north america-1-第45章

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t　extent　the　fertility　of　land　may　go；　or　how　great　may　be　the　weight　of　cereal　crops。　　And　for　all　this　the　Mississippi　was　the　high…road　to　market。　　When　the　crop　of　1861　was　garnered；　this　high…road　was　stopped　by　the　war。　　What　suffering　this　entailed　on　the　South　I　will　not　here　stop　to　say；　but　on　the　West　the　effect　was　terrible。　Corn　was　in　such　plentyIndian…corn；　that　is；　or　maizethat　it　was　not　worth　the　farmer's　while　to　prepare　it　for　market。　　When　I　was　in　Illinois；　the　second　quality　of　Indian…corn；　when　shelled；　was　not　worth　more　than　from　eight　to　ten　cents　a　bushel。　　But　the　shelling　and　preparation　is　laborious；　and　in　some　instances　it　was　found　better　to　burn　it　for　fuel　than　to　sell　it。　　Respecting　the　export　of　corn　from　the　West；　I　must　say　a　further　word　or　two　in　the　next　chapter；　but　it　seemed　to　be　indispensable　that　I　should　point　out　here　how　great　to　the　United　States　is　the　need　of　the　Mississippi。　　Nor　is　it　for　corn　and　wheat　only　that　its　waters　are　needed。　　Timber；　lead；　iron；　coal；　porkall　find；　or　should　find；　their　exit　to　the　world　at　large　by　this　road。　　There　are　towns　on　it；　and　on　its　tributaries；　already　holding　more　than　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　inhabitants。　　The　number　of　Cincinnati　exceeds　that；　as　also　does　the　number　of　St。　Louis。　　Under　these　circumstances　it　is　not　wonderful　that　the　States　should　wish　to　keep　in　their　own　hands　the　navigation　of　this　river。　It　is　not　wonderful。　　But　it　will　not；　I　think；　be　admitted　by　the　politicians　of　the　world　that　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　need　be　closed　against　the　West；　even　though　the　Southern　States　should　succeed　in　raising　themselves　to　the　power　and　dignity　of　a　separate　nationality。　　If　the　waters　of　the　Danube　be　not　open　to　Austria；　it　is　through　the　fault　of　Austria。　　That　the　subject　will　be　one　of　trouble；　no　man　can　doubt；　and　of　course　it　would　be　well　for　the　North　to　avoid　that；　or　any　other　trouble。　　In　the　mean　time　the　importance　of　this　right　of　way　must　be　admitted；　and　it　must　be　admitted；　also；　that　whatever　may　be　the　ultimate　resolve　of　the　North；　it　will　be　very　difficult　to　reconcile　the　West　to　a　divided　dominion　of　the　Mississippi。　St。　Paul　contains　about　14；000　inhabitants；　and；　like　all　other　American　towns；　is　spread　over　a　surface　of　ground　adapted　to　the　accommodation　of　a　very　extended　population。　　As　it　is　belted　on　one　side　by　the　river；　and　on　the　other　by　the　bluffs　which　accompany　the　course　of　the　river；　the　site　is　pretty；　and　almost　romantic。　　Here　also　we　found　a　great　hotel；　a　huge；　square　building；　such　as　we　in　England　might　perhaps　place　near　to　a　railway　terminus　in　such　a　city　as　Glasgow　or　Manchester；　but　on　which　no　living　Englishman　would　expend　his　money　in　a　town　even　five　times　as　big　again　as　St。　Paul。　　Everything　was　sufficiently　good；　and　much　more　than　sufficiently　plentiful。　　The　whole　thing　went　on　exactly　as　hotels　do　down　in　Massachusetts　or　the　State　of　New　York。　　Look　at　the　map　and　see　where　St。　Paul　is。　　Its　distance　from　all　known　civilizationall　civilization　that　has　succeeded　in　obtaining　acquaintance　with　the　world　at　largeis　very　great。　Even　American　travelers　do　not　go　up　there　in　great　numbers；　excepting　those　who　intend　to　settle　there。　　A　stray　sportsman　or　two；　American　or　English；　as　the　case　may　be；　makes　his　way　into　Minnesota　for　the　sake　of　shooting；　and　pushes　on　up　through　St。　Paul　to　the　Red　River。　　Some　few　adventurous　spirits　visit　the　Indian　settlements；　and　pass　over　into　the　unsettled　regions　of　Dacotah　and　Washington　Territory。　　But　there　is　no　throng　of　traveling。　　Nevertheless；　a　hotel　has　been　built　there　capable　of　holding　three　hundred　guests；　and　other　hotels　exist　in　the　neighborhood；　one　of　which　is　even　larger　than　that　at　St。　Paul。　Who　can　come　to　them；　and　create　even　a　hope　that　such　an　enterprise　may　be　remunerative？　　In　America　it　is　seldom　more　than　hope；　for　one　always　hears　that　such　enterprises　fail。　When　I　was　there　the　war　was　in　hand；　and　it　was　hardly　to　be　expected　that　any　hotel　should　succeed。　　