north america-1-第59章

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white　timbertimber　painted　white　plastered　on　to　the　fronts　and　sides　of　red　brick　houses。　Again　we　went　on　by　rail　to　Buffalo。　　I　have　traveled　some　thousands　of　miles　by　railway　in　the　States；　taking　long　journeys　by　night　and　longer　journeys　by　day；　but　I　do　not　remember　that　while　doing　so　I　ever　made　acquaintance　with　an　American。　　To　an　American　lady　in　a　railway　car　I　should　no　more　think　of　speaking　than　I　should　to　an　unknown　female　in　the　next　pew　to　me　at　a　London　church。　　It　is　hard　to　understand　from　whence　come　the　laws　which　govern　societies　in　this　respect；　but　there　are　different　laws　in　different　societies；　which　soon　obtain　recognition　for　themselves。　　American　ladies　are　much　given　to　talking；　and　are　generally　free　from　all　mauvaise　honte。　　They　are　collected　in　manner；　well　instructed；　and　resolved　to　have　their　share　of　the　social　advantages　of　the　world。　　In　this　phase　of　life　they　come　out　more　strongly　than　English　women。　　But　on　a　railway　journey；　be　it　ever　so　long；　they　are　never　seen　speaking　to　a　stranger。　English　women；　however；　on　English　railways　are　generally　willing　to　converse：　they　will　do　so　if　they　be　on　a　journey；　but　will　not　open　their　mouths　if　they　be　simply　passing　backward　and　forward　between　their　homes　and　some　neighboring　town。　　We　soon　learn　the　rules　on　these　subjects；　but　who　make　the　rules？　　If　you　cross　the　Atlantic　with　an　American　lady　you　invariably　fall　in　love　with　her　before　the　journey　is　over。　　Travel　with　the　same　woman　in　a　railway　car　for　twelve　hours；　and　you　will　have　written　her　down　in　your　own　mind　in　quite　other　language　than　that　of　love。　And　now　for　Buffalo；　and　the　elevators。　　I　trust　I　have　made　it　understood　that　corn　comes　into　Buffalo；　not　only　from　Chicago；　of　which　I　have　spoken　specially；　but　from　all　the　ports　round　the　lakes：　Racine；　Milwaukee；　Grand　Haven；　Port　Sarnia；　Detroit；　Toledo；　Cleveland；　and　many　others。　　At　these　ports　the　produce　is　generally　bought　and　sold；　but　at　Buffalo　it　is　merely　passed　through　a　gateway。　　It　is　taken　from　vessels　of　a　size　fitted　for　the　lakes；　and　placed　in　other　vessels　fitted　for　the　canal。　　This　is　the　Erie　Canal；　which　connects　the　lakes　with　the　Hudson　River　and　with　New　York。　　The　produce　which　passes　through　the　Welland　Canalthe　canal　which　connects　Lake　Erie　and　the　upper　lakes　with　Lake　Ontario　and　the　St。　Lawrenceis　not　transhipped；　seeing　that　the　Welland　Canal；　which　is　less　than　thirty　miles　in　length；　gives　a　passage　to　vessels　of　500　tons。　　As　I　have　before　said；　60；000；000　bushels　of　breadstuff　were　thus　pushed　through　Buffalo　in　the　open　months　of　the　year　1861。　　These　open　months　run　from　the　middle　of　April　to　the　middle　of　November；　but　the　busy　period　is　that　of　the　last　two　monthsthe　time；　that　is；　which　intervenes　between　the　full　ripening　of　the　corn　and　the　coming　of　the　ice。　An　elevator　is　as　ugly　a　monster　as　has　been　yet　produced。　　In　uncouthness　of　form　it　outdoes　those　obsolete　old　brutes　who　used　to　roam　about　the　semi…aqueous　world；　and　live　a　most　uncomfortable　life　with　their　great　hungering　stomachs　and　huge　unsatisfied　maws。　The　elevator　itself　consists　of　a　big　movable　trunkmovable　as　is　that　of　an　elephant；　but　not　pliable；　and　less　graceful　even　than　an　elephant's。　　This　is　attached　to　a　huge　granary　or　barn；　but　in　order　to　give　altitude　within　the　barn　for　the　necessary　moving　up　and　down　of　this　trunkseeing　that　it　cannot　be　curled　gracefully　to　its　purposes　as　the　elephant's　is　curledthere　is　an　awkward　box　erected　on　the　roof　of　the　barn；　giving　some　twenty　feet　of　additional　height；　up　into　which　the　elevator　can　be　thrust。　　