north america-1-第34章

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r　that　there　should　be　cheating　or　that　there　should　not。　　It　may　be　said　that　out　there　in　the　Western　States；　men　agree　to　play　the　cheating　game；　and　that　the　cheating　game　has　more　of　interest　in　it　than　the　other。　　Unfortunately；　however；　they　who　agree　to　play　this　game　on　a　large　scale　do　not　keep　outsiders　altogether　out　of　the　playground。　　Indeed；　outsiders　become　very　welcome　to　them；　and　then　it　is　not　pleasant　to　hear　the　tone　in　which　such　outsiders　speak　of　the　peculiarities　of　the　sport　to　which　they　have　been　introduced。　　When　a　beginner　in　trade　finds　himself　furnished　with　a　barrel　of　wooden　nutmegs；　the　joke　is　not　so　good　to　him　as　to　the　experienced　merchant　who　supplies　him。　　This　dealing　in　wooden　nutmegs；　this　selling　of　things　which　do　not　exist；　and　buying　of　goods　for　which　no　price　is　ever　to　be　given；　is　an　institution　which　is　much　honored　in　the　West。　　We　call　it　swindlingand　so　do　they。　　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　in　the　Western　States　the　word　hardly　seemed　to　leave　the　same　impress　on　the　mind　that　it　does　elsewhere。　On　our　return　down　the　river　we　passed　La　Crosse；　at　which　we　had　embarked；　and　went　down　as　far　as　Dubuque　in　Iowa。　　On　our　way　down　we　came　to　grief　and　broke　one　of　our　paddle…wheels　to　pieces。　　We　had　no　special　accident。　　We　struck　against　nothing　above　or　below　water。　　But　the　wheel　went　to　pieces；　and　we　laid　to　on　the　river　side　for　the　greater　part　of　a　day　while　the　necessary　repairs　were　being　made。　　Delay　in　traveling　is　usually　an　annoyance；　because　it　causes　the　unsettlement　of　a　settled　purpose。　　But　the　loss　of　the　day　did　us　no　harm；　and　our　accident　had　happened　at　a　very　pretty　spot。　　I　climbed　up　to　the　top　of　the　nearest　bluff；　and　walked　back　till　I　came　to　the　open　country；　and　also　went　up　and　down　the　river　banks；　visiting　the　cabins　of　two　settlers　who　live　there　by　supplying　wood　to　the　river　steamers。　　One　of　these　was　close　to　the　spot　at　which　we　were　lying；　and　yet　though　most　of　our　passengers　came　on　shore；　I　was　the　only　one　who　spoke　to　the　inmates　of　the　cabin。　　These　people　must　live　there　almost　in　desolation　from　one　year's　end　to　another。　　Once　in　a　fortnight　or　so　they　go　up　to　a　market　town　in　their　small　boats；　but　beyond　that　they　can　have　little　intercourse　with　their　fellow…creatures。　Nevertheless　none　of　these　dwellers　by　the　river　side　came　out　to　speak　to　the　men　and　women　who　were　lounging　about　from　eleven　in　the　morning　till　four　in　the　afternoon；　nor　did　one　of　the　passengers；　except　myself；　knock　at　the　door　or　enter　the　cabin；　or　exchange　a　word　with　those　who　lived　there。　I　spoke　to　the　master　of　the　house；　whom　I　met　outside；　and　he　at　once　asked　me　to　come　in　and　sit　down。　　I　found　his　father　there　and　his　mother；　his　wife；　his　brother；　and　two　young　children。　　The　wife；　who　was　cooking；　was　a　very　pretty；　pale　young　woman；　who；　however；　could　have　circulated　round　her　stove　more　conveniently　had　her　crinoline　been　of　less　dimensions。　　She　bade　me　welcome　very　prettily；　and　went　on　with　her　cooking；　talking　the　while；　as　though　she　were　in　the　habit　of　entertaining　guests　in　that　way　daily。　　The　old　woman　sat　in　a　corner　knittingas　old　women　always　do。　　The　old　man　lounged　with　a　grandchild　on　his　knee；　and　the　master　of　the　house　threw　himself　on　the　floor　while　the　other　child　crawled　over　him。　　There　was　no　stiffness　or　uneasiness　in　their　manners；　nor　was　there　anything　approaching　to　that　republican　roughness　which　so　often　operates　upon　a　poor；　well…　intending　Englishman　like　a　slap　on　the　cheek。　　I　sat　there　for　about　an　hour；　and　when　I　had　discussed　with　them　English　politics　and　the　bearing　of　English　politics　upon　the　American　war；　they　told　me　of　their　own　affairs。　　