V'"^^. V: OF THE ■sisr. s^s^ Class^?Sl5:oi_ £ook_^L_aJ^£_G_ CopghtN"^ \d Of COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. James L. Alter, Author of this Volume Sfe MRi's 117, lis Snnk 0f Pn^ma TALES OF THE HOOSIER TRAVELER EMBRACING THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS: TRAVELS THROUGH THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO, CANADA, ALASKA, WEST INDIES AND THE PHILIPPINES; THE INFERNO, AND ESSAYS ON ASTRONOMY ILLUSTRATED When you read this story You will smile — Over land and sea Pve traveled A hundred thousand miles. JAMES L. ALTER, Remington, Indiana PRICE, ONE DOLLAR '1 UfeRuKY ^J CONGRESS Two Cwpies Received MAR 19 1904 l/l/t Copynghi £f>try CL^SS a- XXc. No, S^^ ^. '^ O COPY'S r Copyright Applied for February, 1904 By James L. Alter i BOOK NUMBER ONE INTRODUCTION. OWING to the solicitations of my many friends I was induced To pen this volume, hoping it will meet With the approval of the many readers of the same. This book is written mostly in couplets, As the following subjects present themselves: First the Fairy Garden, second a poem On each state and some of the principal cities, Also on Canada, Alaska and Old Mexico, The West Indies, Hawaii and the Philippines, Also on the Wonders of America, The fictitious names of the states and cities; Also a poem on the historical part of our country. A poem on the Spanish-American War, A poem on the End of Man, the Inferno, Poems on the Sun, Moon, Earth and Planets, Meteors, Comets, the Stars, Constellations, And the Clusters of the Stars; In other words, the Siderial Journey through The Skies, or Wonders of the Heavens. This book of poems, owing to the figures And many different subjects in each Poem, it is quite hard to make perfect Poetry, but success has crowned our efforts. Yours truly, THE TRAVELER'S DREAM OF THE UNITED STATES. AT the still midnight I lay in bed, Visions of beauty surrounded my head. While I thus lay in silent slumbers, Those visions then rolled into numbers; My thoughts ran along in a beautiful metre That I never beheld any poetry sweeter. I seemed in a garden filled with birds and bees, With flowers and fruits, with grasses and trees; And as I stepped in, I saw to my right The State of Maine, a pretty bonite; Next New Hampshire, there by her side, A very neat pansy trying to hide. "Here," said the gardener, "pass this way . And see Massachusetts, a pink on the Bay, And stationed there, just over her head The State of Vermont, a hollyhock red." As we turned to the left, I saw within reach The State of Rhode Island, a nice rosy peach. "Here," said the gardener, pointing ahead, "The State of Connecticut, a rose so red," And nestled there, close by her side. Stood New Jersey, the white bride. New York was an apple, so mellow and sweet; Pennsylvania, a pear, hanging near that retreat: ho O o CD b c3 And traveling near the trees so tall Delaware, a grape, running over the wall. "Here, near the sea so blue, Maryland is my fine pansy, too; And near by that secreted spot Is Columbia, a touch-me-not. Virginia, a violet. West Virginia, a princess feather. Were growing side by side, and look well together. "Come this way," the gardener said, "Is North Carolina, a cranberry red, South Carolina, a rice stalk of emerald green," Near by was Georgia, a large bunch bean. "Florida," said my friend, the guide, "The beautiful ferns that are my pride. Next comes Alabama, of a southern type, With my fine large blackberries ripe; Mississippi is a cotton stalk in that bed, Louisiana is my melons," the gardener said, Texas was a sunflower nodding in the breeze, And Indian Territory, a tomato by those trees, Oklahoma is a vegetable, growing so green A very fine cabbage head to be seen. Arkansas comes next, representing a currant, Missouri, a lily, came in its turn; "Next in the list," said he, turning to me, "Is a beautiful gourd we call Tennessee;" A large squash growing by the gate. He said was the old Kentucky state. Ohio, a quince, was growing so neat; Indiana, a poppy, delicious and sweet; Michigan is a great white pine, 9 Wisconsin a very tall hop vine. "Here," said my guide, as we passed on, <'Is Illinois, a large stalk of corn." Iowa was oats, Minnesota that of wheat, Growing together just by our feet. * 'South Dakota is a stalk of barley near by, North Dakota is a tall bunch of rye." As we turned we saw by the way Nebraska, a green bunch of hay. < 'Kansas is buckwheat, I raise for the bee; Wyoming is that broad silver maple tree;" Montana was a golden rod there we found, Idaho a snowball, so white and round. Hanging there, among those cedar trees. Is Washington, a fine swarm of bees. The next was a beauty, my fine cherry tree He said was the state of Oregon by the sea. "Utah is the roses that doth enchant, Colorado is my pride, the century plant; New Mexico, the cactus that grows on the plains; Nevada a fine raisin," the gardener explains; "Arizona is my fine, large nectarines; California, my figs, in their leafy screens." As I stood in amazement at those beautiful scenes I suddenly awoke from my peaceful dreams. 10 INDIANA. A FEW plain facts I'll now relate About the grand old Hoosier State — Its beautiful scenery that doth unfold, Its rivers and lakes and fountains of old, Its beautiful flowers and majestic trees, The singing birds and humming bees; Beautiful springs are bubbling there Among the hills and valleys fair. Here, in youth, I spent many happy days, In going to school and in childish plays. We have many rich fruits growing there: The cherries, and peaches, plum and pear, We ;-aise corn and wheat, cattle and hogs, We have oak and beech and poplar logs. Many beautiful birds along in the glen: The lark, canary, the thrush and the wren. Our game, the wild goose, pheasant and duck. The rabbit, raccoon, squirrel and woodchuck; The beaver and muskrat, skunk and the bear, The deer, the turkey and swan are rare. Our state is among the best of this great nation, Farming and fruit growing is the chief occupation. The minerals here seen as you pass Are coal and iron, petroleum and gas. The southeastern part is broken and hilly, 11 The northwestern part is rolling prairie. Many fine cities in the Hoosier state, Of which we'll name seven or eight: Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Vin- cennes, Lafayette, Logansport, Evansville and South Bend, Elwood, Crawfordsville, Marion and Remington, Muncie, Frankfort, New Albany and Bloomington. The silvery rivers with their scenery grand Flow in all directions in the Hoosier land: The Wabash and White, the Ohio and St. Joe, The Tippecanoe, Kankakee and White Water too. A further description we must decline, So now we pass on over the line. MY TRAVELS THROUGH THE UNITED STATES. ILLINOIS. IN Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-three We started out our country to see. The Illinois prairies there covered with farms Attracted our attention with their lovely charms, This is the garden of the world for corn — We saw the small grain while passing along. Of lakes and streams it has a large number, Along their green banks is the fine timber: There oak, and hickory, walnut and beech; 12 Also berries and cherries, apples and peach, Plums and grapes of the various kinds; Minerals, iron and lead, and the coal in the mines. The central part rolling, the southern hilly, Here in the winter it becomes quite chilly. The game is the opossum, badger and hare, The duck, goose, crane and pheasant are there. As among the wide prairie farms we roam We still see traces of the Indian's home. Then onward and upward is her banner unfurled, 'Tis the greatest railroad state in the world. CHICAGO. THEN we visit Chicago on our line. And about its progress we will tell: Masonic Temple and Auditorium fine, Jackson Park and Museum known so well; The stockyards and the waterworks next, Then the great medical museum nigh; Washington and Garfield Parks nicely fixed. Pawn shops on South Clark we pass by, Then through Union and Lincoln too, The piers and the boulevards. From elevated trains many things we view: Fine residences and beautiful yards; We rode a steamer out on the lake. Saw Montgomery Ward and Cooper's too. And the fine stores along on State; 13 The fine churches next we view, The cemeteries are next in our routine, Down through the tunnel under the river, From the top of the Temple a fine scene, Saw the fine hotels, — people were clever; Then next we visited the -Board of Trade, Then through the Court House next we find. And saw the factory where machinery is made. Saw the lumber yards with oak, poplar and pine.. MISSOURI. THEN on southwestward across the line Into Missouri, with her genial clime. Here was once the carnage of the Blue and the Gray- Each thought himself right in the heat of the fray. The northern part is rolling, with many a farm, The southern is mountainous, with the coal and iron; Lead and copper they sometimes find And other minerals are also mined. The products are wheat, oats, corn and hogs, Also buckwheat and barley, fine timber and logs;. The gum, oak, hickory and cypress prevails, And many old fences made of split rails; Many kinds of fruits there are found, Apples, cherries and plums there abound; 14 Plenty of game, if 'tis hunting you wish; The streams abound with many fine fish; The game is the mink, raccoon, the deer and bear, The turkey and pheasant and wild ducks are there. ARKANSAS ^^TILjL on southwestward, we cross the line, \_J To visit Arkansas, with its sunny clime. Its products are wheat and oats, cotton and corn: Their minerals are lead and coal, salt and iron; Also peaches and apples to suit every taste, Persimmons and berries are going to waste. We saw plenty of game in the fields and brush. The streams are lined with thousands of fish; Several kinds of timber along the line: Pecan and hickory, oak, spruce and pine. The game is the wildcat, raccoon and lynx, Otter, the deer and hare, the weasel and minks. Over this state are many beautiful scenes, The bubbling fountains and medical hot springs. The east is a level undulating plain. Western is rocky and mountainous in the main. Arkansas and Pecos, the Black, White and Red Are rivers that drain its great watershed. Principal towns are Little Rock and Washington, Also Russelville, Atkins, Fort Smith and Camden. 15 INDIAN TERRITORY TO continue our geographical story, We cross into Indian Territory. Then over this beautiful land, as we roam We see the hut and wigwam, the Indian's home. It has a fine climate and rich soil too — its products are rye, potatoes and also tobacco; The products of the mines we see as we stroll: Petroleum, salt and iron, zinc, copper and gold. The tribes are Creeks, Seminoles and Choctaws, Cherokee and Comanches, Osage and Chickasaws The country presents a beautiful scene; Its slopes are covered with living green; The principal products out this way, Wheat, cotton and corn, oats and hay. A great many men have leased them a farm — The tribes are civil and will do no harm. 