north america-1-第38章

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seen　speaking　to　a　stranger。　English　women；　however；　on　English　railways　are　generally　willing　to　converse：　they　will　do　so　if　they　be　on　a　journey；　but　will　not　open　their　mouths　if　they　be　simply　passing　backward　and　forward　between　their　homes　and　some　neighboring　town。　　We　soon　learn　the　rules　on　these　subjects；　but　who　make　the　rules？　　If　you　cross　the　Atlantic　with　an　American　lady　you　invariably　fall　in　love　with　her　before　the　journey　is　over。　　Travel　with　the　same　woman　in　a　railway　car　for　twelve　hours；　and　you　will　have　written　her　down　in　your　own　mind　in　quite　other　language　than　that　of　love。　And　now　for　Buffalo；　and　the　elevators。　　I　trust　I　have　made　it　understood　that　corn　comes　into　Buffalo；　not　only　from　Chicago；　of　which　I　have　spoken　specially；　but　from　all　the　ports　round　the　lakes：　Racine；　Milwaukee；　Grand　Haven；　Port　Sarnia；　Detroit；　Toledo；　Cleveland；　and　many　others。　　At　these　ports　the　produce　is　generally　bought　and　sold；　but　at　Buffalo　it　is　merely　passed　through　a　gateway。　　It　is　taken　from　vessels　of　a　size　fitted　for　the　lakes；　and　placed　in　other　vessels　fitted　for　the　canal。　　This　is　the　Erie　Canal；　which　connects　the　lakes　with　the　Hudson　River　and　with　New　York。　　The　produce　which　passes　through　the　Welland　Canalthe　canal　which　connects　Lake　Erie　and　the　upper　lakes　with　Lake　Ontario　and　the　St。　Lawrenceis　not　transhipped；　seeing　that　the　Welland　Canal；　which　is　less　than　thirty　miles　in　length；　gives　a　passage　to　vessels　of　500　tons。　　As　I　have　before　said；　60；000；000　bushels　of　breadstuff　were　thus　pushed　through　Buffalo　in　the　open　months　of　the　year　1861。　　These　open　months　run　from　the　middle　of　April　to　the　middle　of　November；　but　the　busy　period　is　that　of　the　last　two　monthsthe　time；　that　is；　which　intervenes　between　the　full　ripening　of　the　corn　and　the　coming　of　the　ice。　An　elevator　is　as　ugly　a　monster　as　has　been　yet　produced。　　In　uncouthness　of　form　it　outdoes　those　obsolete　old　brutes　who　used　to　roam　about　the　semi…aqueous　world；　and　live　a　most　uncomfortable　life　with　their　great　hungering　stomachs　and　huge　unsatisfied　maws。　The　elevator　itself　consists　of　a　big　movable　trunkmovable　as　is　that　of　an　elephant；　but　not　pliable；　and　less　graceful　even　than　an　elephant's。　　This　is　attached　to　a　huge　granary　or　barn；　but　in　order　to　give　altitude　within　the　barn　for　the　necessary　moving　up　and　down　of　this　trunkseeing　that　it　cannot　be　curled　gracefully　to　its　purposes　as　the　elephant's　is　curledthere　is　an　awkward　box　erected　on　the　roof　of　the　barn；　giving　some　twenty　feet　of　additional　height；　up　into　which　the　elevator　can　be　thrust。　　It　will　be　understood；　then；　that　this　big　movable　trunk；　the　head　of　which；　when　it　is　at　rest；　is　thrust　up　into　the　box　on　the　roof；　is　made　to　slant　down　in　an　oblique　direction　from　the　building　to　the　river；　for　the　elevator　is　an　amphibious　institution；　and　flourishes　only　on　the　banks　of　navigable　waters。　　When　its　head　is　ensconced　within　its　box；　and　the　beast　of　prey　is　thus　nearly　hidden　within　the　building；　the　unsuspicious　vessel　is　brought　up　within　reach　of　the　creature's　trunk；　and　down　it　comes；　like　a　musquito's　proboscis；　right　through　the　deck；　in　at　the　open　aperture　of　the　hole；　and　so　into　the　very　vitals　and　bowels　of　the　ship。　　When　there；　it　goes　to　work　upon　its　food　with　a　greed　and　an　avidity　that　is　disgusting　to　a　beholder　of　any　taste　or　imagination。　　And　now　I　must　explain　the　anatomical　arrangement　by　which　the　elevator　still　devours　and　continues　to　devour；　till　the　corn　within　its　reach　has　all　been　swallowed；　masticated；　and　digested。　　Its　long　trunk；　as　seen　slanting　down　from　out　of　the　building　across　the　wharf　and　into　the　ship；　is　a　mere　wooden　pipe；　but　this　pipe　is　divided　within。　　