, 1860-07-18

machine shops. As Bloomington il about mid
WAY between Chicago and Alton' 1t il the nat
uraa location OF the great building and repairing
workshops of the road. In company with aae
master maehinist, Mr.. 4. H. De Ctercq, we first |
entered the Round House. where men were
cleaning three new locomotives and repairing |
four or five old ones. In no respect was the for
mer wretched mismanagement Of this fine road
mure apparent than in the bad care tsken Of
its buildings and rolling. stock. In truth, the
vhole establishment, from lake to river, very
much resembles man who has but lately re.
covered from protracted and dangerous ILL.,
ness-still pale and cautious, but thankful,
smiling, and full of comfott and good hope for
The future. Had the former mode Of treatment
bean continued, the patient must soon have
died. Adjoining the Round. House is tho shop
in which iron.turning is done. Here, also, car
a1les and wheels are fitted and oppressed. Next,
we passed into the planning mill; then into the
ahop in which badly. damaged locomotives are
repaired: from thence into the car shop proper;
and lastly into tho paint-shop. All taese shops
communicate with each other, and every one
has IL sek connecting p ith the railroad. At
present. 173 men are employed. Everything
is conducted with great preci.ion and quietness.
Nothipc is wasted. Each man knows his place.
No half finished jobs are turned out. Just
now, repairing Is the chief branch Of bust
ness. A few new cars are on the stocks" and
better or stronger ones We never saw. In ju-
dicious economy, neat workmanship, good or.
der, cleanliness, thorouehness, the Blooming
ton car shops are models. 1t is believed that
no increase Of hands will be needed to keep the
road we'll stocked. Bloomington owes very
much Of its growth and prosperity to this road
and lis shops. TIE present population il about
5000.
BLOOMINGTON TO JOLIET.
A few minutes ride from the passenger de-
pot, and the Normal University building looms
up to the left Of the trnck. 1t Is hne s1fnct'
but why, in the name Of Andrew J. Downing,
was it built On one Of the least shaded, dryest,
dustiest, hottest spots for miles around, when
bloomington is surrounded with groves ana
filled with groves? Fifty years hence It WILL be
well shaded with 6ne trees, and then the build
ing will be ready to tumble down with age
Why should not tho children lm'1aae tht1f H.
theFs, and erect the second ou'lo'ng ALSO IN an oat
feld9 Near by il the crossing OF the Central Aall
road. Thirteen stations lie between blooming
ton and Joliet, distance OF 50 miles. The
second is Lexington, with about one thousand
@inhabitanta eight miles north ne cross the Pc
oria Railroad. Pontiac is the next town Of
importance, Five years ago We remember it
as little struggling hamlet Of q hundred peo.
ple; now it contains twelre hundred. This is
the seat Of Livingston county. Sixteen miles
from Joliet We cross the beautiful hacka':fe,
aud Immediately We find ourselves in Whining
ton, one of the handsomest towns in Illinois
Its population Is about two Thousand, and its
trade is extensive. All the way from Bloom
| ington to Joliet we 60 through an almost un-
broken corn.de1d.
JOLIET.
Here ne are in this city Of stone quarries,
with its vast State Penitentiary, its shoals of
canal boats, and ita busting ten thousand peo.
| ple. Jolet lies in the old river bed of the once
mighty Des PLANES. now reduced to small
stream, East and west are rocky bluffs, and up
these the town is rapidly pushing, especially to
the went. The puhlic buildings are Hateful.
| and the nreduce and lumber trade Of The place
extensive. hut N ost valuable of all are the in.
exhau.t,ble ouar.ies, They extend more than
twenty miles north and south, and near the up
per end is the little town Of Athens, which gives
its name to the celebrated stone used in Chica-
90. Not more remarkable is this great stone
bed for its extent than for the ease with which
it can be worked. Flag stones Of almost any
required sizs eau be taken out. We saw at one
place an uncovered surface Of neatly one hun.
dred feet square. With seams at the broken edge
showing that the whole was merely layers oi
single flag stones. South OF the town are the
celebrated gravel pits, from which our Michi
gan Avenue Was paved. 1t isnow used on mos
OF the streets in Joliet. There is Mt this p'acs
large stone repair shop, at which, As At Alton
cars are renovated. our time ~es 100 or'ef 1o
visit; but the eV1denees OF improvement
were plainly Tisible. The ROAD here Is crosse'
By branch Of the Michigan central
JOLIET TO CHICAGO
Five miles from Joliet, and at an elevation II
the grade OF about u feef, Is hocSporf, beau
tiful town Of 2,5oo peopls' tnouRh hafdly TislnI
from the cars. 1he track run' close by t."
Tast stone Sefepooses; anu IN .oe upper
eastern, part OF inc to"n aS pnion echoe
. House. ~hlcn cost *z''ovv' an immense auan
tity Of produce IL snippeo ''o" 'o's po'a1.
course' F" " unoer1a'o oy quaef'es; 10. VINO ma
NOT heaso o1 tae Aockpo1t s'ooe' A'oen
eomes next; sno mere 'olle1 fas eo.apet''o
1noeeo' Inc s'one Is o. os''e1 aua'''s' al
more easily oo1alneo' "eAr LUIS p'ace VIC so'
: an ap1asy Of not iess tnau MY s"arms
bees. Athens IL SIMPLY vast Stone guar
n, and will never be anything else. Thirtee'
miles further, and We are at the Summit, ," th
highest point On the road. a lew minute
. o.. - ,,o,,a sf,a, .1e....
+ au-..,h,.+-; ~, ovo-o,. At tha ha.t r.n..o
s -..a. a.a .h-onah ~. ~ n. uost d.,;,htf,
3 .s-;as. :. h.-ho,. .,n,,rx
= s' ~ ,.,on,
b c-"~..- ~ a.. a;..o
T. g.. - ..~, ~,
e sale e''' N
J. "moelea eoanNs. oe,o" 'o"e' .uo eo,n ~, ~
d ""1 oe a4oo1s an"e -.
na'nt' apa'.u y. 4.141 'ea1 ~. ao'. ~
:. tanee' a. s'a"o' .'s''
I ara he'eaA Aou.'os A1..Ae. '1o'' "'oO
d tne Hno spesAs n'gus u 'n' Psesea' "auae'
I. ment' essefa! e'' LOUIS mefcnhn's as'oFeo
Il that their gooas ano paekages were no" mo'
# carefully handled bJ the employees than pJ ar
!. those Of other company. Produce buyers ~e'
- | ,..3 So. &h.ir praisn Gsa{%1e drnvar& af Enr1p
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