in visiting a lake some 
 four miles distant, on whose waters ply miniature 
 steamboats accommodating pleasure-seekers who wish 
 a sail on its placid waters. It stands in the midst of 
 fertile farms we might almost call them gardens for 
 they are well farmed, and used mostly for producing 
 vegetables for the epicureans at Saratoga. On our way 
 home we witnessed some flat races. The first charge 
 was 43. to enter the ground, then 45. to reach the 
 stand, and for a payment of 8s. the spectator witnessed 
 some sham racing betwixt horses more fit for cabs than 
 a racecourse. After dinner we watched a hog perform, 
 which was infinitely more exciting than the perfor- 
 mances by the noble horse. Educated Ben was a 
 phenomenon a perfect prodigy. He could tell the 
 time, make up accounts, and play cards most correctly, 
 and, at the same time, he was about the ugliest, ill-
 
 Saratoga. 185 
 
 bred animal I ever saw ; yet the showman, who termed 
 himself Professor, had his pupil well trained. The 
 evening was spent amid the ballrooms, for strangers 
 can pass almost without interruption from one room to 
 another, and the principal hotels have " hops " every 
 night. Tuesday was a regular roaster. It was de- 
 cidedly hot just such a day as made a person wish 
 to be for ever in a cold bath ; and if there had been 
 no springs, sherry cobblers, claret punches, lemonades, 
 cocktails, and other miscellaneous drinks would have 
 been in request. Towards noon we walked out into 
 the Indian camp, which stands on the outskirts of the 
 town. Twenty years ago, when the Doctor first 
 visited this spot, about a thousand Redskins dwelt in 
 the neighbourhood. Now, scarce a tenth of that num- 
 ber drag out a miserable existence by selling twisted 
 sticks, bead-work, and baskets. Civilisation has killed 
 them, and soon the Indian camp at Saratoga will be a 
 matter of history. It stands amidst a grove of stately 
 trees, but no wigwam is there. A civilised house, 
 made of wood, shelters the son of the forest. Curio- 
 sity leads many visitors there, but they find nothing 
 romantic. In the form of a square stand the dwel- 
 lings, while before the doors are benches on which 
 are set the trinkets and fancy wares palmed upon 
 unsuspecting sightseers by fat old squaws, or beautiful 
 half-bred girls, at five times their real value. More 
 accurately speaking, most of the so-called Indians are 
 but half-breds, a cross betwixt the French Canadian 
 and Redskin. While the ladies of the camp sell fancy 
 goods, the gentlemen attract strangers to their archery
 
 1 86 New World Notes. 
 
 ground, or for the sum of twenty-five cents, give you 
 twelve shots with an air-gun at marks suspended from 
 the trees. This is the manner in which the remnants 
 of a great people gain their living amid usurpers. 
 Alas, poor red man ! thou canst not live among the 
 tents of thy white brother. They have more cunning, 
 they have firewater, they bring smallpox, they bring 
 strength in their train, and the odds are all against 
 thee. No longer now thy light canoes skim over the 
 mighty Hudson, nor does the deer that haunts the 
 wooded recesses of the green-clad Alleghanies fear thy 
 arrow. The vast prairie still maintains a few wandering 
 tribes, but smallpox and firewater have reached there 
 also. The hunter kills the bison, and both you and 
 your game are doomed to destruction. I have seen men 
 who crossed the prairies in 1849, when the gold fever 
 broke out in California. They described the red man 
 as a noble specimen of humanity. Thousands of bisons 
 roamed at large. To the first dwellers the Indian said, 
 " Welcome, stranger ! " It was not till the unholy emi- 
 grant, the scum of creation, thirsting for gold, for drink, 
 and imbued with deep passions that had been nurtured 
 amidst the haunts of vice, began to cross those fertile 
 fields, little heeding the rich country, but looking for- 
 ward to the veins of yellow gold that run through the 
 mountains of the Pacific slope ; then strife arose as 
 they hurried on, the red man found his horses stolen, 
 his wife and daughter ravished. A man of war, he 
 resented the injury, and since total extermination has 
 been the policy of his conquerors. But we diverge. 
 That afternoon found us listening to the band that dis-
 
