EAILWAY IMPOSITION. 389 



towns of the West which I saw, too much scattered, and 

 built without any visible design save to shelter heads as 

 they chanced to locate on the spot. We disembarked at 

 Alton about half-past ten a.m., and then ran on rail, 

 chiefly through dead flats, to Chicago, 257 miles. On the 

 journey I saw a common rabbit, such as we have in Eng 

 land, by the side of the rail. The line of rail I was then 

 on was the best I had seen, and at last we travelled be 

 tween sufficient fences. Nevertheless, while sitting in 

 the extreme end of the carriage, I saw a horse lying in 

 the ditch by the side of the rails dead, with his shoulder 

 nearly cut in two, and covered with fresh blood. On 

 halting at a small village or station to dine, I told the 

 conductor, of the recently killed horse, when he ac 

 cused me of poking fun at him, and swore I had been de 

 ceived. A very good chicken pie at dinner, but, as usual 

 on the railway line, nothing to drink but tea and coffee. 



Springfield Town, which we also stopped at, was re 

 markable for the neatness of its houses. Llangollen also 

 was a neat and rising town; soon after passing which, 

 and particularly at the decline of day, at every stoppage 

 I thought there was "a vast deal of needless delay. At 

 half-past twelve at night we arrived at Chicago. Here I 

 caught an uncomfortable glimpse of Lake Michigan, and 

 then hurried to bed at the hotel, having to start again at 

 three the next morning. 



While on the rail waiting for a start, a poor but respect 

 able Irish woman came into the carriage where I was, 

 with four children, and attended by two Irish men, who 

 came to take leave of her. While there, a railway official 

 looked at her tickets, and said, that they were " second 

 class." On this I went up to him' making the remark, 

 "I have paid a higher price, so show me, then, into a 



