New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-04
Ho7FS or WESTERN TRAVEL.
ILLINOIS WEATHER, MUD AND RAlLRO ADS
fCoc-nusd

| zen s'bed enJ her osy al 0asEa lad % sc p
resarreo to Pers. Il I had engaged 10 re # D xo
on ,he following Guy, 7 made inquire o. sevsrs Il
s,c gentlemen concerning r.e dsps,tu-e Of tr,ns Of
the Central Railroad They all Informed re tn
there uss uiouight tain wh;cs stopped ct s'abo7
ard en osrsocn train which wc-, through 20 Gtiena
s.srling II. that nv best plan wouli be t. wsi ,sti
the fo'ioai1g afternoon. New, tad been deceived
once before b. several LIS Saese VIA reie encs u
TIE trans goog south, and sSola have been ciui'-'
but vas hus,fUl end cresrlou. I wsiie3 nnJ
the following afternoon, snd when vent % the rail-
rosd station Informed by the .ickefsgt at thst il
wss the midnight train which went through, and tia
afternoon train Which stopped q: Auboy, thlrtsen
niles short of Dizoa. also learned that iraiOs
bad been through to hmboy tor eight dcys-tbe rosd
beire blocked o. with snow.drits gang Of SHOW
elers had been sect Up ibe morning however, sni 1t
WIS hoped that the train would get through.
WAITE at tie station for neariy hour altar the
time before the srriv 4 eui then being Of time
they were obliged TO wait for the do Fn train + wa
The fret really milo DAY for soaie weeks the snpT
wss tb aw n rapidly ara me mud was every uouieot
Increasing il oeptb teaaeiy. dull prospect iOr
~ cha ce OF Isa 3brg Dixon. We s.artsd at !sst,
end IL 81 tour re ,ched Meniota, ,li1teen miles
=
elesr END ye vs'ted an hour sod hsf every niuu'e
ltssenng ny hope Of fol6og NY sppointnsnt He'd
there lot hleu n hotel It Amboy Owned By ono Of
Superirteudents Of the rosi, would have resi- uei
uyseif TO sppointmen' at once but knew that,
Nhoti c The rains made regular ANS or noi fhe hotel
must be ps,ronzed Ilefe are three such places on
the Central Il oac-Wspella, MENDOZA sud Anooy-
where tie pubic is made TO saciifce 10 the aooch of
tic Conlpsny They are Company towns-Or rather
plans Of he m Intended for specnstioa-Tit5 Comps
ny hotels where the trsins stop over night At Nom
oo,a. ihe connections With the train, the Military
Tract Road are carefully avoided, end the Traveller
hss rest tf tweptyfour hcars, regardless OF ex-
"pense," as Carlyle would ssy.
yss on The point Of despair, when 'he care moved
of, at bali sst five. Tue couotry shosed much ths
same fertile drearness of prairie land a. that souh Of
,be Illinois River Occasional white houses in The
distance belts oftimber, uufrequent fences long lines
Of snow-drif harked by poole of water from their
melting and black quagmires in the SHALLOW diP' oil
toil we're the principal features Of the sceuery T1e
dr. IT'S in the teep cuts had just been shoTeled ou,
end we rode through wni'e-salled avenue In some
pieces higher than the cars, and so nafro that its
crisp masonry arszsd the windows, Oh both sldes.
wstched the sun, which rapidly neared his 'etling
and iust as be went down behind he prairie mud We
drew up at Amboy, which lie collection OF board
thaniies in a swamp, which the Railroad Company
intends specializing into town, Regardless OF ex'
ptrse."
Without waiting TO get ny baggage, set OF at fun
epeed for The livery stable At the rst step sauk to
the snhles 10 mud and left ny oyersaoes behind ne
Fishirg them out sgain, plunged forward and hna'y
rescbed nv destination. Ny designs were promptly
seconded by Mr. Edwards who imu ediatsly gave me a
good strong horse and good whip, took my baggage
checks aud promised to send man up to Dixon with
NV baggage In the morning, and bring back me
horse learned that Dixon was In northwestern
direction, that thore telegraph poles some where
out On the prairie, which led TO it, and that should
ego a'rsigbt ehead"-which did
Hsd | the powers of a distinguished nove'sf, l
might delcribe Row, on certain evetiogi as the
shaded of twi eht beginning to gsher over the
praiIe, solitary hofseman might have been seen
ureirg lis heavy srey steed through snow-dnf'''
pools Of water AMI plsins Of mud The msnuscrP'
butioI Cd under bis coat cracked with the snxloi'
5estings of his heart, he contemplated the thirteen
miles Of mud before him snd the inostent sud ence
at he further end. "Adzooks, my gallant gray -
ouo.t. 10 g.. tho ~ a n y '' '.s- q
"say thou must travel; but thy mssters veal is al
stake. and thou must not fad him." The gray az
kwered with sarilI neigh, which was, nevertheless
an sfIisu alive answer. The traveller planged the
heavy rowels Into the sides of his seed and dissp-
peare in the deepening gloom, &c
Before IT We, quite dark, 1 reached the telegraph
lire. which was rheneesorth safe guide through the
iutermnsble wilderness OF md and water. Every
hollow in the prairie s~amped With rills from the
melting Jris and n pisces where there were streams
n l.. tka farfs
The horse was too heavy AID strong to be Jared by
the short roe, and | constantly urged him forward
with wbip and voice, 70 which he as regularly re-
sponded in succession OF loud neghs, or rather yels
the necessity Of which l could not peceve. The
night was cloudy and rather dark aud my anxiety 70
reach Dixon made the way seem doubly long. cid
not dare to halt sufficiently long to consult lay wasch
but kept desperately onward, until, after sn unknown
lercih Of time, heard dogs barking, aud my bor'e
cave at,ersnce to fresh yes. L. Eve minutes core
was in Dixon, and in ten Minutes, bespatteret but
satisfied. behei an audience whose faith in waing
for me amply compensated for tie snIisdes of the
ride. II Wa o'clock rhen arrived, and had been
an hour and Ehreequarters on The way.
DIXON "a town Of about . 500 Inhabitants, but Is
rspi6y crossing, lie ali Rock River towns, and pos
fesses very intelligent aud energetic popnlahon'
spen, two cold freezing days there very pleasantly
On TIE morning after my arrival The ground vas as
ttrd IS rcn, AID there short bat vioeot snow-
,ousn / enjoyed particularly visit to the to'p'a-
bIs mansion Of Gov. C, about three miles north
Of the town. and overlooking beautiful bend OF the
river.
On Monday morning left for Mount Morris. Iae
rosd vas still blocked up with dffts, Yea days aler
the spow f,1 snd The trains had not Jet succeeded
J.; rescbipe Polo thirteen mes 70 the north q Dixon