'Tis against their belief to labor we also found. Their faith is fixed on a Happy Hunting Ground, About their amusements I will now relate — Fire, Sun and War dances of early date; To sorrie of their sports I'll now give space — Fishing and hunting, also the foot race. Many dress like Whites, though some yet Wear the original cloth and blanket. They sometimes sing: "You see me now, you know me here. You say, 'Poor Injun, never fear,' We mid you night and day, night and day." 16 The chief towns are McAllister, Wagoner and Muscogee, Pierceall and Paul's Valley, Norman and Cherokee. The chief rivers are the Washita and Cimarron, The North Fork and Red, Arkansas and Canadian. OKLAHOMA ONCE again we cross the line Into Oklahoma's sunny clime. An attempt to describe it would be in vain — Its hills and valleys, its fields and plains. Come, pass along with me, if you please, View its rivers and large forest trees; With its healing streams and balmy air. Cannot be excelled in the States anywhere. Touched by Nature's hand divine, Its songs of beauty are sublime. Flowers and fruits of an abundant yield, Their corn and wheat and cotton field. Their beautiful gardens of early spring, Their flowers the rich fragrance bring, The birds are warbling their morning song. The winters are short, the summers are long. Welcome, kind stranger: Why do you roam? Come to this land and seek you a home. You will find at each corner and at every station In bright letters of gold, our motto is PROGRES- SION. 17 We're blessed with health and wealth on every hand, And the banner of prosperity waves over our land, Many beautiful cities dot its plains, Guthrie and El Reno, Perry and other names; Over its plains the buffalo once roamed. 'Tis a commonwealth, our friends' cottage home. TEXAS ON southward, in our journey, we bear Across into Texas, the great lone star. Seven hundred and fifty wide is the state. While east and west, it now measures eight. In the west are the mountains, in the east it is hilly, In the south, warm in winter, in the north, quite chilly. Immense herds of cattle and ponies are found There grazing the grasses that richly abound; Tropical fruits of the various kinds. Grow down in Texas on trees and vines; 'Tis a great state for cotton and grain. But much of the west is a sandy plain. In the east you hear the shingle mills And see the large turpentine stills. Of large mills there are quite a number. Of the yellow pine they make fine lumber. On south in our journey we go Till we reach the Gulf of Mexico. 18 Branding on the Plains Bnll Fight on the Plains— AA^estern Texas I'll now give their sports in axidition, Hunting and oystering, also in fishing Game is the rabbit, antelope and prairie dog, The opossum and bear, raccoon and wild hog. The wild turkey and duck, the goose, brant and pelican. Settlers are white and colored, the Indian and Mexican. The beautiful flowers perfume the breeze. With its singing birds and humming bees; We hear the invitation as we pass along, Nature is singing its glad welcome song, The hills are dressed in living green. And the mossy banks along the stream; Its fields are like the fairy gardens of old, Their beauty surpasses the stories long told. Many lovely streams are threading the land. The Colorado and Red and the Rio Grande. The thriving cities are Fort Worth and Austin, Galveston and El Paso, Port Arthur and Houston Bidding the lone star adieu, we go Across the line into Old Mexico. MEXICO. THE Mexicans are of Spanish descent. Whose ancestors came to this government They number twelve million, black and white. Of which three million can read and write. 20 We see many plateaus, as southward we roam. People dress light, the adobe in their home. There are high mountains and the volcanoes Whose peaks are covered with perpetual snows. The landscapes are of living green, With fertile valleys along the streams. The tropical fruits are sweet and good. There's cedar and ebony, mahogany and dyewood„ Oranges and figs and cocoanut tree. Along the streams that flow to the sea, There are the castles and towers of old; The minerals are silver, copper and gold; They raise the burrows, goats, cattle and sheep,. Also cotton and coffee, rice, barley and wheat. They have a republican form of government, The house, the senate and the president. Thinking this far enough south to go, We turn and cross into New Mexico. NEW MEXICO. THE Spanish, in an early day, Came and settled at Santa Fe. In the Pecos Valley grand sceneries unfold. The minerals are copper, silver and gold; Much game is found on the mountain slope. The mountain sheep, the bear and the antelope. They raise wheat, oats and other grain. They use irrigation for want of rain; 21 They have many ranches on the plains, Fine sceneries we viewed from the trains. Thousands of acres of barren lands, The arid beds of the burning sands; Here the tree cactus and mesquit grow. The mountains are covered with perpetual snow; The timbers here along our line, The Cottonwood, cedar and the pine. Here we saw there while moving along, The Indians living in their wigwams. Rivers like silver threads upon the lands, Are the Canadian, Pecos and the Rio Grande; Albuquerque and Santa Fe are cities of note. Las Vegas and Las Cruces were on our route. KANSAS. WE take our leave of New Mexico, Across the line into Kansas we go. The western part of this state In many places they irrigate. 'Tis here we find some very good land, Yet much of the west is rocks and sand. Here horses and cattle and sheep are seen, In the east are waving fields of grain; There in minerals they are not behind. Salt and petroleum, coal and iron are mined. Their game is scarce, though there's yet Deer and jack rabbits — they're hard to get — The opossum and coon, the skunk and antelope, 22 The mink and wildcat, the badger and coyote; Many birds o'er the state fly to any fro, The hawk and the buzzard, the eagle and crow, Also the duck and goose, the turkey and crane, And a great many others seen from the train. Timbers are oak and walnut, hickory and gum. Also the maple and ash, cottonwood and pecan. In many parts there are beautiful scenes, Among the hills and along the streams. Still passing onward, making our rounds, Through many cities and thriving towns, Many streams through the state we see as we go, The Kansas, Cimarron and Arkansas flow. POEM ON THE DELAWARE SPRINGS. ONCE again we cross the Kansas line. Into Wilson county, to the Delaware Springs, Here among the woody hills the traveler may rest, From the Delawarfe Springs there quench his thirst. Here among the hills Nature's beauty doth unfold, 'Twas the home of the Delaware Indians, we're told. ''I have been singing for centuries past, I was discovered by the Red Man at last, I am bubbling beneath the rocky cliff." The first settler here was Joseph Smith. "A balm for all ailments, I stop the aching head, I run down among the rocks like a silver thread; How many faint hearts I've sent happy away, Forever smiling as 1 flow night and day, I laugh at diseases and smile at pain, My sparkling waters put life in your veins; I am like the fountains of immortal youth — Use the beverage, you'll find it the truth — Bring forth your riches, silver and gold, My price is above rubies the coffers doth hold. Roll on, checkered seasons; bring tempest or snow, Here forever Nature's God doth command me to flow." IOWA. ON northeastward we wend our way. Across the old Missouri into Iowa. This state also has its charms, Its wooded hills and prairie farms — Many resorts we saw from the train. The products are corn and other grain; Their timber is oak, hickory and cottonwood. Also berries and cherries and apples good. The game is the opossum, the rabbit and deer, Also the mink and weasel and other game here. Still on northeastward the scenery is fine. The minerals here are lead, coal and iron. For agriculture 'tis better than other states, Their fruits are apples, berries and grapes. The central is level, the east and west hilly; 24 bo o CD ft ft I 'So bO O The long winters here are cold and chilly. Threading the land and flowing forever Are the Des Moines, Iowa and Cedar rivers. I'll name a few cities just for luck, Des Moines, Davenport, Dubuque and Keokuk. Thence we fly eastward at a wonderful rate. Till we reach our home, the Hoosier state. • MICHIGAN. ON a journey once again we're bound. To see what wonders might be found. Into Michigan we cross the line, Visit the state of the white pine. Echoes ring from the lake to the hills, Bringing the sound of the buzzing mills; Hundreds of acres, by looking back, Of half burned timber along the track. In all these woods by looking round, Abundance of game can there be found: The wildcat and wolf, lynx and wolverine, The deer and bear and elk are seen. The polecat, weasel, the skunk and hare. Mink and muskrat and woodchuck are there, The pigeon and pheasant, the duck and rail, The goose and brant, the crane and quail. The hawk and buzzard, the owl and crow, Bluejay and blackbird, and others we know. The staple articles are flour and lumber, Fruit and grain and hogs a large number. 26 Mr-^~ ""^-^^^2^ -sj^fel^^ "'^^^^^ ~'^^^tB-~ 'L^m^ ^^^^^ -' r'^^^'^''' •''i^7^JB^t^'^'»'•~*'^s^H8fei(^^' '^^^^^^' i^^^; ^^■HHh^^^' j^ |^^^E>^^^^^_^^ # ^^gmsmm^^>mA (BS^^-sas^iraB^^«aaEJ^«!T.^alast4^ •*^:. ■;-i ^aii ^^^^^^^Si^^^am^^mBSmBmSl v i.y^'^Sls^^^^^^^^^^^sii^fS^^^^^^y ^^-^ '-^SV^-* . .^^^^ia^^^^^^ 1: v.*^^iy h^^:>^^^Pn ^j^^^M^PMg;J ^^^^. ^^^E^H ^^^^k'""!^^ '^^hII^^^^Sh iHh^^^kj^^p^ 'i^^^^H^HII^^H l^j^ iiiiiiiiijjiijj^^jjjj! »^ ^^^^E jIhBhI^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^HI r^Si|gBpMt|^M^^^^^^^MpBpPBBWF:'; v-^^- ^■^HHh&h^L.^^^^.^^^^j'^iw^ TMBIiniiiF' /jiiiilwIiB^^^^B^^BBBBllPlFr^TT ^(T^Sl^HKadHHI ^^H|i^^^^^'^^^H|^^^^Hp^P^fr'|>^^HHp ^^^^^^^^^^l^tev 3S HSHL'~"?N^^^^^^^^^^^#lr^E9H^ Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan Straits of Mackinac The rolling country with a sandy loam. Hunting and fishing many tourists come. Thence our course northward we take Till we cross the Mackinac Strait, Thence along Lake Superior's shore They find abundance of copper ore. Chief cities are Lansing, Detroit and Saginaw, Jackson, Grand Rapids and Mackinaw. WISCONSIN. 