The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-07-22
For the Register.
OLYMPIA WASHINGTON TERRITORY. }
May 10th 1857. {

'h' cDiioh' Ou tDe ID or March
last, l bade adieu to friends and the
scenes of my nativity. An open stage
coach hurried me away over frozen
ground and through banks of snow, in
the very teeth ofa keen north easter. IN
the county town, where I took passage
by rail to New York city. My heart
was light, for the first step was taken
towards the distant west.
We arrived without incident about
eleven o'clock P. NJ. in New York, that
place of strange sights aud sounds to the
novice. found myself in q new and
strange world, surrounded by many no.
bic and imposing specimen of architeo.
ture. Passing on through the city, We
we're forcibly struck With the massive
fortress like appearance of the "Tombs"
that celebrated prison for holding 70.
CUES. 1t is but one story high, yet il
covers an entire usre. Its solid stone
walls, Of great thickness, its ponderous,
bolted doors and heavily barred windows,
all copspire to give it grim and sombrs
appearance. Shuddering at the idea of
mere contact with the damp and mouldy
walls of its gloomy cells, I renewed my
vows to act in conformity with truth hon.
esty and justice, both as matter Of du.
ty, and to avoid the horrors these fright.
full prisons. During our walk, my atten.
tion was arrested by an incident which
occurred in the street. One of the ON.
nibusses Unexpectedly came to halt
This produced al instantaneous effect
on all behind, as far ash could see for
so closely packed we're the vehicles Of
various kinds in the street, that the mo.
tions Of all were more or less affected
by each. The consequence was, that
the various drivers behind, not being
able to hold up in time, ran the tongue
of their carriages into the stern of the
vehicles next preceding them, thus, for
many rods in length, row of omnibus.
ses strnng together like balls on a string
Some colored "gem'men" who happened
to be driving carriages where the geuer.
al smash up took place, sat crouched up
on their boxes with the lines drawn
tightly, aud their eyes sticking out like
those of choked mouse, who has been
induiging too freely in cheese attached
to the spring of trap
AS the steamer was advertised to sail
the next day, it became necessary for
US to draw our observations to q close,
aud secure tickets for the voyage. In
view of this, we directed our steps to.
wards the Office. While passing along
Dey st. man about forty five years
old, inquired if we were in quest of a
ticket office. We accordingly replied
that We were. He very politely inform
ed us that the Office was farther up the
street, and very kindly offered to show
it to us, as he was going that way him.
self Taking US in another direction, he
soon brought US to large and we'll fur.
nished Office. We soon discovered from
the appearance Of things within, that it
was one of those Peter Funk.Shops, with
which the great metropolis abounds.
We tarried a while, listened 10 perfect
silence at their bogus speeches. till they
began to frath at the mouth and madden
at our taciturnity, and then walked out
very much to their modification. Ous
of the chaps being sensible that their
artiice had failed to accomplish its ends,
followed out, and requested US to say
nothing concerning them, and directed
us to the genuine Office, where We pur.
chased tickets at reduction Of some
fifty dollars.
This accommodating friend who pi.
loted us to the bogus office, the reader
will understand, was runner, expressly
for their Office. His policy in cha nging
streets, was to sbuu the compauy's office.
These bogus officers first purchase their
tickets of the company, and sell them at
from fifty to hundred dollars advance.
They are we'll co ntrived to eusnare the
unwary, and by the way, some six or
eight were swindled at the above Office
10 less than an hour after we left.
On the 25th of March we embarked
on the fine steamer Illinois At 2
o'clock the signal gun was fred, the ship
was freed from her moorings, and amid