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[Illustration: Willard Glazier]
PECULIARITIES
OF
AMERICAN CITIES.
BY
CAPTAIN WILLARD GLAZIER,
AUTHOR OF "SOLDIERS OF THE SADDLE," "CAPTURE, PRISON-PEN AND
ESCAPE," "BATTLES FOR THE UNION," "HEROES OF THREE WARS,"
"DOWN THE GREAT RIVER," ETC., ETC.
Illustrated.
PHILADELPHIA:
HUBBARD BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
No. 723 CHESTNUT STREET.
1886.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by
WILLARD GLAZIER,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
To her
WHO IS NEAREST AND DEAREST;
WHOSE HEART HAS ENCOURAGED;
WHOSE HAND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE
ILLUSTRATION AND EMBELLISHMENT
OF ALL MY LITERARY WORK,
This Volume
IS LOVINGLY INSCRIBED
BY
_THE AUTHOR_.
PREFACE.
It has occurred to the author very often that a volume presenting the
peculiar features, favorite resorts and distinguishing characteristics,
of the leading cities of America, would prove of interest to thousands
who could, at best, see them only in imagination, and to others, who,
having visited them, would like to compare notes with one who has made
their PECULIARITIES a study for many years.
A residence in more than a hundred cities, including nearly all that
are introduced in this work, leads me to feel that I shall succeed in
my purpose of giving to the public a book, without the necessity of
marching in slow and solemn procession before my readers a monumental
array of time-honored statistics; on the contrary, it will be my aim, in
the following pages, to talk of cities as I have seen and found them in
my walks, from day to day, with but slight reference to their origin and
past history.
WILLARD GLAZIER.
22 Jay Street,
ALBANY, _September 24, 1883_.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of the Author (Steel) FRONTISPIECE.
PAGE
State Street and Capitol, Albany, N. Y. 34
Boston, as Viewed from the Bay 38
Soldiers' Monument at Buffalo, N. Y. 62
View of Baltimore, from Federal Hill 92
View of the Battery, Charleston, South Carolina 108
Garden at Mount Pleasant, opposite Charleston, S. C. 112
Custom House, Charleston, South Carolina 116
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina 120
Public Square and Perry Monument, Cleveland, Ohio 150
Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 156
Bird's-eye View of Chicago, from the Lake Side 160
Burning of Chicago, the World's Greatest Conflagration 164
Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago 170
Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 192
Harrisburg and Bridges over the Susquehanna 200
Jackson Square and Old Cathedral, New Orleans 274
Mardi Gras Festival, New Orleans 278
Bird's-eye View of New York 296
New York and Brooklyn Bridge 318
Pittsburg and its Rivers 336
Night Scene in Market Square, Portland, Maine 360
Old Independence Hall, Philadelphia 370
Masonic Temple, Philadelphia 378
Girard Avenue Bridge, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia 394
View of Providence, Rhode Island, from Prospect Terrace 400
Tabernacle and Temple, Salt Lake City 440
Seal Rocks from the Cliff House, near San Francisco 462
Levee and Great Bridge at St. Louis 492
Shaw's Garden at St. Louis, Missouri 502
University of Toronto, Canada 524
East Front of Capitol at Washington 538
State, War and Navy Departments, Washington, D. C. 546
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.--ALBANY.
From Boston to Albany.--Worcester and Pittsfield.--The Empire
State and its Capital.--Old Associations.--State Street.--
Sketch of Early History.--Killian Van Rensselaer.--Dutch
Emigration.--Old Fort Orange.--City Heights.--The Lumber
District.--Van Rensselaer Homestead.--The New Capitol.--
Military Bureau.--War Relics.--Letter of General Dix.--
Ellsworth and Lincoln Memorials.--Geological Rooms.--The
Cathedral.--Dudley Observatory.--Street Marketing.--Troy and
Cohoes.--Stove Works.--Paper Boats.--Grand Army Rooms.--Down
the Hudson. 25-37
CHAPTER II.--BOSTON.
Geographical Location of Boston.--Ancient Names.--Etymology
of the Word Massachusetts.--Changes in the Peninsula.--Noted
Points of Interest.--Boston Common.--Old Elm.--Duel Under
its Branches.--Soldiers' Monument.--Fragmentary History.--
Courtship on the Common.--Faneuil Hall and Market.--Old State
House.--King's Chapel.--Brattle Square Church.--New State
House.--New Post Office.--Old South Church.--Birthplace of
Franklin.--"News Letter."--City Hall.--Custom House.--
Providence Railroad Station.--Places of General Interest. 38-56
CHAPTER III.--BUFFALO.
The Niagara Frontier.--Unfortunate Fate of the Eries.--The
Battle of Doom.--Times of 1812.--Burning of Buffalo.--Early
Names.--Origin of Present Name.--Growth and Population.--
Railway Lines.--Queen of the Great Lakes.--Fort Porter and
Fort Erie.--International Bridge.--Iron Manufacture.--Danger
of the Niagara.--Forest Lawn Cemetery.--Decoration Day.--
The Spaulding Monument.--Parks and Boulevard.--Delaware
Avenue.--On the Terrace.--Elevator District.--Church and
Schools.--Grosvenor Library.--Historical Rooms.--Journalism.--
Public Buildings.--City Hall.--Dog-carts and their Attendants. 57-71
CHAPTER IV.--BROOKLYN.
