Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note
Italic text displayed as: _italic_

LAST WINTER

IN

THE UNITED STATES

BEING

TABLE TALK

COLLECTED DURING A TOUR THROUGH
THE LATE SOUTHERN CONFEDERATION, THE FAR WEST,
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, &c.

BY F. BARHAM ZINCKE

VICAR OF WHERSTEAD AND CHAPLAIN IN ORDINARY TO THE QUEEN

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1868

_The right of translation is reserved_

TO MY WIFE

I Dedicate these Pages

BECAUSE, WHILE OF ALL WOMEN I AM ACQUAINTED WITH SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST CAPABLE OF ENTERING INTO THE INTEREST OF THE SCENES AND OF THE STATE OF SOCIETY THEY DESCRIBE, SHE DETERMINED, FOR THE SAKE OF HER ONLY CHILD, TO FOREGO THAT PLEASURE; AND URGED ME NOT TO LOSE, FROM CONSIDERATION FOR HER, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CARRYING OUT A LONG-CHERISHED WISH TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

WHERSTEAD VICARAGE:

_Nov. 24, 1868_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

The Winter Voyage recommended—A Cabin to oneself may then
be had at no additional cost—Advantages of Travelling in America
in Winter—A Feeling in a Gale—The Americans on board
the Steamer—Divine Service on Board 1

CHAPTER II.

New York—_Menu_ at Fifth Avenue Hotel—How Travel in the
States may be arranged for a Winter Tour—The Queen’s Book
in America—External Appearance of New York—Ignorance of
English Immigrants—Industrial Schools—Children’s Aid Society—Number
of Churches—Broad Views general—A Service
at the Rev. H. W. Beecher’s Church—Episcopalian Broad Church
Club—Chapels in poor Districts annexed to Episcopal Churches
in rich ones—American Churches worked at High Pressure—An
American Divine’s Opinion of a Minister’s Duty 8

CHAPTER III.

Why an unreasonable Fancy was acted on—The History of the
Cause of American Progressiveness—What passes in America
important to us—The Northern States sown broadcast with
Houses 24

CHAPTER IV.

The Locomotive in the Streets—In Baltimore Public Opinion first
becomes Southern—Growth and Prospects of Baltimore—On
Trading Politicians and Ill-will to England—Why an American
Tutor thought necessary for an Englishman—Repudiation—The
Masses and Middle Class in favour of it—Arguments in favour
of it—An Argument used 2,000 Miles from Wall Street—Why
Republicans bound to repudiate—Americans addicted to Abstract
Reasoning—Instances 32

CHAPTER V.

Washington—Style of Speaking in Congress—Congress no Nursery
for Statesmen—Society in Washington—Episcopal Church in
Washington—Some Opinions of an American Bishop—Commissioner
of Agriculture—Use of the Department—Its Museum
gives an Idea of the Vastness of the Country—Its Natural
Advantages—What Variety of Productions has done for England
will be repeated in America—Special Excellence of Californian
Productions—The Californian himself—California compared
with Italy—Why Coloured Waiters preferable to White—Negro
Funeral with Masonic Honours—American Birds’ Nests—Bill
for making Education compulsory—Coloured Schools—Comparative
Intelligence of the Negro—Vulgar Errors about Americans—Night
Attendants at Hotel read ‘Oliver Twist’—Capitol—Treasury—Patent
Office—What our Diplomacy in America
should be—Use of Iced Water 44

CHAPTER VI.

Richmond—Way by the Battle-fields—Handiness of American
Soldiers—Effect of Slavery on the Virginian Landscape—Appearance
of American Forest—Republican Relations of Father
and Son—State of Feeling in Virginia—Billiards in America—Why
Richmond Millers undersold by Californian—Why American
Cities are Large—American Living—Prospects of Richmond—Indications
of Southern Climate in Richmond—Church-matters
in Richmond—Interest that attaches to Richmond, and to the
Heroism of the South 67

CHAPTER VII.

How Southerners describe their own Condition—Each State must
be taken separately—Missouri—Tennessee—Kentucky—Texas—Virginia—
Georgia—Florida—North Carolina—Arkansas—South
Carolina—Louisiana—Mississippi—Will the Blacks get
the Franchise?—No party considers them fit—They will have
it for a time—This will weaken the repudiating party—Also
the party hostile to this country—The Blacks will not all be
republican—The South should have been left alone to settle the
Labour Question—The Bureau suggested false ideas—There will
be no war of races—What will kill out the Blacks—The rate of
this—Fusion physically impossible—Means of Communication
in the South indicate its condition 91

CHAPTER VIII.