Food　was　very　plenty；　but　life　was　very　hard。　　Take　the　year　through；　each　man　could　not　earn　above　half　a　dollar　a　day　by　cutting　wood。　　This；　however；　they　owned；　did　not　take　up　all　their　time。　　Working　on　favorable　wood　on　favorable　days　they　could　each　earn　two　dollars　a　day；　but　these　favorable　circumstances　did　not　come　together　very　often。　　They　did　not　deal　with　the　boats　themselves；　and　the　profits　were　eaten　up　by　the　middleman。　　He；　the　middleman；　had　a　good　thing　of　it；　because　he　could　cheat　the　captains　of　the　boats　in　the　measurement　of　the　wood。　　The　chopper　was　obliged　to　supply　a　genuine　cord　of　logstrue　measure。　　But　the　man　who　took　it　off　in　the　barge　to　the　steamer　could　so　pack　it　that　fifteen　true　cords　would　make　twenty…two　false　cords。　　〃It　cuts　up　into　a　fine　trade；　you　see；　sir；〃　said　the　young　man；　as　he　stroked　back　the　little　girl's　hair　from　her　forehead。　　〃But　the　captains　of　course　must　find　it　out；〃　said　I。　　This　he　acknowledged；　but　argued　that　the　captains　on　this　account　insisted　on　buying　the　wood　so　much　cheaper；　and　that　the　loss　all　came　upon　the　chopper。　　I　tried　to　teach　him　that　the　remedy　lay　in　his　own　hands；　and　the　three　men　listened　to　me　quite　patiently　while　I　explained　to　them　how　they　should　carry　on　their　own　trade。　　But　the　young　father　had　the　last　word。　　〃I　guess　we　don't　get　above　the　fifty　cents　a　day　any　way。〃　　He　knew　at　least　where　the　shoe　pinched　him。　　He　was　a　handsome；　manly；　noble…　looking　fellow；　tall　and　thin；　with　black　hair　and　bright　eyes。　But　he　had　the　hollow　look　about　his　jaws；　and　so　had　his　wife；　and　so　had　his　brother。　　They　all　owned　to　fever　and　ague。　　They　had　a　touch　of　it　most　years；　and　sometimes　pretty　sharply。　　〃It　was　a　coarse　place　to　live　in；〃　the　old　woman　said；　〃but　there　was　no　one　to　meddle　with　them；　and　she　guessed　that　it　suited。〃　　They　had　books　and　newspapers；　tidy　delf；　and　clean　glass　upon　their　shelves；　and　undoubtedly　provisions　in　plenty。　　Whether　fever　and　ague　yearly；　and　cords　of　wood　stretched　from　fifteen　to　twenty…two　are　more　than　a　set…off　for　these　good　things；　I　will　leave　every　one　to　decide　according　to　his　own　taste。　In　another　cabin　I　found　women　and　children　only；　and　one　of　the　children　was　in　the　last　stage　of　illness。　　But　nevertheless　the　woman　of　the　house　seemed　glad　to　see　me；　and　talked　cheerfully　as　long　as　I　would　remain。　　She　inquired　what　had　happened　to　the　vessel；　but　it　had　never　occurred　to　her　to　go　out　and　see。　　Her　cabin　was　neat　and　well　furnished；　and　there　also　I　saw　newspapers　and　Harper's　everlasting　magazine。　　She　said　it　was　a　coarse；　desolate　place　for　living；　but　that　she　could　raise　almost　anything　in　her　garden。　I　could　not　then　understand；　nor　can　I　now　understand；　why　none　of　the　numerous　passengers　out　of　the　boat　should　have　entered　those　cabins　except　myself；　and　why　the　inmates　of　the　cabins　should　not　have　come　out　to　speak　to　any　one。　　Had　they　been　surly；　morose　people；　made　silent　by　the　specialties　of　their　life；　it　would　have　been　explicable；　but　they　were　delighted　to　talk　and　to　listen。　The　fact；　I　take　it；　is　that　the　people　are　all　harsh　to　each　other。　　They　do　not　care　to　go　out　of　their　way　to　speak　to　any　one　unless　something　is　to　be　gained。　　They　say　that　two　Englishmen　meeting　in　the　desert　would　not　speak　unless　they　were　introduced。　The　farther　I　travel　the　less　true　do　I　find　this　of　Englishmen；　and　the　more　true　of　other　people。

CHAPTER　XI。　CERES　AMERICANA。