 Saratoga. 187 
 
 coursed sweet music to the guests at the Congress Hall 
 each day after dinner. There one could sit, hear the 
 music, read the papers, and smoke a cigar, for the ladies 
 do not object to the perfume of the soothing weed. 
 Evening came, and with it a cool, refreshing breeze. 
 Towards nine o'clock the scene was very brilliant. 
 The cool, delightful evening had brought out all the 
 fair sex dressed in their best. Ye gods ! there was 
 dress enough and to spare. It would have needed one 
 more experienced than either the Doctor or myself to 
 estimate the value in dollars of silks, satins, and jewels ; 
 but it was rumoured, whispered amidst the crowd, that 
 a fair lady had arrived some days previous, whose 
 luggage was contained in forty large-sized trunks. 
 Whether it be true or not, on good authority I was led 
 to believe that many ladies come to watering-places 
 such as Saratoga, and have a fresh dress morning and 
 evening for a month at a time. From what I saw I 
 can thoroughly believe it, although it looks incredible 
 on paper. This rage for dress has a tremendous hold 
 of Yankee ladies, and certainly, as far as personal ap- 
 pearance is concerned, they need it less than the females 
 of any other country. Sitting in the verandah of yon 
 hotel at Saratoga, one has ample opportunities to judge 
 of this circumstance. People of all nations are gathered 
 there Britishers, French, Germans, Cubans, Italians, 
 and Jews ; but from the crowd you detect at once 
 those who are born Americans. In no land does a 
 nation lose its leading features so soon as in the New 
 World. As if they passed through a grinding mill, 
 all nations are mixed up together in a marvellously short
 
 1 88 New World Notes. 
 
 time ; in less than a generation different nationalities are 
 merged into one great distinct race, -with the English 
 language as its mother tongue. Well, to continue : in 
 that heterogeneous crowd at Saratoga, it is not difficult 
 to single out the ladies who own America as their 
 native land. They have a rich yet soft expression, with 
 rather a pale complexion, which failing is rectified by the 
 use of paint and powder. The figure is very perfect, 
 the shoulders being well-sloped, and the arms fitting 
 neatly into the slender waist. These, combined with 
 an erect, graceful carriage and charming address, strike 
 a stranger in a tender part. With all those natural 
 charms, the young lady of young America goes in 
 heavily for effect, and dress is the principal tool brought 
 into play to accomplish the end, and yet I would not 
 like to say affectation is a feature in their characters. 
 They are so frank, so generous, and yet so jealous. 
 I sat beside an elderly young lady in the gay saloon. 
 As every belle entered she had a piece of biting sarcasm 
 to entertain me with. Nothing so quickly or thoroughly 
 arouses a lady's feeling as seeing another who is better 
 dressed. In England they say women bother men ; 
 but away across the Atlantic, the reported paradise for 
 the female sex, with a few notable exceptions, such as 
 Salt Lake City, they torment one another, and perhaps 
 it is a pleasure in its way. But at Saratoga aye, in 
 in these very ball-rooms we get a glimpse of another 
 feature of American society. The shoddy throng 
 those gay rooms. Who are the shoddy ? And, to 
 tell the truth, that is no easy question to answer. They 
 are the people who have sprung up in a day the
 
