lines no warning bell is rung. The names of the places passed are not shown distinctly (sometimes not at all) at the stations, and the brakeman, whose duty it is to announce each station as the train reaches it, is apt to be entirely unintelligible.. A special word of caution may be given as to the frequent necessity for crossing the tracks, as the rails are frequently flush with the floor of the station and foot-bridges or tunnels are rarely provided. Each locomotive carries a large bell, which is tolled as it approaches stations or level ('grade') crossings. With the exception of the main line trains in the Eastern States, the speed of American trains is generally lower than that of English trains; and over a large portion of the South and West it does not exceed 20-25 M. per hour even for through-trains. Fares vary so much in different parts of the country that it is difficult to state an average. Perhaps 3-4 c. (11/2-2 d.) per mile will be found nearly correct on the whole, though in E. states the rate is frequently lower, especially for season, commutation' (good for so many trips), or mileage tickets, while in the S. and W. 4 c. is often exceeded. The extra rate for the palace cars (1/2-1 c. per mile) is low as compared with the difference between the first and third class fares in England, and the extra comfort afforded is very great. Return tickets ('excursion' or 'round trip' tickets) are usually issued at considerable reductions (comp. also p. xxv). The 1000 M. Tickets, from which the conductor collects coupons representing the number of miles travelled, is a convenient arrangement which European railways might do well to introduce. A distinction is frequently made between 'Limited' and 'Unlimited' tickets, the former and cheaper admitting of continuous passage only, without 'stopovers'; and the latter being available until used and admitting of 'stopovers' at any place on the route. Tickets may sometimes be obtained at lower than the regulation rates at the offices of the so-called 'Scalpers', found in all large towns; but the stranger should hardly attempt to deal with them unless aided by a friendly expert. Railway-fares change more frequently in the United States than in Europe, so that the continued accuracy of those given throughout the Handbook cannot be guaranteed. At the railway stations, the place of the first, second, and third class waiting-rooms of Europe is taken by a Ladies' Room, to which men are also generally admitted if not smoking, and a Men's Room, in which smoking is usually permitted. Among the American Railway Terms with which the traveller should be familiar (in addition to those already incidentally mentioned) are 4 he following. Railroad is generally used instead of railway (the latter term being more often applied to street railways, i.e. tramways), while the word 'Road' alone is often used to mean railroad. The carriages are called Cars. The Conductor (generally addressed as 'Captain' in the South and West) is aided by Brakemen, whose duties include attention to the heating and lighting of the cars. A slow train is called an Accommodalion or Way Train. The Ticket Office is never called booking-office. Luggage is Baggage, and is expedited through the Baggage Master (see below). Depot is very commonly used instead of station, and in many places the latter word, when used alone, means police station. Other terms in common use are: turn-out siding; bumper = - buffer; box-car closed goods car; caboose guard's van; freight-train goods train; cars train; to pull out to start; way station small, wayside station; cow-catcher = fender in front of engine; switch shunt; switches = points. = The railway system of the United States is so vast that it is impracticable to produce such complete Railway Guides as those of European countries. The fullest is the Travellers' Official Guide, a bulky volume of 8-900 pp., published monthly at New York (50 c.). Other general monthly guides are Rand-McNally's (40 c.) and Appleton's (25 c.). Local collections of time-tables are everywhere procurable, and those of each railway company may be obtained gratis at the ticket-office and in hotels. All the more important railway companies publish a mass of 'folders' and descriptive pamphlets, which are distributed gratis and give a great deal of information about the country traversed. These are often very skilfully prepared and well illustrated. Luggage. Each passenger on an American railway is generally entitled to 150 lbs. of luggage (baggage') free; but overweight, unless exorbitant, is seldom charged for. The so-called Check System makes the management of luggage very simple. On arrival at the station, the traveller shows his railway ticket and hands over his impedimenta to the Baggage Master, who fastens a small brass tag to each article and gives the passenger brass 'checks' with corresponding numbers. The railway company then becomes responsible for the luggage and holds it until reclaimed at the passenger's destination by the presentation of the duplicate check. As the train approaches the larger cities a Transfer Agent usually walks through the cars, undertaking the delivery of luggage and giving receipts in exchange for the checks. The charge for this is usually 25 c. per package, and it is thus more economical (though a composition may sometimes be effected for a