First Sight of a Cotton-field—Spanish Moss—A Night on the
Rails—Many kinds of sameness in America—Maize—Order of
Succession in the Forest—Its extent—Evergreens in the Southern
Forest—Poor land in the South may be more profitable than
rich land in the West—Deadness of Charleston—Its Hotels—A
Charleston Sam Weller—The Naples of the United States—Few
English Travellers—Sufferings of Southern Families—Want
of schools—How the deficiency is being supplied—Blacks should
be put on same footing as Whites—Dialogue with Black Member
of Convention—Another Convention—Able Black Member—South
Carolina Orphan Asylum 109

CHAPTER IX.

Cold in South Carolina and Georgia—Curious appearance of Ice—Time
not valued in the South—Why Americans will not cultivate
the Olive—Tea might grow in Georgia—Atlanta bound to
be great—Cattle badly off in winter—A Virginian’s Recollection
of the War—His Position and Prospects—Approach to Mobile
by the Alabama River—Mobile—The Harbour—Why no American
Ships there—A Day on the Gulf—Ponchatrain—New
Orleans—French Sunday Market—French appearance of Town—A
New Orleans Gentleman on the Episcopal Church—Bishop
Elect of Georgia—Mississippi—The Cemeteries—Expensiveness
of everything—Transatlantic News—Fusion of North and South—French
Half-breeds—Roads—The best in the World—Approach
to New Orleans by land—Sugar Plantations—A
Prayer for a Brother Minister 126

CHAPTER X.

My only Delay on an American Railway—No concealing one’s
Nationality—Railway Cow-plough—Pistols—Memphis—Emigration
from the South deprecated—True Method of Resuscitation—The
Minister’s Study—Conversation with two Ministers—Invitation
to ‘go to Church’ 150 Miles off—Luxury does not
sap the Military Spirit—Mrs. Read—Entry into Eden—Share a
Bed-room with a Californian—How California was civilised—How
a Site upon the Swamp was created for Cairo—Decline the
fourth part of a Bed-room at Odin—‘Be good to yourself’ 146

CHAPTER XI.

Mississippi frozen over at St. Louis—Why the Bridge at St. Louis
is built by Chicago Men—General Sherman—Ideas about Education
at St. Louis—Liberal Bequests for Educational Purposes—How
New Englandism leavens the whole Lump—The German
Invasion will not Germanise America—St. Louis—Its rapid
Growth—Its Church Architecture—An Idea on Mental Culture
from the West Bank of the Mississippi—A Thought suggested
by hearing the Skaters on the Mississippi talking English 164

CHAPTER XII.

Instance of American Kindliness—Red-skins and Half-breeds on
the Rails—Cincinnati and its Inhabitants—What may be
made of Pigs—The influence of its Pork-crop—Machinery
for Killing and Curing—Improving effect American Equality
has on the highest and lowest Class—Churches only unprosaic
Buildings in American Towns—Schools—Merits of Philadelphian
style of City-building not obvious—In what it consists—America
has but one City—No. 24, G Street, corner of 25th Street 172

CHAPTER XIII.

The Valley of the Ohio—Much of the United States will produce
Wine—Illinois at Night—First View of Lake Michigan—Chicago—A
Sign of outward Religion—‘Small-pox here’—Fire
Alarm—Liberality of Chicago Merchants—The Dollar not all-in-all—A
Church lighted from the Roof—A handsome American—America
has developed a new type of Features—Chicago Schools—An
exception to the American way of denouncing the official
Class—Chicago Sunday Schools—Programme of one I attended—Excellence
of Water at Chicago—How supplied—Lifting up
the City—Post Office Arrangements—A disadvantage of frequent
change of Clerks—Americans on Aristocracy—How the Germans,
the masses of the people, and the upper class feel towards it 182

CHAPTER XIV.

