11. The BATTLEFIELD OF GETTYSBURG; p. 237. 14. The YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK; p. 378. 17. GENERAL MAP OF THE UNITED STATES, after the Index. 1. ALBANY (p. 154). (p. 72). (p. 280). (p. 308). Plans. 12. 2. BALTIMORE (p. 244). 3. BOSTON 4. BUFFALO (p. 192). 5. CHICAGO, central part 6. CHICAGO, general plan (p. 281). 7. CINCINNATI 8. CLEVELAND (p. 266). 9. MINNEAPOLIS (p. 293). 10. NEW ORLEANS (p. 366). 11. NEW YORK (p. 6). NIAGARA FALLS (p. 199). 13. PHILADELPHIA (p. 210). PITTSBURG (p. 240).-15. RICHMOND (p. 326).-16. ST. AUGUSTINE (p. 354). 17. ST. LOUIS (p. 311). 18. ST. PAUL (p. 292). SALT LAKE CITY (p. 424). 20. SAN FRANCISCO (p. 428). - 21. SAVANNAH (p. 351). - 22. WASHINGTON (p. 250). 14. Abbreviations. R. N. = Room; B. = Breakfast; D. Avenue; St. Street; R.R. = Dinner; L. W. = West, etc. ― M.English (or American) Mile; ft. = Engl. foot; min. minute; hr. = = = = Luncheon. = hour. Ho. House; Ave. The letter d with a date, after the name of a person, indicates the year of his death. The number of feet given after the name of a place shows its height above the sea-level. The number of miles placed before the principal places on railway-routes indicates their distance from the starting-point of the route. ASTERISKS are used as marks of commendation. INTRODUCTION. I. Money. Expenses. Passports. Custom House. Time. Money. The currency of the United States is arranged on a decimal system, of which the dollar ($), divided into 100 cents (c.), is the unit. The Gold coins are the pieces of $1, $212, $5, $10, and $ 20. The Silver coins are the dollar, half-dollar, quarter dollar (=1s.), and ‘dime' (10 c.). The 5 c. piece or 'nickel' is made of Nickel, and there are Bronze pieces of 1 c. (11⁄2 d.) and 2 c. (1 d.). The U. S. Paper Currency consists of Gold Notes (of the denomination of $20, $50, $100, $500, $1000, $ 5000, and $10,000), United States Notes ('greenbacks'), U. S. Treasury Notes, and Silver Certificates. The last three are issued for $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1000. All are redeemable at par. The National Bank Bills, for the same amounts, are also universally current. Throughout nearly the whole of the country notes are much more common than coins for all sums of $1 and upwards; but in California gold and silver are in almost exclusive use. practical purposes the dollar may be reckoned as 4 s. and $5 as 17.; but the actual rate of exchange for 1l. is generally between $4.80 and $4.90 (or $1 = about 4s. 2d.). For The European visitor to the United States will find it convenient to carry his money in the form of letters of credit, or circular notes, which are readily procurable at the principal banks. Foreign money does not circulate in the United States, even the Canadian coins of exactly the same form and value as American coins being generally refused; but Bank of England notes are usually taken at their full value at the hotels of all the larger cities. - Post Office Orders (see p. xxviii) are not convenient for strangers, as evidence of identity is generally required before payment; but most of the large Express Companies (see pp. xxviii, 15) issue Money Orders that are cashed at sight in the same way as Post Office Orders in Great Britain. Expenses. The expenses of a visit to the United States depend, of course, on the habits and tastes of the traveller, but are almost inevitably from one-fourth to one-third higher than those of European travel. The distances to be traversed are so great that railway fares are sure to be absolutely, even when not relatively, higher (comp. p. xxi); and comfortable hotels of the second or third class are comparatively rare. Persons of moderate requirements, however, by frequenting boarding-houses instead of hotels and avoiding carriage hire as much as possible, may travel comfortably (exclusive of long continuous journeys) for $5-71/2 (20-30 s.) BAEDEKER'S United States. b a day; but it would be safer to reckon on a daily expenditure of at least $10 (2.). An entire day (24 hrs.) spent on the train (i.e. a journey of 500-800 M.) costs, with Pullman car accommodation and meals, about $20 (4.). The cost of living varies considerably in different parts of the country; and New York, where most visitors land, is, perhaps, the most expensive city in America. Comp. pp. xxvi, 9. Passports are not necessary in the United States, though occasionally useful in procuring delivery of registered and poste restante letters. Custom House. The custom-house examination of the luggage of travellers entering the United States is generally conducted courteously but often with considerable minuteness. Nothing is admitted free of duty except the personal effects of the traveller, and unusually liberal supplies of unworn clothing are apt to be regarded with considerable suspicion. The traveller should be careful to 'declare' everything he has of a dutiable nature, as otherwise it is liable to summary confiscation (comp. p. xix). Time. For the convenience of railways