7j\ISCONSlN is next in the belt of White VL/ Pine, With its milling and lumber along the line; Plenty of labor without a combining. Through the state farming and mining. They raise potatoes and rye, tobacco and hops. Corn and wheat are the principal crops. Parts of the country are rolling and rough, While others are level and good enough. The game in the woods we find here Polecat and weasel, the skunk and hare, Mink, muskrat, the squirrel and woodchuck, The pigeon and pheasant, the quail and duck, The goose and brant, the crane and rail, The hawk and buzzard, the owl and quail. The bluejay and blackbird and others we know. The staple articles are flour and lumber, too. Fruit, grain and hogs we see as we roam. 28 r:) fl +-> -(-:> (11 n-) X ra ^ r-t UJ o ^ x^ ^ cd o Jd ^ (^ M n 5 Pi hjO ^ +i- ^ Pi cd o Oh W >> S 1^ fd v-( n OJ P4 CD > CO CD Cd O The country is rolling and of a sandy loam. Many hunts and fishing the tourists make. Then our course northwestward we take. MINNESOTA. ON into Minnesota the appearance the same. Milling and mining and plenty of game; All kinds of scenery here you wish, Hundreds of lakes and thousands of fish; The minerals are iron, copper and coal. St. z\nthony and Minnehaha Falls the waters roll. The city of Minneapolis is not far away, With the largest flouring mills of the day. The principal products are corn and wheat. The fruits are apples and grapes so sweet, Peaches and crabs and fine cherries, Pears and plums, quinces and berries. The game is the mink, badger and hare, The weasel, muskrat, the skunk and bear, The fox, the lynx and wolf in his den. The duck and goose, brant and mudhen. The pheasant and chicken, quail and snipe, Kingfisher and blackbird, pigeon and shrike. The cities are Minneapolis and St. Paul, Duluth and White Earth, — these are not all. This state is noted for the number of its lakes,. Here, its source the great Mississippi takes. 30 Scenes in Wisconsin Summer and. a September Breeze SOUTH DAKOTA. NOW, on leaving the state of Minnesota, The crops are good in South Dakota; Eastern part is the northwestern plains Covered with farms and beautiful claims. They raise potatoes, turnips, beans and grain; They have long winters and not much rain. Vineyards and berries as we passed through, And many fruitful fields and gardens too; In the western part are the Bad Lands, And along the Alissouri are the sands: Among the Black Hills grand sceneries unfold. They find lead, petroleum, silver and gold. In one cliff we find out through here There are three caves arranged in one tier, In their palisades and castle halls, Sparkle like diamonds on the walls, Crystalized rock, like silver sheen, In the different rooms of the caves are seen. The rivers are White, Missouri and Dakota too, The Vermillion and Cheyenne and Big Sioux; The towns are Pierre and Huron, Deadwood and Yankton, Also Chamberlain and Mitchell, Aberdeen, and Watertown. 32 NORTH DAKOTA. ^^TILL on into North Dakota we pass, J With its fine farms and buffalo grass; The products are flax, potatoes and grain, In the west is a vast and fertile plain. It has the coldest climate in the States, Sixty below zero in the winter it makes. In the northeastern part, along the line, Some very fine oak timber there we find. Through the northwest we see as we stroll. Along the rich valleys an abundance of coal. The chicken and duck and crane are found, Woodchuck and badger that live in the ground, The fox and squirrel, the wolf in his den. The lark and the quail, the robin and wren — Other birds and animals do here dwell Of which we have no time to tell. Many towns and cities its prairies dot, Bismarck and Jamestown, Fargo and Minot. A few good rivers find their way through its plains, There's the Missouri and Red, the Park and the James. MANITOBA. WE visit Manitoba, north of the States, Mostly level prairies, with rivers and lakes: 'Tis the greatest wheat country in the world, In English possessions their flag is unfurled. 33 Minnehaha Falls in Minnesota In the rich soil they raise berries of every sort, But the disadvantage here is, the summers are short. Also up through there is plenty of game, Ducks, geese, brants, and sandhill crane, Here the deer and moose have full sway. Along the streams the water rodents play. Back into Dakota, thence westward we sped. The prairies resembled a huge flower-bed. MONTANA. yy/l ONTANA is next as we travel along, ./ JL With its Indian huts and white wigwam; " Along these slopes the land is cheap, The people raise large flocks of sheep. Their occupations are mining and farming and making lumber. The plains are covered with cattle, a very large number. The minerals are copper, silver and gold, Also vast beds of the finest of coal. Wonderful scenes in the mountains display, Pillars and geysers and falls on the way. In the east and central part are wide, grassy plains. In the western part are the vast mountain chains. O'er rivers and valleys we peacefully glide, Then who would dare stop our pleasant ride? But, hush, hark, she's going to stop! Alas, our train, by bandits, held up! 35 ho Sometimes on the frontier it gets pretty hot, One car blown to pieces and three pistols shot, — They got seventy-five thousand, well I remember, And were captured at New Orleans in November. Safe once again we continue our flight, The grand old Rockies are coming in sight, — So majestic they stand, as if they were proud. With their snow-capped peaks above the cloud. On westward in our journey we go, A wonder we find, a stone buffalo. In the southern part Custer's monument stands, Where his soldiers were slain by Indian bands; 'Twas here that our brave hero fell. The Indians charged with a savage yell. Many beautiful rivers this state adorn: The Missouri, Yellowstone and Big Horn. Then we pass through Butte, Billings and also Helena, Deer Lodge and Stillwater, Boulder and Missoula are seen. Through tunnels and valleys onward Till in July when we are up in the sno^ Then down the mountains we glide. With greater speed on the other side, With the cars rocking to and fro. we )W, IDAHO. WE here viewed the scenes of Idaho. The resources there are few in number, Chiefly confined to mining and lumber. 37 Great Falls, Montana Over 250 ft. high The game along the mountain slope Are deer and bear and the antelope; Here also along the rough, rocky steep, The wolf and cougar and mountain sheep. Some lovely falls beneath our feet Come dashing down two hundred feet. In the south central part is a lava-bed. Four hundred miles long on the watershed. Their timbers are cedar, the spruce and pine; Gold, silver and copper are found in the mine. Idaho's rivers, how swiftly they run, St. Joseph and Salmon and the Shoshone. Among the cities of this rocky commonwealth Boise, Lewiston and Idaho are noted for health. Still on westward, with scarce time to wait, We then cross the line into Washington state. WASHINGTON. ZyXITH its beauty surpassing most other states VJL/ Its mountains and valleys, its rivers and lakes. There's game in abundance we find there, Out in the woods, the deer and the bear, The wolf and fox, cougar and wildcat, The lynx, the otter, beaver and muskrat. Now we again ascend the mountain grade And cross the crest of the great Cascade. Then up through valleys and tunnels we climb Till we again reach snow in the summer time. 39 Idaho Indian Dancers The train rushes on past the mountain's peak, At the great elevation of nine thousand feet — To describe its beautiful castles, words are vain, Or its towers and spires, we view from the train; In vain my fancies strive to aid In describing to you the Cascade, Words can't tell, or sentence be given Of that range towering towards heaven. He who did Nature's work on this ball, Is blessed forever and better than all. Down the valley the cedars we pass by. Some of them grow three hundred feet high; Fruits of all kinds deck the valley below. Berries and cherries and apple trees grow; Along the rivers and among the hills We hear the hum of the shingle mills; Minerals are graphite, lead and coal. Zinc and copper, silver and gold; Timbers are cedar, spruce, fir and pine, There's also many others of various kind. Now, once again, our train is in motion, Swiftly we ride on towards the ocean. Till safe in our journey we reach The grand old ocean's sandy beach. Many of the meandering streams we cross, Skikomish, Shoshone and Columbia we pass. Towns are Spokane, Walla Walla, Seattle and Dayton, Also Snohomish and Everett, Olympia and Wash- ington. Thence, for a change, a steamer we ride, 41 Cedar Tree near Snohomish in V^^ashlngton About 250 feet high And sail far out over the ocean tide, We saw the rolling billows as they sway, And there watch the porpoise in his play; We saw a combat between swordhsh and whale, The swordfish would pierce both head and tail; In vain he resented the best he could, And the sea was crimson with his blood, Then retreating with rapid flight They soon were far beyond our sight. OREGON ^^OON our ocean trip is done, yjy We land at Portland in Oregon, Out here along the coast the climate is good, We saw St, Helens and Rainier and old Mt. Hood; The average height of all these three Is thirteen thousand feet above the sea; To their peaks the tourists go, Where they find the perpetual snow. Oregon's products are well worth knowing,-- Mining, agriculture and the fruit growing; Minerals are iron, silver and copper ore. Also gold and lead and several more. Here the timber is very good, Pine, fir, the cedar and redwood, Wheat and barley, potatoes and corn. We saw fine gardens while passing on; And other products they also raise, 43 Apples and peaches, pears and cherries, Grapes and prunes, crabs and berries. The industries followed for an occupation Are wool growing and lumbering, And also the salmon fishing. The mountain scenery of terraced shelves, The Falls of Columbia and also the dales. Cities are Oakland, Salem, The Dalles and Port- land, Harrisburg and Ashland, Albany and Pendleton. Rivers Columbia, Shoshone, and others there be That, like silvery streams, roll to the sea. 45 PI o +J bo •.—I CO bo 'bo bO O BOOK NUMBER TWO -awrsgasap.^^fessj' O Oj CD O 'So ho o h1 ,,t^^ '^^ CALIFORNIA ^^ TILL on southward, past the mountain gray, \y^_y Through tunnels and valleys we find our way In our southward journey through, Safely we land in California too. Now, in passing, we glance to the right, There old Mt. Shasta appears in sight, — There above the ocean it rears its head, Fourteen thousand feet the mariner said; There we drank from its crystal fountain, The soda water gushing off the mountain. On leaving this mount covered with snow, We sped on our way towards San Francisco. 