Through the Light Continent; or, the United States in 1877-8

Front matter

THROUGH THE LIGHT CONTINENT; OR, THE UNITED STATES IN 1877-8. By WILLIAM SAUNDERS. " There is the marked peculiarity of the American people apparent almost from the first ; the singular buoyancy and e'asticity both of the national and individual character. It may be the product of their brilliant, exhilarating, invigorating climate : it may be the accompaniment of the vast horizon opened out by their boundless territory ; it may be partly the youth of the nation, but its existence is unquestionable." Dean Stanley. " 1 do not think there is any subject to which leaders of working men can more usefully turn their aticntion than the supplying to those who want it here — accurate and trustworthy intelligence as to their chances beyond the Atlantic." Lord Derby, nt Rochdale. Cassell, Pettee, and Galpin london, paris, and new york. 1879.

TABLE OF CHAPTERS. PAGE Through the Light Continent 1 Western States •■• 32 Gold and Silver 4G Colorado 54 Southern States 62 Education in Atlanta 83 Washington 88 Emigration 104 Who should Emigrate ? 112 Railway Travelling 121 Food Supplies 127 Protection 137 A Crisis 159 Constitution and Government of the United States 200 English and American Agriculture 227 Banking 238 Temperance Question 257 Railways 272 "Old Probabilities" (Weather Forecasts) 280' Land and Land Laws 293 Taxation and Expenditure 307 Public Debts 838 Imports and Exports 345 Things in General 357 ?.r,7

Preface

With a mind full of notes of interrogation, I landed at Boston in September, 1877. The information that I obtained proved to be more interesting and useful than I expected, and, withal, much more difficult of attainment. Never was such a field for human energy offered to mankind as that which the United States present — so vast, so free, and so fair. We see three million square miles of the earth's surface combined under one Government, and that Government freely offering inducements to labour and capital from all parts of the world. The efforts of politicians have been supplemented by those of engineers, who have intersected this vast space with railways ; thus making the land accessible to all comers, and its produce available for all consumers. We are surprised to find corn and beef pouring into this country, and Americans underselling our farmers at their own doors.

Investigation will diminish the wonder, for the secret is an open one; in the States, land is free, and industry is stimu lated by the reward of ownership. The various aspects of political and social life in the United States afford topics of the highest interest ; and I wish that an improved telephone could convey to our minds the tone and feeling of American life — not in all cases for adoption, but certainly for consideration. A small portion of the following pages appeared in English newspapers during my visit to the States. More time than I anticipated has been occupied in the preparation of this volume, and thus its publication has been delayed ; but I have availed myself of this extension of time to bring down some statistical information to the latest date. Mount View, Streatham, S.W., May 27th, 1879.

INDEX. TAGE. PAGE. Accessibility of Public Men 09 Advantageous Investments 115 Agricultural Exports from the States 355 Constitution of the United States 200 Consumption cured at Colorado 55 Agriculture 227 Cost of Beef 132 Amalgamation of Races 79 & 403 Atlanta 83 County Government 220 Currency 252 Autumnal Tints 23 Dale's Impressions 388 Banking 238 Dancing Saloons 50 Banks, National 240 Defeat of the silver frauds 362 Currency Universal ... 239 Security of National Banks 249 Taxes on 245 Democratic Platform 168 Demonstration against Repeal of Duties 151 Denver 54 Trustees not liable ... 247 Don't lend your money to strangers 359 Failures 249 Bill Discounters in America 381 British trade with the States 349 Black Hills Gold Fields ... 48 Emancipation, Its advantages universally admitted 73 Emigrants.

