The Atlantic to the Pacific

Front matter

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Chapter I

General Plan of the Letters. — The Several Routes from the East to Chicago. — The Erie Road.

I PROPOSE^ in a series of letters, to describe not only the points of interest in a journey to California, but to speak of the way to see them. The Eastern man, riding npon an express-train, with head full of plans for moneymaking, sees little of the country. A Western man travels upon slower trains ; and his object is to observe the advantages and peculiarities of the country, both with an eye to investment, and to give information to others. To accomplish any result in gaining facts by railroad travel, one should study well the history and geography of the States through which the road passes ; then the location of towns, of rivers, and hills, as well as the general characteristics of the country, will be observed and remembered. A little time thus employed before beginning a journey often saves mucli disappointment, and really changes what otherwise would have been a very disagreeable ride to a pleasant journey.

In starting for California, one must study well his journey, and decide his route to Omaha; for to this point the various lines all compete for favor.

There are three lines to Chicago, — the Erie, New- York Central, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the connecting lines of each.

From Boston or Providence one can reach Albany over the old route, and there connect with the train from New York.

The morning trains out of New York all carry drawing-room and sleeping cars, which make the journey much more pleasant.

The Erie Road offers man}^ attractions. Its coaches are very wide, elegant, and, for easy riding, unsurpassed. These, added to the beauty of the scenery, make it a desirable route.

The road passes along the Delaware River, often far above its waters, with mountains towering upon either side ; their faces now cleft from solid rocks, now covered with fine forests. Then, again, the road runs along its bank, the rich bottom-lands stretching far away. From Port Jervis to Susquehanna, we run along this river, then we enter the valley of the Susquehanna River; and a richer country than from here to Hornellsville you cannot find. Broad fields, rolling uplands, neat farmhouses, meet the view on every side. The road, just before it reaches Binghampton, passes over the Starucca Valley, one of the most picturesque places I have ever visited. This valley reminds one of Lyndwyllyn in Wales. From Hornellsville, by an uninteresting ride, Buffalo is reached, where the Lake-shore Eoad starts for Cleveland, from whence lines diverge west and south-west. Niagara Falls and Suspension Bridge are reached from Buffalo.

We reach Chicago, and find ourselves in the busy, hurrying, noisy marts of trade. Although her business-houses were nearly all destroyed by the great fire, temporary structures were erected, to which merchandise t>f every kind poured in from the East ; our faith being unshaken that Chicago must be a great city, the key to the great Korth-west. Now many permanent buildings are already erected, and nearly ready for occupancy. Some are architecturally fine ; but it seems that the people are determined to build more substantially than before, expending less in mere ornamentation. Wandering around through streets once familiar to us, we often lost our way ; and, had the walls of the courthouse not remained, there would not have been any thing to tell us of this once famed section of the city. Trade will undoubtedly be somewhat changed ; two of the largest dry-goods firms having moved west nearly a mile from^the once centre of this interest. Wabash Avenue will undoubtedly be the Broadway of the city ; State will have the banks ; and the streets running west between Lake and Van Buren, as far as the river, will all be built up with business-houses, thus spreading trade over a much larger space, and equalizing values of real estate. Such pluck and energy were never before shown by the business-men of a city seemingly so utterly destroyed as was Chicago by the fire. Most of the merchants to whom credit was given have kept their promises ; and business is seemingly in a healthy condition.

To connect with the lines west from Chicago, leave ISTew York by the night-trains over either road, reaching that city the second morning after, in time for the early trains, which are the regular Pacific expresses. Leaving by the morning expresses out of New York, it will be better to stay over in Chicago, where a day or two can be very pleasantly passed in looking over the track of the fire.

But we must push on westward towards Omaha, that wonder in citf/-hm\dmg.

CHAPTER 11.

The Three Routes from Chicago to Omaha. — A Ride through Northern Iowa.

From Chicago yon start upon the jonrney west, and have the choice of three routes, all reaching Council Bluffs about the same time. The North-western, the Rock Island, and the Burlington and Quincy Roads offer about equal advantages ; and, as these companies share equally the profits of the through business, competition, which so well serves the public, is lacking. The first road crosses the Mississippi at Clinton, the second at Rock Island, and the last at Burlington. As I desired to see the rich corn-lands of Iowa, I chose the first, and took the 9.45, p.m., train, and, having given the porter directions to call me at the river, retired to a cleanlylooking bed, and was soon a^sleep.

The light was just bret^king in the east when we

looked out of the car-window. We soon reached Fulton,

and crossed the river to Clinton. The bridge is in two

sections ; an island about the centre of the river dividing it. The first section is of iron, the last of wood, both together more than a mile in length. This point is about two tliousancl miles from the mouth of the river, which is navigable for more than four hundred miles farther north, — noble river, bearing upon its bosom the products of the rich valley in its march to old ocean !

From Clinton to Mt. Vernon we pass through the " garden of Iowa." The comfortable brick and frame houses, the well-built barns, the fences, the sleek cattle, all smack of thrift and wealth. Here the land is rolling, well watered, and as productive as on the prairies of Illinois. They say out here, that when a farmer gets his lands paid for, and a little ahead, he builds a hrlck house. This section is by far the fairest I have seen West, and reminds one of the country seen in passing from Liverpool to London.

After we reach Cedar Eiver, the characteristics of the country change. Cedar Rapids is a busy place, where the river offers good facilities for water-power. Leaving this place, we reach again j)i'airie-lands. For the last two hundred miles, the wheat looks well ; and the farmers are hurrying in their corn. Through Indiana and Illinois the wheat was badly winter-killed 5 and the j)oor prospects for a crop have sent up the price.

The low price of corn has forced the farmers into raising swine. The corn now in store is placed in ternporary cribs erected along the line of the raih'oad. At one pLace there were more than a hundred thousand bushels thus piled to be shipped East.

Marshall, a town of some importance, two hundred and eighty-nine miles west of Chicago, suffered from a terrible fire on Saturday last, when the elevator, depot, hotels, and several stores, were destroyed. This was the terminus of the road until the Union Pacific was begun ; and from here to " The Bluffs" we are in a new country, passing through prairies where plough has never been, and with only here and there a dwelling. Along the old stage-road you see the " schooners," as they call the emigrant wagons, wending their way west. Along with them are sturdy men and women who are to develop the country.

One must bear in mind that we are passing along a section which was, but a few years ago, an unknown land, whose hidden wealth is now to be brought forth to add to the unprecedented prosperity of the Great West.

Passing along by Colo, one is in the section of the great tornado of last year ; and a gentleman familiar with the country told me that the ^^ wind blew so hard here, that it would open a jack-knife in one's pocket." I cannot say that he gave me a very good idea by his description.

One meets the dwellers from the east of the Mississippi, going to the Far West, because Illinois and Ohio have become too thickly settled, as thej^ say. They all seemed bent upon the mission of developing the resources of the country, and to do this are willing to leave their homes. There was upon our train a gentleman, some eighty years old, who emigrated to the North-west before there were any States called Ohio, Illinois, or Indiana ; and to hear the old pioneer recount his adventures was very interesting. He was now going upon a journey to the West, to visit some of his grandchildren, of whom he had twenty-eight scattered through the country around.

But we are nearing "The Bluffs;" the great Missouri is to be crossed ; and we must prepare to disembark from this car, for as yet no satisfactory arrangement has been made to take the cars of the Eastern roads across the bridge. The opening of the Northern Pacific will perhaps force the Union to better serve its patrons. Our train is slowing for this city of the Indian councils held in the days before railroads were known.