 Saratoga. 189 
 
 petroleum emperors, the coal goddesses, the tobacco 
 princes, and the girls with oil springs ; or, in other 
 words, shoddy, in its chrysalis state, means a coal- 
 viewer in Pennsylvania, a tobacco merchant in Rich- 
 mond, a cotton speculator in New Orleans, a gold- 
 miner in Nevada, a manipulator of State contracts, a 
 genteel robber of the public funds, a corn lord in Chi- 
 cago, or an owner of oil springs far in the wilds of 
 Canada. Rapidly, after it gets a fair start, does it 
 burst forth from the dreary winter of life into a more 
 active creature, and puts on showy, butterfly wings. 
 Shoddy, in this latter stage, whether you meet it in 
 river boat, by Highland loch, or amid Romish antiqui- 
 ties, is a vulgar man with a more vulgar wife, clad in 
 gay garments and studded with costly jewels, who 
 boast much and talk large, and guess England is a 
 mighty mean place in comparison to the States at the 
 same time letting it be known that they have made the 
 grand tour of Europe. Too often we in this country 
 judge of America and Americans by such samples as 
 the above. From these and such like the magnificent 
 band of shoddy is sprung. Totally uneducated, but 
 with loads of dollars, they come to copy the aristocracy 
 for free America has its aristocrats and, having 
 spent their gold and shown off their gaudy persons, 
 think themselves equal to their refined and accom- 
 plished neighbours. In such a place as the United 
 States, where life has many ups and downs, mighty 
 fortunes are made in a year or two ; so that the iron- 
 worker of Pennsylvania may be driving four-in-hand 
 down the public street of a fashionable watering-place
 
 190 New World Notes. 
 
 five years hence. The tremendous rise in iron and 
 coal, the discovery of petroleum, the gold mines, and 
 other causes, have made men wealthy whether they 
 will or not, so that you meet the above class in every 
 hackneyed route. You find them among the wooded 
 valleys of the Blue Mountains, close by the roar of the 
 Niagara Falls, in the big steamboats of the St. Law- 
 rence, at the New England watering places, and they 
 have all the same characteristics vulgarity, and coarse- 
 ness of manner and feeling. 
 
 Such, then, is life at Saratoga. Next morning we 
 left, and great was our regret at leaving so soon. It 
 is a most enjoyable place, and more especially to the 
 man who has plenty of dollars to spare for if you 
 have luxury be sure the money will slip away.
 
 XXI. 
 
 to 
 
 |N leaving Saratoga for New York, the tourist 
 can either proceed the entire route by rail, 
 or take the boat at Albany and sail down 
 the far-famed Hudson River, the Rhine of America. 
 Preferring the latter journey, I left Saratoga by rail on 
 the morning of the 5th August at 6.30 A.M., and shortly 
 after eight o'clock was on board the magnificent steamer 
 " Chauncey Vibbard." This was one of the finest 
 river-boats in the New World, and certainly for speed, 
 beautiful state-rooms, luxurious saloons, well-appointed 
 tables, and pleasant company, it will be difficult to beat. 
 Slowly we leave the wharf, then, answering to the 
 strokes of the monster paddles, the big boat lifts her 
 bow more proudly every revolution. To sail down 
 the Hudson is worth many miles of travel. On leav- 
 ing Albany, the river widens out considerably. On 
 each side is a wooded bank, cleared at some parts, on 
 the top of which stand romantic villas and Swiss -like 
 cottages. In front of these are neat gardens filled with 
 bright-hued flowers. Ofttimes, on a sandy slope not 
 far off, is a vineyard, green and luxuriant, supplying 
 the owners with grapes and wine. The mountains,
 
 192 New World Notes. 
 
 whose sides are covered with trees, form a majestic 
 back-ground. Here the dark green pine is mixed with 
 the more delicate-coloured hardwood. Opposite a 
 place called Catskill the mountains are most picturesque 
 and grand, while the light and shade produced by the 
 clouds and sunshine overhead gave to their wooded 
 sides a beautiful appearance. So distinct was the 
 phenomena, the very shadows appeared to walk along 
 the mountain side. So on we go the live-long day, 
 past many romantic spots, hallowed not only by the 
 touch of Nature, but by incidents that occurred during 
 the war of Independence, when young America pur- 
 chased her freedom from Great Britain. At certain 
 points the river is confined in narrow limits by high 
 rocky cliffs that rise perpendicularly from the water. 
 The scenery is very impressive, and one feels that the 
 steamer is passing too quickly to allow the tourist to 
 drink in the beauties of the situation. Even amidst 
 the most sterile rocks trees and shrubs have gained a 
 footing. The mixture of deep green and grey colour 
 of the rocks blends well with the waters of the Hud- 
 son. Nearer to New York the scenery grows less 
 wild ; but more splendid houses amidst parks and 
 wooded demesnes line the sloping banks. About six 
 o'clock I have landed from the boat, and not long after 
 stand at the clerk's counter in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, 
 New York City. Back again to my starting point 
 after over three months' continuous travel, it seems more 
 like home. Next day was spent in making calls, and 
 thanking kind friends for services performed. That 
 same afternoon I went out to the country residence of
 