Number of ... 105 Capitol, The 96 our best Clients 106 Carpet Baggers at Montgomery 70 Emigration 404 „ to Texas 62 Catskill Mountains 24 ., Advantages of... 107 English Inventions used by Census Statistics 396 „ Imperfections of the 393 ., Startling Results Shown 374 Americans 380 Extravagant Charges 22 Centre of the Continent ... 35 Families and Dwellings ... 411 Cheapness Unpopular ... 113 Cheese Adulteration 18 Fisk and Tweed Rings ... 367 Food Supplies 127 ,, Factories 17 Forest, 800 miles of 65 Chicago 33 Cheyenne 43 Game Laws 40 Church and State 388 Gardens in Colorado 51 Circular horizon on land ... 34 Garland City 48 City Government 221 General use of Tobacco ... 376 Coal Mines at Pittsburg ... 28 Gold and Silver 46 Colorado 54 Grand Island 35 „ Springs 55 Congress 89 Grant, Mr 134 Greely, Mr., The late 51 Grant, Mr. 89 Powers of 201 Conservative Apprehensions 3 Hayes, Mrs X PAGE, PAGE, Oil Wells 27 Houses on Swamps 65 Hudson River 23 Paupers and Tramps 20 Illicit Distilleries 371 Pittsburg 28 Population Statistics ... 413 Imports and Exports 345 President, The 101 & 197 Import Duties 149 Indian Reservation 26 Power of 205 Presidential 151 151 Interest, High Rate of ... 118 Irrigation in Colorado ... 51 Prisons 21 Protection 137 „ Discussion upon ... 143 Kansas City 59 „ Exporters Protectionists 140 „ Universality of 23 LaVetaPass, 10,400 ft. high 56 Ladies of the Press 96 Public Debts 338 Amount of English National Debt 339 Landlords working Thrashing Machines 232 Land and Landlords : — 293 Amount of American National Debt 342 Comparative Taxation 305 Homestead Law 296 Pullman Cars 123 Mechanics' Liens ...

J01 Registration of Land 297 Speculators 299 Railway Combinations ... 31 Travelling 112 ,, jtiavciiiug aa- Railways, Dishonesty in Working 283 Railways, Their Promotion 273 Want of Roads 303 Loans on Land 57 Lottery Adventure at Niagara 363 „ Union Pacific ... 278 Renewal of Prosperity ... 409 Manure an incumbrance ... 37 Reporters and Reporting ... 93 JMc.Cormick Reaping Machines 34 Republican Platform ... 163 Rocky Mountains 54 Memorial of the War ... 7 Montgomery 70 School Neglected 39 Mortgages Safe and Easy... 119 Mr. Evarts 404 School Statistics 415 Silent Americans 13 „ John Sherman 406 Slavery made illegal 205 „ Carl Schurz 407 Social Position of Women in America and England 399 „ Hayes 408 Southern Economy 81 Narrow Guage Railways in Colorado 58 State Government 208 Struggling Landowners ... 38 Negroes in Factories 76 Negro Education 85 Taxation and Expenditure 307 Visitor 102 ,. and Comparative Expenditure of United States and United King dom 311 & 313 New Orleans 66 Newspapers, American ... 386 Niagara 25 Nine Days' News 5 Taxation and Comparative Cost of Government 332 & 333 Nomination of General Grant for the Presidency 375 Taxation and Comparative Efficiency of Governments 334 Openings for Small Capit- Taxation and Expenditure alists. 42 during War PAGE.

PAGE Taxation in Virginia 316 Tonnage of Foreign Vessels entering U.K. Ports ... 354 Taxation on Value not Rental 320 Town Herds 36 Taxation and Federal Revenue 307 Trade Unions 30 Tramps and Paupers 20 Taxation and Federal Expenditure 308 Trees on Stilts 66 Taxation and State Expenditure 309 Village Dinner 15 Taxation, Revenue and Expenditure in United Kingdom 310 Taxation on Real Property 312 Taxation, light on Land... 321 Taxation, Revenue and Ex- Waltham Watches 11 Washington 88 Washington's farewell address 208 Weather Department 286 „ General Meyer ... 287 Moderate Cost ... 290 „ Oceanic Observapenditure for the State of Georgia 324 Taxation and Licenses in tions 281 New Orleans 328 Tracing Storms ... 289 Temperance Question ... 257 Consumption of Alcohol.. 259 Effect of Prohibition ... 267 Prohibitory Laws 266 „ Value of Prognostications 287 Who should Emigrate.' ... 112 Wild Geese 40 State Powers of Suppression 2g5 Wool Growing Profitable ... 45 Women in Business 401 Texas 63 Women's Rights in the States 402 Things in General 357 Tonnage of Foreign Vessels entering U.S. Ports ... 353 Working Men at Boston ... i. THROUGH THE LIGHT CONTINENT. >X«oo— HAT parts have you seen?"

