THE UNITED STATES WITH AN EXCURSION INTO MEXICO HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS EDITED BY KARL BAEDEKER WITH 17 MAPS AND 22 PLANS LEIPSIC: KARL BAEDEKER, PUBLISHER NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, 743-745 BROADWAY. PREFACE. The Handbook to the United States, undertaken in response to repeated requests from British and American tourists, is intended to help the traveller in planning his tour and disposing of his time to the best advantage and thus to enable him the more thoroughly to enjoy and appreciate the objects of interest he meets with. The writer is Mr. J. F. Muirhead, M. A., who has for several years taken part in the English editions of Baedeker's Handbooks, and has personally visited the greater part of the districts described. No one is better aware than the Editor himself of the imperfections almost inseparable from the first edition of a guide-book; and the vast extent and rapidly changing conditions of the United States have made the preparation of the present volume a peculiarly difficult task. For its improvement, however, he confidently and gratefully looks forward to a continuance of those valuable corrections and suggestions with which travellers have long been in the habit of favouring him. Hotel-bills, with annotations showing the traveller's opinion as to his treatment and accommodation, are particularly useful. In the preparation of the Handbook the Editor has received most material aid from friends in all parts of the United States, so many in number as to preclude an enumeration of their names. In particular he wishes to express his obligations to the superior officials of the leading Railway Companies, who have been, almost without exception, uniformly courteous and helpful; to many officials of the Federal and State Governments; to the keepers of the most important libraries, museums, and galleries of art; to the officials of the Appalachian Mountain Club; and to the professors of numerous universities and colleges. It is hoped that the various monographs of the Introduction, though sometimes going beyond the recognized functions of a guide-book, will be found of material value to the tourist. Each has been written by an undoubted authority on the subject of which it treats; and their general aim is to enable the traveller who studies them to give an intelligent appreciation to the political, social, industrial, and physical aspects of a great country that is much less accurately known by the average European than its importance warrants. On the MAPS and PLANS the Editor has bestowed especial care; and it is believed that in this respect the Handbook is more completely equipped than any other publication of the kind relating to the United States. Such merit as they possess is largely due to the kind and efficient coöperation of Mr. Henry Gannett, Chief Topographer of the United States Geological Survey. The POPULATIONS are those of the census of 1890; but it should be borne in mind that, in so progressive a country as the United States, these are often very much below the figures of 1893. HOTELS. The Editor has endeavoured to enumerate, not only the first-class hotels, but also the more deserving of the cheaper houses. The comfort of an American hotel is, however, much more likely to be in the direct ratio of charges than is the case in Europe (comp. p. xxvi). Although changes frequently take place, and prices generally have an upward tendency, the average charges stated in the Handbook will enable the traveller to form a fair estimate of his expenditure. The value of the asterisks, which are used as marks of commendation, is relative only, signifying that the houses are good of their kind. To hotel-proprietors, tradesmen, and others the Editor begs to intimate that a character for fair dealing and courtesy towards travellers forms the sole passport to his commendation, and that advertisements of every kind are strictly excluded from his Handbooks. Hotelkeepers are also warned against persons representing themselves as agents for Baedeker's Handbooks. A Handbook to Canada is now being prepared and will appear during the present year. CONTENTS. Page IX. A Short History of American Politics, by John Bach X. Constitution and Political Institutions of the United XI. Aborigines and Aboriginal Remains, by O. T. Mason Environs of New York 50. From New York to Chatham 51. |