The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-01-31
For the Register.
Letters from the West.-No. q

CofnpHhy-Syracuse and Salt-wOrkS-De-
fnition of Hoosier " - Vcrmonters in
Cleveland-a stranded yessel-meaning Of
the term Yankee Hits
LANCASTER, Ohio, jan, 1855.
December, with its intense cold, its
snow and ice, winds and frost, brought
us to the firm resolve, to seek for our
winter quarters a more southern latitude.
Accordingly, on the Goth, we left the
44th and started for the 40tb degree of
latitude, which would give us the climate
of Baltimore aud whoOliug The first
night was spent in Troy. To say that
Troy is very neat and pleasant ,ity, is
to utter a truism The Trojans are
very proud Of their city, and have some
ground to be proud Of themselves Their
Railroad and Depot reflect great credit
on their enterprise. 1t is a road not
over two miles in length, and called the
Union Railroad. The large and elegant
Depot in Troy is owned by this company
1t has one feature, showing that the Tro-
jams have beat the world. 1t is said to
be the largest building in existence, the
roof of which is entirely unsupported by
any central pillars. 1t is two hundr, d
feet in width by five hundred in length,
and consequently covers an area of over
two and one quarter acres of ground. Its
cost, including land, was one million dol
lars. 1t contains a suite or rooms for
the various Railroad companies, all of
which arc warmed by steam, lighted by
gas, and furnished in the best manner
1t Is supported by tax upon every train
that enters its spacious and costly ourlo.
sure.
In passing westward, We fell in with
II Benedict, Esq, formerly of Cornwall
VI. lie is engaged for tho American
Express Company. a, a yearly salary of
$1,000. The capital of the company is
equal to S750,000. 1t has ASS Offices.
exclusive of those in California, located
in all of the principal towns in the United
States. Its daily expenses last year
amounted to twenty-onc hundred and
seventy dollars-rising of six hundred
and eighty thousand dollars for the year.
This large sum is required for Office
rents, salaries, tcam.hirc, sc. The
amount Of property and moneys sent for
ward through this agency, reaches sever
al millions yearly, and is rapidly incrcas-
ing. 1t forms safe and expeditions
mode of forwarding specie, bank notes
light merchandise, &c., ard is found to
be not only the offspring, but demand
of the age.
At Syracuse we thade few notes.
The manufacture of salt at this place.
forms large and lucrative business. Tie
amount inspected during the year, reach
es FIRE millions and eight hundrcd bush.
cts, which is the largest amount manufac.
tured in any one year, and an increase of
four hundred thousand bushels over last
year. The whole amount manufactured
is about six millions bushels two
/ hundred thousand bushels of Which are
still in the works. The price per barrel
through the season has averaged one dol.
lar and forty cents The price Of wood
has been about $3.50 per cord. Barrels
have been high. When all of the fires
are in operation, 1000 cords of wood are
Consumed every twenty.four hours, cost
ing $500. Quite extensive additions
have bcon made to the number oil solar
aud boiling works. The water is cle-
waited and sold by the State, The man.
ufacturers pay a small tax to the State
for every bushcl of salt they make. Salt
is great staple of the Empire State.
So also of Virginia. These two great
States are doing their best to prcscrrc
the nation.
Passing westward from Syracuse. We
fell in company with Q genuine lloosier
He was unusually loquacious, and his
conversation well spiced with provincial.
isms. As the term Hoosier may not
be everywhere understood, we would say
that it is on authorization Of Who's
here, "a Question which used to be
shouted by travellers in Indiana. when
amid the grass of the prairics, they
heard voices or saw the smoke of cab.
in, but could see nobody.
we made no stay at Buffalo, but
passed swiftly on to the Forest City. A
detention here of half a day, gave us am
pie time to see the lions and shake
hands with old acquaintances among
whom is VIM. Slade, Jr,, sou of ex Gov
Slade of Vermont. lie ranks as a first
class lawyer, aud has made himself
wealthy by the purchase aud sale of city
real estate. For those east who may
have western debts for collection, ho is
the man. He is both efficient and trust
worthy, and undertakes collections
throughout all the western States. He
has been very successful.
In October, a largo schooner was driv-
en- by a furious storm on Lake Erie,