I asked an American, who said he had just visited Europe. " Yorkshire," Avas the prompt and confident reply. " Did you go no further?" "No, I saw enough in Yorkshire ; I should not like to stop there." It appears that he left that county thirty-six years ago, and he found that the same men who were small farmers then are small farmers now. " All they can make they pay away in rent ; their children have not enough food, and the clothes they wear would not be put on by people in America. If they want a gate mending they must ask the agent, who asks the landlord, and then it's not done. The times are bad with us in America now, but not like they are in Yorkshire." So my friend comes back to the States and gives a bad account of Europe, because he has seen farmers in the West Riding who are not prosperous.

I do not propose to follow his example, and describe the United States before NEW ENGLANDERS. I have seen so much as would be covered by a three-penny piece on the map. It is clear that the country is one of almost inconceivable vastness and variety. Of its extent we get some faint notion by looking at a good map, but of the variety of men and manners, of soil and climate, we obtain but little idea. If, however, one parish cannot give a fair idea of a continent, a steamboat may convey some just notion of the character of a people ; and on board a Cunard liner an Englishman gets much useful experience of American character. The steamship for Boston was crowded with New Englanders, who were returning to their native soil. Scarcely an Englishman was amongst them, and thus nothing interfered with the practice of American customs and the free expression of American opinions.

The favourite subject of con versation was the examination of the detectives at Bow-street ; the passengers seemed to have read every line of it. An elderly gentleman was energetic in his condolence with me upon the break down and exposure of our police system. I replied that, in one respect the English Avere very much like the Americans — we thought a good deal more of other people's peccadilloes than our oavii. He took up my joke in a moment, and at once began to unburden himself as to the political troubles of his WATCHFULNESS. 3 own country. He said " We have neglected politics and allowed adventurers to have their own Avay, and now Ave feel the Avant of honest public men. But Ave mean to get them. I Avish Ave had an aristocracy like yours, Ave might get some help from such men at this juncture.

Our great fault has been that Ave have not given sufficient attention to public affairs ; but Ave must neglect them no longer. We begin to see that the government of a country requires more attention than Ave haAre given to it ; the railway strike has opened our eyes. Our real difficulty is that the Avorking classes have all the poAver, and they Avill never sanction the establishment of an army or a police force sufficient to control themselves." I said that I did not share his apprehensions ; the working classes were not less interested than other classes in the preservation of order, and would soon see the necessity of making sacrifices to maintain it. Hoav ever, he would not be comforted, and Avent on to say that one of the difficulties in the way of a strong- Government was the continued friction between the national Government and State rights.

" We have thirty-seven Governments," said he, " and then interests are so opposed and diA'ided that I do not see how to establish an efficient and permanent union." This comTersation showed a character so FAMILY LIFE. very different from the bumptious Yankee of whom Ave so constantly read that I thought I must have met with a very exceptional Conservative, but I found that his views and apprehensions were shared more or less by a number of our felloAV-passengers ; and I looked upon it as a hopeful sign that care and caution had replaced that careless confidence Avhich is the real source of danger in public as in private life. It must be remembered that our company were exclusively NeAv Englanders. If I had gone in a New York steamer I should have met with a very different and much more varied assemblage, as it was I had a good picture of NeAv England life and manners ; and the picture Avas one of which any nation might haAre been proud.

There was scarcely a disagreeable person on the ship, and the quiet, cheerful, friendly way in which they associated Avas very pleasant to see. As usual Avith American travellers, there Avere many children amongst them ; but the only evidence of that precocity of which we read so much Avas found in the early manifestation of common sense and self-control. The most striking contrast to English life was to be seen in the young ladies. Here they are "persons" Avith independent thought and action, which, under all circumstances, is efficiently exercised ; they associated with Avhom- THE PILOT ABOARD. 5 soever they pleased, Avithout forAvardness and Avith out hesitation. Throughout the voyage I did not notice a simper from a woman or a vulgar observa tion from a man ; even the boys and young men thought their family life the best thing in the Avorld.