Brooklyn a Suburb of New York.--A City of Homes.--Public
Buildings.--Churches.--Henry Ward Beecher.--Thomas De
Witt Talmage.--Theodore L. Cuyler, D.D.--Justin D. Fulton,
D.D.--R. S. Storrs, D.D.--Navy Yard.--Atlantic Dock.--
Washington Park.--Prospect Park.--Greenwood Cemetery.--
Evergreen and Cyprus Hills Cemeteries.--Coney Island.--
Rockaway.--Staten Island.--Glen Island.--Future of Brooklyn. 72-84
CHAPTER V.--BALTIMORE.
Position of Baltimore.--Streets.--Cathedral and Churches.--
Public Buildings.--Educational Institutions.--Art
Collections.--Charitable Institutions.--Monuments.--Railway
Tunnels.--Parks and Cemeteries.--Druid Hill Park.--Commerce
and Manufactures.--Foundation of the City.--Early History.--
Bonaparte-Patterson Marriage.--Storming of Baltimore in
1814.--Maryland at the Breaking-out of the Rebellion.--Assault
on Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, in April, 1861.--Subsequent
Events during the War.--Baltimore Proves Herself Loyal.--
Re-union of Grand Army of the Republic in Baltimore,
September, 1882.--Old Differences Forgotten and Fraternal
Relations Established. 85-106
CHAPTER VI.--CHARLESTON.
First Visit to Charleston.--Jail Yard.--Bombardment of the
City.--Roper Hospital.--Charleston During the War.--Secession
of South Carolina.--Attack and Surrender of Fort Sumter.--
Blockade of the Harbor.--Great Fire of 1861.--Capitulation
in 1865.--First Settlement of the City.--Battles of the
Revolution.--Nullification Act.--John C. Calhoun.--Population
of the City.--Commerce and Manufactures.--Charleston Harbor.--
"American Venice."--Battery.--Streets, Public Buildings and
Churches.--Scenery about Charleston.--Railways and Steamship
Lines.--An Ancient Church.--Magnolia Cemetery.--Drives near
the City.--Charleston Purified by Fire. 107-120
CHAPTER VII.--CINCINNATI.
Founding of Cincinnati.--Rapid Increase of Population.--
Character of its Early Settlers.--Pro-slavery Sympathies.--
During the Rebellion.--Description of the City.--Smoke and
Soot--Suburbs.--"Fifth Avenue" of Cincinnati.--Streets,
Public Buildings, Private Art Galleries, Hotels, Churches
and Educational Institutions.--"Over the Rhine."--Hebrew
Population.--Liberal Religious Sentiment.--Commerce and
Manufacturing Interests.--Stock Yards and Pork-packing
Establishments.--Wine Making.--Covington and Newport
Suspension Bridge.--High Water.--Spring Grove Cemetery. 121-139
CHAPTER VIII.--CLEVELAND.
The "Western Reserve."--Character of Early Settlers.--
Fairport.--Richmond.--Early History of Cleveland.--Indians.--
Opening of Ohio and Portsmouth Canal.--Commerce in 1845.--
Cleveland in 1850.--First Railroad.--Manufacturing
Interests.--Cuyahoga "Flats" at Night.--The "Forest City."--
Streets and Avenues.--Monumental Park.--Public Buildings
and Churches.--Union Depot.--Water Rents.--Educational
Institutions.--Rocky River.--Approach to the City.--Freshet of
1883.--Funeral of President Garfield.--Lake Side Cemetery.--
Site of the Garfield Monument. 140-156
CHAPTER IX.--CHICAGO.
Topographical Situation of Chicago.--Meaning of the Name.--
Early History.--Massacre at Fort Dearborn.--Last of the Red
Men.--The Great Land Bubble.--Rapid Increase in Population
and Business.--The Canal.--First Railroad.--Status of
the City in 1871.--The Great Fire.--Its Origin, Progress and
Extent.--Heartrending Scenes.--Estimated Total Loss.--Help
from all Quarters.--Work of Reconstruction.--Second Fire.--
Its Public Buildings, Educational and Charitable Institutions,
Streets and Parks.--Its Waterworks.--Its Stock Yards.--Its
Suburbs.--Future of the City. 157-175
CHAPTER X.--CHEYENNE.
Location of Cheyenne.--Founding of the City.--Lawlessness.--
Vigilance Committee.--Woman Suffrage.--Rapid Increase of
Population and Business.--A Reaction.--Stock Raising.--
Irrigation.--Mineral Resources.--Present Prospects. 176-181
CHAPTER XI--DETROIT.
Detroit and Her Avenues of Approach.--Competing Lines.--
London in Canada.--The Strait and the Ferry.--Music on the
Waters.--The Home of the Algonquins.--Teusha-grondie.--
Wa-we-aw-to-nong.--Fort Ponchartrain and the Early French
Settlers.--The Red Cross of St. George.--Conspiracy of
Pontiac.--Battle of Bloody Run.--The Long Siege.--Detroit's
First American Flag.--Old Landmarks.--The Pontiac Tree.--
Devastation by Fire.--Site of the Modern City.--New City
Hall.--Public Library.--Mexican Antiquities. 182-193
CHAPTER XII.--ERIE.
Decoration Day in Pennsylvania.--Lake Erie.--Natural
Advantages of Erie.--Her Harbor, Commerce and Manufactures.--
Streets and Public Buildings.--Soldiers' Monument.--Erie
Cemetery.--East and West Parks.--Perry's Victory. 194-198
CHAPTER XIII.--HARRISBURG.
