Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-11-15
VISITING OLD HOMES.

at0r from dunooius So"ny3 N
RICH. good fellow we have always found
him), is Just now visiting his old home
Canton" way down in Maine." We
expect Hutchins 10 just about in the
same forlorn condition that many Of US
old California pioneers would DO if we
paid a visit to the scenes Of our " boy.
hoods days" Here i, what Fred. writes
from Canton to the Elko Independent:
Home again, after an absence OF more
than thirteen years You can have no
idea of the changes even so short a time
will work. A few, q very few knew
mo, and l could only find a familiar face
now and again among the men aud
women who were thirty and forty when
left. You have no conception Of the
feelings that chased each other through
my mind as I walked down the main
street Of the old village, the next morn
ing after my arrival. Men looked at me
a little hard and passed on big boys,
or rather. young men, went their way
without so much as stunning their heads.
The men were, many of them, old neigh
bors, and tho young fellows, now as
tall as | am, were children when | left.
It made me feel older than | ever felt
before. Out Of tho troops Of young men
and women with whom | used to asso-
ciate, not one is left for me. Some are
married and settled down; many have
moved away to distant parts of the
country ; and many, very many are lay
ing quietly up on the hillside, beyond
tho old church, beloved sister among
the last. Now and then, when | ask for
some youth whom l loft in tho full
pride Of his early manhood, ! am told
he was killed in the MAR, and the old
people look sad, but almost always add,
he was a brave boy, and never
f%linched." But enough. It 10 quito
enough for me TO see and feel those
things, without trying to cast shadow
over your days by relating them.
My last letter gave you my impress.
sions Of the country to Omaha. We ar
rived at this city at two T. NJ, and had
three hours to ado" the place in. The
first thing was to purchase q hat, having
lost my own overheard q day or two be-
fore. Four dollars in currency did it,
and | got a good hat, too. Now came
some handkerchiefs "one dollar each,"
said the weazen-faced madam who kept
the store. "Not much, my dear {; | can
buy as good ones for fifty cents in Ne
vada." This appeal 10 her pride brought
her down 10 six bits, at which price |
bought two, and was cheated then. A
poor dinner cost one dollar whisky,
fifteen cents a .nort-jus. a fair article.
After crossing tho Missouri river, we
struck into n low, fiat country, with but
few signs Of prosperity Mt first, but after
nm hours run tho scenery began 10
change; pleasant little towns wcro
passed every few miles, and the large,
fine honses of the farms that stood upon
each side of the road, bespoke plenty Of
this worlds goods, and, consequently,
taste and refinement. In the morning
we were whirling over the rolling prsi-
rics OF Illinois, through great fields Of
still.standing corn, past little villages,
Of elegant houses, lnc stores, and all
the church spires pointed to heaven,
and the school house bells called to-
gether crowds Of well dressed children.
Tho old farmers drove around the sta
tons in comfortable wagons, drawn BY
fine, big horses, as Fat rs seals and the
young chaps in hobby turn-outs, that
spoke of plenty of coin in tho pockets
Of Dad" | never have seen any part
of the land where the buildings were
80 universally good, the people so well
dressed, and the appearances OF taste
and wealth so abundant as the part Of
Illinois through which the Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad runs. It must
be Il land flowing with milk and honey.
At three P. NJ. we were in Chicago,
looked at its big buildings, listened to
the noise and din of it, business COM
mcrcc, eat a bad dinner (Seventy.fve
~cents), and Mt FIVE o'clock were off on
the Michigan Central for Boston. Night
soon cheated me out Of any view Of the
country, SO l rolled myself up on
n scat in a way that would aston
ish you, and slept until morning.
Soon after daylight We arrived at
Detroit, and quickly crossed over to
Windsor. | had two hours in which to
breakfast and see the town. The former
was good, the latter AS dull hs a post,
bat had nm air Of comfort and pleasant
ness in its broad streets, which are
lined on each side with noble elms, that
we never see in California towns. From
this place to Niagara Falls there is
hardly q decent looking house; every
thing looks rs though the inhabitants
had prepared, years ago, to move away,
but had never gone, though still living
in hopes that the day for their deliver
ence would come.
The land does not look poor, but the
people are poor. London, the principal
town through which We passed, has
many fine buildings, but is rs silent as
n deserted city; "Sunday seven days in
the week." remarked my companion.
We were cheated out of the pleasure of
seeing tue great falls, MS that portion of
our journey was performed at night, but
we saw plenty evidences of being on
American soil As we crossed the suspen-
sion bridge, in the hustle and activity
on every side. We arrived in Boston
on Saturday evening, having made tho
trip in nine days from Elko. From be-
ginning to end, | enjoyed the journey.
There wero some things I would have
changed, but they were simply petty
a%nnoyanccs that every sensible traveller
expects and pssses over. Boston
found full Of noise and activity. In no
place do you see so many well-dressed
men and women, and so few evidences
of poverty. Everybody, old aud young,
seems to be at work, contented, and APP
parently happy. The Boston girls are
the flowers of the kingdom; and such
CATER boo,sl and the way they handle
them! 1t is enough to drive an old
Nevadaitc out of his wits. The little
~bootblacks are most Of them cleaned.
They are obliged to attend school two
hours each day. There is no loud talk
at the hotel tables. No drunkenness on
the streets and bullying by policemen.
The latter are dressed in a handsome
uniform, and always treat strangers
with the utmost politeness. A short
answer to n citizen would cost a police
man his club, if reported at ~headquar.
ters. Give me Boston and plenty oil
money, and you may have the rest.
Truly yours.
MARRIAGRs.-Mrs. Dr.. Walker urges
a law to compel men to marry before