WESTWARD TO CHICAGO
CHAPTER XXV.
Westward to Chicago.
Passing through Bangor, the port of entry, at the head of steam navigation on the Penobscot river, I reach the capital of the State of Maine. I visited the capitol buildings and several features of interest in this rustling and enterprising city of Augusta.
Portland, the largest city and most important seaport of the state, has a valuable coast trade, with fisheries and manufactures, besides being a prominent railroad terminus. While here I took several car rides, seeing all I could of the city for I had been led to believe that Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Maine, were similar, but I will think so no more, for I must say I was disappointed with Portland, Me.
I passed on through Portsmouth, the only seaport in the State of New Hampshire, having an excellent harbor and considerable shipbuilding interests. This is also a famous summer resort. Reaching Boston, I took the Fitchburg route, changing at Troy, for Albany, the capital of the State of New York.
The city is at the head of navigation of the Hudson river, and is one of the most interesting in America, with its commerce passing through its "open door" down the historic Hudson river, through the Erie canal and over the New York Central lines.
I visited the capitol building and other places of interest surrounding the city. Down the river are the towns of Kingston and Poughkeepsie and the United States Military Academy at West Point. A short distance west is Schnectady, where is located the General Electric Company, that manufactures the greatest amount of electrical appliances in the world. The second largest locomotive works on the globe are also located here. Still further west is Utica, then Syracuse, a manufacturing and important railroad center. Passing the manufacturing city of Rochester, brings me to Niagara Falls, the crowning glory of the State of New York, and the greatest cataract on the American continent.
Buffalo, the second city in the State of New York, has extensive lake commerce in grain, live-stock, coal and lumber trade.
Erie, Pennsylvania, is a port of entry on Lake Erie, having extensive iron manufactures and a large trade.
Cleveland, Ohio, has important steamboat and railroad traffic, with large oil refineries, iron and steel manufactories.
Toledo, on Lake Erie, has a fine harbor with important commerce.
I pass through the manufacturing town of South Bend, Indiana, on to Chicago, having a very pleasant trip over the New York Central, and Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroads, where the finest equipped Pullman sleeping and parlor cars, the most delicious and appetizing meals were served in the dining cars, and the employes devote their entire time, giving every attention and comfort to its many passengers.
Chicago is the second city in the United States, made so by its energetic citizens and the enormous trade on the Great Lakes, in addition to its railroads, extending in every direction over the continent. When I was here in 1893, attending the World's Fair, I made a trip east via. Detroit, Michigan, the City of the Straits, with its busy factories, and Toronto, the capital and leading commercial city of the Province of Ontario, with Montreal, the metropolis for the dominion, at the head of ocean navigation, and Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion of Canada, with its extensive lumber trade. Also Quebec, the capital of the Province of Quebec, with her large exports of lumber and shipbuilding industries, and then down the St. Lawrence river, which empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. I then realized, with the combined trade of the cities south of the Great Lakes on the American side, what makes Chicago important, controlling the shipping of the Great Lakes through Lake Michigan, and the commerce and manufacturing of the west by its extensive railway facilities.
From Chicago, I go to St. Paul, over the Chicago and Northwestern Limited—that train of fame—passing Madison, the university city and capital of the State of Wisconsin.