 Saratoga to Scotland. 193 
 
 my Border friend, Mr. James Buchan, of whose noble 
 qualities and successful career I made mention in a for- 
 mer article. It was a pleasure that cannot be expressed 
 in words to stand once more below his roof, and re- 
 ceive the kind greetings and hearty welcome from all 
 the members of his large family. His third son, who 
 had just returned that morning from Europe, was 
 there also, and right glad was I to converse with one 
 who had so lately returned from my mother soil, and 
 had appreciated the romantic Border land and the homely 
 hospitality of its inhabitants. In honour of his return, 
 the fatted calf had been killed friends and relatives 
 were gathered to the festive board and all went merry 
 as a marriage bell ; aye, and more, for it was 
 
 " On with the dance ! let joy be unconfined, 
 No sleep till morn, when youth and pleasure meet 
 To chase the glowing hours with flying feet." 
 
 Yet amidst all our frolics, there was time to listen to 
 an old Border tale, related with graphic power by our 
 patriotic friend. The afternoon following, we had a 
 drive through the Central Park, returning towards 
 evening to Westchester. The day had been hot and 
 sultry, but towards evening a breeze had sprung up. 
 The house was situated not far from Long Island 
 Sound, and had the benefit of the sea air. It was a 
 quiet secluded place, a glorious spot to escape from the 
 din and bustle of the city. A well cultivated garden 
 stood behind it, with a pasture for the bovine race still 
 further back; not far away was a range of stables, 
 where a native of Hawick held high office, whose first 
 thought was his horses, then his dogs, for he still re- 
 
 N
 
 194 New World Notes. 
 
 tained a soft side for Dandle Dinmonts and well-bred 
 Skye terriers. As the sun sank lower and lower in 
 the western horizon, silent Nature appeared to awake 
 to life ; and when the moon with unclouded majesty 
 began her round, all seemed gay and cheerful. From 
 a salt marsh came the hoarse note of the bull-frog, the 
 songsters of the forest poured forth a melodious song 
 of praise, the fire-flies danced about from tree to tree, 
 even the mosquito stopped biting for two or three 
 hours, and buzzed but feebly, just enough to let us 
 know he was still alive and ready to bite when wanted. 
 At this pleasant spot, and amid kind friends, passed the 
 evening swiftly away, the last upon American soil. 
 
 Next morn at an early hour, I was again passing 
 down the streets of New York, dirty and disagreeable, 
 for it had rained during early morning. By one o'clock, 
 I waved a last good-bye to some friends who accom- 
 panied me to the good ship " Italy," 6000 tons burden, 
 and looking back on the generous reception I had met 
 with at their hands and many others, I had good rea- 
 son to be thankful that Providence had been so kind. 
 In going to any country, I care not where, the first 
 duty is to be civil, and act like a gentleman -, and, while 
 you may think as you like about many things, it is well 
 not to criticise either the manner or institutions of a 
 strange people too harshly at first. Thus, while I went 
 along, opinions upon various subjects got fixed in the 
 mind, but I was careful not to express too strongly any 
 such ideas as were calculated to hurt the feelings of a 
 single person. A long may it not be the last adieu 
 to thee, fair land, with thy generous people ! Great
 
 Saratoga to Scotland. 195 
 
 thou art at present. What thy future will be no man 
 can tell, so enormous, rich, and varied are your natural 
 resources. 
 