and others a Standard of Time for the United States was agreed upon in 1883, and a system adopted by which the country was divided into four sections, each of 15o of longitude (1 hr.). Eastern Time, or that of the 75th Meridian, prevails from the Atlantic Coast to a line running through Detroit and Charleston. Central Time (of Meridian 90), 1 hr. slower, extends thence to a line running from Bismarck (N.D.) to the mouth of the Rio Grande. Mountain Time (105° lon.) extends to the W. borders of Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. Pacific Time (120°) covers the rest of the country. Thus noon at New York is 11 a.m. at Chicago, 10 a.m. at Denver, and 9 a.m. at San Francisco. True local or mean solar time may be anywhere from 1 min. to 30 min. ahead or behind the standard time; and in some cases, where the local clocks keep true time and the railway clocks keep standard time, the results are confusing. II. Voyage from Europe to the United States. The chief routes from Europe to the United States are indicated in R. 1. (comp. also p. 6); and the steamers of any of the companies there mentioned afford comfortable accommodation and speedy transit. The fares vary considerably according to season and the character of the vessel; but the extremes for a saloon-passage may be placed at $50 (10l.) and $500 (1007.) the latter sum securing a suite of deck-rooms on the largest, finest, and quickest boats in the service. The average rate for a good stateroom in a good steamer may be reckoned at $75-125 (15-25.). The intermediate or second cabin costs $30-65 (6-137.), the steerage $20-30 (4-61.). The slowest steamers, as a general rule, have the lowest fares; and for those who do not object to a prolongation of the voyage they often offer as much comfort as the 'ocean greyhounds.' The average duration of the passage across the Atlantic is 7-10 days. The best time for crossing is in summer. Passengers should pack clothing and other necessaries for the voyage in small flat boxes (not portmanteaus), such as can lie easily in the cabin, as all bulky luggage is stowed away in the hold. Stateroom trunks should not exceed 3 ft. in length, 11/2-2 ft. in breadth, and 15 inches in height. Trunks not wanted on board should be marked 'Hold' or 'Not Wanted', the others 'Cabin' or 'Wanted'. The steamship companies generally provide labels for this purpose. Dress for the voyage should be of a plain and serviceable description, and it is advisable, even in midsummer, to be provided with warm clothing. A deck-chair, which may be purchased at the dock or on the steamer before sailing (from 7s. upwards), is a luxury that may almost be called a necessary. This should be distinctly marked with the owner's name or initials, and may be left in charge of the Steamship Co.'s agents until the return-journey. On going on board, the traveller should apply to the purser or chief steward for a seat at table, as the same seats are retained throughout the voyage. It is usual to give a fee of 10s. (21/2 dollars) to the table-steward and to the stateroom steward, and small gratuities are also expected by the boot - cleaner, the bath-steward, etc. The stateroom steward should not be 'tipped' until he has brought all the passenger's small baggage safely on to the landing-stage. Landing at New York, see pp. 3, 6. The custom-house officer usually boards vessels at the Quarantine Station (see p. 2) and furnishes blank forms on which the passengers 'declare' any dutiable articles they may have in their trunks. The luggage is examined in the covered hall adjoining the wharf, where it is arranged as far as possible in alphabetical order by the initials of the owners' names (comp. p. 6). After the examination the traveller may hire a carriage to take himself and his baggage to his destination, or he may send his trunks by a transfer-agent or express man (see p. xxii) and go himself on foot or by tramway. Telegraph messengers and representatives of hotels also meet the steamers. III. Railways. Steamers. Coaches. Railways. The United States now contain about 170,000 M. of railway, or nearly as much as all the rest of the world put together. The lines are all in private hands, and the capital invested in them amounts to about $10,000,000,000 (2,000,000,000 7.). Between 20 and 30 corporations report over 1000 M. of track each, while the Union Pacific Railroad alone operates nearly 11,000 M. The total number of employees is not far short of 900,000. The railway mileage per 1 sq.M. of surface varies in the different states from about 1/4 M. in New Jersey and Massachusetts to about 1/119 M. in Nevada. Illinois has about 10,500 M. of railway, Rhode Island about 225 M. In 1890 the number of passengers carried was 520,439,820 and the average distance travelled by each was 20-25 M. The equipments of American railways are, as is well known, very different from those of European railways. Instead of comparatively small coaches, divided into compartments holding 6-8 people each, the American