number of articles) to have one large trunk instead of two or three smaller ones. The hotel porters who meet the train will also take the traveller's checks and see that his baggage is delivered at the hotel. In starting, the trunks may be sent to the railway station in the same way, either through a transfer agent or the hotel porter; and if the traveller already has his railway ticket they may be checked through from the house or hotel to his destination. Baggage, unaccompanied by its owner, may be sent to any part of the country by the Express Companies (comp. p. 15), which charge in proportion to weight and distance. The drawbacks to the transfer system are that the baggage must usually be ready to be called for before the traveller himself requires to start, and that sometimes (especially in New York) a little delay may take place in its delivery; but this may, of course, be avoided by the more expensive plan of using a carriage between the house and railway station. Steamers. Some of the American steamers, such as the Fall River and Hudson boats (pp. 66, 146), offer comforts and luxuries such as are scarcely known in Europe, and their fares are usually moderate. Where the fare does not include a separate stateroom, the traveller by night will find the extra expenditure for one ($1-2) more than compensated for. Meals are sometimes included in the fare and are sometimes served either à la carte or at a fixed price. Throughout the Handbook the traveller will find indicated the routes on which he may advantageously prefer the steamer to the railway. Coaches, usually called Stages, and in some country places Barges, have now been replaced by railways throughout nearly the whole of the United States, but in places like the Yosemite (p. 450), the Yellowstone (p. 378), and some of the other mountainous and rural districts the traveller is still dependent on this mode of conveyance. The roads are generally so bad, that the delights of coaching as known in England are for the most part conspicuously absent. The speed seldom exceeds 6 M. an hour and is sometimes less than this. The fares are relatively high. Carriages. Carriage-hire is very high in the United States in spite of the fact that both the price of horses and their keep are usually lower than in England. Fares vary so much that it is impossible to give any general approximation, but they are rarely less than twice as high as in Europe. When the traveller drives himself in a 'buggy' or other small carriage, the rates are relatively much lower. IV. Plan of Tour. The plan of tour must depend entirely on the traveller's taste and the time he has at his disposal. It is manifestly impossible to cover more than a limited section of so vast a territory in an ordinary travelling season; but the enormous distances are practically much diminished by the comfortable arrangements for travelling at night (comp. p. xx). Among the grandest natural features of the country, one or other of which should certainly be visited if in any wise practicable, are Niagara Falls (R. 29), the Yellowstone Park (R. 84), the Yosemite Valley (R. 99), Alaska (R. 103), and the Grand Cañon of the Colorado (p. 413). Along with these may be mentioned the cañons, mountains, and fantastic rocks of Colorado (RR. 91, 92), the grand isolated snow-covered volcanic cones of the Pacific coast (pp. 377, 394, 459, etc.), the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. (p. 318), the Cavern of Luray (p. 339), the Natural Bridge of Virginia (p. 339), and the Shoshone Falls (p. 393). Among the most easily accessible regions of fine scenery are the Adirondacks (R. 25), including the Ausable Chasm (p. 170), the White Mts. (R. 16), the Catskills (R. 24), Mt. Desert (R. 11), the Hudson (R. 21), and the Delaware Water Gap (p. 196). Visitors to the S., besides the climate and vegetation, will find much to repay them, especially in such quaint old cities as New Orleans (R. 82). California (RR. 93-101) abounds in objects of interest and beauty. The trip into Mexico (RR. 104-108) is well worth the making. Travellers who make the trip to the Pacific Coast and back will do well so to plan their journey as to include the wonderful scenery of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (R. 92), as well as a trip into the Yellowstone Park, while the W. part of the Canadian Pacific Railway, between Vancouver and Banff (about 600 M.; see Baedeker's Canada), offers the grandest railway scenery in North America. Most of the larger cities have their own special points of interest, and a visit to the national capital (p. 251) should by all means be made. Chicago (p. 279) will, of course, be the objective point of most visitors to the United States in 1893, and should be approached either viâ the Pennsylvania Railroad (R. 47 a), by the B. & O. route (R. 47 f), or by one of the Buffalo routes (RR. 47 b, c, & d). Where the territory included is so vast and the possible combinations of tours so endless, it may seem almost useless to attempt to draw up any specimen tours. The following, however, though not intrinsically better than hundreds of others, may serve to give the traveller some idea of the distances to be traversed and of the average expenses of locomotion. It is, perhaps, needless to say that the traveller will enjoy himself better if he content himself with a less rapid rate