St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-04-26
Correspondence.
EN- ROUTE TO DWIGHT.

p. m. via the Lackawana road,
which carried me through Paterson,
n. T., Hacketstown and Scranton,
Pa, aud Bingham and Elmira, New
York. The darkness prevented any
observations the first half of the ride,
but as we reached Scranton the
gray light of morning appeared and
in it could be seen the outlines of
great and prosperous city. Being sit
mated in the heart Of the Pennsylvania
coal region, has naturally made it
a great coal center. AS we entered
and passed out of the city limits the
tops of the rugged derricks, which
stand over the mouths of the mines,
were visible in every direction, while
around each one lay huge piles of
gray earth taken from around the
coal
My first and chief impression of
Binghamton was that Zones, he
pays the freight" Here are large
glass factories.
Elmira is situated in the midst of
fine farming country, the surface
being undulating. Farther on to-
ward Buffalo and the lakes the
ground becomes very level and the
streams are sluggish indeed. Buffa-
10 can properly claim the title of 'The
Smoky City" now that Pittsburg has
given it up. 1t is smoke, smoke,
smoke, and thousands of tall CHM
neys are pouring out their smut
upon the people. Buffalo is a large
city, the largest between New York
and Chicago, and while some por-
tions look new, large part of it has
the traces of age.
The Lackawana road is a first
class one and its passengers are
given good accommodations. The
distance from New York to Buffalo
via this road is 40 miles, as COM
pared with 40 via the New York
Central.
left Buffalo at 1 .O5 p. M, eastern
time, via Nickel Plate road, arriving
in Chicago at SIS next morning.
This is a comparatively new road
and follows the Lake Shore road so
closely that the latter is in
sight nearly all of the way. l puz-
zled over the significance of the name
''Nickel Plate all the afternoon,
and was beginning to believe it a
misnomer, for the cars were abom-
inably dirty and worn, but ere 1
reached Chicago the Pullman car
conductor had all my nickels and
those of everybody else.
The altitude of these Chicago |
buildings is great, as great as it will
ever be, for the city has passed an
ordinance forbidding the erection of
buildings above a certain height.
The "Monadnock," a large office
building between State and Clark
streets, is sixteen stories above the |
ground, and no knowing how many
are below the pavement. Such
building would be unsafe in a strong !
wind, were it not built of massive
steel frame, rigidly bolted and riv-
eted together. The masonry is then
built in and around this frame, so
that it is impossible for the walls to
bulge or fall.
The Chicago post office is an archi-
tectural monument, and the amount
of mail matter handled there each
day is beyond conception. An
army of employees find work
here, and even to the casual observer
it appears that Mr.. Bissell's pay roll
for this office must be a big one.
At the Grand Pacific Hotel found |
DIR. 6. B. Billiard, who was on his
way to Denver. He had been there
two days already and having seen
the sights, expressed himself ready
to go on. So we decided to leave
the city next morning for Dwight,
where l was to remain two weeks |
for instruction. In the meantime l |
called upon Mrs. c. c. Newell,
formerly of East Burke, who now
resides with her daughter, the wife
of Rev. E. P. Goodwin, pastor of the
First Congreg ational church
Saturday comes all too soon, and
we, DR.. Billiard and I, are off for
Dwight, the Mecca of a drinking
world. This is little town of about |
1000 inhabitants, situated on the |
main line of the Chicago and Alton
road, southwest from Chicago 70 |
miles. Its principal claim to dis