I asked a lad of fifteen Iioav he Avas getting on. He replied, " Oh, it is very jolly, but I should like it better if my mother Avere here ; my father tried to get her to come, but she would not leave the three younger ones." Generally speaking, the mother Avas travelling Avith the family group, and was always a great favourite. As Ave approached Boston great anxiety Avas manifested to hear the neAvs, and various specula tions Avere indulged in as to what it would be. When the pilot tumbled on board the only question publicly asked Avas, "Are the Russians or Turks winning ? ' The reply Avas, " Oh, the Turks are Avinning hand over hand ; " but when we got the newspapers Ave found that victories and defeats Avere awarded to both sides Avith great impartiality. Groups were immediately formed to read the papers.

It was good to see the eagerness with which news was heard and commented upon. " By Jove ! The premium on gold down to 3 per cent. ! railway stock gone up to 10 per cent ! Gambetta sentenced to five years' deprivation of civil rights !" "That means LANDING. a reATolution," exclaimed several voices at once. Then all was silence for a moment Avhen the heading was read out, " Dreadful Collision in the Channel— 100 lives lost;" but there Avas instant relief, and the subject Avas promptly dismissed, when the reader added, '"Tisn't an American liner, though." The topics which followed were so American that I Avas unable fully to comprehend them. But hoAv cheerful Ave all Avere after the pilot came on board, and with what vigour Ave sang that eATenmg — The land of the brave, And the home of the free.

Every eA^ening we had some excellent singing, but it was much more energetic than usual on the last occasion. Before landing Ave Avere boarded by a small army of custom house officers, Avho extorted an oath from each passenger as to the contents of his packages. The oaths and the contents were not found in all cases consistent, and, much to the amusement of some cynical persons, a very shabby looking priest Avas made to pay 36 dollars for bales of silk and cotton. A liberal-minded cabman informed me that the legal charge for driving to the hotel, about tAvo miles distant, was 20s., but he offered his services for 14s., Avhich declining, I got MEMORIAL OF THE WAR. 7 upon an omnibus, the driver having assured me that it Avould leave in a quarter of an hour, but which remained for an hour and a half.

During this time I visited the steerage passengers Avho, under a long shed, were patiently waiting the advent of the custom house officers to overhaul their small belongings. They declared that the voyage had been a pleasant one, and, be it said to the credit of the Cunard Company, I could not get a complaint out of them. The day Ave landed at Boston Avas set apart for the dedication of a monument which has been erected to the memory of those who fell in the late Avar. I found all business and street traffic suspended for a grand procession, which was two hours late and three hours long, but the AA-onderful patience of the people knew no abatement ; they Avaited and watched under a burning sun from early morninguntil late in the afternoon. There Avas not much enthusiasm, but Generals Hooker and Mc.Clellan were Avell received.

The cheering was chiefly bestoAved upon the tattered standards and Avounded men. Oddly enough, there were a number of " Confederate prisoners " paraded under a big banner, and they marched along apparently rather proud of the proceeding. But I was most surprised on reading a paragraph in a Boston paper stating AA'OEKING MEN. that the number of Confederate officers taking part in the procession Avould be fewer than Avas expected, because it Avas found that they were too poor to pay their travelling expenses and too proud to accept assistance ! I thought how remiss the Duke of Wellington had been in not inviting French officers to dine with him on the 18th of June and offering to pay their travelling expenses. This monument and demonstration do not meet Avith universal approval in Boston ; several people expressed a very decided opinion that their " domestic quarrel" should be allowed to sink into oblivion.

In the evening the Avhole of Boston was assembled on the Common to witness the illumination of the monument by lime-light. This illumination was marvellously effective, and enabled the spectators to see the smallest details of the monument much more distinctly than by daylight. While I was waiting for the display, I had a good opportunity of conversing with working men on the condition of the country. They complained that wages had fallen thirty per cent., and that work Avas very difficult to obtain. One of them, avIio appeared to be of a convivial disposition, thought that the worst thing in the country was the cost of good fellowship. According to his view of the case, you must treat a fellow when you meet him, " and WORKING MEN. it costs a precious lot here, Avhere you can't get a glass of beer under tAvopence-halfpenny."

His companion considered that didn't signify, as a felloAv could get on very Avell Avithout the drink. He liked this country because a man Avas more independent. " In England you never see your master, but only the foreman, and if you don't bow to the shop foreman as if he were a lord you have little chance of keeping your place. In this country you see your master and you see your foreman, and both are as civil to you as you are to them." Nevertheless, this man Avas going back to Manchester for the whiter, because Avork Avas so slack in Boston, but he expects to return to America in the spring. Our convivial friend Avas much scandalised because Wendell Phillips had been advocating- Woman Suffrage. He said nobody can do anything in politics without attending caucuses, and if a woman left the house in the evening for a caucus, the man Avould have to stay at home and look after the children.