It　has　two　departments；　and　as　the　grain…bearing　troughs　pass　up　the　one　on　a　pliable　band；　they　pass　empty　down　the　other。　　The　system；　therefore；　is　that　of　an　ordinary　dredging　machine　only　that　corn　and　not　mud　is　taken　away；　and　that　the　buckets　or　troughs　are　hidden　from　sight。　　Below；　within　the　stomach　of　the　poor　bark；　three　or　four　laborers　are　at　work；　helping　to　feed　the　elevator。　　They　shovel　the　corn　up　toward　its　maw；　so　that　at　every　swallow　he　should　take　in　all　that　he　can　hold。　　Thus　the　troughs；　as　they　ascend；　are　kept　full；　and　when　they　reach　the　upper　building　they　empty　themselves　into　a　shoot；　over　which　a　porter　stands　guard；　moderating　the　shoot　by　a　door；　which　the　weight　of　his　finger　can　open　and　close。　　Through　this　doorway　the　corn　runs　into　a　measure；　and　is　weighed。　　By　measures　of　forty　bushels　each；　the　tale　is　kept。　　There　stands　the　apparatus；　with　the　figures　plainly　marked；　over　against　the　porter's　eye；　and　as　the　sum　mounts　nearly　up　to　forty　bushels　he　closes　the　door　till　the　grains　run　thinly　through；　hardly　a　handful　at　a　time；　so　that　the　balance　is　exactly　struck。　　Then　the　teller　standing　by　marks　down　his　figure；　and　the　record　is　made。　The　exact　porter　touches　the　string　of　another　door；　and　the　forty　bushels　of　corn　run　out　at　the　bottom　of　the　measure；　disappear　down　another　shoot；　slanting　also　toward　the　water；　and　deposit　themselves　in　the　canal　boat。　　The　transit　of　the　bushels　of　corn　from　the　larger　vessel　to　the　smaller　will　have　taken　less　than　a　minute；　and　the　cost　of　that　transit　will　have　beena　farthing。　But　I　have　spoken　of　the　rivers　of　wheat；　and　I　must　explain　what　are　those　rivers。　　In　the　working　of　the　elevator；　which　I　have　just　attempted　to　describe；　the　two　vessels　were　supposed　to　be　lying　at　the　same　wharf　on　the　same　side　of　the　building；　in　the　same　water；　the　smaller　vessel　inside　the　larger　one。　　When　this　is　the　case　the　corn　runs　direct　from　the　weighing　measure　into　the　shoot　that　communicates　with　the　canal　boat。　　But　there　is　not　room　or　time　for　confining　the　work　to　one　side　of　the　building。　　There　is　water　on　both　sides；　and　the　corn　or　wheat　is　elevated　on　the　one　side；　and　reshipped　on　the　other。　　To　effect　this　the　corn　is　carried　across　the　breadth　of　the　building；　but；　nevertheless；　it　is　never　handled　or　moved　in　its　direction　on　trucks　or　carriages　requiring　the　use　of　men's　muscles　for　its　motion。　　Across　the　floor　of　the　building　are　two　gutters；　or　channels；　and　through　these；　small　troughs　on　a　pliable　band　circulate　very　quickly。　They　which　run　one　way；　in　one　channel；　are　laden；　they　which　return　by　the　other　channel　are　empty。　　The　corn　pours　itself　into　these；　and　they　again　pour　it　into　the　shoot　which　commands　the　other　water。　　And　thus　rivers　of　corn　are　running　through　these　buildings　night　and　day。　　The　secret　of　all　the　motion　and　arrangement　consists；　of　course；　in　the　elevation。　　The　corn　is　lifted　up；　and　when　lifted　up　can　move　itself　and　arrange　itself；　and　weigh　itself；　and　load　itself。　I　should　have　stated　that　all　this　wheat　which　passes　through　Buffalo　comes　loose；　in　bulk。　　Nothing　is　known　of　sacks　or　bags。　To　any　spectator　at　Buffalo　this　becomes　immediately　a　matter　of　course；　but　this　should　be　explained；　as　we　in　England　are　not　accustomed　to　see　wheat　traveling　in　this　open；　unguarded；　and　plebeian　manner。　　Wheat　with　us　is　aristocratic；　and　travels　always　in　its　private　carriage。　Over　and　beyond　the　elevators　there　is　nothing　specially　worthy　of　remark　at　Buffalo。　　It　is　a　fine　city；　like　all　other　American　cities　of　its　class。　　The　streets　are　broad；　the　〃blocks〃　are　high；　and　cars　on　tramways　run　all　day；　and　nearly　all　night　as　well。

CHAPTER　XII。　BUFFALO　TO　NEW　YORK。