It　will　be　understood；　then；　that　this　big　movable　trunk；　the　head　of　which；　when　it　is　at　rest；　is　thrust　up　into　the　box　on　the　roof；　is　made　to　slant　down　in　an　oblique　direction　from　the　building　to　the　river；　for　the　elevator　is　an　amphibious　institution；　and　flourishes　only　on　the　banks　of　navigable　waters。　　When　its　head　is　ensconced　within　its　box；　and　the　beast　of　prey　is　thus　nearly　hidden　within　the　building；　the　unsuspicious　vessel　is　brought　up　within　reach　of　the　creature's　trunk；　and　down　it　comes；　like　a　musquito's　proboscis；　right　through　the　deck；　in　at　the　open　aperture　of　the　hole；　and　so　into　the　very　vitals　and　bowels　of　the　ship。　　When　there；　it　goes　to　work　upon　its　food　with　a　greed　and　an　avidity　that　is　disgusting　to　a　beholder　of　any　taste　or　imagination。　　And　now　I　must　explain　the　anatomical　arrangement　by　which　the　elevator　still　devours　and　continues　to　devour；　till　the　corn　within　its　reach　has　all　been　swallowed；　masticated；　and　digested。　　Its　long　trunk；　as　seen　slanting　down　from　out　of　the　building　across　the　wharf　and　into　the　ship；　is　a　mere　wooden　pipe；　but　this　pipe　is　divided　within。　　It　has　two　departments；　and　as　the　grain…bearing　troughs　pass　up　the　one　on　a　pliable　band；　they　pass　empty　down　the　other。　　The　system；　therefore；　is　that　of　an　ordinary　dredging　machine　only　that　corn　and　not　mud　is　taken　away；　and　that　the　buckets　or　troughs　are　hidden　from　sight。　　Below；　within　the　stomach　of　the　poor　bark；　three　or　four　laborers　are　at　work；　helping　to　feed　the　elevator。　　They　shovel　the　corn　up　toward　its　maw；　so　that　at　every　swallow　he　should　take　in　all　that　he　can　hold。　　Thus　the　troughs；　as　they　ascend；　are　kept　full；　and　when　they　reach　the　upper　building　they　empty　themselves　into　a　shoot；　over　which　a　porter　stands　guard；　moderating　the　shoot　by　a　door；　which　the　weight　of　his　finger　can　open　and　close。　　Through　this　doorway　the　corn　runs　into　a　measure；　and　is　weighed。　　By　measures　of　forty　bushels　each；　the　tale　is　kept。　　There　stands　the　apparatus；　with　the　figures　plainly　marked；　over　against　the　porter's　eye；　and　as　the　sum　mounts　nearly　up　to　forty　bushels　he　closes　the　door　till　the　grains　run　thinly　through；　hardly　a　handful　at　a　time；　so　that　the　balance　is　exactly　struck。　　Then　the　teller　standing　by　marks　down　his　figure；　and　the　record　is　made。　The　exact　porter　touches　the　string　of　another　door；　and　the　forty　bushels　of　corn　run　out　at　the　bottom　of　the　measure；　disappear　down　another　shoot；　slanting　also　toward　the　water；　and　deposit　themselves　in　the　canal　boat。　　The　transit　of　the　bushels　of　corn　from　the　larger　vessel　to　the　smaller　will　have　taken　less　than　a　minute；　and　the　cost　of　that　transit　will　have　beena　farthing。　But　I　have　spoken　of　the　rivers　of　wheat；　and　I　must　explain　what　are　those　rivers。　　In　the　working　of　the　elevator；　which　I　have　just　attempted　to　describe；　the　two　vessels　were　supposed　to　be　lying　at　the　same　wharf　on　the　same　side　of　the　building；　in　the　same　water；　the　smaller　vessel　inside　the　larger　one。　　When　this　is　the　case　the　corn　runs　direct　from　the　weighing　measure　into　the　shoot　that　communicates　with　the　canal　boat。　　But　there　is　not　room　or　time　for　confining　the　work　to　one　side　of　the　building。　　There　is　water　on　both　sides；　and　the　corn　or　wheat　is　elevated　on　the　one　side；　and　reshipped　on　the　other。　　To　effect　this　the　corn　is　carried　across　the　breadth　of　the　building；　but；　nevertheless；　it　is　never　handled　or　moved　in　its　direction　on　trucks　or　carriages　requiring　the　use　of　men's　muscles　for　its　motion。　　Across　the　floor　of　the　buildi