north america-1-第37章

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ntry　must　engender。　　But　he　who　has　observed　all　this　must　acknowledge　that　that　passion　did　exist。　　Dollars；　children；　progress；　education；　and　political　rivalry　all　gave　way　to　the　one　strong　national　desire　for　the　thrashing　and　crushing　of　those　who　had　rebelled　against　the　authority　of　the　stars　and　stripes。　When　we　were　at　Dixon　they　were　getting　up　the　Dement　regiment。　The　attempt　at　the　time　did　not　seem　to　be　prosperous；　and　the　few　men　who　had　been　collected　had　about　them　a　forlorn；　ill…　conditioned　look。　　But　then；　as　I　was　told；　Dixon　had　already　been　decimated　and　redecimated　by　former　recruiting　colonels。　　Colonel　Dement；　from　whom　the　regiment　was　to　be　named；　and　whose　military　career　was　only　now　about　to　commence；　had　come　late　into　the　field。　　I　did　not　afterward　ascertain　what　had　been　his　success；　but　I　hardly　doubt　that　he　did　ultimately　scrape　together　his　thousand　men。　　〃Why　don't　you　go？〃　I　said　to　a　burly　Irishman　who　was　driving　me。　　〃I'm　not　a　sound　man；　yer　honor；〃　said　the　Irishman；　〃I'm　deficient　in　me　liver。〃　　Taking　the　Irishmen；　however；　throughout　the　Union；　they　had　not　been　found　deficient　in　any　of　the　necessaries　for　a　career　of　war。　　I　do　not　think　that　any　men　have　done　better　than　the　Irish　in　the　American　army。　From　Dixon　we　went　to　Chicago。　　Chicago　is　in　many　respects　the　most　remarkable　city　among　all　the　remarkable　cities　of　the　Union。　Its　growth　has　been　the　fastest　and　its　success　the　most　assured。　Twenty…five　years　ago　there　was　no　Chicago；　and　now　it　contains　120；000　inhabitants。　　Cincinnati；　on　the　Ohio；　and　St。　Louis；　at　the　junction　of　the　Missouri　and　Mississippi；　are　larger　towns；　but　they　have　not　grown　large　so　quickly　nor　do　they　now　promise　so　excessive　a　development　of　commerce。　　Chicago　may　be　called　the　metropolis　of　American　cornthe　favorite　city　haunt　of　the　American　Ceres。　　The　goddess　seats　herself　there　amid　the　dust　of　her　full　barns；　and　proclaims　herself　a　goddess　ruling　over　things　political　and　philosophical　as　well　as　agricultural。　　Not　furrows　only　are　in　her　thoughts；　but　free　trade　also　and　brotherly　love。　And　within　her　own　bosom　there　is　a　boast　that　even　yet　she　will　be　stronger　than　Mars。　　In　Chicago　there　are　great　streets；　and　rows　of　houses　fit　to　be　the　residences　of　a　new　Corn…Exchange　nobility。　They　look　out　on　the　wide　lake　which　is　now　the　highway　for　breadstuffs；　and　the　merchant；　as　he　shaves　at　his　window；　sees　his　rapid　ventures　as　they　pass　away；　one　after　the　other；　toward　the　East。　I　went　over　one　great　grain　store　in　Chicago　possessed　by　gentlemen　of　the　name　of　Sturgess　and　Buckenham。　　It　was　a　world　in　itself；　and　the　dustiest　of　all　the　worlds。　　It　contained；　when　I　was　there；　half　a　million　bushels　of　wheator　a　very　great　many；　as　I　might　say　in　other　language。　　But　it　was　not　as　a　storehouse　that　this　great　building　was　so　remarkable；　but　as　a　channel　or　a　river…　course　for　the　flooding　freshets　of　corn。　　It　is　so　built　that　both　railway　vans　and　vessels　come　immediately　under　its　claws；　as　I　may　call　the　great　trunks　of　the　elevators。　　Out　of　the　railway　vans　the　corn　and　wheat　is　clawed　up　into　the　building；　and　down　similar　trunks　it　is　at　once　again　poured　out　into　the　vessels。　　I　shall　be　at　Buffalo　in　a　page　or　two；　and　then　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　more　minutely　how　this　is　done。　　At　Chicago　the　corn　is　bought　and　does　change　hands；　and　much　of　it；　therefore；　is　stored　there　for　some　space　of　time；　shorter　or　longer　as　the　case　may　be。　　When　I　was　at　Chicago；　the　only　limit　to　the　rapidity　of　its　transit　was　set　by　the　amount　of　boat　accommodation。　　There　were　not　bottoms　enough　to　take　the　corn　away　from　Chicago；　nor；　indeed；　on　the　railway　was　there　a　sufficiency　of　rolling　stock　or　locomotive　power　to　bring　it　into　Chicago。　　