 But the steamship proceeds on her ocean passage 
 slowly and surely. Visions of sea sickness fly away 
 on a calm ocean. No striking event happens to dis- 
 turb the even tenor of our way. About mid-ocean a 
 western lawyer, who had never left his native wilds, 
 alarmed the cabin passengers by telling them that we 
 had narrowly escaped collision with a raft of pig-iron. 
 By good luck, the watch detected the unwieldy craft, 
 and our otherwise doomed ship was steered clear of 
 the impending danger. Our passage was favourable, 
 but perhaps we had the stormiest lot of first-class pas- 
 sengers aboard that could well be imagined. It was a 
 mighty queer crowd; so different from the company 
 on the outward passage. They were gathered from 
 all ends of the earth, and although there is always a 
 mixture at public tables, yet methinks the occupants of 
 the first cabin on board the " Italy" were the funniest 
 lot I ever saw, whether in England, Ireland, or Ame- 
 rica. The captain of the vessel was a gruff matter-of- 
 fact Scotchman, not saying much, but evidently like the 
 
 pitman's parrot, a d 1 to think. On his right 
 
 hand during meals sat an American General, whose 
 equilibrium was much disturbed by the sea voyage. 
 On his left he was supported by a lady and her hus- 
 band, who belonged to the English army, and whose 
 special object of hate appeared to be the purchase sys- 
 tem. Further down the table on the right sat a red- 
 haired gentleman, whose puns and sallies kept the
 
 196 New World Notes. 
 
 company in amusement. He had fought for the South 
 in the terrible conflict, and was now broken down by 
 disease and rheumatism. Then came an engineer, 
 who had left Canada in disgust. Next to him sat a 
 Virginia planter, whose language was of the choicest 
 description that is to say, when the quid of tobacco 
 that he kept chewing in his mouth allowed proper arti- 
 culation. He was an Englishman by birth, and was 
 the tallest swearer I ever met. His sole luggage was 
 a tooth-brush in his watch-pocket, a collar inside his 
 hat, and an empty carpet bag. He was fond of 
 brandy and soda, in which he was joined by a doctor (?) 
 from western wilds and pastures green, who, at last, 
 succumbed to delirium tremens, and being locked up in 
 his cabin, he did not enjoy any more of his favourite 
 medicine. Another party, a hybrid between a Malay 
 and an Englishman, who shared the drink and often 
 paid the piper, got such a fright at his noble patron, 
 the doctor's imprisonment, that he became teetotal at 
 once. Among others were actresses of various grades, 
 from a prima donna down to a dancing girl, who had 
 visited some spots far from reputable amidst gold mines 
 and gambling hells. And there were ladies there of 
 the highest culture, who were crossing the Atlantic 
 Ferry to make the grand tour of Europe. Men of 
 gentlemanly feeling also graced th'e table. A news- 
 paper correspondent, who had mixed among all classes 
 of society, and knew the freaks of fashion perfectly, 
 preserved a contemptuous silence, and smoked his 
 hookah in perfect ease; A tailor from Philadelphia 
 strutted consequentially the quarter-deck, and made
 
 Saratoga to Scotland. 197 
 
 love vigorously to a fair steerage passenger. An un- 
 married female, rather past the bloom of youth, con- 
 fided her love affairs with the most refreshing in- 
 nocence, and showed to her confidants the likeness of 
 her future hope. Happy man ! none but the brave 
 deserve the fair. But look, ye bachelors ! upon the 
 other side of the question. There was a man a 
 quiet, inoffensive man on board that boat, who had 
 a wife in every sense of the word. His duties were 
 legion. He dressed the children, three promising in- 
 fants, who roared frantically when not getting their 
 own way. Then he fed them at meals, walked them up 
 and down the deck, while my lady sat and superintended 
 the operation with loving grace. If I had been in the 
 place of that man, I would have gone straight to In- 
 diana, or some of the States where divorces are got 
 for a mere trifle. Well, there were others French, 
 Italians, Germans, Jews, and a solitary Scotchman, who 
 never told any person his name, and so went on his 
 way rejoicing when the boat anchored in the Mersey 
 late in the evening of the zoth August. Once more 
 the splendid docks, the palatial buildings, the busy 
 streets of Liverpool seven or eight miles of the river 
 side covered with docks, at some points three tier deep, 
 is a sight worth going to see, and tells very truly of 
 England's commercial wealth. 
 
