north america-2-第19章

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Nothing　can　be　much　uglier　than　the　State　House　at　Harrisburg；　but　it　commands　a　magnificent　view　of　one　of　the　valleys　into　which　the　Alleghany　Mountains　is　broken。　　Harrisburg　is　immediately　under　the　range；　probably　at　its　finest　point；　and　the　railway　running　west　from　the　town　to　Pittsburg；　Cincinnati；　and　Chicago；　passes　right　over　the　chain。　　The　line　has　been　magnificently　engineered；　and　the　scenery　is　very　grand。　　I　went　over　the　Alleghanies　in　midwinter；　when　they　were　covered　with　snow；　but　even　when　so　seen　they　were　very　fine。　　The　view　down　the　valley　from　Altoona；　a　point　near　the　summit；　must　in　summer　be　excessively　lovely。　　I　stopped　at　Altoona　one　night；　with　the　object　of　getting　about　among　the　hills　and　making　the　best　of　the　winter　view　but　I　found　it　impossible　to　walk。　　The　snow　had　become　frozen　and　was　like　glass。　　I　could　not　progress　a　mile　in　any　way。　　With　infinite　labor　I　climbed　to　the　top　of　one　little　hill；　and　when　there　became　aware　that　the　descent　would　be　very　much　more　difficult。　　I　did　get　down；　but　should　not　choose　to　describe　the　manner　in　which　I　accomplished　the　descent。　In　running　down　the　mountains　to　Pittsburg　an　accident　occurred　which　in　any　other　country　would　have　thrown　the　engine　off　the　line；　and　have　reduced　the　carriages　behind　the　engine　to　a　heap　of　ruins。　　But　here　it　had　no　other　effect　than　that　of　delaying　us　for　three　or　four　hours。　　The　tire　of　one　of　the　heavy　driving　wheels　flew　off；　and　in　the　shock　the　body　of　the　wheel　itself　was　broken；　one　spoke　and　a　portion　of　the　circumference　of　the　wheel　was　carried　away；　and　the　steam…chamber　was　ripped　open。　　Nevertheless　the　train　was　pulled　up；　neither　the　engine　nor　any　of　the　carriages　got　off　the　line；　and　the　men　in　charge　of　the　train　seemed　to　think　very　lightly　of　the　matter。　　I　was　amused　to　see　how　little　was　made　of　the　affair　by　any　of　the　passengers。　　In　England　a　delay　of　three　hours　would　in　itself　produce　a　great　amount　of　grumbling；　or　at　least　many　signs　of　discomfort　and　temporary　unhappiness。　　But　here　no　one　said　a　word。　　Some　of　the　younger　men　got　out　and　looked　at　the　ruined　wheel；　but　the　most　of　the　passengers　kept　their　seats；　chewed　their　tobacco；　and　went　to　sleep。　　In　all　such　matters　an　American　is　much　more　patient　than　an　Englishman。　　To　sit　quiet；　without　speech；　and　ruminate　in　some　contorted　position　of　body　comes　to　him　by　nature。　　On　this　occasion　I　did　not　hear　a　word　of　complaintnor　yet　a　word　of　surprise　or　thankfulness　that　the　accident　had　been　attended　with　no　serious　result。　　〃I　have　got　a　furlough　for　ten　days；〃　one　soldier　said　to　me；　〃and　I　have　missed　every　connection　all　through　from　Washington　here。　　I　shall　have　just　time　to　turn　round　and　go　back　when　I　get　home。〃　　But　he　did　not　seem　to　be　in　any　way　dissatisfied。　　He　had　not　referred　to　his　relatives　when　he　spoke　of　〃missing　his　connections；〃　but　to　his　want　of　good　fortune　as　regarded　railway　traveling。　　He　had　reached　Baltimore　too　late　for　the　train　on　to　Harrisburg；　and　Harrisburg　too　late　for　the　train　on　to　Pittsburg。　　Now　he　must　again　reach　Pittsburg　too　late　for　his　further　journey。　　But　nevertheless　he　seemed　to　be　well　pleased　with　his　position。　Pittsburg　is　the　Merthyr…Tydvil　of　Pennsylvaniaor　perhaps　I　should　better　describe　it　as　an　amalgamation　of　Swansea；　Merthyr…Tydvil；　and　South　Shields。　　It　is；　without　exception；　the　blackest　place　which　I　ever　saw。　　The　three　English　towns　which　I　have　named　are　very　dirty；　but　all　their　combined　soot　and　grease　and　dinginess　do　not　equal　that　of　Pittsburg。　　As　regards　scenery　it　is　beautifully　situated；　being　at　the　foot　of　the　Alleghany　Mountains；　and　at　the　juncture　of　the　two　rivers　Monongahela　and　Alleghany。　　Here；　at　the　town；　they　come　together；　and　form　the　River　Ohio。　　Nothing　can　be　more　picturesque　than　the　site；　for　the　spurs　of　the　mountains　come　down　close　round　the　town；　and　the　rivers　are　broad　and　swift；　and　can　be　seen　for　miles　from　heights　which　may　be　reached　in　a　short　walk。　　Even　the　filth　and　wondrous　blackness　of　the　place　are　picturesque　when　looked　down　upon　from　above。　　The　tops　of　the　churches　are　visible；　and　some　of　the　larger　buildings　may　be　partially　traced　through　the　thick；　brown；　settled　smoke。　　But　the　city　itself　is　buried　in　a　dense　cloud。　　The　atmosphere　was　especially　heavy　when　I　was　there；　and　the　effect　was　probably　increased　by　the　general　darkness　of　the　weather。　　The　Monongahela　is　crossed　by　a　fine　bridge；　and　on　the　other　side　the　ground　rises　at　once；　almost　with　the　rapidity　of　a　precipice；　so　that　a　commanding　view　is　obtained　down　upon　the　town　and　the　two　rivers　and　the　different　bridges；　from　a　height　immediately　above　them。　　