north america-1- 第40部分

been　propitious。　　Much　of　it　has　been　burned　down；　and　more　of　it　has　never　been　built　up。　　It　had　a　straggling；　ill…conditioned；　uncommercial　aspect；　very　different　from　the　look　of　Detroit；　Milwaukee；　or　St。　Paul。　　There　was；　however；　a　great　hotel　there；　as　usual；　and　a　grand　bridge　over　the　Rock　River；　a　tributary　of　the　Mississippi；　which　runs　by　or　through　the　town。　　I　found　that　life　might　be　maintained　on　very　cheap　terms　at　Dixon。　　To　me；　as　a　passing　traveler；　the　charges　at　the　hotel　were；　I　take　it；　the　same　as　elsewhere。　　But　I　learned　from　an　inmate　there　that　he；　with　his　wife　and　horse；　were　fed　and　cared　for　and　attended；　for　two　dollars　（or　eight　shillings　and　four　pence）　a　day。　　This　included　a　private　sitting…room；　coals；　light；　and　all　the　wants　of　lifeas　my　informant　told　meexcept　tobacco　and　whisky。　　Feeding　at　such　a　house　means　a　succession　of　promiscuous　hot　meals；　as　often　as　the　digestion　of　the　patient　can　face　them。　　Now　I　do　not　know　any　locality　where　a　man　can　keep　himself　and　his　wife；　with　all　material　comforts　and　the　luxury　of　a　horse　and　carriage；　on　cheaper　terms　than　that。　　Whether　or　no　it　might　be　worth　a　man's　while　to　live　at　all　at　such　a　place　as　Dixon；　is　altogether　another　question。　We　went　there　because　it　is　surrounded　by　the　prairie；　and　out　into　the　prairie　we　had　ourselves　driven。　　We　found　some　difficulty　in　getting　away　from　the　corn；　though　we　had　selected　this　spot　as　one　at　which　the　open　rolling　prairie　was　specially　attainable。　　As　long　as　I　could　see　a　corn…field　or　a　tree　I　was　not　satisfied。　Nor；　indeed；　was　I　satisfied　at　last。　　To　have　been　thoroughly　on　the　prairie；　and　in　the　prairie；　I　should　have　been　a　day's　journey　from　tilled　land。　　But　I　doubt　whether　that　could　now　be　done　in　the　State　of　Illinois。　　I　got　out　into　various　patches　and　brought　away　specimens　of　cornears　bearing　sixteen　rows　of　grain；　with　forty　grains　in　each　row；　each　ear　bearing　a　meal　for　a　hungry　man。　At　last　we　did　find　ourselves　on　the　prairie；　amid　the　waving　grass；　with　the　land　rolling　on　before　us　in　a　succession　of　gentle　sweeps；　never　rising　so　as　to　impede　the　view；　or　apparently　changing　in　its　general　level；　but　yet　without　the　monotony　of　flatness。　　We　were　on　the　prairie；　but　still　I　felt　no　satisfaction。　　It　was　private　property；　divided　among　holders　and　pastured　over　by　private　cattle。　　Salisbury　Plain　is　as　wild；　and　Dartmoor　almost　wilder。　　Deer；　they　told　me；　were　to　be　had　within　reach　of　Dixon；　but　for　the　buffalo　one　has　to　go　much　farther　afield　than　Illinois。　　The　farmer　may　rejoice　in　Illinois；　but　the　hunter　and　the　trapper　must　cross　the　big　rivers　and　pass　away　into　the　Western　Territories　before　he　can　find　lands　wild　enough　for　his　purposes。　　My　visit　to　the　corn…fields　of　Illinois　was　in　its　way　successful；　but　I　felt；　as　I　turned　my　face　eastward　toward　Chicago；　that　I　had　no　right　to　boast　that　I　had　as　yet　made　acquaintance　with　a　prairie。　All　minds　were　turned　to　the　war；　at　Dixon　as　elsewhere。　　In　Illinois　the　men　boasted　that；　as　regards　the　war；　they　were　the　leading　State　of　the　union。　　But　the　same　boast　was　made　in　Indiana；　and　also　in　Massachusetts；　and　probably　in　half　the　States　of　the　North　and　West。　　They；　the　Illinoisians；　call　their　country　the　war…nest　of　the　West。　　The　population　of　the　State　is　1；700；000；　and　it　had　undertaken　to　furnish　sixty　volunteer　regiments　of　1000　men　each。　　