 Some days after, just as the sun had tinged the top 
 of Cheviot with a purple hue, I stood in a field situated 
 upon Haddon Rig. There was a whirr of reapers as 
 they mowed down the golden grain. The joyous 
 laugh, the merry voices of many workers broke upon
 
 198 New World Notes. 
 
 the ear as they gathered up the sheaves neatly laid off 
 the machines. Overhead the lark poured forth his 
 morning matin as if inspired with the cheerfulness of 
 those below him, and as he mounted higher, more dis- 
 tant, yet as sweet, came back his joyous note, till at 
 last, rising far into the blue vault of heaven, he is lost 
 to view, and his prayer is no longer heard. Far 
 stretching on every side was a magnificent landscape, 
 such as seldom meets the eye of any traveller. Oft 
 had I looked upon that scene, yet never till then did I 
 realise its true grandeur, its romance, its richness, its syl- 
 van softness. Eastward, down the valley of the Tweed, 
 round by Twizel and Norham's castled steep, is a rich 
 expanse of country the merse of Berwickshire, well 
 watered and thickly wooded, covered with fine farms, 
 neat homesteads, and splendid houses, the home of 
 many an honest hard-working agriculturist, and thickly 
 populated with a peasantry second to none in Great 
 Britain. No hills back up that view the deep blue sea 
 laves a low and rocky shore ; but, as the eye travels 
 round the northern horizon, it gazes on the purple 
 hills of Lammermoor. Here the heather blooms, the 
 blue bell luxuriates, the streams that wind down many 
 a lovely glen are filled with trout, and peace and plenty 
 mark its inhabitants. As the spectator looks across the 
 valley of the Tweed to those hills, he sees a castle that 
 looms up like some mighty landmark. These warlike 
 towers are silent now ; the warriors of ancient days are 
 supplanted by a more peaceful race. Around it lie well- 
 cultivated fields, whose crops are ready for the sickle. 
 A mist that hung o'er the river was being dispelled by
 
 Saratoga to Scotland. 199 
 
 the warm rays of the sun. Then what a panorama lay 
 before one, as, looking westward, you gaze upon the 
 ducal castle of Floors, surrounded by tall oak woods 
 and grassy lawns a place which, for natural situation, 
 can scarcely be beat. The classic Tweed flows betwixt 
 it and the old ruin of Roxburgh Castle, famous in 
 Border history. There lies Kelso, with its ancient 
 abbey, its steepled kirks, its sheltered situation : and far 
 away up the course of the Tweed is triple Eildon, at 
 whose base lie Melrose Abbey, Dryburgh, and Abbots- 
 ford a glorious country, the birthplace of many a 
 legend given to the world by the mighty genius of 
 Scott. The green grassy hills of Cheviot bound this 
 vast scene on the south, and as I look from point to 
 point, from place to place, memory wanders back to 
 many a day when up thy stream with rod in hand I've 
 sent the deadly lure o'er the unsuspecting trout ; when 
 autumn came oft have I roamed across heather-clad 
 hills, down grassy glens, or turnip fields, with gun in 
 hand and dog at heel, following during the live-long day 
 after grouse, wily blackcock, or the innocent partridge. 
 Yet again, fancy leads me back to many a winter scene 
 upon the creaking ice, when curling stones roared loudly 
 in our ears. But to me this glorious Border land has 
 more than a passing charm. It is home, sweet home. 
 Readers, can I add anything more ? But, let me quote 
 the famous words Scott puts into the mouth of the 
 Last Minstrel, and I have done : 
 
 " Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, 
 Who never to himself hath said, 
 
 This is my own, my native land ! 
 Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
 
 2OD New World Notes. 
 