'Tis in California where you will find People from every country and clime. Then once again o'er the ocean blue, Southward we sail in a steamer true; — Then just before the day was done We saw the seals basking in the sun. Finally the end of our journey we reach, We saw the beautiful shell on the beach. We land at Los Angeles, a southern port. Where grow the tropical plants and fruit. Timbers are redwood, spruce and pine, Liveoak and fir, cedar, birch and palm. Many precious stones are found in this state, 4 49 "'M HHpi j| ^^Bw^HS ^ HhH^^'^ — ii^*i < ^^^^^ ■ M % ii o ho CD Ph O The opal and sapphire, the topaz and agate. California's resources in that region old, Lumbering and mining, also fruits and gold. Some great wonders are seen over here — The devil's shop, teakettle and arm-chair, The petrified forest in a lake so deep, The Yosemite Falls some two thousand feet, Witch's caldron, devil's oven, and kitchen, one sees, Besides the gigantic forests of redwood trees Thirty feet in diameter, three hundred feet high, And many caves and canons we saw near by. The lemons, dates and figs and pineapples grow. And many lofty peaks that are covered with snow. The ostrich farms we next passed through, Then saw the volcano and lava-beds too; And yet many other beautiful scenes we now pass by — Natural bridge, golden gate and crystal palace high; We cross the San Joaquin, Klamath and Sacra- mento, Also the Merced and American and the Colorado. We visited Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose, Stockton, Los Angeles, and also Santa Rosa, San Bernardino, the Needles and San Diego, Nevada City, Wilmington and San Francisco. 51 ARIZONA. 7V/I OVING on eastward, along the way, J_ A. We cross the line into Arizona. For agriculture in this state People through here irrigate. Closed in by mountains, like ancient gates, 'Tis the hottest climate in the United States. In the number of minerals this state excels: The people take from the mountains and hills The quicksilver and copper, lead and cinnabar, Gold, borax, the platinum and silver are there. Many tropical fruits are also found, Bananas, pineapples and lemons abound. The timbers are pine, cedar and redwood, The palm and spruce, larch and cottonwood; The precious stones, beryl, topaz and agate. Amethyst and opal, sapphire and garnet. Their picturesque scenery now meets the eye, Of the falls, eighteen hundred feet high; Now the great canon we see while passing on, One to thirteen miles wide and two hundred long, With its great rocky crags piercing the sky. Their vertical walls seven thousand feet high. Also to many other caves and canons we come, Beside the shelves of the cliff-dwellers' home. Game in the mountains, birds in the trees, Many barren tablelands far above the seas. There's a greater wonder than any of these — Eighteen hundred acres of petrified trees. Sparkling streams, a serpentine flow, 53 1- .J ^^^UMfH 1 ''^^^ii^ .;^HH (fr- ^' "' ^ilH ■w pill" -i J 1 i'mBi J n 1^,?^.. »i:/ n" Are the Gila and the great Colorado. Three good cities to this state belong: Prescott and Phoenix and also Tucson. NEVADA. THEN on our journey past crystal fountains, We climb the great Sierra Nevada moun- tains. Out here along the rough and rocky steep Snow falls in winter fourteen feet deep; The snow comes down in such heavy beds, Miles of track are covered with sheds. The sun was moving on his west decline As we crossed the great Nevada line. The people here follow mining and grazing, There is agriculture and also fruit raising. There in the mountains along the hne We find in abundance the yellow pine; Minerals are gold and silver, copper and tm, With platinum and zinc and nickel thrown m; The timbers are pine and spruce, cedar and fir, They quarry limestone, granite and marble here. The principal game on its mountain slope: The wildcat, jack rabbit and the antelope, Chickens and pheasants and cock of the plains. Out in these parts it very seldom rains. This is the poorest of all the states, Many mountain chains its surface breaks. 55 A few short rivers here that flow, The Reese and Walker and the Colorado. Cities are Reno, Eureka and Carson, Virginia City, Wadsworth and Dayton. On northeastward moves our train Across the great American plain, With nothing to see on the way as we go Except the sage brush and cactus that grow. The sand is piled by the winds that blow, There in moving heaps like drifted snow. At last the journey of the plains we make And safely arrive in Utah at Great Salt Lake. UTAH. aTAH'S great wealth here you will find Is in grazing, and fruit, and the mine. The Great Salt Lake along the mountain side, Is seventy-five miles long and thirty wide. We visit Salt Lake and Ogden of the central west. And it is quite hard to tell which city is the best. Here the Mormons their temple adorn. That cost three million dollars or more. The principal fruits in the orchards here Are the peaches, the plums, apple and pear. Here among the wonders of this state Is the Devil's Slide and Castle Gate. Some game is found along the rocky steep, The bear and deer, the wolf and mountain sheep. 57 Using irrigation, they raise upon the farm Wheat, oats and barley, potatoes and corn. Some beautiful rivers in this state are seen, The Jordan and Colorado, the Silver and Green. Eastward in our journey we go, Across the line into Colorado. COLORADO. WE pass the continental divide where our flag is unfurled Over the Rio Grande, the highest railroad in the world. There we stood with the mountains beneath our feet, At an elevation of ten thousand eight hundred feet; Thence down the mountain side far below, Through the valleys into the canons we go, — Their walls on each side seem to meet Far above our heads, seven thousand feet. Colorado grows wealthier day by day. From minerals produce the ores that pay. We visit Rocky Ford near the mountain slope Where they raise the melons and cantaloup. We visited Pike's Peak and Manitou And explored William's canon through Cave of the Winds, with walls so bright. With its crystal formation and stalactite; In the Garden of the Gods awhile we stayed 59 Royal Gorge, Colorado Viewing the formations our Creator had made. The iron, soda and Hot Springs too, Flowing from the rocks near Manitou. This state has north, south and central parks, Glenwood, Colorado Springs and other resorts. We saw the old terraces covered with moss. And the majestic Mount of the Holy Cross. The game we saw along our route: The otter and lynx, fox and coyote, The wolf and elk, deer and bear, The mountain sheep and cougar; The birds are sagehen, chicken and grouse. Wild turkey and duck, crane and wild goose. All Nature was singing in a voice so fair. The birds in the trees, bees in the air. The timber is pine, cedar and cottonwood, To cure consumption the climate is good. Mining and agriculture are the chief occupations, Colorado was admitted on the birthday of our nation. 'Tis here many beautiful rivers are seen, South Platte, Arkansas, Grande and Green. Some thriving towns in the valleys are seen, Pueblo and Denver, Manitou and Colorado Springs. WYOMING. ON northward our train goes humming. Till we cross the line into Wyoming. Here they follow mining and grazing, 61 CO Tl c:i a CD 5 O cd O O O S O 0) ^ Ti OJ ^1 bn 01 f1 O f_i (]■) f^ ,C UJ +-> o q-H Ti O rv( o O CD O O Also agriculture and garden raising. The climate is subject to various changes. The state is covered with mountain ranges. Many natural wonders do here abound, In the Yellowstone Park some are found, The crystal white terraces are seen around, Besides the palaces and the glistening mound, Many rocky canons and caves we pass by, Then the Devil's Monument piercing the sky; The Yellowstone geysers with springs near by, Some throw hot water three hundred feet high; Hundreds of springs do there abound. Hemmed in with the mountains around, Fifty-five miles wide, sixty-five long. Many snow-capped peaks glitter in the sun. The game is the elk, grizzly bear and porcupine, Caribou and mountain sheep and the wolverine, Mink and lynx, the otter and antelope Are hunted along the mountain slope; Black bear, cougar, deer and wildcat, Beaver and weasel, prairie dog and polecat, The duck and chicken, sagehen and grouse, The crane and quail, the pheasant and goose. Immense herds of sheep and cattle are seen, Ponies, caribous and buffalo on the green. Some of the principal timbers along the line Are the walnut and cedar, cottonwood and pine. Minerals are brown coal, iron, tin and gold. Summers are healthful, the winters very cold. Rivers, first. Big Sandy, next, Cheyenne, Sweetwater, Snake, North Platte, Shoshone. 63 We visited the city of Cheyenne, New Castle and Jasper and Sharon. NEBRASKA. PROM Wyoming we press our way Still on eastward into Nebraska. The western part is hilly and broken, we say — Here they raise thousands of tons of wild hay. The eastern part in the rich valleys along. They raise potatoes and barley, wheat and corn, Also rye and the vegetables, oats and cane; The central part is a vast central plain, Along through here are some Indian reservations. Agriculture and stockraising the chief occupations. Timbers are oak and hickory, black walnut and maple, Iron, coal and lead, the minerals that are staple. The prairies are dressed in a living green. With delightful meadows and lovely streams. Birds are the robin, cuckoo and wren. Chicken and duck, quail and sagehen. Cities are 'Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and Kearney, Also North Platte and Blair, Hastings and Conway. The rivers we saw while passing through. Were Missouri, Platte, Snake and Big Blue. Across Iowa and Illinois at a rapid rate. Soon we reach the grand old Hoosier state . 5 65 i^M^^ 1 1 1 1 m^^M H N ^Mm^^mmA 1 '^^^WJf^^tJT'^^Miilli ^ " '"""^'^''"^""•^H fl Ph KENTUCKY. THEN once again our journey we take And cross the river in Kentucky state. Here, with bluegrass the fields are lined, And many fine horses and cattle we find. In Kentucky we find as we go Corn and flax, hemp and tobacco. Its minerals are coal, iron and lead. Rich soil underlaid with gravel bed. The word Kentucky, we have found, Means the dark and bloody ground. This state, with its chasms and caves. Was once the home of the Southern slave. We visited the caves, in their rooms are seen, With their crystallized rocks like silver sheen; Streams of water in these caves we find. There's small fish that are totally blind; It's crystallized rooms and halls so fair, As though the fairies once had lived there. Timbers are oak, ash and hickory, very good. Also walnut and beech, maple and Cottonwood. The eastern is rough and quite hilly, The western a gentle rolling prairie. The beautiful rivers, like silver bands, Flow every direction through the lands: Rivers Cumberland and Kentucky there are seen, The Tennessee and Ohio, the Licking and Green. There are many large cities like Lexington, Covington and Frankfort, also Hutchinson. 