north america-1-第51章

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ain。　　The　care…　laden　mothers　would　tuck　the　bibs　under　the　chins　of　their　tyrant　children；　and　some　embryo　senator　of　four　years　old　would　listen　with　concentrated　attention　while　the　negro　servant　recapitulated　to　him　the　delicacies　of　the　supper…table；　in　order　that　he　might　make　his　choice　with　due　consideration。　　〃Beef…steak；〃　the　embryo　four…year　old　senator　would　lisp；　〃and　stewed　potato；　and　buttered　toast；　and　corn…cake；　and　coffee；andandandmother；　mind　you　get　me　the　pickles。〃　St。　Paul　enjoys　the　double　privilege　of　being　the　commercial　and　political　capital　of　Minnesota。　　The　same　is　the　case　with　Boston；　in　Massachusetts；　but　I　do　not　remember　another　instance　in　which　it　is　so。　　It　is　built　on　the　eastern　bank　of　the　Mississippi；　though　the　bulk　of　the　State　lies　to　the　west　of　the　river。　　It　is　noticeable　as　the　spot　up　to　which　the　river　is　navigable。　Immediately　above　St。　Paul　there　are　narrow　rapids　up　which　no　boat　can　pass。　　North　of　this　continuous　navigation　does　not　go；　but　from　St。　Paul　down　to　New　Orleans　and　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　it　is　uninterrupted。　　The　distance　to　St。　Louis　in　Missouri；　a　town　built　below　the　confluence　of　the　three　rivers；　Mississippi；　Missouri；　and　Illinois；　is　900　miles　and　then　the　navigable　waters　down　to　the　Gulf　wash　a　southern　country　of　still　greater　extent。　　No　river　on　the　face　of　the　globe　forms　a　highway　for　the　produce　of　so　wide　an　extent　of　agricultural　land。　　The　Mississippi；　with　its　tributaries；　carried　to　market；　before　the　war；　the　produce　of　Wisconsin；　Minnesota；　Iowa；　Illinois；　Indiana；　Ohio；　Kentucky；　Tennessee；　Missouri；　Kansas；　Arkansas；　Mississippi；　and　Louisiana。　This　country　is　larger　than　England；　Ireland；　Scotland；　Holland；　Belgium；　France；　Germany；　and　Spain　together；　and　is　undoubtedly　composed　of　much　more　fertile　land。　　The　States　named　comprise　the　great　center　valley　of　the　continent；　and　are　the　farming　lands　and　garden　grounds　of　the　Western　World。　　He　who　has　not　seen　corn　on　the　ground　in　Illinois　or　Minnesota；　does　not　know　to　what　extent　the　fertility　of　land　may　go；　or　how　great　may　be　the　weight　of　cereal　crops。　　And　for　all　this　the　Mississippi　was　the　high…road　to　market。　　When　the　crop　of　1861　was　garnered；　this　high…road　was　stopped　by　the　war。　　What　suffering　this　entailed　on　the　South　I　will　not　here　stop　to　say；　but　on　the　West　the　effect　was　terrible。　Corn　was　in　such　plentyIndian…corn；　that　is；　or　maizethat　it　was　not　worth　the　farmer's　while　to　prepare　it　for　market。　　When　I　was　in　Illinois；　the　second　quality　of　Indian…corn；　when　shelled；　was　not　worth　more　than　from　eight　to　ten　cents　a　bushel。　　But　the　shelling　and　preparation　is　laborious；　and　in　some　instances　it　was　found　better　to　burn　it　for　fuel　than　to　sell　it。　　Respecting　the　export　of　corn　from　the　West；　I　must　say　a　further　word　or　two　in　the　next　chapter；　but　it　seemed　to　be　indispensable　that　I　should　point　out　here　how　great　to　the　United　States　is　the　need　of　the　Mississippi。　　Nor　is　it　for　corn　and　wheat　only　that　its　waters　are　needed。　　Timber；　lead；　iron；　coal；　porkall　find；　or　should　find；　their　exit　to　the　world　at　large　by　this　road。　　There　are　towns　on　it；　and　on　its　tributaries；　already　holding　more　than　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　inhabitants。　　The　number　of　Cincinnati　exceeds　that；　as　also　does　the　number　of　St。　Louis。　　Under　these　circumstances　it　is　not　wonderful　that　the　States　should　wish　to　keep　in　their　own　hands　the　navigation　of　this　river。　It　is　not　wonderful。　　