The　landlord　told　me　that　he　held　it　at　the　present　time　for　a　very　low　rent；　and　that　he　could　just　manage　to　keep　it　open　without　loss。　　The　war　which　hindered　people　from　traveling；　and　in　that　way　injured　the　innkeepers；　also　hindered　people　from　housekeeping；　and　reduced　them　to　the　necessity　of　boarding　out；　by　which　the　innkeepers　were　of　course　benefited。　　At　St。　Paul　I　found　that　the　majority　of　the　guests　were　inhabitants　of　the　town；　boarding　at　the　hotel；　and　thus　dispensing　with　the　cares　of　a　separate　establishment。　　I　do　not　know　what　was　charged　for　such　accommodation　at　St。　Paul；　but　I　have　come　across　large　houses　at　which　a　single　man　could　get　all　that　he　required　for　a　dollar　a　day。　　Now　Americans　are　great　consumers；　especially　at　hotels；　and　all　that　a　man　requires　includes　three　hot　meals；　with　a　choice　from　about　two　dozen　dishes　at　each。　From　St。　Paul　there　are　two　waterfalls　to　be　seen；　which　we；　of　course；　visited。　　We　crossed　the　river　at　Fort　Snelling；　a　rickety；　ill…conditioned　building　standing　at　the　confluence　of　the　Minnesota　and　Mississippi　Rivers；　built　there　to　repress　the　Indians。　　It　is；　I　take　it；　very　necessary；　especially　at　the　present　moment；　as　the　Indians　seem　to　require　repressing。　　They　have　learned　that　the　attention　of　the　Federal　government　has　been　called　to　the　war；　and　have　become　bold　in　consequence。　　When　I　was　at　St。　Paul　I　heard　of　a　party　of　Englishmen　who　had　been　robbed　of　everything　they　possessed；　and　was　informed　that　the　farmers　in　the　distant　parts　of　the　State　were　by　no　means　secure。　　The　Indians　are　more　to　be　pitied　than　the　farmers。　　They　are　turning　against　enemies　who　will　neither　forgive　nor　forget　any　injuries　done。　When　the　war　is　over　they　will　be　improved；　and　polished；　and　annexed；　till　no　Indian　will　hold　an　acre　of　land　in　Minnesota。　　At　present　Fort　Snelling　is　the　nucleus　of　a　recruiting　camp。　　On　the　point　between　the　bluffs　of　the　two　rivers　there　is　a　plain；　immediately　in　front　of　the　fort；　and　there　we　saw　the　newly…joined　Minnesota　recruits　going　through　their　first　military　exercises。　They　were　in　detachments　of　twenties；　and　were　rude　enough　at　their　goose　step。　　The　matter　which　struck　me　most　in　looking　at　them　was　the　difference　of　condition　which　I　observed　in　the　men。　　There　were　the　country　lads；　fresh　from　the　farms；　such　as　we　see　following　the　recruiting　sergeant　through　English　towns；　but　there　were　also　men　in　black　coats　and　black　trowsers；　with　thin　boots；　and　trimmed　beardsbeards　which　had　been　trimmed　till　very　lately；　and　some　of　them　with　beards　which　showed　that　they　were　no　longer　young。　　It　was　inexpressibly　melancholy　to　see　such　men　as　these　twisting　and　turning　about　at　the　corporal's　word；　each　handling　some　stick　in　his　hand　in　lieu　of　weapon。　　Of　course；　they　were　more　awkward　than　the　boys；　even　though　they　were　twice　more　assiduous　in　their　efforts。　　Of　course；　they　were　sad　and　wretched。　I　saw　men　there　that　were　very　wretchedall　but　heart…broken；　if　one　might　judge　from　their　faces。　　They　should　not　have　been　there　handling　sticks；　and　moving　their　unaccustomed　legs　in　cramped　paces。　　They　were　as　razors；　for　which　no　better　purpose　could　be　found　than　the　cutting　of　blocks。　　When　such　attempts　are　made　the　block　is　not　cut；　but　the　razor　is　spoiled。　　Most　unfit　for　the　commencement　of　a　soldier's　life　were　some　that　I　saw　there；　but　I　do　not　doubt　that　they　had　been　attracted　to　the　work　by　the　one　idea　of　doing　something　for　their　country　in　its　trouble。　From　Fort　Snelling　we　went　on　to　the　Falls　of　Minnehaha。　Minnehaha；　laughing　water。　　Such；　I　believe；　is　the　interpretation。　The　name　in　this　case　is　more　imposing　than　the　fall。　　It　is　a　pretty　little　cascade；　and　might　do　for　a　picnic　in　fine　weather；　but　it　is　not　a　waterfall　of　which　a　man　can　make　much　when　found　so　far　away　from　home。　　Going　on　from　Minnehaha　we　came　to　Minneapolis；　at　which　place　there　is　a　fine　suspension　bridge　across　the　river；　just　above　the　falls　of　St。　Anthony　and　leading　to　the　town　of　that　name。　　Till　I　got　there　I　could　hardly　believe　that　in　these　days　there　should　be　a　living　village　called　Minneapolis　by　living　men。