north america-1-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


your　luggage　is　afterward　found　by　you　in　the　hall　of　your　hotel。　　There　is　undoubtedly　very　much　of　comfort　in　this；　and　the　mind　of　the　traveler　is　lost　in　amazement　as　he　thinks　of　the　futile　efforts　with　which　he　would　struggle　to　regain　his　luggage　were　there　no　such　arrangement。　　Enormous　piles　of　boxes　are　disclosed　on　the　platform　at　all　the　larger　stations；　the　numbers　of　which　are　roared　forth　with　quick　voice　by　some　two　or　three　railway　denizens　at　once。　　A　modest　English　voyager；　with　six　or　seven　small　packages；　would　stand　no　chance　of　getting　anything　if　he　were　left　to　his　own　devices。　　As　it　is；　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　thing　is　well　done。　　I　have　had　my　desk　with　all　my　money　in　it　lost　for　a　day；　and　my　black　leather　bag　was　on　one　occasion　sent　back　over　the　line。　　They；　however；　were　recovered；　and；　on　the　whole；　I　feel　grateful　to　the　check　system　of　the　American　railways。　　And　then；　too；　one　never　hears　of　extra　luggage。　　Of　weight　they　are　quite　regardless。　　On　two　or　three　occasions　an　overwrought　official　has　muttered　between　his　teeth　that　ten　packages　were　a　great　many；　and　that　some　of　those　〃light　fixings〃　might　have　been　made　up　into　one。　　And　when　I　came　to　understand　that　the　number　of　every　check　was　entered　in　a　book；　and　re…　entered　at　every　change；　I　did　whisper　to　my　wife　that　she　ought　to　do　without　a　bonnet　box。　　The　ten；　however；　went　on；　and　were　always　duly　protected。　　I　must　add；　however；　that　articles　requiring　tender　treatment　will　sometimes　reappear　a　little　the　worse　from　the　hardships　of　their　journey。　I　have　not　much　to　say　of　Detroitnot　much；　that　is；　beyond　what　I　have　to　say　of　all　the　North。　　It　is　a　large；　well…built；　half…　finished　city　lying　on　a　convenient　waterway；　and　spreading　itself　out　with　promises　of　a　wide　and　still　wider　prosperity。　　It　has　about　it　perhaps　as　little　of　intrinsic　interest　as　any　of　those　large　Western　towns　which　I　visited。　　It　is　not　so　pleasant　as　Milwaukee；　nor　so　picturesque　as　St。　Paul；　nor　so　grand　as　Chicago；　nor　so　civilized　as　Cleveland；　nor　so　busy　as　Buffalo。　　Indeed；　Detroit　is　neither　pleasant　nor　picturesque　at　all。　　I　will　not　say　that　it　is　uncivilized；　but　it　has　a　harsh；　crude；　unprepossessing　appearance。　　It　has　some　70；000　inhabitants；　and　good　accommodation　for　shipping。　　It　was　doing　an　enormous　business　before　the　war　began；　and；　when　these　troublous　times　are　over；　will　no　doubt　again　go　ahead。　　I　do　not；　however；　think　it　well　to　recommend　any　Englishman　to　make　a　special　visit　to　Detroit　who　may　be　wholly　uncommercial　in　his　views；　and　travel　in　search　of　that　which　is　either　beautiful　or　interesting。　From　Detroit　we　continued　our　course　westward　across　the　State　of　Michigan；　through　a　country　that　was　absolutely　wild　till　the　railway　pierced　it；　Very　much　of　it　is　still　absolutely　wild。　　For　miles　upon　miles　the　road　passes　the　untouched　forest；　showing　that　even　in　Michigan　the　great　work　of　civilization　has　hardly　more　than　been　commenced。　　One　thinks　of　the　all　but　countless　population　which　is；　before　long；　to　be　fed　from　these　regionsof　the　cities　which　will　grow　here；　and　of　the　amount　of　government　which　in　due　time　will　be　requiredone　can　hardly　fail　to　feel　that　the　division　of　the　United　States　into　separate　nationalities　is　merely　a　part　of　the　ordained　work　of　creation　as　arranged　for　the　well…being　of　mankind。　　The　States　already　boast　of　thirty　millions　of　inhabitantsnot　of　unnoticed　and　unnoticeable　beings　requiring　little；　knowing　little；　and　doing　little；　such　as　are　the　Eastern　hordes；　which　may　be　counted　by　tens　of　millions；　but　of　men　and　women　who　talk　loudly　and　are　ambitious；　who　eat　beef；　who　read　and　write；　and　understand　the　dignity　of　manhood。　　But　these　thirty　millions　are　as　nothing　to　the　crowds　which　will　grow　sleek；　and　talk　loudly；　and　become　aggressive　on　these　wheat　and　meat　producing　levels。　　The　country　is　as　yet　but　touched　by　the　pioneering　hand　of　population。　　In　the　old　countries；　agriculture；　following　on　the　heels　of　pastoral；　patriarchal　life；　preceded　the　birth　of　cities。　　