The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-08
A Letter from a Richmond Clergy.
man ON his Travels to a Friend at
Home.

A Letter from a Richmond Clergy
man on his Travels to a Friend at
Home.
.... CHICAGO, July -.
My dear Major,-The necessity is upon
me; 1 must keep up social connection
with my base, at Richmond; and in such
as for yourself and those Immediately
around you, domestically and as daily
mingling with so many, so dear to you and
to us. Well, here we are ut Chicago-this
point of departure for the "Sunset Lane"
across the Continent.
Chicdgo-how different from that chicago
which visited thrty-three years ago, and
how different the lines of approach.
Then there were, perhaps, from three
to four thousand inhabitants here; now
somewhere from two hundred to two hum
dred and fifty thousand. -.
Then for the amount Of fare paid in get
ting from Troy to Chicago, and thence by
stage across the prairies to the Illinois
river, and so to st. Louis and back, might
have purchased land enough in what is now
the solid and beautiful part Of this city to
have made me as rich, and perhaps as fool
ish, as-well, Twill not be personal; but If
| could to-day call the wealth of q Wander
bilt mine would enter into bonds to spend
every dollar of it in less than ten years in
dear old Richmond.
Speaking of the lines of approach to Chi
cago reminds me of the methods and OF
some of the incidents of travelling in these
parts in years agone. Then the "Iele-
graph Stage Line" from Albany to Buffalo,
making the distance in about thirty hours,
was considered splendid thing. steamers
from Buffalo to Detroit, in from thirty to
forty hours more, led on the way; thence
it was by steamers through Lakes st. Clair,
Huron. and Michigan, or by a short rail
road to Ypsilanti, some forty miles, and
thence by stages across the prairies and
sloughs of Michiganto st. Joscph's or Mich
ipan CITY, and 50 across the lake to Chicago.
Now the trip is made in {" "silver palace
cars" over fine roads, and through a varied
and charming country, u distance OF eight
hundred and ninety-nine miles, in twenty
nine hours from New York to Chicago.
And yet l recall that stage ride from
Ypsilanti to Niles and st. Josephs, in
Michigan, with peculiar interest. The
names and faces of some of the through
passengers stand out now before me, though
logg, of Brooklyn, n. y; and Peter Cohen,
a Frenchman, of New York and Strachan,
of Chicago.
Are these alive? Does Kellogg remem-
Der our midnight walk together on the
edge. of "Cold Water Prairie" while the
horses were changing; how we penetrated
into the woods, heavy cloud rising; how
we took shelter under a tree, waiting the
coming of the stage; how we were there
suddenly startled in the darkness by the
leap of some animal, apparently from the
branches of the tree to the ground, quite
near us? 1t might have been coon it
might have been, and probably was, Wild
cat. There was Il rustling Of leaves; we
stoopcd to find sticks or stones. The stage
was at hand, much to our convenience.
kellogg confessed to fear; and l-well, |
was ready to take Il seat in the stage. had
aralked far enough, rs it was growing diSa-
ureeablv dark, and was threatening TO rain.
And Strachan. is he alive? Does he re-
member my surprise when he invited me to
hi. room i'm the hotel ut st. JoSepHS, and
asked my services aS witness To - run .
he was about to make upon Il bank there
Package after package OF bank notes, from
inside pockets, belts, and trunk, he spread
before me, TO count and take memoranda ;
and then Il call was made upon the cashier ;
and then his blank look as the demand
WAS made for specie, which was not 1T
hand; and then the certitications and seals
of the notary, &C., &c.
The bank was known by Strachan to be
good. The notes had been bought up at
the East ut discount. The refusal to re-
deem them on demand operated to the adj
vantage of the holder of the protested notes
in certain percentage, which, added to the
discount at the East, would make ther ga
good thing" This development taught me
Something. One cannot always JUDGE OF cha
racter by the outside. Strachan had seemed
to be stupid person. His dress was ssolled
and careless; and yet his eye was Keen,
and (Nhat ] have learned to notice. there
was something about his baggage which
seemed to distinguish its owner. 1T had a
solid, respectable, simple, travelled, look
As to the morality of the bank transaction,
and nv participation in it, Il word or two.
1t was the period of irresponsible, or, as
they were termed, " Wild Cat 6ankS," OF
which great numbers were established and
located in 0ut.of-the-acay places, flooding
the country with their profuSe issues.
Some of these were owned by response
BILE parties, who had various agencies to get
their notes into circulation and their places
of promised payment being, as in this case,
isolated, they aimed to keep large issue
atioat upon small specie basis, and SO
reap a large profit upon the prolonged cir.
culation and the waste of their notes.
This was one of those arild-cat" insti.
tutions, and I felt no conscientious scru.
nles in seeing it choked. 1t would not hurt
INV conscience much if could, by choking,
comnel Mr. SPINNER, "TREAsURER," whose
name is scattered over the land on green
back promises as thick almost as grass
hoppers in Utah, to pay dollar for dollar
promises, specie for paper.
If, as is beheued by mGny, the men IN OF.
flee at Washington who manage the finance:
of the country do speculate I'm gold, OF
which they handle millions, lifting or de-
pressing the premium as they choose for
The benefit of their confidential "Ting -
friends-htgh or loso in pOSahora-then, Who
soeyer will and can, let him choke them, nor
snare the grip for their crying. Thinking
of Strachan, at st. Joseph's, has suggested
this reflection. And Peter Cohen-simple-
hearted, intelligent, genial, courteous-ls
he aliyep Does he continue to tell that story
off his first visit to- Paris, and his adyen-
lures at theatreP II, improbable as it Is,
he lives to see this aor1ting, then, my plea
SAINT stage-felloW, here is the hand OF one
who remembers you Es7adty.
Our trip hither has been safe and plea
SAINT by the deservedly popular ALLEN
town Line" from New York, connecting
with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chi
cago railroad. Our stay here for three days,
including Sabbath, has been all the more
pleasant for meeting number of old friends,
some of whom have showed us marked
Kindness. Chicago is fully abreast with any
city in America in the architecture ano
costliness of its buildings, Its eXceilent no
tells, its substantial and 6eautllll cnurGi uas;G
edifces, and in all the indications OF s9lla
thrift. Its site, on the Lake, Is Deautllul u
we'll rs highly advantageous; and Its lmme-
diote ;nterior railroad connections with O
co1,ntry 30 broad, productive. and so thick
iw noni,lated, and with the great line to the
Pacifc, guarantee Its future extensive pro-