DETROIT TO CHICAGO. 337 



ness with his family and established Gary Mission, 

 probably in sight of where the old Jesuit Mission stood. 

 This was in 1820. Six years afterwards a handful of 

 cabins made their appearance, and out of this nucleus 

 the town of Niles was evolved. This is a mere out- 

 line without the adornment of those pleasant little 

 fictions that cling about the sober history of every in- 

 habited place on earth, and which delight the ear of 

 most travellers, for there may be those who follow me 

 who echo the sentiment of the Michigan pioneer, 

 " From legend and romance, good Lord, deliver us ! '' 



®ne i^ii^^'^^*^"^ ^^ QtotwW) Sag. 



Private House, 

 La Porte, Indiana, 



August Twerdy-sixth, 



Was compelled to avail myself of livery accommo- 

 dations in order to meet my evening engagement at 

 La Porte. Rode in a hack to South Bend, and finally 

 reached my destination by way of the Michigan Cen- 

 tral and Southern Indiana roads. My advance agent, 

 Babcock, met me at the station, and I accompanied 

 him to the home of a Mr. Munday, who I discovered 

 was the father of an old fellow-prisoner at "t<ibby." 



I was delighted with the situation and appearance 

 of the town. It rises on the border of a beautiful 

 and fruitful prairie, its northern end bounded by a 

 chain of seven lakes which make an ideal resort in 

 summer, and is at a sufficient distance from the great 

 body of water which dips down into that corner of 

 the Stafee, to enjoy a comparatively mild climate. Its 