A Historic Tree.--John Harris' Wild Adventure with the
Indians.--Harris Park.--History of Harrisburg.--Situation
and Surroundings.--State House.--State Library.--A Historic
Flag.--View from State House Dome.--Capitol Park.--Monument
to Soldiers of Mexican War.--Monument to Soldiers of Late
War.--Public Buildings.--Front Street.--Bridges over the
Susquehanna.--Mt. Kalmia Cemetery.--Present Advantages and
Future Prospects of Harrisburg. 199-206
CHAPTER XIV.--HARTFORD.
The City of Publishers.--Its Geographical Location.--The New
State House.--Mark Twain and the "None Such."--The "Heathen
Chinee."--Wadsworth Atheneum.--Charter Oak.--George H. Clark's
Poem.--Putnam's Hotel.--Asylum for Deaf Mutes.--The Sign
Language.--A Fragment of Witchcraftism.--Hartford
_Courant_.--The Connecticut. 207-215
CHAPTER XV.--LANCASTER.
First Visit to Lancaster.--Eastern Pennsylvania.--Conestoga
River.--Early History of Lancaster.--Early Dutch Settlers.--
Manufactures.--Public Buildings.--Whit-Monday.--Home of
three Noted Persons.--James Buchanan, his Life and Death.--
Thaddeus Stevens and his Burial Place.--General Reynolds
and his Death.--"Cemetery City." 216-221
CHAPTER XVI.--MILWAUKEE.
Rapid Development of the Northwest.--The "West" Forty
Years Ago.--Milwaukee and its Commerce and Manufactures.--
Grain Elevators.--Harbor.--Divisions of the City.--Public
Buildings.--Northwestern National Asylum for Disabled
Soldiers.--German Population.--Influence and Results of German
Immigration.--Bank Riot in 1862.--Ancient Tumuli.--Mound
Builders.--Mounds Near Milwaukee.--Significance of Same.--
Early Traders.--Foundation of the City in 1835.--Excelling
Chicago in 1870.--Population and Commerce in 1880. 222-235
CHAPTER XVII--MONTREAL.
Thousand Islands.--Long Sault Rapids.--Lachine Rapids.--
Victoria Bridge--Mont Real.--Early History of Montreal.--
Its Shipping Interests.--Quays.--Manufactures.--Population.--
Roman Catholic Supremacy.--Churches.--Nunneries.--Hospitals,
Colleges.--Streets.--Public Buildings.--Victoria Skating
Rink.--Sleighing.--Early Disasters.--Points of Interest.--
The "Canucks." 236-247
CHAPTER XVIII.--NEWARK.
From New York to Newark.--Two Hundred Years Ago.--The
Pioneers.--Public Parks.--City of Churches.--The Canal.--
Sailing Up-Hill.--An Old Graveyard.--New Amsterdam and New
Netherlands.--The Dutch and English.--Adventurers from New
England.--The Indians.--Rate of Population.--Manufactures.--
Rank as a City. 248-255
CHAPTER XIX.--NEW HAVEN.
The City of Elms.--First Impressions.--A New England Sunday.--
A Sail on the Harbor.--Oyster Beds.--East Rock.--The Lonely
Denizen of the Bluff.--Romance of John Turner.--West Rock.--
The Judges' Cave.--Its Historical Association.--Escape of
the Judges.--Monument on the City Green.--Yale College.--Its
Stormy Infancy.--Battle on the Weathersfield Road.--Harvard,
the Fruit of the Struggle. 256-263
CHAPTER XX.--NEW ORLEANS.
Locality of New Orleans.--The Mississippi.--The Old and the
New.--Ceded to Spain.--Creole Part in the American Revolution.
Retransferred to France.--Purchased by the United States.--
Creole Discontent.--Battle of New Orleans.--Increase of
Population.--The Levee.--Shipping.--Public Buildings,
Churches, Hospitals, Hotels and Places of Amusement.--
Streets.--Suburbs.--Public Squares and Parks.--Places
of Historic Interest.--Cemeteries.--French Market.--
Mardi-gras.--Climate and Productions.--New Orleans during
the Rebellion.--Chief Cotton Mart of the World.--Exports.--
Imports.--Future Prosperity of the City. 264-280
CHAPTER XXI.--NEW YORK.
Early History of New York.--During the Revolution.--Evacuation
Day.--Bowling Green.--Wall Street.--Stock Exchange.--
Jacob Little.--Daniel Drew.--Jay Cooke.--Rufus Hatch.--
The Vanderbilts.--Jay Gould.--Trinity Church.--John Jacob
Astor.--Post-Office.--City Hall and Court House.--James Gordon
Bennett.--Printing House Square.--Horace Greeley.--Broadway.--
Union Square.--Washington Square.--Fifth Avenue.--Madison
Square.--Cathedral.--Murray Hill.--Second Avenue.--Booth's
Theatre and Grand Opera House.--The Bowery.--Peter Cooper.--
Fourth Avenue.--Park Avenue.--Five Points and its Vicinity.--
Chinese Quarter.--Tombs.--Central Park.--Water Front.--
Blackwell's Island.--Hell Gate.--Suspension Bridge.--Opening
Day.--Tragedy of Decoration Day.--New York of the Present and
Future. 281-318
CHAPTER XXII.--OMAHA.
Arrival in Omaha.--The Missouri River.--Position and
Appearance of the City.--Public Buildings.--History.--Land
Speculation.--Panic of 1857.--Discovery of Gold in Colorado.--
"Pike's Peak or Bust."--Sudden Revival of Business.--First
Railroad.--Union Pacific Railroad.--Population.--Commercial
and Manufacturing Interests.--Bridge over the Missouri.--
Union Pacific Depot--Prospects for the Future. 319-325
CHAPTER XXIII.--OTTAWA.