As　I　said　before；　the　country　was　bursting　with　its　own　produce　and　smothered　in　its　own　fruits。　At　Chicago　the　hotel　was　bigger　than　other　hotels　and　grander。　There　were　pipes　without　end　for　cold　water　which　ran　hot；　and　for　hot　water　which　would　not　run　at　all。　　The　post…office　also　was　grander　and　bigger　than　other　post…offices；　though　the　postmaster　confessed　to　me　that　that　matter　of　the　delivery　of　letters　was　one　which　could　not　be　compassed。　　Just　at　that　moment　it　was　being　done　as　a　private　speculation；　but　it　did　not　pay；　and　would　be　discontinued。　　The　theater；　too；　was　large；　handsome；　and　convenient；　but　on　the　night　of　my　attendance　it　seemed　to　lack　an　audience。　　A　good　comic　actor　it　did　not　lack；　and　I　never　laughed　more　heartily　in　my　life。　　There　was　something　wrong；　too；　just　at　that　timeI　could　not　make　out　whatin　the　Constitution　of　Illinois；　and　the　present　moment　had　been　selected　for　voting　a　new　Constitution。　　To　us　in　England　such　a　necessity　would　be　considered　a　matter　of　importance；　but　it　did　not　seem　to　be　much　thought　of　here；　〃Some　slight　alteration　probably；〃　I　suggested。　〃No；〃　said　my　informant；　one　of　the　judges　of　their　courts；　〃it　is　to　be　a　thorough；　radical　change　of　the　whole　Constitution。　　They　are　voting　the　delegates　to…day。〃　　I　went　to　see　them　vote　the　delegates；　but；　unfortunately；　got　into　a　wrong　placeby　invitationand　was　turned　out；　not　without　some　slight　tumult。　　I　trust　that　the　new　Constitution　was　carried　through　successfully。　From　these　little　details　it　may；　perhaps；　be　understood　how　a　town　like　Chicago　goes　on　and　prospers　in　spite　of　all　the　drawbacks　which　are　incident　to　newness。　　Men　in　those　regions　do　not　mind　failures；　and；　when　they　have　failed；　instantly　begin　again。　　They　make　their　plans　on　a　large　scale；　and　they　who　come　after　them　fill　up　what　has　been　wanting　at　first。　　Those　taps　of　hot　and　cold　water　will　be　made　to　run　by　the　next　owner　of　the　hotel；　if　not　by　the　present　owner。　　In　another　ten　years　the　letters；　I　do　not　doubt；　will　all　be　delivered。　　Long　before　that　time　the　theater　will　probably　be　full。　　The　new　Constitution　is　no　doubt　already　at　work；　and；　if　found　deficient；　another　will　succeed　to　it　without　any　trouble　to　the　State　or　any　talk　on　the　subject　through　the　Union。　　Chicago　was　intended　as　a　town　of　export　for　corn；　and　therefore　the　corn　stores　have　received　the　first　attention。　　When　I　was　there　they　were　in　perfect　working　order。　From　Chicago　we　went　on　to　Cleveland；　a　town　in　the　State　of　Ohio；　on　Lake　Erie；　again　traveling　by　the　sleeping…cars。　　I　found　that　these　cars　were　universally　mentioned　with　great　horror　and　disgust　by　Americans　of　the　upper　class。　　They　always　declared　that　they　would　not　travel　in　them　on　any　account。　　Noise　and　dirt　were　the　two　objections。　　They　are　very　noisy；　but　to　us　belonged　the　happy　power　of　sleeping　down　noise。　　I　invariably　slept　all　through　the　night；　and　knew　nothing　about　the　noise。　　They　are　also　very　dirty　extremely　dirtydirty　so　as　to　cause　much　annoyance。　　But　then　they　are　not　quite　so　dirty　as　the　day　cars。　　If　dirt　is　to　be　a　bar　against　traveling　in　America；　men　and　women　must　stay　at　home。　For　myself；　I　don't　much　care　for　dirt；　having　a　strong　reliance　on　soap　and　water　and　scrubbing…brushes。　　No　one　regards　poisons　who　carries　antidotes　in　which　he　has　perfect　faith。　Cleveland　is　another　pleasant　townpleasant　as　Milwaukee　and　Portland。　　The　streets　are　handsome　and　are　shaded　by　grand　avenues　of　trees。　　One　of　these　streets　is　over　a　mile　in　length；　and　throughout　the　whole　of　it　there　are　trees　on　each　sidenot　little；　paltry　trees　as　are　to　be　seen　on　the　boulevards　of　Paris；　but　spreading　elms：　the　beautiful　American　elm；　which　not　only　spreads；　but　droops　also；　and　makes　more　of　its　foliage　than　any　other　tree　extant。　　