And　let　it　be　borne　in　mind　that　these　regiments；　when　furnished；　are　really　fullabsolutely　containing　the　thousand　men　when　they　are　sent　away　from　the　parent　States。　The　number　of　souls　above　named　will　give　420；000　working　men；　and　if；　out　of　these；　60；000　are　sent　to　the　war；　the　State；　which　is　almost　purely　agricultural；　will　have　given　more　than　one　man　in　eight。　　When　I　was　in　Illinois；　over　forty　regiments　had　already　been　sentforty…six；　if　I　remember　rightlyand　there　existed　no　doubt　whatever　as　to　the　remaining　number。　　From　the　next　State；　Indiana；　with　a　population　of　1；350；000；　giving　something　less　than　350；000　working　men；　thirty…six　regiments　had　been　sent。　　I　fear　that　I　am　mentioning　these　numbers　usque　ad　nauseam；　but　I　wish　to　impress　upon　English　readers　the　magnitude　of　the　effort　made　by　the　States　in　mustering　and　equipping　an　army　within　six　or　seven　months　of　the　first　acknowledgment　that　such　an　army　would　be　necessary。　　The　Americans　have　complained　bitterly　of　the　want　of　English　sympathy；　and　I　think　they　have　been　weak　in　making　that　complaint。　　But　I　would　not　wish　that　they　should　hereafter　have　the　power　of　complaining　of　a　want　of　English　justice。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　a　genuine　feeling　of　patriotism　was　aroused　throughout　the　North　and　West；　and　that　men　rushed　into　the　ranks　actuated　by　that　feeling；　men　for　whom　war　and　army　life；　a　camp　and　fifteen　dollars　a　month；　would　not　of　themselves　have　had　any　attraction。　　It　came　to　that；　that　young　men　were　ashamed　not　to　go　into　the　army。　　This　feeling　of　course　produced　coercion；　and　the　movement　was　in　that　way　tyrannical。　　There　is　nothing　more　tyrannical　than　a　strong　popular　feeling　among　a　democratic　people。　During　the　period　of　enlistment　this　tyranny　was　very　strong。　　But　the　existence　of　such　a　tyranny　proves　the　passion　and　patriotism　of　the　people。　　It　got　the　better　of　the　love　of　money；　of　the　love　of　children；　and　of　the　love　of　progress。　　Wives　who　with　their　bairns　were　absolutely　dependent　on　their　husbands'　labors；　would　wish　their　husbands　to　be　at　the　war。　　Not　to　conduce；　in　some　special　way；　toward　the　war；　to　have　neither　father　there；　nor　brother　nor　son；　not　to　have　lectured；　or　preached；　or　written　for　the　war；　to　have　made　no　sacrifice　for　the　war；　to　have　had　no　special　and　individual　interest　in　the　war；　was　disgraceful。　　One　sees　at　a　glance　the　tyranny　of　all　this　in　such　a　country　as　the　States。　　One　can　understand　how　quickly　adverse　stories　would　spread　themselves　as　to　the　opinion　of　any　man　who　chose　to　remain　tranquil　at　such　a　time。　　One　shudders　at　the　absolute　absence　of　true　liberty　which　such　a　passion　throughout　a　democratic　country　must　engender。　　But　he　who　has　observed　all　this　must　acknowledge　that　that　passion　did　exist。　　Dollars；　children；　progress；　education；　and　political　rivalry　all　gave　way　to　the　one　strong　national　desire　for　the　thrashing　and　crushing　of　those　who　had　rebelled　against　the　authority　of　the　stars　and　stripes。　When　we　were　at　Dixon　they　were　getting　up　the　Dement　regiment。　The　attempt　at　the　time　did　not　seem　to　be　prosperous；　and　the　few　men　who　had　been　collected　had　about　them　a　forlorn；　ill…　conditioned　look。　　But　then；　as　I　was　told；　Dixon　had　already　been　decimated　and　redecimated　by　former　recruiting　colonels。　　Colonel　Dement；　from　whom　the　regiment　was　to　be　named；　and　whose　military　career　was　only　now　about　to　commence；　had　come　late　into　the　field。　　