Ottawa, the Seat of the Canadian Government.--History.--
Population.--Geographical Position.--Scenery.--Chaudiere
Falls.--Rideau Falls.--Ottawa River.--Lumber Business.--
Manufactures.--Steamboat and Railway Communications.--Moore's
Canadian Boat Song.--Description of the City.--Churches,
Nunneries, and Charitable Institutions.--Government
Buildings.--Rideau Hall.--Princess Louise and Marquis
of Lorne.--Ottawa's Proud Boast. 326-331
CHAPTER XXIV.--PITTSBURG.
Pittsburg at Night.--A Pittsburg Fog.--Smoke.--Description of
the City.--The Oil Business.--Ohio River.--Public Buildings,
Educational and Charitable Institutions.--Glass Industry.--
Iron Foundries.--Fort Pitt Works--Casting a Monster Gun.--
American Iron Works.--Nail Works.--A City of Workers.--
A True Democracy.--Wages.--Character of Workmen.--Value of
Organization.--Knights of Labor.--Opposed to Strikes.--True
Relations of Capital and Labor.--Railroad Strike of 1877.--
Allegheny City.--Population of Pittsburg.--Early History.--
Braddock's Defeat.--Old Battle Ground.--Historic Relics.--
The Past and the Present. 332-347
CHAPTER XXV.--PORTLAND.
The Coast of Maine.--Early Settlements in Portland.--Troubles
with the Indians.--Destruction of the Town in 1690.--Destroyed
Again in 1703.--Subsequent Settlement and Growth.--During the
Revolution.--First Newspaper.--Portland Harbor.--Commercial
Facilities and Progress.--During the Rebellion.--Great Fire
of 1866.--Reconstruction.--Position of the City.--Streets.--
Munjoy Hill.--Maine General Hospital.--Eastern and Western
Promenades.--Longfellow's House.--Birthplace of the Poet.--
Market Square and Hall.--First Unitarian Church.--Lincoln
Park.--Eastern Cemetery.--Deering's Woods.--Commercial
Street.--Old-time Mansion.--Case's Bay and Islands.--
Cushing's Island.--Peak's Island.--Ling Island.--Little
Chebague Island.--Harpswell. 348-365
CHAPTER XXVI.--PHILADELPHIA.
Early History.--William Penn.--The Revolution.--Declaration
of Independence.--First Railroad.--Riots.--Streets and
Houses.--Relics of the Past.--Independence Hall.--Carpenters'
Hall.--Blue Anchor.--Letitia Court.--Christ Church.--Old
Swedes' Church.--Benjamin Franklin.--Libraries.--Old Quaker
Almshouse.--Old Houses in Germantown.--Manufactures.--
Theatres.--Churches--Scientific Institutions.--Newspapers.--
Medical Colleges.--Schools.--Public Buildings.--
Penitentiary.--River Front.--Fairmount Park.--ZoAślogical
Gardens.--Cemeteries.--Centennial Exhibition.--
Bi-Centennial.--Past, Present and Future of the City. 366-398
CHAPTER XXVII.--PROVIDENCE.
Origin of the City.--Roger Williams.--Geographical Location
and Importance.--Topography of Providence.--The Cove.--
Railroad Connections.--Brown University.--Patriotism of Rhode
Island.--Soldiers' Monument.--The Roger Williams Park.--
Narragansett Bay.--Suburban Villages.--Points of Interest.--
Butter Exchange.--Lamplighting on a New Plan.--Jewelry
Manufactories. 399-404
CHAPTER XXVIII.--QUEBEC.
Appearance of Quebec.--Gibraltar of America.--Fortifications
and Walls.--The Walled City.--Churches, Nunneries and
Hospitals.--Views from the Cliff.--Upper Town.--Lower Town.--
Manufactures.--Public Buildings.--Plains of Abraham.--Falls of
Montmorenci.--Sledding on the "Cone."--History of Quebec.--
Capture of the City by the British.--Death of Generals Wolfe
and Montcalm.--Disaster under General Murray.--Ceding of
Canada, by France, to England.--Attack by American Forces
under Montgomery and Arnold.--Death of Montgomery.--Capital
of Lower Canada and of the Province of Quebec. 405-414
CHAPTER XXIX.--READING.
Geographical Position and History of Reading.--Manufacturing
Interests.--Population, Streets, Churches and Public
Buildings.--Boating on the Schuylkill.--White Spot and the
View from its Summit.--Other Pleasure Resorts.--Decoration
Day.--Wealth Created by Industry. 415-420
CHAPTER XXX.--RICHMOND.
Arrival in Richmond.--Libby Prison.--Situation of the City.--
Historical Associations.--Early Settlement.--Attacked by
British Forces in the Revolution.--Monumental Church.--
St. John's Church.--State Capital.--Passage of the Ordinance
of Secession.--Richmond the Capital of the Confederate
States.--Military Expeditions against the City.--Evacuation
of Petersburg.--Surrender of the City.--Visit of President
Lincoln.--Historical Places.--Statues.--Rapid Recuperation
After the War.--Manufacturing and Commercial Interests.--
Streets and Public Buildings.--Population and Future
Prospects. 421-432
CHAPTER XXXI.--SAINT PAUL.
Early History of Saint Paul.--Founding of the City.--Public
Buildings.--Roman Catholics.--Places of Resort.--Falls of
Minnehaha.--Carver's Cave.--Fountain Cave.--Commercial
Interests.--Present and Future Prospects. 433-487
CHAPTER XXXII.--SALT LAKE CITY.