Prairie from Chicago to Omaha—Plains from North Platte to the
Mountains—Omaha, the intersection of the Pacific Railway
and the Missouri—Temporary Bridge over the Missouri—Indifference
to Risks affecting Life—A Prairie Fire—The Forest on
the Mountains on Fire—Fire the cause of the Treelessness of the
Prairies—First found Animal Life abounding in the Valley of the
Platte—‘The hardest place, Sir, on this Continent’—Its
Predecessor—How it is possible to establish Lynch Law at Shyenne—My
first Night in Shyenne—A second Night in Shyenne—Necessity
and advantages of Lynch Law—‘The use of the Pistol’—A
Man shot because ‘he might have done some mischief’—Newness
of Aspects both of Society and of Nature 202

CHAPTER XV.

The Armament and Experience of a German Herdmaster—A Stage
Coach on the Plains—The Party in the Coach—The only
Colonel I met in the United States—The Colonel’s Wife—A
Colorado Herdmaster—A Philadelphian Graduate—Two jocose
Denver Storekeepers—Advantage of having one’s Rifle in the
Coach—A Californian’s account of a Skirmish with Indians—Manners
and Life at a house on the Plains—A Lady of the
Plains—American Society judges Men fairly—Between Shyenne
and Denver 221

CHAPTER XVI.

The City of Denver—The Ladies give a Ball—Manners of Denver—‘Quite
our finest Gentleman’—The Plains will be to America
an improved Australia—The advantages they offer for Flocks
and Herds—Will soon be clear of Indians—Markets now opened
to them—Size of the Runs—Wealth of the Region 233

CHAPTER XVII.

The Rocky Mountains—Golden City—Golden Gates—Mining
Towns—Neighbouring Mountains stripped of every Tree—What
grows on the Mountains—American Horses—Roads and Bridges
they have to pass—How, six-in-hand, we went down a Hillside
in the Mountains—A nice Distinction as to Accidents on this
Hill—Climate—Wind-storms—Birds—Dogs 241

CHAPTER XVIII.

Rocky Mountains a Field for Sporting—Great variety and abundance
of Game—Wild Fruit—Excellence of Climate in the
shooting season—How the Mountains may be reached, and how
much seen by the way, in 15 days from Liverpool—Cost of the
Expedition—The best Camping Ground is the South Park at
foot of Pike’s Peak—The Route by Chicago and Denver
recommended—Other Route by St. Louis and Leavenworth—Route
into the Park—The North Park easier work—The more enterprising
may go to Laramie Plains—Will deteriorate every year 249

CHAPTER XIX.

Hotel Cars, real First-class Carriages—An Editor on his Countrymen’s
Knowledge—American Grandiloquence—Of whom this
is said—Necessary to repeat some of what one hears—‘Have
you seen our Forest?’—‘The Pacific Rails will carry the commerce
of the world’—Large Acquaintance Americans have—An
American on Letters of Introduction—Niagara—The American
and Canadian Falls—What is in the mind magnifies what one
sees—The Stone Trough it has chipped out—Ice Bridge—How
Niagara is pronounced—A Week of Canadian Weather—A
Snow-bound Party at Niagara 258

CHAPTER XX.

Educational Department at Toronto—Canadian Arguments against
Common Schools—A Canadian’s Opinion on Secular Schools in
England—How the Canadians’ Objections are met in the United
States—Upper Canadians not yet a People—Advantages possessed
by Upper Canada—Service at the Romanist and Anglican
Cathedrals—Unmannerly Behaviour permitted on Canadian
Railways—Badness of their Carriages—Why Canada is not ‘the
Land of Freedom’—Yankee Smartness in Train-driving—Picturesqueness
of Vermont—Travelling on American Railways
not fatiguing 269

CHAPTER XXI.

Boston is the Hub of America—Mr. Ticknor—Professor Rogers
and the Technological—Mr. Norton—Professor Agassiz—Mr.
Appleton and Mr. Longfellow—Mr. Philbrick—A Grammar
School Commemoration—Humility of the better Literary Men of
Boston—Regret at leaving Boston 279

CHAPTER XXII.

American Hotels—Why some People in America travel without
any Luggage—Conversation at Tables-d’hôte should be encouraged—The
Irish, the African, and the Chinese—Can a Republic
do without a Servile Class?—What will be the ultimate Fate of
these three races in America—No Children—Motives—Means—
Consequences—Why many young Men and young Women make
Shipwreck of Happiness in America—The course many Families
run—America the Hub of the World 286

CHAPTER XXIII.

On American Common Schools—Conclusion 299