67 We move south in our journey once more And bid adieu to the old Kentucky shore. TENNESSEE. THROUGH here the climate is good, we see, As we enter the state of sunny Tennessee. Many beautiful landscapes came to our view As across the fields and valleys we flew, With its eastern hills and mountain chains, Its western valleys and the fertile plains, Some caves in the mountains along the line, Here copper and coal and iron we find. There is some game in the mountains here: The opossum, raccoon, the fox and deer; The game birds are the pheasant and rail, The chickens and ducks, turkey and quail. More juicy fruits you'll never see, Than the people raise in Tennessee: There are apples and pears, plums and cherries. Persimmons, pawpaws and all kinds of berries. Many beautiful flowers and majestic trees, Where the lovely roses perfume the breeze. The timbers are oak, cottonwood and pine, Mulberry and honey locust along the line, The linn and gum, birch and poplar, Sycamore and maple, beech and box elder. Corn, wheat, hemp and the cotton grows. Tobacco and peanuts, flax and potatoes. The principal manufactures among the hills 69 ■■p ^>-^-5>vt^ Hp^^ ^'"1h 1^^^^^^'' V '^^ 1 r tiwWr wS^&L ^wP^i H^^ mm"' A 1 ^^^^H^%V^f> '- "'jf^mBgC f^^ ^9 ^^ 1 .v7 JH Point Lookout Near the Battlefield Tennessee Are flour and saw and the cotton mills. Lovely cities, both small and great, That cover the surface of this state: Nashville, Chattanooga, Victoria and Clarksville, Also Franklin and Kingston, Memphis and Knox- ville. Of navigable rivers there in Tennessee, Very few in number indeed there be, Cumberland and Tennessee and Duck River flow, And also Mississippi, the Wolfe and Buffalo. Now we leave the state with a deep sigh, So for the present we bid thee good-bye. MISSISSIPPI, TPIENCE on southward, among the pine, We cross then the Mississippi line. The scenes as viewed from the trains. Rivers and lakes and grassy plains; Along the Mississippi are the walnut hills, Here we find lumber and the shingle mills. Here in our travels along the way, I saw the minerals were iron and clay. The timber here is fairly good: Cypress, sweet gum and dogwood, Sycamore and cottonwood, and also mulberry, Black gum and live-oak, pine and cherry. Animals are muskrat and beaver, badger and otter, And many other animals that live in the water; Squirrel and rabbit, opossum and coon, . 71 The duck and goose, the crane and loon, The lizard and turtle, alligators and snakes, And other wild "varmints" of the canebrakes, Pelican and brant, seagull and swan, And others that in the water belong. The products are rice, cotton and potatoes. Cane, wheat and corn, tobacco and tomatoes. Before the appearance of our early leaves They ship north, tomatoes, beans and peas. We saw some good towns along the track. The majority of the people here are black. Their sports I will give in addition, Dancing and racing, hunting and fishing. A great variety of singing birds in the trees, Flowers in the meadows, covered with bees. We must move on, no longer to dwell. So, Mississippi, we bid thee farewell. LOUISIANA. THENCE on southward, into Louisiana state, Along the rivers we see the canebrake Where the live-oaks are covered with moss, Shells on the beach where the waves toss. Vines twine gracefully about the trees, The lily and roses perfume the breeze. Their timbers, the elm and cottonwood, Cypress, live-oak, pine and button wood. And many others that have no fault. The minerals are iron, coal and salt. 72 Along the streams are the busy mills, And near the Mississippi are the hills. They raise cotton, tobacco and sugarcane, Rice and early vegetables and small grain. New Orleans, the metropolis, near the river's mouth, Where molasses and cotton are exports of the South — There many ocean steamers, with flags unfurled, Visit New Orleans from all parts of the world. Many tropical fruits in this state are seen: Prunes and apricots, berries and nectarine, Also grapes and plums, pears and cherries. Peaches, persimmons, pineapples and mulberries; Other fruits to mention we have no time, That grow in Louisiana, the southern clime. Many large and sluggish streams are seen: Mississippi and Red, the Pearl and Sabine. Cities are New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Coving- ton, Franklin and Shreveporte, Vienna and Washing- ton. ALABAMA. ON eastward, into Alabama, we go. Again Mississippi we pass through. There are many beautiful and natural scenes-^ The Bland and Blout, and the Sulphur Springs. There is another spring Lll speak about, 73 Eight thousand gallons per minute flows out. This state contains a natural bridge, Fine caves and caverns along the ridge. Here we find the tall evergreen, Cedar, cypress and pine are seen, A number of others that are very good, Live-oak and hickory and the cottonwood. The climate here is warm and mild, Thousands of flowers growing wild. The minerals are lead and coal, Magnesia and iron, silver and gold; Some fine quarries here are known, Granite and marble and the limestone. At length, we the southern boundary reach, Visit the gulf with its fine sandy beach. Along the beach, where the tide waves swell, They pave the roads with the oyster shell; Beautiful cities in this southern clime: Mobile, Montgomery and Huntsville are fine. Many fine rivers have their flow Down toward the Gulf of Mexico: There's Tennessee and Alabama, Mobile and Tombigbee, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Apalachicola and Chattahoochee. They have fishing, agriculture and the mine, Manufacturing and distilling of turpentine. Also the game we see among the brakes: Alligators, lizards and the water snakes, The skunk and weasel, mink and deer, The fox and wolf, badger and hare. Pheasant and duck, turkey and quail, 74 Crane and snipe, woodcock and rail, Swan and pelican, buzzard and eagle, Kingfisher and owl, crow and seagull: The robin and thrush and canary are heard, The bobolink, cuckoo, linnet and mockingbird. There's a beautiful harbor in the Mobile Bay, To all foreign ports it sends vessels away. Birds in the trees, bees on the flowers, Who can describe this fairyland of ours, Sing of its beauty and to others tell! For the present we bid Alabama farewell. GEORGIA. ON eastward we find more to relate On a visit to the Georgia state. Georgia ranks first in the southern clime, Up to date and to advancement, there inclined. The principal occupations I now will number: Mining and agriculture, fishing and lumber. The Savannah Harbor is very fine, Ocean steamers are seen any time. The principal products I haven't forgotten. Are wheat, oats and corn, tobacco and cotton. Of the beautiful scenes I'll now make mention. Mountains and rivers attract great attention. The Red and Sulphur and Warm springs pass by, Also a number of waterfalls, many feet high; Many caves and canons may be seen Among the mountains of living green. 75 Minerals are zinc, coal, iron and gypsum, Copper and antimony, gold and magnesium, Graphite and asbestos, petroleum, in this state, The quartz and beryl, the garnet and agate. The animals are the bear, panther and wildcat, The fox, coon and mink, woodchuck and muskrat. The reptiles that crawl through the canebrake, Alligator and copperhead, moccasin and rattle- snake. Birds are the buzzard, hawk, owl and rail. Seagull and pelican, crow and nightingale; The ducks and pheasants and partridges abound, Bobolink, the blackbird and woodcock are found. The trees are live-oak, cypress and beech, Palmetto and cedar, sweet bay and birch, Wild orange and walnut, poplar and chestnut. The hickory and sycamore, the maple and tulip. The fir, the ash and elm, laurel and spruce, Pine, the gum, cottonwood and others of use. The beautiful streams there on every hand Flow from the mountains, through the land: The Altamaha, and Flint and the Chattahoochee, Oconee andOcmulgee, Broad and Witlelacoochee. Many beautiful cities with their spires. Reaching upward toward the bright stars: Macon and Thomasville, Bainbridge and Atlanta, Augusta and Milledgeville, Athens and Savannah. A sufficient description Fve given you, So now we will bid old Georgia adieu. 77 FLORIDA. THENCE southwestward to Pensacola Bay, Across the Florida line we take our way. Some natural scenery here is found, Ancient shell roads and many a mound. This great state of our sunny land Is nothing more than a body of sand. Still it is fertile, in many parts we see The orange, the lemon and cocoanut tree. Beyond the reach of snow and frost. The land of flowers it can boast. We gather fine shells of every hue Along the beach while passing through. Now we visit the old town of St. Augustine Old Spanish Fort and Slave Market are seen. Their beautiful lighthouse interested me. Casting its gleams far out on the sea. The palmetto with broad, green blades Fringes the borders of the everglades; A great many swamps and the canebrakes, Some lovely streams and very fine lakes; Near the coast where the tides ebb and flow Are hills of sand like mountains of snow. Along the mossy banks our boats we row And see the Spanish moss and mistletoe. The southern coast is like a bow And washed by the Gulf of Mexico; At Fort Tampa our banner is unfurled Over the Gulf, the warmest in the world. 79 CD CO pi ho pi X^ rd CO ■iH Pi Pi CQ r— I o Still northeastward our train is in motion, Along the eastern coast, washed by the ocean. I will name some exports if you wish: Oranges and pineapples, lumber and fish; Many other tropical fruits are seen, The dates and figs, apricot and nectarine. Timbers are live-oak, cocoanut and pine, The magnolia and spruce, the cypress and palm. A variety of game is found through here, Wildcat, the squirrel, the bear and deer; • The birds are the lark, linnet and wren. Bobolink, and sparrow, quail and mudhen. The rivers are sluggish and very slow With scarcely current enough to flow, Apalachicola, St. Johns and Kissimmee, St. Mary's and Perdoe, Peaos and Suwannee. The towns we find on that golden strand Are visited by tourists from every land: Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Pensacola and Tampa, St. Augustine and Orlando, Key West and Miama. Thence northeastward on our way. SOUTH CAROLINA. TILL we reach South Carolina. Of the population far and near The colored exceed in numbers^here. Principal industries along the line 6 81 Are fishing and farming, also the mine; They make the coke and rosin and turpentine, And a plenty of lumber from the yellow pine, Charleston, the capital, on the way. Fort Sumpter at the head of the bay, Sumptuous food the great oyster-beds yield; Near by is Spartanburg, the old battlefield. There's a number of wmter resorts in the state. Mountain trips for pleasure in summer they take. Products are cotton, corn and potatoes. The wheat and tobacco, rice and tomatoes. A harbor at Charleston we. see And near by is old Fort Moultrie. On north are the Blue Ridge Mountains, With springs, waterfalls and fountains. Many log houses in this region old. The minerals are coal, iron and gold. Game is scarce, but we find here Opossum and coon, the rabbit and deer, The skunk and weasel, badger and wildcat, The pheasant and quail, the duck and bat. There's some reptiles along the marshes and lakes, The alligator and lizard, moccasin and rattlesnakes. The cities are Columbia, Germantown and Charleston, Hamburg and Summerville, Florence and Darlington, The rivers run from the mountains to the sea. Edisto, the Black and the Great Pedee, The Ashley, and Cooper, Lynch's and Santee, Congaree and Savannah, Lumber and Wateree. 