The Mormons.--Pilgrimage Across the Continent.--Site of Salt
Lake City.--A People of Workers.--Spread of Mormons through
other Territories.--City of the Saints.--Streets.--Fruit and
Shade Trees.--Irrigation.--The Tabernacle.--Residences of
the late Brigham Young.--Museum.--Public Buildings.--Warm
and Hot Springs.--Number and Character of Population.--
Barter System before Completion of Railroad.--Mormons and
Gentiles.--Present Advantages and Future Prospects of Salt
Lake City. 438-447
CHAPTER XXXIII.--SAN FRANCISCO.
San Francisco.--The Golden State.--San Francisco Bay.--Golden
Gate.--Conquest of California by Fremont, 1848.--Discovery of
Gold.--Rush to the Mines, 1849.--"Forty-niners."--Great Rise
in Provisions and Wages.--Miners Homeward Bound.--Dissipation
and Vice in the City.--Vigilance Committee.--Great Influx of
Miners in 1850.--Immense Gold Yield.--Climate.--Earthquakes.--
Productions.--Irrigation.--Streets and Buildings.--Churches.--
Lone Mountain Cemetery.--Cliff House.--Seal Rock.--Theatres.--
Chinese Quarter.--Chinese Theatres.--Joss Houses.--Emigration
Companies.--The Chinese Question.--Cheap Labor.--"The Chinese
Must Go."--Present Population and Commerce of San Francisco.--
Exports.--Manufactures.--Cosmopolitan Nature of Inhabitants. 448-472
CHAPTER XXXIV.--SAVANNAH.
First Visit to Savannah.--Camp Davidson.--The City During
the War.--An Escaped Prisoner.--Recapture and Final
Escape.--A "City of Refuge."--Savannah by Night.--Position
of the City.--Streets and Public Squares.--Forsyth Park.--
Monuments.--Commerce.--View from the Wharves.--Railroads.--
Founding of the City.--Revolutionary History.--Death of
Pulaski.--Secession.--Approach of Sherman.--Investment of
the City by Union Troops.--Recuperation After the War.--
Climate.--Colored Population.--Bonaventure, Thunderbolt,
and Other Suburban Resorts. 473-486
CHAPTER XXXV.--SPRINGFIELD.
Valley of the Connecticut.--Location of Springfield.--
The United States Armory.--Springfield Library.--Origin
of the Present Library System.--The Wayland Celebration.--
Settlement of Springfield.--Indian Hostilities.--Days of
Witchcraft.--Trial of Hugh Parsons.--Hope Daggett.--
Springfield "Republican." 487-491
CHAPTER XXXVI.--ST. LOUIS.
Approach to St. Louis.--Bridge Over the Mississippi.--View
of the City.--Material Resources of Missouri.--Early History
of St. Louis.--Increase of Population.--Manufacturing and
Commercial Interests.--Locality.--Description of St. Louis
in 1842.--Resemblance to Philadelphia.--Public Buildings.--
Streets.--Parks.--Fair Week.--Educational and Charitable
Institutions.--Hotels.--Mississippi River.--St. Louis During
the Rebellion.--Peculiar Characteristics.--The Future of the
City. 492-510
CHAPTER XXXVII--SYRACUSE.
Glimpses on the Rail.--Schenectady.--Valley of the Mohawk.--
"Lover's Leap."--Rome and its Doctor.--Oneida Stone.--The
Lo Race.--Oneida Community.--The City of Salt.--The Six
Nations.--The Onondagas.--Traditions of Red Americans.--
Hiawatha.--Sacrifice of White Dogs.--Ceremonies.--The Lost
Tribes of Israel.--Witches and Wizards.--A Jules Verne
Story.--The Salt Wells of Salina.--Lake Onondaga.--Indian
Knowledge of Salt Wells.--"Over the Hills and Far Away."--
A Castle.--Steam Canal Boats.--Adieux.--Westward Ho! 511-521
CHAPTER XXXVIII--TORONTO.
Situation of Toronto.--The Bay.--History.--Rebellion of
1837.--Fenian Invasion of 1866.--Population.--General
Appearance.--Sleighing.--Streets.--Railways.--Commerce.--
Manufactures.--Schools and Colleges.--Queen Park.--
Churches.--Benevolent Institutions.--Halls and Other
Public Buildings.--Hotels.--Newspapers.--General
Characteristics and Progress. 522-527
CHAPTER XXXIX.--WASHINGTON.
Situation of the National Capital.--Site Selected by
Washington.--Statues of General Andrew Jackson, Scott,
McPherson, Rawlins.--Lincoln Emancipation Group.--Navy Yard
Bridge.--Capitol Building.--The White House.--Department
of State, War and Navy.--The Treasury Department.--Patent
Office.--Post Office Department.--Agricultural Building.--
Army Medical Museum.--Government Printing Office.--United
States Barracks.--Smithsonian Institute.--National Museum.--
The Washington Monument.--Corcoran Art Gallery.--National
Medical College.--Deaf and Dumb Asylum.--Increase of
Population.--Washington's Future Greatness. 528-558
CHAPTER I.
ALBANY.
From Boston to Albany.--Worcester and Pittsfield.--The Empire
State and its Capital.--Old Associations.--State Street.--Sketch
of Early History.--Killian Van Rensselaer.--Dutch Emigration.--
Old Fort Orange.--City Heights.--The Lumber District.--Van
Rensselaer Homestead.--The New Capitol.--Military Bureau.--
War Relics.--Letter of General Dix.--Ellsworth and Lincoln
Memorials.--Geological Rooms.--The Cathedral.--Dudley
Observatory.--Street Marketing.--Troy and Cohoes.--Stove
Works.--Paper Boats.--Grand Army Rooms.--Down the Hudson.