 As home his footsteps he hath turn'd, 
 
 From wandering on a foreign strand ! 
 If such there breathe, go, mark him well ; 
 For him no Minstrel raptures swell ; 
 High though his titles, proud his name, 
 Boundless his wealth as wish can claim ; 
 Despite those titles, power, and pelf, 
 The wretch, concentred all in self, 
 Living, shall forfeit fair renown, 
 And, doubly dying, shall go down 
 To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, 
 Unwept, nnhonour'd, and unsung. 
 
 " O Caledonia ! stern and wild, 
 Meet nurse for a poetic child ! 
 Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, 
 Land of the mountain and the flood, 
 Land of my sires ! what mortal hand 
 Can e'er untie the filial band 
 That knits me to thy rugged strand !" 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 KKLSO: PKINTKD BV UUTHEUKURD &. CRAIG.
 
 WORKS PUBLISHED BY 
 
 J. & J. H. RUTHERFURD, 
 
 SO, SQUARE, KELSO. 
 
 Just Published, 
 
 BORDER BREEDS OF SHEEP, 
 
 BY JOHN USHER, STODRIG, KELSO. 
 WITH AN APPENDIX. 
 
 Special Edition, price 8s 6d, post free, containing the 
 following first-class Photographs : 
 
 The Author. 
 
 Group ol Blackfaced Ewes. 
 
 Blackfaced Tup. 
 
 Group of Border Leicester?, and 
 Scene on the Tweed at 
 Mertoun. 
 
 James Archibald, Duddingston. Border Leicester Tup (Mertoun). 
 Blackfaced Tup Lamb. j Border Leicester Shearling Tup 
 
 Scenery of the Cheviots. (Mr Lees'). 
 
 Group of Cheviot Gimmt-rs. [ Andrew Paterson, Mertoun. 
 Bel ford Old House. i Border Leicester Ewe (Mer- 
 
 Thomas Elliot, Hindhope. toun). 
 
 Cheviot Tup (Mr Elliot's). Late William Aitchison, Lin- 
 
 Cheviot Yearling Tup (Mr j ' hope. 
 Archibald's). 
 
 Editions with fewer Photographs, prices 5s 6d and 2s 6d, are 
 also ready. 
 
 Just Published, price 3s, 
 LIFE AND TIMES OF 
 
 WILLIAM THOMSON, 
 
 Late Farmer, Over-Roxburgh. 
 BY HIS SON, THE REV. J. THOMSON, HAWICK. 
 
 "We have read this volume through without stopping a 
 pretty sure sign that it lias some 'glamour' in it. The book 
 is full of splendid bucolic pictures real photographs of Border 
 rural life as it was half a century since." Sunderland Times, 
 July 9, 1875.
 
 2 
 
 J. & J. H. Rutforfurd'a Publication*. 
 
 FARM 
 
 BUSINESS BOOKS 
 
 PRF.PAl'.ED BY 
 
 J.&J.H.RUTHERFURD ' 
 
 KELSO. 
 
 THE FIELD AND STACK-YARD BOOK. 
 
 The object of this book is to help farmers to keep an accurate 
 account of the grain e^rown, thrashed, and sold ; the whole 
 being so arranged as to shew the size of each nekl, the number 
 of stacks obtained from it, the time when thrashed, the amount 
 of good and of light urain produced, the date and manner of 
 disposal, the price and net receipts, also the yield per acre of 
 each field : all these seemingly intricate details being attained 
 with great simplicity. 
 
 PUICES Made of the best paper and Stoutlv Half-bound 
 Calf, 6s (postage 6d) and 83 6d (postage lOd). 
 
 Supplementary to tiit field and Stack-yard Dual; is issued 
 
 THE BARN & GRANARY STOCK BOOK, 
 
 For the Steward or Manager's keeping -shewing what has be- 
 come of the Corn ; the Stock on hand, &c. a record and voucher, 
 in fact. Prices, stoutly half-bound in calf, 3s (postage 4d) and 
 5s Cd (postage 7d). 
 
 WORKERS' TIME AND WAGE BOOKS. 
 
