"CUSTOM" PLEADED FOR ABUSES. 101 



each Senator 2,000., and each member of the Lower House 

 1000/., luckily in railway shares, which at present are of very 

 little value. Who was the governor ? A man of no note, pur- 

 posely chosen for his obscurity, because obnoxious to neither 

 political party ; for whenever parties are nearly balanced they 

 seek out for the highest office men of no prominence, as the 

 really able men have offended one side or the other. 



It is amusing, when one is used to it, to see the cool way 

 in which the public in these western States are trampled upon 

 by officials, and the servants of steam-boats and railway com- 

 panies, and how quietly they submit to it. I had taken a 

 through ticket like other passengers, " from Fond du Lac to 

 Chicago." Such were the terms on the ticket, and of course 

 that was our contract with the company. We reached a town, 

 and were told we must get into and pay for an omnibus to 

 convey us between the stations. We proceeded. One poor 

 delicate German wished to be put down at an intermediate 

 station, on another line, for which he had taken his through 

 ticket. The bus drew up, dropped him ankle deep in mud in 

 the middle of the road ; the driver never left his seat, but told 

 him to catch his trunk, a very large one, trundled it off the roof, 

 nearly upsetting the poor German, and the last we saw of him 

 he was hauling the trunk through the mud to the station. 

 Not a porter offered the slightest aid. I indignantly remarked 

 to the rest of the passengers that this was shameful, and ex- 

 pressed surprise that a free people would submit to such inso- 

 lent imposition. I said that in my country the railway com- 

 pany would be bound by law to fulfil their contract, and to pro- 

 vide at their own cost the necessary transport from station to 

 station. An American answered that it was certainly very 

 bad, but " guessed that the company could defend themselves 

 at law by the plea of ' custom.'" I expressed astonishment, 

 when a 'cute Yankee beside me interposed, " I reckon, stran- 