We　stopped　at　the　Julien　House；　Dubuque。　　Dubuque　is　a　city　in　Iowa；　on　the　western　shore　of　the　Mississippi；　and　as　the　names　both　of　the　town　and　of　the　hotel　sounded　French　in　my　ears；　I　asked　for　an　explanation。　　I　was　then　told　that　Julien　Dubuque；　a　Canadian　Frenchman；　had　been　buried　on　one　of　the　bluffs　of　the　river　within　the　precincts　of　the　present　town；　that　he　had　been　the　first　white　settler　in　Iowa；　and　had　been　the　only　man　who　had　ever　prevailed　upon　the　Indians　to　work。　　Among　them　he　had　become　a　great　〃Medicine；〃　and　seems　for　awhile　to　have　had　absolute　power　over　them。　　He　died；　I　think；　in　1800；　and　was　buried　on　one　of　the　hills　over　the　river。　　〃He　was　a　bold；　bad　man；〃　my　informant　told　me；　〃and　committed　every　sin　under　heaven。　　But　he　made　the　Indians　work。〃　Lead　mines　are　the　glory　of　Dubuque；　and　very　large　sums　of　money　have　been　made　from　them。　　I　was　taken　out　to　see　one　of　them；　and　to　go　down　it；　but　we　found；　not　altogether　to　my　sorrow；　that　the　works　had　been　stopped　on　account　of　the　water。　　No　effort　has　been　made　in　any　of　these　mines　to　subdue　the　water；　nor　has　steam　been　applied　to　the　working　of　them。　　The　lodes　have　been　so　rich　with　lead　that　the　speculators　have　been　content　to　take　out　the　metal　that　was　easily　reached；　and　to　go　off　in　search　of　fresh　ground　when　disturbed　by　water。　　〃And　are　wages　here　paid　pretty　punctually？〃　I　asked。　　〃Well；　a　man　has　to　be　smart；　you　know。〃　And　then　my　friend　went　on　to　acknowledge　that　it　would　be　better　for　the　country　if　smartness　were　not　so　essential。　Iowa　has　a　population　of　674；000　souls；　and　in　October；　1861；　had　already　mustered　eighteen　regiments　of　one　thousand　men　each。　　Such　a　population　would　give　probably　170；000　men　capable　of　bearing　arms；　and　therefore　the　number　of　soldiers　sent　had　already　amounted　to　more　than　a　decimation　of　the　available　strength　of　the　State。　　When　we　were　at　Dubuque；　nothing　was　talked　of　but　the　army。　　It　seemed　that　mines；　coal…pits；　and　corn…fields　were　all　of　no　account　in　comparison　with　the　war。　　How　many　regiments　could　be　squeezed　out　of　the　State；　was　the　one　question　which　filled　all　minds；　and　the　general　desire　was　that　such　regiments　should　be　sent　to　the　Western　army；　to　swell　the　triumph　which　was　still　expected　for　General　Fremont；　and　to　assist　in　sweeping　slavery　out　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　The　patriotism　of　the　West　has　been　quite　as　keen　as　that　of　the　North；　and　has　produced　results　as　memorable；　but　it　has　sprung　from　a　different　source；　and　been　conducted　and　animated　by　a　different　sentiment。　　National　greatness　and　support　of　the　law　have　been　the　idea　of　the　North；　national　greatness　and　abolition　of　slavery　have　been　those　of　the　West。　　How　they　are　to　agree　as　to　terms　when　between　them　they　have　crushed　the　Souththat　is　the　difficulty。　At　Dubuque　in　Iowa；　I　ate　the　best　apple　that　I　ever　encountered。　I　make　that　statement　with　the　purpose　of　doing　justice　to　the　Americans　on　a　matter　which　is　to　them　one　of　considerable　importance。　　Americans；　as　rule；　do　not　believe　in　English　apples。　They　declare　that　there　are　none；　and　receive　accounts　of　Devonshire　cider　with　manifest　incredulity。　　〃But　at　any　rate　there　are　no　apples　in　England　equal　to　ours。〃　　That　is　an　assertion　to　which　an　Englishman　is　called　upon　to　give　an　absolute　assent；　and　I　hereby　give　it。　　Apples　so　excellent　as　some　which　were　given　to　us　at　Dubuque　I　have　never　eaten　in　England。　　There　is　a　great　jealousy　respecting　all　the　fruits　of　the　earth。　　〃Your　peaches　are　fine　to　look　at；〃　was　said　to　me；　〃but　they　have　no　flavor。〃　　This　was　the　assertion　of　a　lady；　and　I　made　no　answer。　　My　idea　had　been　that　American　peaches　had　no　flavor；　that　French　peaches　had　none；　that　those　of　Italy　had　none；　that　little　as　there　might　be　of　which　England　could　boast　with　truth；　she　might　at　any　rate　boast　of　her　peaches　without　fear　of　contradiction。　　Indeed；　my　idea　had　been　that　good　peaches　were　to　be　got　in　England　only。　　I　am　beginning　to　doubt　whether　my　belief　on　the　matter　has　not　been　the　product　of　insular　ignorance　a