82 Still on northward through the land we fly, Then we bid South Carolina a long good-by. NORTH CAROLINA. THENCE northward on our way, Arriving safely in North Carolina. This state now I'll describe to you, Lakes and rivers and mountains too. The mountains in the west slope towards the sea, The climate is pure and bracing like Tennessee; The eastern part is low, swampy lands, Along the Atlantic is the white sands. There are also many colored folks here. The game the raccoon, wildcat and deer. The beaver and badger, bear and fox. Cranes, curlews, snipes and woodcocks. Morgantown in the mountains a fine retreat. And they raise here many fine fruits to eat: Fruits are apples, peaches, grapes and berries, Pears, plums, persimmons and fine cherries. The products are wheat, oats and hay. Potatoes, tobacco and rice, near the way. They make pitch and rosin and the turpentine, While limestone and coal and iron are mined. The principal seaport is at Wilmington, Where the ocean steamers make their run. The chief occupations are manufacturing and mining, 83 Fishing and gathering oysters and in farming. The principal cities are Fayetteville and Henderson, Raleigh and Charlotte, Newbern and Washington. Many rivers are flowing forevermore, Are seeking the old Atlantic shore: Cape Fear and Neuse, Roanoke and Haw, Yadkin and Lumber, Pamlico and Catawba. VIRGINIA. THENCE northeastward, across the state line, To visit the resorts and landscapes we find. Here's the natural bridge, the wonder of the world. And Washington's tomb, where our flag is unfurled, The Luray caverns are wonders there, too, The caves and tunnels we go through, — Here is a cave that is a hummer, Draws in winter and blows out in summer; The saltpetre cave and the Morris too, Well worth notice as you pass through. The Hawks' Nest is a pillar a thousand feet high, There are the medical and the mineral springs near by, Healing and hot and sulphur springs. And many other very curious things. Many kinds of timber in common use, 84 Hickory and walnut, the pine and spruce. We visit Point Comfort and Fortress Monroe, And the Norfolk navy yards as we go. Minerals are copper, iron and the coal, Zinc, lead and nickel, silver and gold, Mica and asbestos, antimony and cobalt. Saltpetre, the petroleum, mercury and salt, Red and brown hamatite and the pipe ore, Fine marble and limestone and several more. The products are wheat and potatoes, tobacco and hay, And many kinds of fruit along on the way. The home of our fathers in the Revolutionary War, And holds a prominent place in the union evermore. A number of presidents who are gone Were reared in their old Virginia home. The rivers on their eastward way Empty into the Chesapeake Bay: The James and Roanoke, the York and Potomac, Anna and Camunkey, Black Water and Rappa- hannock. The grand old towns through which we went Hold a prominent place in this government: There's Richmond and Portsmouth, Norfolk and Lynchburg, Alexandria and Germantown, Newport News and Petersburg. More about Virginia I've no time to tell. So, for the present, we bid it farewell. 85 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THENCE to the District of Columbia we went And visited Washington, the seat of government. First the Capitol comes to our view, The House of Congress and Senate, too. Congressional Library and Supreme Court Room^ Also the Cabinet, thence up in the Dome; Then into the Postal Department we stroll. Situated on east of the great Capitol, Thence to the White House we wandered too, And saw the President as we passed through; Then we visit the great War Department, Next through the Art Gallery we went, Then to the Treasury, rustic and old, There're the silver and millions of gold; Thence to the Bureau of Printing we strayed. Where postage stamps and paper money are made, Then the Patent Office, with its models so great, Next the Post Office, a majestic building of late; We visit the Pension Office next on our way. Into the U. S. Printing Office next we stray; Thence through the Parks we also went, Then up to the top of the monument. The Washington Monument near by Which is five hundred fifty-five feet high. We visit the Agricultural Department, to see Its plants and flowers, its bushes and trees; We visit the Military Home so true, 8G Saw our brave boys, dressed in blue; Their words of welcome made us feel at home, We thought of our loved ones whence we had come. Thence to Arlington Heights, with its beds of green, With its flowers and roses, what a beautiful scene — Twas here that they laid our brave boys to rest, Who fought for our country, and saved it at last. Then Germantown we next passed through. Its beautiful hills and fortress too; The National Museum next we'll view, The Smithsonian Institute we go through — There're all kinds of shells that could be found, All kinds of birds from the countries around, The mounted animals from different climes. Fish, insects, and skeletons of various kinds. We saw the metals, marbles and granite. The diamonds, and sapphire, opal and agate, Other things that we haven't time to tell; So for the present we bid thee farewell. MARYLAND. THENCE on eastward, near at hand We visited the old state of Maryland. The climate is tempered by the ocean breeze, Where the winters are mild and seldom freeze. The soil is mostly of a sandy loam, 87 The I old state our grandfather's home. ■ The surface is hilly and mountainous too, Wild animals scarce where we passed through. There are resorts in the mountains and by the sea, In the trees the birds, on the flowers are the bee. The"Falls of the Cumberland there we pass by, Five hundred feet wide and one hundred feet high; This seems like a canon, with walls so high, With the bottom submerged and then left dry. The Deer and Oakland parks to see, With some very picturesque scenery. Here|they raise tobacco, corn and small grain; Copper, iron and coal are found in the vein, Magnesiafand galena and the hamatite. Wonderful forests of timber in sight: Oak, walnut and hickory are staple, Pine and cedar, cypress and maple. The chief large city is Baltimore, With its factory along the shore; Annapolis is the state capital, A fine place there to dwell, A fine harbor on the Chesapeake Bay, Where hundreds of vessels in safety lay. Maryland has fine colleges and schools, With strict discipline and best of rules. The rivers of Maryland are Susquehanna, Pantuxet, the Potomac, Nantucket, Youngahenna, The cities are Frederick, Baltimore and Hagers- town, Williamsport and Cumberland, Cambridge and Chesterton. 88 Chief points in the state I've given you, So for the present we bid Maryland adieu. DELAWARE. THENCE on eastward in our journey we bear Across the line into the state of Delaware, To talk about its flowers and trees, Its singing birds and humming bees. This state is bounded by the Atlantic coast, Though small, has scenery of which to boast. The surface unbroken, level almost. With fine resorts along the coast. They gather many oysters out in the bay, And to distant cities they ship them away; Plenty of fruit hangs within reach, The apple and grape, pear and peach. They raise oats, wheat, barley and corn And others we see while passing along. The southern sandy, the northern black loam. On which its many fine products are grown. They have a fine harbor at Wilmington, Where the ocean steamers go and come. Dover is the capital of the state, With all its improvements up to date. We have no time that we can spare. Will bid adieu to the state of Delaware. 89 NEW JERSEY. THEN still on northward by the bay, We cross the Jersey line on our way, This was the seat of the Revolutionary War, But now she sings of peace forevermore. The southern part level, and for farming very good, The northern is mountainous and covered with wood. Some watering places along the way, There're Long Branch and Atlantic City. Some wonderful scenery there we pass by, Hudson Palisades, six hundred feet high; Some fine lakes and waterfalls we pass, And lovely valleys of luxuriant grass. Its minerals are lead and granite fine. Timbers are oak, chestnut and pine. New Jersey is a manufacturing state, Its fruit productions are very great: Apples and plums, pears and cherries, Peaches and grapes, quinces and cranberries. Here they raise acres of garden truck For the cities of Brooklyn and New York. Trenton, the capital, is a line town, With other beautiful cities scattered around: New Brunswick, Newark, Jersey City and Paterson, Also Hoboken and Newton, Camden and Princeton. 90 Its rivers are the noted Delaware, Next the Hudson flows through there. In New Jersey we have not long to stay. So for the present we bid thee good-day, NEW YORK CITY. WE arrive in New York City, here The great metropolis of this hemisphere. Through Wall Street we passed along, Stood by the statue of Washington, Washington, a president first of all Conferred in office at Federal Hall. Through Central Park we wandered on, Saw Brooklyn Bridge, one mile long. In New York Harbor, national flags are unfurled On the vessels from all parts of the world; Then our lighthouse out in the bay — I mean the great Goddess of Liberty: On the elevated railway we then took a ride. Along o'er housetops so swiftly we glide. We saw the majestic building around the square, Also the Post Office while we were there. 