 Drawn up for Weekly Accounts Drawn up for Monthly Accounts 
 
 the most useful for small farms 
 Is each and upwaids. 
 
 the most useful for large farm.s 
 Is 6d each and upwards. 
 
 Drawn up for FOUTNIOHILT ACCOUNTS, 1/6 each and upwards 
 
 REAPERS' TIME AND WAGE TABLE. 
 
 On a Sheet for Harvest Labour. Price, post free, 6d. 
 Various Special Stylet of Time and Wage Books and Tables.
 
 . <C- J. H. Rutlierfurd's Publication*. 
 
 NEW SERIES OF 
 
 LIVE STOCK BOOKS. 
 
 Lately prepared, 
 
 SHEEP (System for Hill Farms), with KEY. Large oblong 4to 
 size, price 4s 6d (postage od). 
 
 SHEEP (System for Arable Farms new and greatly improved 
 issue), with KEY and PRINTED HEADINGS. Large ob- 
 long 4to siae. Prices, 5s (postage 5d) and 10s 6d (post- 
 age 8d). 
 
 CATTLE (do.), with KEY and PRINTED HEADINGS, and Sur- 
 
 ' PLEMENTARY PAGK8 FOR S\VINE ACCOUNT. Foolscap 
 
 folio size, price 4s 6d (postage 6d). 
 SHEPHERDS' MONTHLY RETURN SHEETS, Is per Doz. 
 
 In preparation (arranged by an eminent AgriculturitL 
 
 of tlie District), 
 A SUGGESTIVE SYSTEM OF 
 
 BOOK-KEEPING, 
 
 Suitable for using with J. <fe J. H. Rutherfurd's Farm Books. 
 
 Now Ready, oblong 4to, 
 SHEPHEEDS' and HINDS' ENGAGEMENT FORMS. 
 
 Each book consists of 24 Forms with Counterfoil. Post free for 
 Is 2d, in stamps. 
 
 Laldy Published, icith Portrait of the Autlior, price Is 6V, 
 
 HINTS TO STOCKOWNERS, 
 
 BY WILLIAM ROBERTSON, V.S., KELSO.
 
 4 J. <{; /. If. Putherfurd's Publication*. 
 
 RUTHERFU RD'S 
 
 MAP OF THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES, 
 
 (ROXBURGH, BKRWICK, SKLKIRK, and part of NORTHUMBERLAND), 
 
 Carefully compiled by J.BARTHOLOMEW, Edinburgh, F.R.O.S., 
 from the Ordnance Survey Plans, on the scale of one-third 
 of an inch to the mile. For beauty of engraving and 
 geographical accuracy, this Map surpasses any County 
 Map of the District ever yet published it forms an ex- 
 cellent HUNTING MAP, Price, Mounted on Cloth, done up 
 with a sketch map of the District, &c., in a handy case for 
 the Pocket, 2s. Gd , with an accompanying Epitome of 
 country information for the use of tourists, anglers, and 
 sportsmen, 3s. 
 
 Just Publistted, 
 
 RUTHERFURD'S GUIDE AND TRAVELLING MAPS 
 
 OF THE BOEDER COUNTIES. 
 
 A T o. /., Price Sd, 
 
 "BERWICKSHIRE, in Covr, with 7 pages of Letterpress 
 J) Notes. 
 
 No. II., Price 8d, 
 
 "ROXBURGHSHIRE, in Cover, with 7 pages of Letterpress 
 n Notes. 
 
 Xo. ///., Price 6d, 
 
 in Cover, with 3 
 
 Notes. 
 
 " Most excellent Maps." Scotsman. 
 
 SELKIRKSHIRE, in Cover, with 3 pages of Letterpress 
 U Notes. 
 
 J. li J. H. Rutherfurd arc Agents. \>\ special appointment, for the 
 sale of Ordnance Survey Maps and 1'lmis. 
 
 Parishes, Kstates, and Farms Extracted, Airanged, and Mounted 
 in any style.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 *orm L9-Series 4939
 
 Ml 
 
 /\ 001 2oy > *