An exceedingly cold day was February fourth, 1875, the day which marked
our journey from Boston to Albany. My inclination to step outside our
car and tip my hat to the various familiar places along the route was
suddenly checked by a gust of cutting, freezing, zero-stinging air. A
ride of between one and two hours brought us to Worcester, a stirring
town of about forty thousand inhabitants. Worcester is noted principally
for its cotton factories, and as a political center in Eastern
Massachusetts.
Springfield, Westfield and Pittsfield follow in succession along the
route, in central and Western Massachusetts, the first of which has been
made the subject of a special chapter in this book. The last I remember
chiefly as the place where, in the summer of 1866, I took my first steps
in a new enterprise. Pittsfield has large cotton mills, is a summer
resort, and is the nearest point, by rail, to the Shaker community at
Lebanon, five miles distant. At Westfield the Mount Holyoke Railroad
joins the main line, and semi-annually conveys the daughters of the land
to the famous _Holyoke Female Seminary_.
Leaving Pittsfield we soon reached the State line between New York and
Massachusetts. I sometimes think that after a residence in almost every
State of the Union, I ought to feel no greater attraction for my native
State than any other, yet I cannot repress a sentiment of stronger
affection for good, grand old New York than any other in the united
sisterhood. The Empire State has indeed a charm for me, and a congenial
breeze, I imagine, always awaits me at its boundary.
A ride of another hour brings to view the church spires of Albany, and
with them a long line of thrilling memories come rushing, like many
waters, to my mind. Here, in 1859, I entered the State Normal School;
here I resolved to enter the army; and here the first edition of my
first book was published, in the autumn of 1865. The work, therefore, of
presenting this chapter upon the peculiar features of the Capital City
of New York, may be regarded as one of the most agreeable duties I have
to perform in the preparation of these pages.
The traveler now entering Albany from the east crosses the Hudson on a
beautiful iron railroad bridge, which, in the steady march of
improvements, has succeeded the old-time ferry boat. He is landed at the
commodious stone building of the New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad, which is conveniently sandwiched between the Delavan House and
Stanwix Hall, two large, well known and well conducted hotels.
My first night in a city and a hotel was spent here, at the old Adams
House, located at that time on Broadway just opposite the Delavan. I was
awakened in the morning by the roll and rattle of vehicles, and the
usual din and confusion of a city street. The contrast to my quiet home
in the Valley of the St. Lawrence was so marked, I can never forget the
impression I then received, and as I walked up State street toward the
old Capitol, I almost fancied that such a street might be a fit road to
Paradise. Albany was the gate through which I entered the world, and to
my boyish vision the view it disclosed was very wide, and the grand
possibilities that lay in the dim distance seemed manifold. It is the
oldest city, save Jamestown, Va., in the Union, having been settled in
the very babyhood of the seventeenth century, somewhere about 1612 or
1614. It was originally, until the year 1661, only a trading post on the
frontier, the entire region of country to the westward being unexplored
and unknown, except as the "far west." The red warriors of the Mohegans,
Senecas, Mohawks and the remaining bands of the "Six Nations" held
undisputed possession of the soil, and kindled their council fires and
danced their "corn dances" in peace, unmolested as yet by the aggressive
pale-faces.
The baptismal name of the embryo city of Albany was Scho-negh-ta-da, an
Indian word meaning "over the plains." The name was afterwards
transferred to the outlying suburban town now known as Schenectady. An
immense tract of land bordering the Hudson for twenty-four miles, and
reaching back from the river three times that distance, included Albany
within its jurisdiction, and was originally owned by a rich Dutch
merchant, one Killian Van Rensselaer, from Amsterdam. The land was
purchased from the Indians for the merest trifle, after the usual
fashion of white cupidity when dealing with Indian generosity and
ignorance. Emigrants were sent over from the old country to people this
wide domain, and thus the first white colony was established, which
subsequently grew into sufficient importance to become the Capital city
of the Empire State.
Before the purchase of Killian Van Rensselaer, a fort was built
somewhere on what is now known as Broadway, and was named Fort Orange,
in honor of the Prince of Orange, who was at that time patroon of New
Netherlands, as New York was at first called. Old Fort Orange afterwards
went by various names, among which were Rensselaerwyck, Beaverwyck and
Williamstadt. In 1664 the sovereignty of the tract passed into the hands
of the English, and was named Albany, in compliment to the Duke of
Albany. In 1686 the young city aspired to a city charter, and its first
mayor, Peter Schuyler, was then elected. In 1807 it became the Capital
of the State. As an item of interest, it may be mentioned that the first
vessel which ascended the river as far as Albany was the yacht Half
Moon, Captain Hendrick Hudson commanding.
Albany, like ancient Rome, sits upon her many hills, and the views
obtained from the city heights are beautiful in the extreme. The
Helderbergs and the Catskill ranges loom blue and beautiful towards the
south, Troy and the Green Mountains of Vermont can be seen from the
north, while beyond the river, Bath-on-the-Hudson and the misty hill
tops further away, rim the horizon's distant verge. The city has a
large trade in lumber, and that portion of it which is known as the
"lumber district" is devoted almost exclusively to this branch. One may
walk, of a summer's day, along the smooth and winding road between the
river and the canal, for two miles or more, and encounter nothing save
the tasteful cottage-like offices, done in Gothic architecture, of the
merchant princes in this trade, sandwiched between huge piles of lumber,
rising white and high in the sun, and giving out resinous, piney odors.