91 o CD 5. CD QJJ m >i o o pq BOOK NUMBER THREE Black Canyon, Colorado CONNECTICUT. THEN for Connecticut we embarked, Bidding farewell to New York. We land at Hartford, the capital town. Many points of interest there we found: Beautiful streets, so neat and clean. Their parks with trees of evergreen. The northwestern part is covered with hills, With many fine pastures and the busy mills. There're some fine resorts along the coast, Of its many fine fruits it can boast; Some mineral springs we see as we go, The products are corn, wheat and tobacco; And many good factories here are seen, We hear the hum of the carding machine. They have fine schools and colleges too. Groves of good timber we pass through. • Of New England, Connecticut is a slice, The long winters bring plenty of ice. The southern coast of the state is bound By the sea and the Long Island Sound. The minerals are lead, clay, feldspar and silver. Granite and marble quarries on the Connecticut River. The towns are Norwich, Bridgeport and Stonington, Meriden, New London, Westportand Middletown. The silvery rivers that flow through the plains Are Connecticut and Housatonic and the Thames. At New Haven, Yale College that was founded of old, 95 Has a library of eighty thousand volumes, we're told; And also in their great museums They've thirty thousand specimens. Now with Connecticut we are through, Once more our journey we''ll pursue. RHODE ISLAND. THEN on eastward, across the line, Into Rhode Island, just on time. 'Tis the smallest state in the nation. Some points of interest I will mention: Many interesting ponds along the way, And the beauties of Narragansett Bay. 'Twas settled hundreds of years ago By the Norsemen; the antiquities show An old, ancient tower with inscriptions fine. Show that settlements were among the pine. The principal products are potatoes and hay, And many garden vegetables along the way. The town of Newport is the chief resort. Then at Providence we landed about dark — Tis one of the capitals of the state; Newport, the other, both up to date. The climate is tempered by the ocean freeze. In winter 'tis a check to the hard breeze. In the northeastern part is a waterfall, They've two principal rivers, that is all. 96 The facilities for fruits are very great, There're the apples, peaches, the pear and grape. The best college in the state to-day Is in Providence, on the Buzzard's Bay. Man-y other things we'd like to say. So bid the state a kind good-day, MASSACHUSETTS. THENCE on northward we cross the line Into Massachusets; 'tis a northern clime. The winters through the country here Are very cold and quite severe. 'Twas once a dark battlefield Where the English had to yield. Along the Connecticut river so grand Are the finest scenes in this land; In the northwestern part the pure mountain air, And some beautiful ponds and lakes so clear; There're some fine resorts along the beach That people in summer always love to- reach, Here the surface is rough and broken in two By the mountain chains that do pass through; There are some good farms along the way, Where they raise the tobacco, corn and hay; Butter and fine cheese, maple sugar and honey Are products by which they make their money. Some noted granite quarries do there abound, 7 97 Where monument and building stone are found, Iron, silver and copper are mined, The marble and coal we also find. There are many factories full of toilers, Making boots and shoes, guns and boilers, Saddles and musical instruments, also paper and locks, The cotton and woolen goods and the Rock- ford socks. Then the Falls of the Merrimac River, Where the sparkling waters like silver. We visited the old college there at Cambridge, Thence on towards Boston we cross the ridge. Boston is an ancient and historical town; Saw the arch, and Bunker Hill we found. Boston, for learning, is the national seat, None in the union can with her compete; Boston's library, with its many columns, Contains one hundred forty thousand volumes; It has the finest harbor on earth. There Boston's tea party had its birth. The principal rivers through Connecticut pass. And find their way to the ocean at last. The rivers there have the following names: Connecticut, Merrimac, Nashua and Thames. Massachusetts is a state that abounds In many ancient and historical towns: 9S Plymouth and Cambridge, Salem and Springfield, Lowell, Winchester, Waterville and Deerfield. All points of interest we cannot tell, So we bid Massachusetts a kind farewell. Then on a steamer we embark for a ride. And we pass many miles over the ocean tide. MAINE. THEN we land safe at Portland, Maine, We'll give a description of the same. This is the most northern of all the states, It is traversed by rivers and dotted by lakes. The climate in winter is very severe, 'Tis diversified by forests through here: The timbers are hemlock, oak and birch, Also hickory and walnut, pine and beech. This country is noted for its lumber. Of sawmills it has a large number. Their game is the skunk, opossum and deer, The wolverine, pine martin, the wolf and bear. The weasel and fox, beaver and muskrat, The polecat and mink, coon and wildcat; The birds are the duck, goose and quail. The brant and pigeon, the crane and rail — Other birds we saw from the train, Which we have not time here to name. The minerals are iron, zinc, the copper and stone, Also marble, and granite and slate are known. 99 The products are potatoes, barley and hay, And other cereals we saw by the way. Portland is the chief city on Casco Bay, A fine harbor where they ship lumber away. Some beautiful falls by the rocky steep, From seventy-five to two hundred feet. One of these is called the Austin, Then the Casco, Rumford and Lewiston, There're many resorts in our course we reach, York and Cape Elizabeth and old Orchard Beach. Penobscot and Androscoggin are rivers here, Kennebec and St. John's, St. Croix and the Deer. Northern part is mountainous, the southern a sandy loam. Again we turn our faces toward our Indiana home. NEW HAMPSHIRE. THENCE westward in our journey we bear On across the line into New Hampshire. It is called the Switzerland, Owing to its scenery so grand. Among the snow-capped peaks along. Are Lafayette and Mt. Washington; Gorges and canons are found there too, The lakes and waterfalls next in view. Portsmouth has a harbor so great, The only one within the state; Then for awhile by the river we tarry, 100 The Needle Mountains Southeastern California And saw forts Constitution, also McClary. The rivers from the White Mountains descend, The Merrimac, Connecticut and the Androscoggin. Fine towns nestle in the New Hampshire hills, Along the streams are a number of sawmills. Towns are Dover, Manchester, Nashua and Lebanon, Monadnock, Concord, Newport and Farmington. They have many factories up this way. Products are potatoes, barley and hay. The animals are deer and bear, badger and groundhog, Elk, wolf and the weasel, fox, wildcat and hedgehog; The birds are the ^ulls, ducks, geese and herons. Also brants and pigeons, the woodcock and bitterns. The state is noted for its health, Its schools and colleges and its wealth. All over the hills and the rocky steep. They raise some very fine flocks of sheep. One of the sources of making money Is raising bees and selling honey. This description is instructive and true, So we bid the state of New Hampshire adieu. VERMONT. THENCE on westward through New Hamp- shire pine. Into the state of Vermont we cross the line; 102 Ashland, on Lake Superior, Wisconsin The capital, Montpelier, is a lovely sight, And other good towns on the left and right. The principal products along the way: Potatoes and corn,, wheat and hay. Champlain is a large and beautiful lake Along the western line of this state; Many beautiful springs are gushing there Among the wooded hills and the valleys fair. There're many lofty peaks as we pass by. With majestic heads four thousand feet high. There thousands of sheep in the mountains graze, The people make vast quantities of butter and cheese. Minerals are gold and copper, iron and leads, Slate and granite and fine marble beds. The winters are cold and very long, The summers are short and quite warm. Some flouring mills along the beautiful streams. We pass sawmills too as our whistle screams. Large quantities of maple sugar there they make, For its health resorts this is a fine state. For good timber they have no lack: Maple and hickory, ash and the tamarack, Walnut and oak, chestnut and sassafras, Pine, beech and larch, fir and quaking asp. Of points in the Green Mountains I wish to speak: There're Mansfield and Killingston and Adam's Peak. Most of the rivers are southward bound. And empty their waters into Long Island Sound; Many fine streams of clear flowing water, 104 The Goddes of Liberty by Moonlight in New York Harbor White and Connecticut, the Salmon and Otter. Many pretty towns, with steeples and spires, Which are connected by the telegraph wires: Rutland and Montpelier, Windsor and Burlington, Newberg and Swanton, Brandon and Bennington. A few wild animals in the woods we find: Badger and wolverine, the skunk and porcupine. Many birds inhabit this northern clime. And warble their songs in the summer time. On southwestward now we pass And bid Vermont adieu at last. NEW YORK. THENCE westward in our journey we pass on Through the Hoosac Tunnel, five miles long; Safely we land at Albany, New York, On the Hudson River, a fine resort. We visit the State House close at hand, Which is the finest in all the land. Many noted falls in the state abound, There're more than twenty here are found; Also many fine lakes here to be seen. Whose banks are fringed with evergreen; The many snow-capped peaks we here pass by. Rearing their heads five thousand feet high. Many wonderful springs are bubbling there, How their waters sparkle in the sunny air; The Thousand Isles in the St. Lawrence river, 106 Where the waters move gently along forever. This is the greatest manufacturing state: Leather, rubber and woolen goods they make; Mining and agriculture are the chief pursuits, Also gathering oysters and raising fruits; Minerals are iron and copper, lead and sandstones, From the latter they make a large number of grindstones, We visit a number of cities as we go: Syracuse and West Point, Utica and Buffalo. I'll mention another important thing, That the state's prison is at Sing Sing. Along the hills are the vineyards fine. They raise grapes and make good wine; They have pears and peaches and plums so blue — It's noted for its apples and fine berries too. Fine timbers grow about the lakes, Filled with quadrupeds and snakes. Timbers are hickory and oak, walnut and birch. Pine and spruce, the maple, elder and beech. We bid the State of New York good-day, Then we take the train upon our way, After traversing through the states so many; Then we safely arrive in old Pennsylvania. PHILADELPHIA. 