The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-05-18

rhe Central Hail Road Route.

For the Free Trader
The Central Hail Road Route.
NtSSrS. Editors Many enquiries are be
ing made Just now relative to the new route
from Chicago, through Michigan, to Detroit
Having lately crossed aud rrcroSSed the
peninsula. II has occurred 10 me that \ briei
account cfmy trip might be interesting and
perhaps useful 10 sore Of your readers.
The strong opposition created between
the steam boats and the railway, by the
completion Of the latter to New Buffalo,
! renders II exceedingly difficult 10 obtain re-
B liable Information about the two routes, a
few facts from dlsiuterested person may.
! therefore he in season.
/ The boat for New Buffalo is advertised
to leave Chicago every night al II o'clock.
. | would, however, warn travellers against
placing reliance on this advertisement, for
/ the night aud my party intended leaving,
We were ready at half past eleven, but
/ found that the boat had then left half an hour,
/ and the only satisfaction we received at the
/ agency for our disappointment was, that
/ "they supposed he Captains trdtch must be
. too fIst' Now, calculating that the Cap
| tain Of Mail Packet would not carry a
watch that gained more than one hour in
twenty-iour or two IN forIy-eight, we, 10
avoid a second disappointment, wen, on
board, the next night. nj ten.
The Iare through to Detroit, rs charged
At the agency, is So; but, on arriving on
board the boat, we soon found our tickets 10
be very limited in their rights. Thus the
steward was speedily down on us for 81
cents each fer berth, aud in the morning
for three shIlIugs each for breakfast |
would canton people not To occupy berth
without previously paying for 1t, or they
may be subjected TO some such pleasing re-
mark as the following winch | heard adj
dressed to An unfortunate passenger in that
position: CD d-.n your 81 come out
Of that-what the HI business have you
in there"
The distance across 10 Now Buffalo is
about for'y-Gve miles, and il run in good
weather, iu 3 hours. At New Builalotwo
piers have been run out into the lake to-
form r harbor for the steam boats: they
are s.iicieut only in calm weather When
there j. much sea on. the boats cannot land
their passengers but return WITH them to
Chicago.
The railroad is continued down one Of
the piers - that the cars cone up close a.
lou.Niie the boats, this Of course is a matter
Of great couveniIlcc.
The distance from New Buffalo 10 De
trot * about 200 miles. y heavy III rail
i laid the greater part of the distance, and
the cars being very comfortably fitted up,
the journey is rendered bdNh easy aud plea
SAINT. There is. however. one great draw.
back Al present to this route. aud that i the
almost impn.>bility If obtaining any clean
refreshments; but this vii! be remedied
~ hen the large hotel, now in course of bull
ding at Marshall. is completed. The pre-
seht dinner at Albion i such that would
advise all travellers by this route to carry
one days provisions with them from Chica-
90.
We were about twelve hours from New
Buffalo to- Detroit. The roilroad buildings,
at the Detroit terminus, are well arranged
and bull, substantially. The engine house
* one Of the most perfectly propor,ioued
buildings ! ever saw. i, is a circular bull
ding having finely finished dome for
root.
At Detroit, my companions, who had
paid atChicago, their fare IS each) through
TO Buffalo. left on the IIendrck Hudson,
one of the best boats that connect with the
railway, but not before they had been ub-
j-cied To- the greatest imposition | have
heard Of in western travel. On going on
board In secure state rooms 30 cents each
per night was demanded for them, aid 30
cents each per meal, aud they were told
that unless they paid ailth in d9uance thy
could not have state rooms.
Thus the necessary expenses Of \ journey
from Chicago to Buffalo, by the rail road
rnut, are:
Fare through. So 90
Berihoh hoard boat from Chicago, 80
Breakfast on do 81
Dinner At Albion, 81
Berth on boat to Buffalo, ? nights. 90
Three meals in advance, at 5Oc;s. each,l so