I　was　never　more　in　love　with　smoke　and　dirt　than　when　I　stood　here　and　watched　the　darkness　of　night　close　in　upon　the　floating　soot　which　hovered　over　the　house…tops　of　the　city。　　I　cannot　say　that　I　saw　the　sun　set；　for　there　was　no　sun。　　I　should　say　that　the　sun　never　shone　at　Pittsburg；　as　foreigners　who　visit　London　in　November　declare　that　the　sun　never　shines　there。　Walking　along　the　river　side　I　counted　thirty…two　steamers；　all　beached　upon　the　shore；　with　their　bows　toward　the　landlarge　boats；　capable　probably　of　carrying　from　one　to　two　hundred　passengers　each；　and　about　three　hundred　tons　of　merchandise。　　On　inquiry　I　found　that　many　of　these　were　not　now　at　work。　　They　were　resting　idle；　the　trade　down　the　Mississippi　below　St。　Louis　having　been　cut　off　by　the　war。　　Many　of　them；　however；　were　still　running；　the　passage　down　the　river　being　open　to　Wheeling　in　Virginia；　to　Portsmouth；　Cincinnati；　and　the　whole　of　South　Ohio；　to　Louisville　in　Kentucky；　and　to　Cairo　in　Illinois；　where　the　Ohio　joins　the　Mississippi。　　The　amount　of　traffic　carried　on　by　these　boats　while　the　country　was　at　peace　within　itself　was　very　great；　and　conclusive　as　to　the　increasing　prosperity　of　the　people。　　It　seems　that　everybody　travels　in　America；　and　that　nothing　is　thought　of　distance。　　A　young　man　will　step　into　a　car　and　sit　beside　you；　with　that　easy　careless　air　which　is　common　to　a　railway　passenger　in　England　who　is　passing　from　one　station　to　the　next；　and　on　conversing　with　him　you　will　find　that　he　is　going　seven　or　eight　hundred　miles。　　He　is　supplied　with　fresh　newspapers　three　or　four　times　a　day　as　he　passes　by　the　towns　at　which　they　are　published；　he　eats　a　large　assortment　of　gum…drops　and　apples；　and　is　quite　as　much　at　home　as　in　his　own　house。　　On　board　the　river　boats　it　is　the　same　with　him；　with　this　exception；　that　when　there　he　can　get　whisky　when　he　wants　it。　　He　knows　nothing　of　the　ennui　of　traveling；　and　never　seems　to　long　for　the　end　of　his　journey；　as　travelers　do　with　us。　　Should　his　boat　come　to　grief　upon　the　river；　and　lay　by　for　a　day　or　a　night；　it　does　not　in　the　least　disconcert　him。　　He　seats　himself　upon　three　chairs；　takes　a　bite　of　tobacco；　thrusts　his　hand　into　his　trowsers　pockets；　and　revels　in　an　elysium　of　his　own。　I　was　told　that　the　stockholders　in　these　boats　were　in　a　bad　way　at　the　present　time。　　There　were　no　dividends　going。　　The　same　story　was　repeated　as　to　many　and　many　an　investment。　　Where　the　war　created　business；　as　it　had　done　on　some　of　the　main　lines　of　railroad　and　in　some　special　towns；　money　was　passing　very　freely；　but　away　from　this；　ruin　seemed　to　have　fallen　on　the　enterprise　of　the　country。　　Men　were　not　broken　hearted；　nor　were　they　even　melancholy；　but　they　were　simply　ruined。　　That　is　nothing　in　the　States；　so　long　as　the　ruined　man　has　the　means　left　to　him　of　supplying　his　daily　wants　till　he　can　start　himself　again　in　life。　It　is　almost　the　normal　condition　of　the　American　man　in　business；　and　therefore　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　when　this　war　is　over；　and　things　begin　to　settle　themselves　into　new　grooves；　commerce　will　recover　herself　more　quickly　there　than　she　would　do　among　any　other　people。　　It　is　so　common　a　thing　to　hear　of　an　enterprise　that　has　never　paid　a　dollar　of　interest　on　the　original　outlayof　hotels；　canals；　railroads；　banks；　blocks　of　houses；　etc。　that　never　paid　even　in　the　happy　days　of　peacethat　one　is　tempted　to　disregard　the　absence　of　dividends；　and　to　believe　that　such　a　trifling　accident　will　not　act　as　any　check　on　future　speculation。　　In　no　country　has　pecuniary　ruin　been　so　common　as　in　the　States；　but　then　in　no　country　is　pecuniary　ruin　so　little　ruinous。　　〃We　are　a　recuperative　people；〃　a　west…country　gentleman　once　said　to　me。　　I　doubted　the　propriety　of　his　word；　but　I　acknowledged　the　truth　of　his　assertion。　Pittsburg　and　Alleghanywhich　latter　is　a　town　similar　in　its　nature　to　Pittsburg；　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　of　the　same　nameregard　themselves　as　places　apart；　but　they　are　in　effect　one　and　the　same　city。　　They　live　under　the　same　blanket　of　soot；　which　is　woven　by　the　joint　efforts　of　the　two　places。　　Their　united　population　is　135；000；　of　which　Alleghany　owns　about　50；000。　　The　industry　of　the　towns　is　of　that　sort　which　arises　from　a　union　of　coal　and　iron　in　the　vicinity。　　The　Pennsylvanian　coal　fields　are　the　most　prolific　in　the　Union；　and　Pittsburg　is　therefore　great；　exactly　as　Merthyr…Tydvil　and　Birmingham　are　great。　　But　the　foundery　work　at　Pittsburg　is　more