This he seemed to regard as the horror of horrors. I suggested that perhaps it wrould be quite as fair if the man took his turn at stopping at home sometimes, but he declined to look at the matter in this light. Boston is the home of NeAv England capitalists. I Avas more than once informed that " Chicago is MASSACHUSETTS MANUFACTURES. OAvned at Boston." Upon the fine buildings and wharves of that flourishing city Boston people have mortgages, and many of the railroads throughout the States are controlled by Boston shareholders. I afterwards discovered that Old England capitalists have investments at Chicago and elsewdiere in the States to a much greater extent than I had imagined. Agriculture does not flourish in Massa chusetts, of which State Boston is the capital, and Avhile many of the farmers have gone West in search of better land the remaining inhabitants have devoted themselves largely to manufactures.

We are beginning to find out in our OAATn country hoAV Avell they are succeeding. EA7en calicoes are noAv sent to England from the neAv country, and, as to Avatches, one company alone is sending to England 30,000 annually. There can be nothing in the circumstances of the two nations Avhich gives one any natural advantage over the other in such a matter as the making of watches, and I determined to discover Avhat it is that has turned the tables upon us, and not only deprived our Avatchmakers of the American market, Avhich they used to supply, but actually taken from us a large portion of our home trade. By the courtesy of Mr. Robbins, the manager AVATCHMAKING. 11 of the American Watch Company, I had an opportunity of inspecting the company's works at Waltham, which is situated a few miles from Boston.

The establishment and the people connected Avith it present those appearances of comfort and prosperity, connected with superior intelligence, which have been so repeatedly noticed by writers who have described American manufactures and the people employed therein. It is clear that the American manufacturer commands the services of thoughtful, intelligent, and industrious Avorkpeople. In the manufacture of Avatches this is a most important element ; but as good and steady workmen are to be found not only in England but in Switzerland, formerly the centre of the Avatch business, Ave must look to other causes for the change which has come over the business of watchmaking. This change has been mainly brought about by the adoption of improved machinery. The delicate parts of a watch, which are so small that they cannot be examined Avithout a microscope, are made much more correctly by machinery than by hand labour, and it is by perfecting the machines AAdiich cut and polish the delicate gearing of Avatches that so much excellence and accuracy have been obtained.

Not only must the work of making- Avatch Avheels be done by a machine in order that they may be perfect, but the WATCHMAKING. machines themselves Avhich do this work must be made by machines, or they are not sufficiently exact for the purpose. It is simply by the development of suitable machinery that the American watch makers have been enabled to distance all_ com petitors. Hoav completely they have done this is obvious from the fact that the export of watches from SAvitzerland to the United States has fallen from 366,000 Avatches in 1872 to under 75,000 in 1876, Avhile at the same time the English Avatch trade has been seriously disturbed by the exporta tion from the United States to this country of 30,000 Avatches annually. So great has been the improvement in the business of watchmaking that in America each workman produces on an average 150 watches per annum, while in Switzerland only 40 watches per annum are produced by each workman.

If in the space of seven years the Americans have made such advances in one branch of industry, it is clear that we must look out for our laurels. We shall have, obviously, close competition in all parts of the Avorld. A few days before my visit the American Watch Company had secured a contract from the English Government for the supply of watches to our own people in India, and this contract Avas awarded to them in the face of a general com petition. OPPRESSIVE SILENCE. Whatever the Americans were in former times it is certain that they are not now loquacious and inquisitive, as they have been so generally represented. Judging from my present experience, I should say that they are the quietest and most orderly people upon the face of the earth. Their silence is often oppressive. A party of Americans will often go through a meal Avithout saying a Avord, and such a thing as a general buzz of conArersation I have not heard since I left England.