But　in　this　young　world　the　cities　have　come　first。　　The　new　Jasons；　blessed　with　the　experience　of　the　Old…　World　adventurers；　have　gone　forth　in　search　of　their　golden　fleeces；　armed　with　all　that　the　science　and　skill　of　the　East　had　as　yet　produced；　and；　in　settling　up　their　new　Colchis；　have　begun　by　the　erection　of　first　class　hotels　and　the　fabrication　of　railroads。　　Let　the　Old　World　bid　them　God　speed　in　their　work。　Only　it　would　be　well　if　they　could　be　brought　to　acknowledge　from　whence　they　have　learned　all　that　they　know。　Our　route　lay　right　across　the　State　to　a　place　called　Grand　Haven；　on　Lake　Michigan；　from　whence　we　were　to　take　boat　for　Milwaukee；　a　town　in　Wisconsin；　on　the　opposite　or　western　shore　of　the　lake。　Michigan　is　sometimes　called　the　Peninsular　State；　from　the　fact　that　the　main　part　of　its　territory　is　surrounded　by　Lakes　Michigan　and　Huron；　by　the　little　Lake　St。　Clair　and　by　Lake　Erie。　　It　juts　out　to　the　northward　from　the　main　land　of　Indiana　and　Ohio；　and　is　circumnavigable　on　the　east；　north；　and　west。　　These　particulars；　however；　refer　to　a　part　of　the　State　only；　for　a　portion　of　it　lies　on　the　other　side　of　Lake　Michigan；　between　that　and　Lake　Superior。　　I　doubt　whether　any　large　inland　territory　in　the　world　is　blessed　with　such　facilities　of　water　carriage。　On　arriving　at　Grand　Haven　we　found　that　there　had　been　a　storm　on　the　lake；　and　that　the　passengers　from　the　trains　of　the　preceding　day　were　still　remaining　there；　waiting　to　be　carried　over　to　Milwaukee。　　The　water　howeveror　the　sea；　as　they　all　call　itwas　still　very　high；　and　the　captain　declared　his　intention　of　remaining　there　that　night；　whereupon　all　our　fellow…travelers　huddled　themselves　into　the　great　lake　steamboat；　and　proceeded　to　carry　on　life　there　as　though　they　were　quite　at　home。　　The　men　took　themselves　to　the　bar…room；　and　smoked　cigars　and　talked　about　the　war　with　their　feet　upon　the　counter；　and　the　women　got　themselves　into　rocking…chairs　in　the　saloon；　and　sat　there　listless　and　silent；　but　not　more　listless　and　silent　than　they　usually　are　in　the　big　drawing…rooms　of　the　big　hotels。　　There　was　supper　there　precisely　at　six　o'clockbeef…steaks；　and　tea；　and　apple　jam；　and　hot　cakes；　and　light　fixings；　to　all　which　luxuries　an　American　deems　himself　entitled；　let　him　have　to　seek　his　meal　where　he　may。　　And　I　was　soon　informed；　with　considerable　energy；　that　let　the　boat　be　kept　there　as　long　as　it　might　by　stress　of　weather；　the　beef…steaks　and　apple　jam；　light　fixings　and　heavy　fixings；　must　be　supplied　at　the　cost　of　the　owners　of　the　ship。　〃Your　first　supper　you　pay　for；〃　my　informant　told　me；　〃because　you　eat　that　on　your　own　account。　　What　you　consume　after　that　comes　of　their　doing；　because　they　don't　start；　and　if　it's　three　meals　a　day　for　a　week；　it's　their　look　out。〃　　It　occurred　to　me　that；　under　such　circumstances；　a　captain　would　be　very　apt　to　sail　either　in　foul　weather　or　in　fair。　It　was　a　bright　moonlight　nightmoonlight　such　as　we　rarely　have　in　Englandand　I　started　off　by　myself　for　a　walk；　that　I　might　see　of　what　nature　were　the　environs　of　Grand　Haven。　　A　more　melancholy　place　I　never　beheld。　　The　town　of　Grand　Haven　itself　is　placed　on　the　opposite　side　of　a　creek；　and　was　to　be　reached　by　a　ferry。　　On　our　side；　to　which　the　railway　came　and　from　which　the　boat　was　to　sail；　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　but　sand　hills；　which　stretched　away　for　miles　along　the　shore　of　the　lake。　　There　were　great　sand　mountains　and　sand　valleys；　on　the　surface　of　which　were　scattered　the　debris　of　dead　trees；　scattered　logs　white　with　age；　and　boughs　half　buried　beneath　the　sand。　　Grand　Haven　itself　is　but　a　poor　place；　not　having　succeeded　in　catching　much　of　the　commerce　which　comes　across　the　lake　from　Wisconsin；　and　which　takes　itself　on　Eastward　by　the　railway。　　Altogether；　it　is　a　dreary　place；　such　as　might　break　a　man's　heart　should　he　find　that　inexorable　fate　required　him　there　to　pitch　his　tent。　On　my　return　I　went　down　into　the　bar…room　of　the　steamer；　put　my　feet　upon　the　counter；　lit　my　cigar；　and　struck　into　the　debate　then　proceeding　on　the　subject　of　the　war。　　I　was　get