Not far from this vicinity stands the old Van Rensselaer homestead,
guarded by a few primeval forest trees that have survived the wreck of
time and still keep their ancient watch and ward. The old house, I have
been told, is now deserted of all save an elderly lady, one of the last
of the descendants of the long and ancient line of Van Rensselaer.
Numerous points of interest dot the city in all directions, from limit
to limit, and claim the attention of the stranger. Among the most
prominent of these is, of course, the new Capitol building now in
process of construction at the head of State street. A very pretty model
of the structure is on exhibition in a small wooden building standing at
the entrance to the grounds, which gives, I should judge, a clever idea
of what the future monumental pile is to be like. Its height is very
imposing, and the tall towers and minarets which rise from its roof will
give it an appearance of still greater grandeur. It is built of granite
quarried from Maine and New Hampshire, and is in the form of a
parallelogram, enclosing an open court. Had I a sufficient knowledge of
architecture to enable me to talk of orders, of pilasters, columns,
entablatures and facades, I might perhaps give my readers a clearer
idea of the magnificence of this new structure, which will stand without
a rival, in this country at least, and may even dare to compete with
some of the marvellous splendors of the old world.
The Old Capitol and the State Library stand just in front of the new
building, and obscure the view from the foot of State street. The Senate
and Assembly chambers in the old building have an antiquated air, with
their straight-backed chairs upholstered in green and red, and the rough
stairways leading to the cupola, through an unfurnished attic, are
suggestive of accident. In this cupola, once upon a time, in the year
1832, a certain Mr. Weaver, tired of life and its turmoil, swung himself
out of it on a rope. So the cupola has its bit of romance. In this
neighborhood, on State street, above the Library, is located the Bureau
of Military Statistics, which is well worth a visit from every New
Yorker who takes a pride in the military glory of his native State. One
is greeted at the entrance with a host of mementos of our recent civil
war, which bring back a flood of patriotic memories. Here is a
collection of nine hundred battle flags, all belonging to the State,
most of them torn and tattered in hard service, and inscribed with the
names of historic fields into which they went fresh and bright, and out
of which they came smoked and begrimed, and torn with the conflict of
battle. Here are old canteens which have furnished solace to true
comrades on many occasions of mutual hardship. Here, too, is the Lincoln
collection, with its sad reminders of the nation's loved and murdered
President; and in a corner of the same room the Ellsworth collection is
displayed from a glass case. His gun and the Zouave suit worn by him at
the time of his death hang side by side, and there, too, is the flag
which, with impetuous bravery, he tore down from the top of the Marshall
House at Alexandria, Virginia. In the same case hangs the picture of his
avenger, Captain Brownell, and the rifle with which he shot Jackson. In
another part of the room may be seen the original letter of Governor,
then Secretary, Dix, which afterwards became so famous, and which
created, in a great measure, the wave of popularity that carried him
into the gubernatorial chair.
The letter reads as follows:--
"TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
January, 29th, 1861.
"Tell Lieutenant Caldwell to arrest Captain Breshwood, assume command of
the cutter, and obey the order I gave through you. If Captain Breshwood,
after arrest, undertakes to interfere with the command of the cutter,
tell Lieutenant Caldwell to consider him as a mutineer and treat him
accordingly. If any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot
him on the spot.
"JOHN A. DIX, _Secretary of the Treasury_."
The captured office chairs used by Jeff. Davis, in Richmond, the lock
from John Brown's prison door at Harper's Ferry, pieces of plate from
the monitors off Charleston, torpedoes from James River, the bell of the
old guard-house at Fort Fisher, captured slave chains, miniature pontoon
bridges, draft boxes and captured Rebel shoes, may be mentioned as a few
among the many curiosities of this military bureau. Here, too, may be
seen the pardon, from Lincoln, for Roswell Mclntire, taken from his dead
body at the battle of Five Forks; and near by hangs the picture of
Sergeant Amos Humiston, of the 154th New York Regiment, who was
identified by means of the picture of his three children, found clasped
in his hand as he lay dead on the field of Gettysburg. In this room,
also, is the Jamestown, New York, flag, made by the ladies of that place
in six hours after the attack on Sumter, and which was displayed from
the office of the Jamestown _Journal_. Mr. Daly, the polite janitor of
the building, is always happy to receive visitors, and will show them
every courtesy.
The Geological Rooms, on State street, are also well worthy the time and
attention of the visitor. Large collections of the various kinds of rock
which underlie the soil of our country are here on exhibition, as, also,
the coral formations and geological curiosities of all ages. In an upper
room towers the mammoth Cohoes mastodon, whose skeleton reaches from
floor to ceiling. This monster of a former age was accidentally
discovered at that place by parties who were excavating for a building.
In these rooms, also, there are huge jaws of whales, which enable one to
better understand the disposition of the Bible whales, and how easy it
must have been for them to gulp down two or three Jonahs, if one little
Jonah should fail to appease the delicate appetite of such sportive
fishes. I couldn't help thinking of the lost races that must have
peopled the earth when this old world was young--when these fossils were
undergoing formation, and these mastodons made the ground tremble
beneath their tread.
Where are these peoples now, and where their unrevealed histories? Shall
we never know more of them than Runic stones and mysterious mounds can
unfold? These reminders of the things that once had an existence but
have now vanished from the face of the earth, and well nigh from the
memory of men--these things are full of suggestion, to say the least,
and are quite apt to correct any undue vanity which may take possession
of us, or any large idea of future fame. We may, perhaps, create a
ripple in the surface of remembrance which marks the place where our
human existence went out, and which, at the furthest, may last a few
hundred years. But who can hope for more than that, or hoping, can
reasonably expect to find the wish realized? "There are more things in
heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy."
