The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-08-31

Steamboat ana Railroad zSsrsllirg.


CITY can ever recommend that route to q
friend in preference to the enc By tho river.
We 81, down for the purpose OF giving an
off-hana sketch Of the relative merits OF the
two modes Of travel. having recently spa,
on both, and thus chow the superiority OF
the rive. route. In the Grsi place, then. 10
begin with the river, you embark at ST.
Louis in-Anc -nf the fine Kcokuk packets,
fare S4,oe, With excellent Accommodations
Tor eating and sleeping, and in about 80
hours are landed at Kcokuk where you find
awaiting you q superior line Of four horse
coaches. catering one OF these in an hour
and 80 minutes You are landed q, Mon.
trose for the moderate sum of so cts. Here
Jon get aboard one OF the Davenport pack
cts and Tor an additional $500. and within
Is hours from the time you let st. Louis,
arc deposited, fright side UP, with care"--na
bars abosrd-in Davenport. Thus for
$3.50, very pleasantly, agreesbly and SO
ciabiy, you makc the transit between the
two cities.
Now mark the other route. You cs,i up
en- the Agent in 81. Louis, who for $3.50
gives yen q Geke; to Lasalle. Ills. the
bounds OF his Railroad jurisdiction. EN-
barking on the Alton packet. sbou, o'clk.
you start for that stone city. Soon yor Oh
serve preparations Tor supper aboard and
feel truly grateful for the wise provision
made by the Company for the hungry trav-
eler You sit down and have scarcely got
your tea sweetened TO your taste, when the
whole romance Of the affair il taken off BY
q gentleman presenting himself al your
elbow and stating, tina, he Will take that
half dollar, You interrup, the pa,hos Of
eating By the tathos of Smelling cut" and
then proceed 10 perform the obsequies 10
some defunct fowl. Alton is reached and
IN omnibus in waiting conveys You TO the
ststion OF the Mississippi railroad. where to
your astonishment vou learn that there is no
charge made for that last &C; Of Kindness.
You then enter the car. and soon are whiFl-
ing over the akedn,ry" at the rate Of 20
miles to the hoar.
About o'elk. IN the morning yoa find
yourself 81 Rioonir s'on, Ill. where for an
other hall dollar, if you please, yoa can
take u lunch; but without including this in
the estimate of expenses, We have thus far
$500. After waiting reasonable time for
the spirit to move somebody 70 reply toyour
anxious inquiry, '.whst is mex; TO be done,'
you tote your baggage around 10 the rear Of
the hotel, where you find very animated
discussion going on as 10 which Of the run
ners congregatcd there shall have the honor
Of conducting you to the best hotel in the
city. Choosing the Pike House, because
the young man ssvs il i a new hotel, and
you thereby argue that it has not yet cot its
full complement Of oesBpan;s pr bee. yaa
jump into The bus; BE-, before jumping cut
at your destination. Ehica is three-fougths
OF q nile distant. you are modesiiy Informed
BY the aforesaid young gentleman that he
viii take those Is cents. Rather marvel
ling that they should charge Tor conveying
you To hotel, you noun, the steps and en-
Ter very tidy looking, three story, well
finished wooden building. Here you are in
formed, if you didn't know il before, that
the cars do not leave until = past o'clk.,
tu. tia, in the meantime YOU can turn in,
take snooze. then breakfast and be in
readiness for them.
You are soon ensconced between sheets
and before you have got cleverly under way
towards the land Of Nod, are aroused By a
noise iha, in your haif-waking condition
makes YOU think that China and all the bal
ance of creation have come together in one
grand, gong exhibition and the tymPanums
of your ears are the fields Of contest
You quickly don your unmeniionatles, if
YOU didn't happen 10 sleep in them for fear
you wouldn't have money enough TO take
you home. perform your ablutiors and has
ten down to breakfast. A cup OF coffee and
awarm biscuit fills up the cavity, which is
the source of SO much uneEs.ness one way
or another to US all, and you prepare to de-
part; before doing SO, however, you ask the
gentleman who presides over the water jar
the amount Of your bill, when TO your great
convenience, as by this time you must haze
exhausted your small change, he informs
you il IL just one dollar! Though the pro-
prietor may have informed you previously
that you cannot expect from him such erter-
taiament as given al the hotels in 81. Louis
and Chicsgo he forgets to acquaint you that
YOU may expect such prices. Though the
bill is exorbiiont We must do the females o.
the house justice, by asserting that while
the sheets were the cleanes', the coffee and
biscuits were the best we ate in our travels,
and make ample amends for the heavy
charge.
Again the bus drives up 20 the steps,
when the driver, emboldened by your for
mer pliabilty, informs you thai be will take
Is cents before he starts and then he'll be
sure OF his fare. You have plenty Of time
between jolts to calculate your expenses
thus fur before you reach the depot and find
them just $50 After travelling another
three quarters Of q niils you are deposited a
VI. So