But　it　will　not；　I　think；　be　admitted　by　the　politicians　of　the　world　that　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　need　be　closed　against　the　West；　even　though　the　Southern　States　should　succeed　in　raising　themselves　to　the　power　and　dignity　of　a　separate　nationality。　　If　the　waters　of　the　Danube　be　not　open　to　Austria；　it　is　through　the　fault　of　Austria。　　That　the　subject　will　be　one　of　trouble；　no　man　can　doubt；　and　of　course　it　would　be　well　for　the　North　to　avoid　that；　or　any　other　trouble。　　In　the　mean　time　the　importance　of　this　right　of　way　must　be　admitted；　and　it　must　be　admitted；　also；　that　whatever　may　be　the　ultimate　resolve　of　the　North；　it　will　be　very　difficult　to　reconcile　the　West　to　a　divided　dominion　of　the　Mississippi。　St。　Paul　contains　about　14；000　inhabitants；　and；　like　all　other　American　towns；　is　spread　over　a　surface　of　ground　adapted　to　the　accommodation　of　a　very　extended　population。　　As　it　is　belted　on　one　side　by　the　river；　and　on　the　other　by　the　bluffs　which　accompany　the　course　of　the　river；　the　site　is　pretty；　and　almost　romantic。　　Here　also　we　found　a　great　hotel；　a　huge；　square　building；　such　as　we　in　England　might　perhaps　place　near　to　a　railway　terminus　in　such　a　city　as　Glasgow　or　Manchester；　but　on　which　no　living　Englishman　would　expend　his　money　in　a　town　even　five　times　as　big　again　as　St。　Paul。　　Everything　was　sufficiently　good；　and　much　more　than　sufficiently　plentiful。　　The　whole　thing　went　on　exactly　as　hotels　do　down　in　Massachusetts　or　the　State　of　New　York。　　Look　at　the　map　and　see　where　St。　Paul　is。　　Its　distance　from　all　known　civilizationall　civilization　that　has　succeeded　in　obtaining　acquaintance　with　the　world　at　largeis　very　great。　Even　American　travelers　do　not　go　up　there　in　great　numbers；　excepting　those　who　intend　to　settle　there。　　A　stray　sportsman　or　two；　American　or　English；　as　the　case　may　be；　makes　his　way　into　Minnesota　for　the　sake　of　shooting；　and　pushes　on　up　through　St。　Paul　to　the　Red　River。　　Some　few　adventurous　spirits　visit　the　Indian　settlements；　and　pass　over　into　the　unsettled　regions　of　Dacotah　and　Washington　Territory。　　But　there　is　no　throng　of　traveling。　　Nevertheless；　a　hotel　has　been　built　there　capable　of　holding　three　hundred　guests；　and　other　hotels　exist　in　the　neighborhood；　one　of　which　is　even　larger　than　that　at　St。　Paul。　Who　can　come　to　them；　and　create　even　a　hope　that　such　an　enterprise　may　be　remunerative？　　In　America　it　is　seldom　more　than　hope；　for　one　always　hears　that　such　enterprises　fail。　When　I　was　there　the　war　was　in　hand；　and　it　was　hardly　to　be　expected　that　any　hotel　should　succeed。　　The　landlord　told　me　that　he　held　it　at　the　present　time　for　a　very　low　rent；　and　that　he　could　just　manage　to　keep　it　open　without　loss。　　The　war　which　hindered　people　from　traveling；　and　in　that　way　injured　the　innkeepers；　also　hindered　people　from　housekeeping；　and　reduced　them　to　the　necessity　of　boarding　out；　by　which　the　innkeepers　were　of　course　benefited。　　At　St。　Paul　I　found　that　the　majority　of　the　guests　were　inhabitants　of　the　town；　boarding　at　the　hotel；　and　thus　dispensing　with　the　cares　of　a　separate　establishment。　　I　do　not　know　what　was　charged　for　such　accommodation　at　St。　Paul；　but　I　have　come　across　large　houses　at　which　a　single　man　could　get　all　that　he　required　for　a　dollar　a　day。　　Now　Americans　are　great　consumers；　especially　at　hotels；　and　all　that　a　man　requires　includes　three　hot　meals；　with　a　choice　from　about　two　dozen　dishes　at　each。　From　St。　Paul　there　are　two　waterfalls　to　be　seen；　which　we；　of　course；　visited。　　We　crossed　the　river　at　Fort　Snelling；　a　rickety；　ill…conditioned　building　standing　at　the　confluence　of　the　Minnesota　and　Mississippi　Rivers；　built　there　to　repress　the　In