I　did　not　afterward　ascertain　what　had　been　his　success；　but　I　hardly　doubt　that　he　did　ultimately　scrape　together　his　thousand　men。　　〃Why　don't　you　go？〃　I　said　to　a　burly　Irishman　who　was　driving　me。　　〃I'm　not　a　sound　man；　yer　honor；〃　said　the　Irishman；　〃I'm　deficient　in　me　liver。〃　　Taking　the　Irishmen；　however；　throughout　the　Union；　they　had　not　been　found　deficient　in　any　of　the　necessaries　for　a　career　of　war。　　I　do　not　think　that　any　men　have　done　better　than　the　Irish　in　the　American　army。　From　Dixon　we　went　to　Chicago。　　Chicago　is　in　many　respects　the　most　remarkable　city　among　all　the　remarkable　cities　of　the　Union。　Its　growth　has　been　the　fastest　and　its　success　the　most　assured。　Twenty…five　years　ago　there　was　no　Chicago；　and　now　it　contains　120；000　inhabitants。　　Cincinnati；　on　the　Ohio；　and　St。　Louis；　at　the　junction　of　the　Missouri　and　Mississippi；　are　larger　towns；　but　they　have　not　grown　large　so　quickly　nor　do　they　now　promise　so　excessive　a　development　of　commerce。　　Chicago　may　be　called　the　metropolis　of　American　cornthe　favorite　city　haunt　of　the　American　Ceres。　　The　goddess　seats　herself　there　amid　the　dust　of　her　full　barns；　and　proclaims　herself　a　goddess　ruling　over　things　political　and　philosophical　as　well　as　agricultural。　　Not　furrows　only　are　in　her　thoughts；　but　free　trade　also　and　brotherly　love。　And　within　her　own　bosom　there　is　a　boast　that　even　yet　she　will　be　stronger　than　Mars。　　In　Chicago　there　are　great　streets；　and　rows　of　houses　fit　to　be　the　residences　of　a　new　Corn…Exchange　nobility。　They　look　out　on　the　wide　lake　which　is　now　the　highway　for　breadstuffs；　and　the　merchant；　as　he　shaves　at　his　window；　sees　his　rapid　ventures　as　they　pass　away；　one　after　the　other；　toward　the　East。　I　went　over　one　great　grain　store　in　Chicago　possessed　by　gentlemen　of　the　name　of　Sturgess　and　Buckenham。　　It　was　a　world　in　itself；　and　the　dustiest　of　all　the　worlds。　　It　contained；　when　I　was　there；　half　a　million　bushels　of　wheator　a　very　great　many；　as　I　might　say　in　other　language。　　But　it　was　not　as　a　storehouse　that　this　great　building　was　so　remarkable；　but　as　a　channel　or　a　river…　course　for　the　flooding　freshets　of　corn。　　It　is　so　built　that　both　railway　vans　and　vessels　come　immediately　under　its　claws；　as　I　may　call　the　great　trunks　of　the　elevators。　　Out　of　the　railway　vans　the　corn　and　wheat　is　clawed　up　into　the　building；　and　down　similar　trunks　it　is　at　once　again　poured　out　into　the　vessels。　　I　shall　be　at　Buffalo　in　a　page　or　two；　and　then　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　more　minutely　how　this　is　done。　　At　Chicago　the　corn　is　bought　and　does　change　hands；　and　much　of　it；　therefore；　is　stored　there　for　some　space　of　time；　shorter　or　longer　as　the　case　may　be。　　When　I　was　at　Chicago；　the　only　limit　to　the　rapidity　of　its　transit　was　set　by　the　amount　of　boat　accommodation。　　There　were　not　bottoms　enough　to　take　the　corn　away　from　Chicago；　nor；　indeed；　on　the　railway　was　there　a　sufficiency　of　rolling　stock　or　locomotive　power　to　bring　it　into　Chicago。　　As　I　said　before；　the　country　was　bursting　with　its　own　produce　and　smothered　in　its　own　fruits。　At　Chicago　the　hotel　was　bigger　than　other　hotels　and　grander。　There　were　pipes　without　end　for　cold　water　which　ran　hot；　and　for　hot　water　which　would　not　run　at　all。　　The　post…office　also　was　grander　and　bigger　than　other　post…offices；　though　the　postmaster　confessed　to　me　that　that　matte