of progress than that here indicated. A daily outlay of $10-12 will probably cover all the regular travelling expenses on the under-noted tours; and this rate may be much diminished by longer halts. a. A Week from New York. New York to Albany by steamer (R. 21a) Days 11/2 1/2 Albany to Buffalo and Niagara (RR. 28, 29) 2 1/2 7 Visits to the Catskills (R. 24), Adirondacks (R. 25), and White Mts. (R. 16) b. A Fortnight from New York. (Railway Fares about $ 60.) New York to Niagara as above (RR. 21, 28, 29). Niagara to Chicago (R. 46). Chicago (R. 48). Chicago to Washington and at Washington (RR. 45, 43) Baltimore to Philadelphia (R. 40). Philadelphia and back to New York (RR. 32, 31) c. Three Weeks from New York. (Railway Fares about $ 120.) New York to Chicago as above (RR. 21, 28, 29, 46). Chigaco to St. Louis (RR. 56, 61) St. Louis to New Orleans (RR. 64, 82). Washington and back to New York as above (RR. 43, 42, 41, 32, 31) d. Six Weeks from New York. (Railway Fares $ 300-350.) Salt Lake City to Denver via the Marshall Pass (RR. 92, 91) New York to Chicago as above (RR. 21, 28, 29, 46) Chicago to St. Paul and Minneapolis (RR. 50, 51) St. Paul to Livingston (R. 83). Yellowstone Park (R. 84). Livingston to Portland (R. 83, 100) Portland to San Francisco (R. 100) San Francisco, with excursions to Monterey, etc. (RR. 93, 94) San Francisco to the Yosemite and back (RR. 95, 99) San Francisco to Salt Lake City (RR. 87, 92). Denver to Colorado Springs and back, with excursions to Manitou etc. Denver to St. Louis (RR. 89, 61) St. Louis to New York (R. 60) e. Two Months from New York. To San Francisco as above (RR. 21, 28, 29, 46, 50, 51, 83, 84, 100, San Francisco to the Yosemite (RR. 95, 99) Yosemite to Los Angeles (Pasadena, etc.; RR. 95, 96, 97) Los Angeles via Barstow and Flagstaff to the Grand Cañon of the Colorado (RR. 97, 91b). Flagstaff to Colorado Springs (Manitou, etc.; RR. 91b, 92) Excursions from Denver, incl. Marshall Pass (RR. 91a, 92a) St. Louis to Cincinnati (R. 60d). Cincinnati to Washington (R. 58d). Washington, and thence to New York as in R. b. (RR. 43, 42, 41, 40, 32, 31). The following table of the distances from New York of a few important points, together with the present railway fares and approximate length of the journey, may not be without interest. The fares are for first-class, 'unlimited' tickets, but do not include sleeping-car rates. - San Francisco: distance 3500 M; fare $ 95-100; time of transit 51/2 days. Chicago: 912-1048 M.; $ 21/4-261/2; 24-32 hrs. New Orleans; 1370 M.; Cincinnati: St. Paul: 1330 M.; Kansas City: 1400 M.; Philadelphia: 90 M.; Boston: 215-230 M. Salt Lake City: 2800 M.; Los Angeles: 3400 M.; $ 95-100; 5-51/2 days. - $34; 40 hrs. Jacksonville (Florida): 1030 M.; $ 30; 40 hrs. 760 M.; $211/2; 24 hrs. St. Louis: 1060 M.; $ 31; 32 hrs. $35; 37 hrs. Denver: 2100 M.; $ 50-55; 21/2 days. $35-40 38 hrs. Montreal: 400 M.; $ 10; 14 hrs. $212; 2-21/2 hrs. Washington: 228 M.; $61/2; 5 hrs. $5; 6 hrs. Richmond: 345 M.; $ 11; 10 hrs. $75-80; 312 days. Excursion Agents. Travellers may sometimes find it advantageous to avail themselves of the facilities for tours in the United States offered by Messrs. Raymond & Whitcomb (296 Washington St., Boston), Thomas Cook & Son (1225 Broadway, New York), and H. Gaze & Son (113 Broadway, New York). These firms have agencies in all the most frequented resorts throughout the country, and have made special arrangements for visitors to the World's Columbian Exhibition (p. 282, 285). Raymond & Whitcomb arrange for a large series of excursions in special vestibuled trains, under the care of one of their representatives, which relieve the inexperienced traveller of almost all the inconveniences of a journey in a strange land. The arrangements are made so as to afford the widest possible freedom of movement in every way, and the charges are reasonable. For the Raymond trip into Mexico, see p. 481. Most of the railway companies issue tickets for circular tours on favourable conditions, and some of them (such as the Pennsylvania R.R.) also arrange personally conducted excursions in special trains. The Pedestrian is unquestionably the most independent of travellers, but, except in a few districts such as the Adirondacks (p. 165) and the White Mts. (p. 121), walking tours are not much in vogue in the United States, where, indeed, the extremes of temperature and the scarcity of well-marked foot-paths often offer considerable obstacles. For a short tour a couple of flannel shirts, a pair of worsted stockings, slippers, the articles of the toilet, a light waterproof, and a stout umbrella will generally be found a sufficient equipment. Strong and well-tried boots are essential to comfort. Heavy and complicated knapsacks should be avoided; a light pouch or game-bag is far less irksome, and its position may be shifted at pleasure. A more extensive reserve of clothing should not exceed the limits of a small portmanteau, which may be forwarded from town to town by express. The pedestrian should bear in mind that darkness sets in suddenly in the United States, without the long twilight of European summers. V. Hotels and Restaurants. Hotels. The quality of the hotels of the United States varies very greatly in different localities; but it is, perhaps, safe to say that the best American houses will be found fully as comfortable as the |