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, on Eagle street, is one of
the finest church structures in Albany. It is built of brown freestone,
in the Gothic style of architecture, and its two towers are each two
hundred-and-eighty feet in height. Its cost was six hundred thousand
dollars. The interior decorations are beautiful, and the rich stained
glass windows are the gifts of sister societies. On Easter mornings the
Cathedral is sure to be crowded by people of all sects and creeds,
brought there to witness the joyous Easter services which terminate the
long fast of Lent.
About a mile and a half from the city, on Patroon's Hill, is situated
the Dudley Observatory, where on clear summer nights Albanians come to
gaze at the stars and the moon, through the large Observatory
refractor. The structure is built in the form of a cross, eighty-six
feet long and seventy feet deep.
One of the first peculiarities which attracts the attention of the
non-resident of Albany is the appearance of the business portion of
State street, in the forenoon, from eight o'clock until twelve. Any time
between these hours the street, from the lower end of Capitol Park down
to Pearl street, is transformed into a vast market-place. Meat-wagons,
vegetable carts, restaurants on wheels, and all sorts of huckstering
establishments, are backed up to the sidewalk, on either side, blocking
the way and so filling the wide avenue that there is barely room for the
street-car in its passage up and down the hill. The descendants of
Killian Van Rensselaer and the aristocratic Ten Eycks and Van Woerts, of
Albany, should exhibit enterprise enough, I think, to erect a city
market and spare State street this spectacle.
[Illustration: STATE STREET AND CAPITOL, ALBANY, NEW YORK.]
The manufacturing interest of Albany consists largely of stove works, in
which department it competes with its near neighbor, Troy. This
flourishing city, of about forty-eight thousand souls, is seven miles
distant from Albany, up the river, and is in manifold communication with
it by railroads on both sides of the Hudson, as well as by street
railway. Steam cars run between Albany and Troy half hourly, during the
day and far into the night, and one always encounters a stream of people
between these two places, whose current sets both ways, at all times and
seasons. Troy is at the head of navigation on the Hudson and
communicates by street car with Cohoes, Lansingburg and Waterford.
Cohoes is a place of great natural beauty, and the Cataract Falls of
the Mohawk River at that place add an element of wild grandeur to the
scenery. One of the large, rocky islands in the river, known as Simmons'
Island, is a popular resort for picnic excursions, and is a delightful
place in summer, with its groves of forest trees, and the pleasant noise
of waters around its base. The place seems haunted by an atmosphere of
Indian legend, and one could well imagine the departed warriors of the
lost tribes of the Mohawk treading these wild forest paths, and making
eloquent "talks" before their red brothers gathered around the council
fire.
The Mohawk and Hudson rivers unite at Troy, and seek a common passage to
the sea. Mrs. Willard's Seminary for young ladies is located in this
city, and is a standard institution of learning. Many of the streets of
Troy are remarkably clean and finely shaded, and handsome residences and
business blocks adorn them. The city is also a headquarters for
Spiritualism in this section of the country. The Spiritualistic Society
has, I am told, a flourishing, progressive Lyceum, which supersedes,
with them, the orthodox Sunday school, and the exercises, consisting in
part of marches and recitations, are conducted in a spirited and
interesting manner.
Foundries for hollow-ware and stoves constitute the leading branch of
manufacture in the city of Troy. To one not familiar with the process by
which iron is shaped into the various articles of common use among us, a
visit to the foundries of Troy or Albany would be full of interest and
instruction. Piles of yellow sand are lying in the long buildings used
as foundries, while on either side the room workmen are busily engaged
fashioning the wet sand into moulds for the reception of the melted
iron. Originally the sand is of a bright yellow color, but it soon
becomes a dingy brown, by repeated use in cooling the liquid metal.
Each moulder has his "floor," or special amount of room allotted him for
work, and here, during the forenoon, and up to three or four o'clock in
the afternoon, he is very busy indeed, preparing for the "pouring"
operation. Pig iron, thrown into a huge cauldron or boiler, and melted
to a white heat, is then poured, from a kettle lined with clay, into the
sand-moulds, and in a remarkably short space of time the greenish-white
liquid which you saw flowing into a tiny, black aperture is shaken out
of the sand by the workmen, having been transformed into portions of
stoves. These go to the polishing room, and thence to the finishing
apartment, where the detached pieces are hammered together, with
deafening noise.
Troy rejoices also in a paper boat manufactory--the boats being made
especially for racing and feats of skill. They find sale principally in
foreign markets, and at stated seasons divide the attention of the
English with the "Derby." The boats are made of layers of brown paper
put together with shellac.
There is a large society of Grand Army men in Albany, one Post numbering
five or six hundred members. Their rooms are tastefully decorated, and
hung with patriotic pictures, which make the blood thrill anew, as in
the days of '61. A miniature fort occupies the centre of the room, and
emblematic cannon and crossed swords are to be seen in conspicuous
places.
A trip down the Hudson, in summer, from Albany to New York, is said to
afford some of the finest scenery in the world, not excepting the
famous sail on the castled Rhine; and the large river boats which leave
Albany wharf daily, for our American London, are, indeed, floating
palaces. The capital city of the Empire State is not, therefore, without
its attractions, despite the fact that it was settled by the Dutch, and
that a sort of Rip Van Winkle sleep seems, at times, to have fastened
itself upon the drowsy spirit of Albanian enterprise.