And　there　is　a　square　in　Cleveland；　well　sized；　as　large　as　Russell　Square　I　should　say；　with　open　paths　across　it；　and　containing　one　or　two　handsome　buildings。　　I　cannot　but　think　that　all　men　and　women　in　London　would　be　great　gainers　if　the　iron　rails　of　the　squares　were　thrown　down　and　the　grassy　inclosures　thrown　open　to　the　public。　　Of　course　the　edges　of　the　turf　would　be　worn；　and　the　paths　would　not　keep　their　exact　shapes。　　But　the　prison　look　would　be　banished；　and　the　somber　sadness　of　the　squares　would　be　relieved。　I　was　particularly　struck　by　the　size　and　comfort　of　the　houses　at　Cleveland。　　All　down　that　street　of　which　I　have　spoken　they　do　not　stand　continuously　together；　but　are　detached　and　separatehouses　which　in　England　would　require　some　fifteen　or　eighteen　hundred　a　year　for　their　maintenance。　　In　the　States；　however；　men　commonly　expend　upon　house　rent　a　much　greater　proportion　of　their　income　than　they　do　in　England。　　With　us　it　is；　I　believe；　thought　that　a　man　should　certainly　not　apportion　more　than　a　seventh　of　his　spending　income　to　his　house　rentsome　say　not　more　than　a　tenth。　But　in　many　cities　of　the　States　a　man　is　thought　to　live　well　within　bounds　if　he　so　expends　a　fourth。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　Americans　living　in　better　houses　than　Englishmen；　making　the　comparison　of　course　between　men　of　equal　incomes。　　But　the　Englishman　has　many　more　incidental　expenses　than　the　American。　　He　spends　more　on　wine；　on　entertainments；　on　horses；　and　on　amusements。　　He　has　a　more　numerous　establishment；　and　keeps　up　the　adjuncts　and　outskirts　of　his　residence　with　a　more　finished　neatness。　These　houses　in　Cleveland　were　very　good；　as；　indeed；　they　are　in　most　Northern　towns；　but　some　of　them　have　been　erected　with　an　amount　of　bad　taste　that　is　almost　incredible。　　It　is　not　uncommon　to　see　in　front　of　a　square　brick　house　a　wooden　quasi…Greek　portico；　with　a　pediment　and　Ionic　columns；　equally　high　with　the　house　itself。　　Wooden　columns　with　Greek　capitals　attached　to　the　doorways；　and　wooden　pediments　over　the　windows；　are　very　frequent。　As　a　rule；　these　are　attached　to　houses　which；　without　such　ornamentation；　would　be　simple；　unpretentious；　square；　roomy　residences。　　An　Ionic　or　Corinthian　capital　stuck　on　to　a　log　of　wood　called　a　column；　and　then　fixed　promiscuously　to　the　outside　of　an　ordinary　house；　is　to　my　eye　the　vilest　of　architectural　pretenses。　　Little　turrets　are　better　than　this；　or　even　brown　battlements　made　of　mortar。　　Except　in　America　I　do　not　remember　to　have　seen　these　vicious　bits　of　white　timbertimber　painted　white　plastered　on　to　the　fronts　and　sides　of　red　brick　houses。　Again　we　went　on　by　rail　to　Buffalo。　　I　have　traveled　some　thousands　of　miles　by　railway　in　the　States；　taking　long　journeys　by　night　and　longer　journeys　by　day；　but　I　do　not　remember　that　while　doing　so　I　ever　made　acquaintance　with　an　American。　　To　an　American　lady　in　a　railway　car　I　should　no　more　think　of　speaking　than　I　should　to　an　unknown　female　in　the　next　pew　to　me　at　a　London　church。　　It　is　hard　to　understand　from　whence　come　the　laws　which　govern　societies　in　this　respect；　but　there　are　different　laws　in　different　societies；　which　soon　obtain　recognition　for　themselves。　　American　ladies　are　much　given　to　talking；　and　are　generally　free　from　all　mauvaise　honte。　　They　are　collected　in　manner；　well　instructed；　and　resolved　to　have　their　share　of　the　social　advantages　of　the　world。　　In　this　phase　of　life　they　come　out　more　strongly　than　English　women。　　But　on　a　railway　journey；　be　it　ever　so　long；　they　are　never　seen　speaking　to　a　stranger。　English　women；　however；　on　English　railways　are　generally　willing　to　co