railways have long cars (like an enlarged tramway-car), holding 60-70 pers., entered by doors at each end, and having a longitudinal passage down the middle, with the seats on each side of it. Each seat has room for two passengers. Local and short-distance trains, especially in the East, generally have one class of carriage only, but all long-distance trains are also furnished with drawing-room (parlor) cars by day and sleeping-cars b* at night, which acommodate about 24-30 people in the same space as the ordinary cars and are in every way much more comfortable. Second class and emigrant carriages are also found on some long-distance trains and in parts of the South and West, but scarcely concern the tourist. Smoking is not permitted except in the cars ('Smokers') specially provided for the purpose and generally found at the forward end of the train. Smoking compartments are also usually found in the parlor-cars. The parlor and sleepingcars are generally the property of special corporations, of which the Pullman Palace Car Co. (p. 286) is the chief; but on a few railways they belong to the railway company itself. The vexed question of whether the American or the European railway-carriage is the more comfortable is hard to decide. It may be said generally, however, that the small compartment system would never have done for the long journeys of America, while the parlor cars certainly offer greater comfort in proportion to their expense than the European first-class carriages do. A Limited Vestibuled Train, such as that described at p. 276, comes measurably near the ideal of comfortable railway travelling, and reduces to a minimum the bodily discomfort and tedium of long railway journeys. In comparing the ordinary American car with the second-class or the best third-class carriages of Europe, some travellers may be inclined to give the preference for short journeys to the latter. The seats in the American cars offer very limited room for two persons, and their backs are too low to afford any support to the head; a single crying infant or spoiled child annoys 60-70 persons instead of the few in one compartment; the passenger has little control over his window, as someone in the car is sure to object if he opens it; the continual opening and shutting of the doors, with the consequent draughts, are annoying; the incessant visitation of the train-boy, with his books, candy, and other articles for sale, renders a quiet nap almost impossible; while, in the event of an accident, there are only two exits for 60 people instead of six or eight. On the other hand the liberty of moving about the car, or, in fact, from end to end of the train, the toilette accommodation, and the amusement of watching one's fellow-passengers greatly mitigate the tedium of a long journey; while the publicity prevents any risk of the railway crimes sometimes perpetrated in the separate compartments of the European system. Rugs as a rule are not necessary, as the cars are apt to be over, rather than under, heated. Little accommodation is provided in the way of luggage racks, so that travellers should reduce their hand-baggage to the smallest possible dimensions. - - In the sleeping-car, the passenger engages a Half-Section, consisting of a so-called 'double berth', which, however, is rarely used by more than one person. If desirous of more air and space, he may engage a whole Section (at double the rate of a halfsection), but in many cases a passenger is not allowed to monopolize a whole section to the exclusion of those not otherwise able to find accommodation. Parties of 2-4 may secure Drawing Rooms, or private compartments. A lower berth is generally considered preferable to an upper berth, as it is easier to get into and commands the window; but, by what seems a somewhat illiberal regulation of the sleeping-car companies, the upper berth is always let down, whether occupied or not, unless the whole section is paid for. So far nothing has been done towards reserving a special part of the car for ladies, except in the shape of a small toilette and dressing room. Dining Cars are often attached to long-distance trains, and the meals and service upon them are generally better than those of the railway restaurants. Tickets are collected on the train by the Conductor (guard), who sometimes gives numbered checks in exchange for them. Separate tickets are issued for the seats in parlor-cars and the berths in sleeping-cars; and such cars generally have special conductors. Fees are never given except to the coloured Porters of the parlor-cars, who brush the traveller's clothes and (on overnight journey) boots and expect about 25c. a day. In America the traveller is left to rely upon his own common sense still more freely than in England, and no attempt is made to take care of him in the patriarchal fashion of Continental railways. He should therefore be careful, to see that he is in his proper car, etc. The conductor calls 'all aboard', when the train is about to start, but on many |