We　had　now　before　us　only　two　points　of　interest　before　we　should　reach　New　Yorkthe　Falls　of　Trenton；　and　West　Point　on　the　Hudson　River。　　We　were　too　late　in　the　year　to　get　up　to　Lake　George；　which　lies　in　the　State　of　New　York　north　of　Albany；　and　is；　in　fact；　the　southern　continuation　of　Lake　Champlain。　　Lake　George；　I　know；　is　very　lovely；　and　I　would　fain　have　seen　it；　but　visitors　to　it　must　have　some　hotel　accommodation；　and　the　hotel　was　closed　when　we　were　near　enough　to　visit　it。　　I　was　in　its　close　neighborhood　three　years　since；　in　June；　but　then　the　hotel　was　not　yet　opened。　　A　visitor　to　Lake　George　must　be　very　exact　in　his　time。　　July　and　August　are　the　monthswith；　perhaps；　the　grace　of　a　week　in　September。　The　hotel　at　Trenton　was　also　closed；　as　I　was　told。　　But　even　if　there　were　no　hotel　at　Trenton；　it　can　be　visited　without　difficulty。　　It　is　within　a　carriage　drive　of　Utica；　and　there　is；　moreover；　a　direct　railway　from　Utica；　with　a　station　at　the　Trenton　Falls。　　Utica　is　a　town　on　the　line　of　railway　from　Buffalo　to　New　York　via　Albany；　and　is　like　all　the　other　towns　we　had　visited。　　There　are　broad　streets；　and　avenues　of　trees；　and　large　shops；　and　excellent　houses。　　A　general　air　of　fat　prosperity　pervades　them　all；　and　is　strong　at　Utica　as　elsewhere。　I　remember　to　have　been　told；　thirty　years　ago；　that　a　traveler　might　go　far　and　wide　in　search　of　the　picturesque　without　finding　a　spot　more　romantic　in　its　loveliness　than　Trenton　Falls。　　The　name　of　the　river　is　Canada　Creek　West；　but　as　that　is　hardly　euphonious；　the　course　of　the　water　which　forms　the　falls　has　been　called　after　the　town　or　parish。　　This　course　is　nearly　two　miles　in　length；　and　along　the　space　of　this　two　miles　it　is　impossible　to　say　where　the　greatest　beauty　exists。　　To　see　Trenton　aright；　one　must　be　careful　not　to　have　too　much　water。　　A　sufficiency　is　no　doubt　desirable；　and　it　may　be　that　at　the　close　of　summer；　before　any　of　the　autumnal　rains　have　fallen；　there　may　occasionally　be　an　insufficiency。　　But　if　there　be　too　much；　the　passage　up　the　rocks　along　the　river　is　impossible。　　The　way　on　which　the　tourist　should　walk　becomes　the　bed　of　the　stream；　and　the　great　charm　of　the　place　cannot　be　enjoyed。　　That　charm　consists　in　descending　into　the　ravine　of　the　river；　down　amid　the　rocks　through　which　it　has　cut　its　channel；　and　in　walking　up　the　bed　against　the　stream；　in　climbing　the　sides　of　the　various　falls；　and　sticking　close　to　the　river　till　an　envious　block　is　reached　which　comes　sheer　down　into　the　water　and　prevents　farther　progress。　　This　is　nearly　two　miles　above　the　steps　by　which　the　descent　is　made；　and　not　a　foot　of　this　distance　but　is　wildly　beautiful。　　When　the　river　is　very　low　there　is　a　pathway　even　beyond　that　block；　but　when　this　is　the　case　there　can　hardly　be　enough　of　water　to　make　the　fall　satisfactory。　There　is　no　one　special　cataract　at　Trenton　which　is　in　itself　either　wonderful　or　pre…eminently　beautiful。　　It　is　the　position；　form；　color；　and　rapidity　of　the　river　which　gives　the　charm。　　It　runs　through　a　deep　ravine；　at　the　bottom　of　which　the　water　has　cut　for　itself　a　channel　through　the　rocks；　the　sides　of　which　rise　sometimes　with　the　sharpness　of　the　walls　of　a　stone　sarcophagus。　They　are　rounded；　too；　toward　the　bed　as　I　have　seen　the　bottom　of　a　sarcophagus。　　Along　the　side　of　the　right　bank　of　the　river　there　is　a　passage　which；　when　the　freshets　come；　is　altogether　covered。　This　passage　is　sometimes　very　narrow；　but　in　the　narrowest　parts　an　iron　chain　is　affixed　into　the　rock。　　It　is　slippery　and　wet；　and　it　is　well　for　ladies；　when　visiting　the　place；　to　be　provided　with　outside　India…rubber　shoes；　which　keep　a　hold　upon　the　stone。　If　I　remember　rightly；　there　are　two　actual　cataractsone　not　far　a