DETROIT TO CHICAGO. 329 



they went to work, turning out two wagons the first 

 year. The present output makes that humble 

 beginning seem ahiiost incredible. Studebaker's 

 wagons are famous and the firm controls capital stock 

 amountins: to a million of dollars. The other notable 

 enterprise is the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, founded 

 in 1853 by James Oliver, a Scotchman, who came to 

 Indiana to follow the vocation of an iron master, and 

 who ultimately had the satisfaction of exporting his 

 manufactures to his native country. 



The most distinguished citizen of South Bend at 

 the time of my visit, and the most prominent man in 

 Indiana, was Hon. Schuyler Colfax, whose career as a 

 statesman was a singularly brilliant one. For over a 

 quarter of a century he had been eminent in state and 

 national politics. Beginning life as an editor he 

 founded in 1845 the St. Josp.ph Valley Register y 

 an organ of considerable popularity and which at 

 the time had a strong influence in local Whig circles. 

 His subsequent duties as Speaker of the House of 

 Kepresentatives and the friend and adviser of Lincoln, 

 kept him out of editorial work, and later he was 

 entirely engrossed with affairs of state. In 1868 he 

 was elected to the office of Vice-President under 

 General Grant as chief executive. 



Sweet's Hotel, 

 Grand Rapids, Michigan. 



August Twenty -second. 



My birthday. Went by rail from South Bend to 

 Kalamazoo in the morning ; had dinner at the latter 