At Boston I entered a large shaving establishment, where there Avere a dozen operators, and seAreral people waiting to be operated upon. When a chair became A^acant the foreman pointed to the man Avhose turn came next, and he took the seat; but not a Avord was said. After being there some time I looked at the clock to see Iioav long Ave should go on without speaking, and for the space of nine minutes the only sound Avas one sneeze and one enquiry as to the amount to be paid. I have since spent some Aveeks in this country, and have travelled through NeAv York, Albany, Niagara, Buffalo, and Pittsburg ; and although the people are not all so silent as in Boston, yet quietness and good order are universal. Americans will wait at a railway station Avithout even kicking their heels. At a public meeting speakers will be patiently heard who would be shut COUNTRY TOWNS. up in five minutes at a meeting in England.

At Gilmore's Gardens, in New York, a large company assembled to hear a telephonic concert, which Avas an entire failure ; for two hours the patience of the audience Avas tried, but not exhausted ; several hundreds of people had paid 2s. each for admission to hear the telephone, and had heard nothing, but no one complained. It is not difficult to ascertain the origin of this quiet, patient order of behaviour. On visiting the public schools you discover the discipline Avhich produces such results ; if the pupils go from one room to another, in doing so they march to the sound of the piano, and the slightest tendency to disorder, if it should arise, is corrected not by Avords but by signs. From five years old until fifteen or seventeen every American is subjected to this constant drilling. Here the school-master is the drill-sergeant, and his operations are universal.

To get a just idea of American men and manners it is essential to visit small country towns and villages, where all the merits and demerits of practical Republicanism are to be seen in their native vigour. The traveller on presenting himself at the village hotel is regarded by the host with unconcealed suspicion ; if the scrutiny to which he is subjected proves faArourable, he is informed that THE VILLAGE DINNER. 15 dinner Avill be ready about one o'clock, at which time the bell will be rung. About the appointed hour the bell rings ; you Avander in the direction of the sound, and find yourself in a sort of kitchen, where several people have taken their seats. Silence prevails, and if you Avish to break it you must be on your guard as to the manner of doing so. It Avill not do to begin upon the weather, which does not change here so frequently as in the old country, and to make an observation thereupon Avould at once indicate that you spoke mainly for the sake of talking ; it is necessary to think of something that you really Avant to knoAv.

At the first villao-e dinner Avhich I attended I ventured to begin the conversation by asking about the geographical formation of the neighbourhood. It Avas a hazardous experiment, but it proved entirely successful. Oae of the persons present, apparently a resident in the house, promptly gave me a clear and correct statement, Avhich fully ansAvered all the questions raised, beyond which he did not attempt to go. Other topics Avere discussed in a manner equally satisfactory. A quiet .young man at table put in an occasional sentence with excellent judgment. After dinner I Avished to A'isit a cheese factory, and arranged for a small carriage to be proATided for the purpose ; on setting WAGES OF FARM SERVANTS. out I discovered that the intelligent young man at the dinner-table Avas the ostler, Avho took his seat to drive me to the factory.

At a short distance we met a gentleman and lady driving a handsome pair of horses in a good carriage. They gave a familiar boAv as Ave passed, but I did not remember having seen them before. We then met a young lady Avith blue spectacles, wdio seemed quite anxious for a recognition ; but I Avas sure that I had never seen her, and it then came to my sIoav mind that the gentleman and ladies were boAving to the ostler. The ostler proved to be as intelligent in the carriage as he had been at the dinner-table, and explained that the farms we Avere passing Avere generally of about 150 acres, with 35 coavs on each ; that throughout the year the farmer, his Avife, and one man would do all the Avork, except just at the haymaking, AAdien an extra hand Avould be hired. Some potatoes, and a little corn, and probably fruit Avould be grown on each farm.

The value of the land, including the house and farm buildings, Avas usually 100 dollars, or £20, per acre. The wages paid to the man-servant on the farm varied from 15 dollars to 20 dollars per month Avith board, or 30 to 35 dollars Avithout board. The calves Avere usually killed at three days old, Avhen the skin Avas Avorth a dollar. The milk was taken twice a day A TOAVNSHIP. to the cheese factory, Avhere it was sold for one cent (one half-penny) per pound, and the farmer might fill his cans with Avhey or butter-milk, free of cost, and bring it home for the pigs. At the cheese factory we found most convenient arrangements for receiving and weighing milk, which was poured into tinned receptacles about 15 feet long and 5 feet wide ; they Avere surrounded Avith running cold water when it Avas desired to cool the milk, and with steam when it had to be heated.