7t\E visit Philadelphia while on the move: Vs|>/ 'Tis called the City of Brotherly love; Then Franklin's grave next we pass, 107 And the City Hall twelve millions cost; The old Swedish church, built two hundred years ago, And the zoological gardens — there's a great show; We visited Liberty Hall, the Cradle of the Nation, Where our forefathers signed the great Declaration; Awhile at the United States mint we stayed And saw where our specie was being made; We saw marble columns standing there, And the marble steps most everywhere; In the library, founded by Franklin, here A hundred and thirty-five thousand volumes appear; Academy of Fine Arts next we come And saw much fine sculpture work done. Philadelphia is the third city of the States, 'Twas founded by the Quakers in early dates. PENNSYLVANIA. PENNSYLVANIA was settled by William Penn, In the Quaker religion, a leader of men. In the eastern part the great Alleghanies spread Between the Ohio and Atlantic a great watershed. We saw lead and iron, coal and copper mined. Many cliffs and gorges and canons we find. Mauch Chunk is a fine resort in the summer season, 'Tis in the center of the anthracite coal region. Through tunnels and around curves we go. The principal one is the Great Horseshoe. Many resorts on Lake Erie we see, 108 cd > CO CD o 'So 'cd o O Also in the mountains many there be. There're many fine springs along the line, Clear, warm and sulphur water we find. The state is mountainous, rolling and hilly, The winters are long, dreary and quite chilly. They raise buckwheat and rye, also corn and hay, We saw oil and salt and gas wells on the way. The Pittsburg steel and coal market here is the best. Where glass, steel and coal are shipped to the West. Principal towns are Altoona and Bedford, Allegheny and Scranton, also Harrisburg. They find the wildcat and lynx up among the rocks, Also the deer and bear, the wolf and the fox; They raise many horses, cattle and sheep, Along the rich valleys, by the rocky steep. We next view the Gettysburg battlefield Where the flower of Lee's army had to yield. The rivers that flow from the mountain side Travers*e the land, both far and wide: The Delaware and Monongahela, Schuylkill and Allegheny, The Raystown and Red Bank, Lehr and the Susquehanna. About Pennsylvania we've no more to say. So for the present we bid thee good-day. 110 Niagara Falls, Winter NIAGARA FALLS. WE visit the Falls of Niagara deep, Where the water drops one hundred sixty- five feet, The rushing current is dashed to spray, Then foaming and roaring, it rushes away; Cave of the Winds, just behind its sheet; Rock of Ages lies there at its feet; We glance over Niagara's walls From Goat Island above the Falls, In the sparkling waters down at her feet We saw in the mist a rainbow complete; The Three Sister islands are dressed in green With the turbulent waters there rolling between; A limestone slab, a solid block, Bravely stands old Table Rock. We cross this chasm on a bridge of wire With hundreds of feet suspended in the air. The maddening waves in frenzy roll Down o'er the rapids, beyond control, Till they reach a wall in their rapid course And turn to a whirlpool of mighty force; — This terrible maelstrom his vengeance to wreak Drilled a hold in the rock four hundred feet deep. Sing on, gentle river, and forever roll Away to the ocean, your final goal. 112 cti bO WEST VIRGINIA. THENCE on southward along the pine, We cross the West Virginia line. Listen to my story now, if you please, — I will tell you of its birds and bees, Its flowers and fruits, grasses and trees, And its golden grain that waves in the breeze. Some very interesting falls in the state to see: Green Briar and New River and Hughes, all three. There are some lovely scenes Along the Ohio and other streams: Green Briar and Sulphur springs are bubbling there, There's also a fine resort on the mountain here. Also many other springs, by looking round, In the different parts of the state are found. The minerals are coal, iron and petroleum, Salt, nickel and lead, also zinc and alum. Some elegant timber in the valleys we see: The oak, poplar, hemlock and walnut tree. The locust and chestnut, and willow and sycamore, The honey locust and ash,* the osage and several more. There are apples and quinces, plums and mul- berries. Peaches and pears, the wild and choke cherries, Grapes and service berries, currants and blue, The persimmons and pawpaws, haws and cherries, too. Charleston, the capital, there the laws they make. 114 This is a very productive and healthy state. Many fine cities among the West Virginia hills, Interspersed with the busy lumber mills. Next we crossed old Harpers Ferry, And saw the noted valley of the Shenandoah. The historical towns of this commonwealth: Wheeling and Charleston are noted for health; There 're Petersburg and Clarksburg and also Parkersburg, Lewisburg and Harpers Ferry, Morgantown and Martinsburg. The rivers are Shenandoah, Potomac, Ohio and the New, Monongahela and Green Briar, Big Sandy and the Hughes. Still we journey on in our homeward flight And bid West Virginia a kind good-night. OHIO. ACROSS the Ohio River then we migrate. The next in our journey the Ohio state.. Of its chief resources all combining Are agriculture, manufacturing also mining. Some wonderful scenes we find as we roam: Lake Erie and the Dayton Soldiers' Home; The ancient mound builders, it does appear. Made many mounds and earthworks through here. 115 Civilization with its magic hand Has changed the face of all the land — The clover fields and waving grain, Orchards and meadows show the same. The northeastern part is hilly and rough But the western part is level enough. The Muskegon and Black River Falls near by, And that of Cahoga two hundred feet high. Many Indian relics here are found, Bones, metal and pottery in the mound. The chief products of the day Are buckwheat, barley, oats and hay, The corn and wheat, sorghum and potatoes, Turnips, beans, peas and tomatoes, The apples and peaches, plums and cherries. Quinces, pears, crabs and service berries, Grapes and persimmons, apricots and pawpaws, Crabapples and huckleberries and black haws. The wool production is very great, As well as gardening in this state. The minerals are iron, coal and stone, Of the precious metals they have none. There is some game yet along the rills. And up among the rocks and wooded hills: The fox, the beaver, weasel and polecat, Mink, lynx and badger, squirrel and muskrat; The birds are wood duck and woodcock and the quail, Prairie chicken and pheasant, the plover and rail, Doves, pigeons and snipes, the goose and mudhen, Thrush and canary, the catbird and wren. 116 o o +^ P Some fine towns along Lake Erie, Cleveland, Toledo and Sandusky; Also Columbus and Cincinnati, Fores and Mays- ville, Springfield, Akron, Youngstown and Zanesville. The rivers of Ohio are short and deep, And a few of their names we'll now repeat: Ohio, Muskingum, Scioto and Duck, Miami, Maumee, Sandusky and Black. Timbers are white oak and burr oak, post oak and jack. The swamp oak and red, the yellow oak and black, Black willow and green, yellow willow and gray, The weeping and swamp willow along our way. White walnut and black, maple and beech. Honey locust and black osage and birch. White hickory and black, larch sassafras. Soft maple and silver, iron wood and quaking asp. White ash and swamp, sycamore and hackberry, Red elm and swamp, dogwood and mulberry, Still on westward we continue to roam, We safely arrive at our Indiana home. FICTITIOUS NAMES OF THE STATES. ALABAMA is the cotton state of the cotton belt, Arkansas is the bear state, taken for his pelt; California, the golden state, where they find gold, 118 bo •r-( (D CD o o o Colorado, the centennial state, which isn't near so old; Connecticut, steady habits, or nutmeg state, Delaware, the diamond, its importance is so great; Florida, the peninsular, Ipounded by the seas, Georgia, the empire of the south, with pine trees; Illinois, the prairie state and succor too, Indiana, the Hoosier state, — they're a jolly crew; Iowa, the Hawkeye state, name of an Indian chief Who ruled a savage tribe till old age brought relief. Kansas, the garden of the West, with level prairie found, Kentucky, bluegrass state, dark and bloody ground; Louisiana, the Creole state, also the pelican, Maine, the lumber state and the pine tree land; Maryland, old line state, from Mason and Dixon's line, Massachusetts, the bay state, from the bay we find; Michigan, the lake state, or state of wolverines, Minnesota, the gopher, full of lakes and streams; Mississippi, the bayou, from the bays it makes, Missouri, the iron state, from Iron Mountain takes; Nebraska, black water, from rivers that are stained; Nevada, the silver state, and sage, too, is named; New Hampshire, the granite, from the quarries of the same, New Jersey, the garden state, from gardens every- where. New York, the Empire state, with its scenery rare; 120 ^ CD ^ CO cd ^ pr' cci CO Pi 01 CO ^ n CD cd ^ O ^ f^ o North Carolina, the old north state, and turpentine beside, Where pitch and rosin are taken from the pine forests wide. Ohio, the buckeye state, where the buckeyes show, Oregon, the beaver state, where the beavers grow; Pennsylvania, the keystone, the center of the arch, Rhode Island, Little Rhody, we find in our march. South Carolina, the palmetto, where the green palmettoes grow, Tennessee, the volunteer, where the mountain rivers flow, Texas, the lone star, the largest state of all, Vermont, Green Mountain, with its trees so tall; Virginia, old Dominion, mother of states, West Virginia, Switzerland of America it makes; Wisconsin is the badger, the last in our list, Yet some have been omitted, overlooked or missed. FICTITIOUS NAMES OF CITIES. AKRON, summit city; Albany, politician; Allegheny, twin city, double one to mean. Atlanta, mound city; Baltimore, monumental, Boston, the hub, which is very sentimental. Brooklyn, city of churches, many there are seen; Buffalo, queen city on the northern lakes serene. Charlestown is the city of the great earthquake, Chicago, garden city, on the way we take. 122 Cincinnati, queen city, on the Ohio so grand; Cleveland, forest city, with trees on every hand. Columbus, railroadia, from its many lines; Dayton, green city, in Ohio one finds. Denver is called the city of the plains, Detroit, city of straits, itself explains. Duluth, zenith city, which means greatest height, Galveston is Texas. focus, to center the light, Hannibal, bluff city, on the Mississippi hills; Harrisburg, pivotal, with its iron mills. Hartford is insurance; Holyoke, paper city, near- Indianapolis, railroad city, from roads centering there. Jersey city, terminal town; Kansas City, Mush- roomopolis; Also Lafayette is star city, old Tippecanoe's me- tropolis. Louisville, falls city, from the Ohio Falls; Lowell, city of spindles, as everybody calls. Madison, lake city; Milwaukee, the beer and bricks, Minneapolis, city of flour, to make bread we mix; Mobile is shell city, Nashville is city of rocks; Newark, Brimingham of America, where they make clocks. New Haven, city of elms; cresent is New Orleans; New York, Empire City, Gotham, too, it seems. Lyons of America, is the city of Paterson; Pekin, celestial city; Peoria, whiskey town. Philadelphia, Quaker City, also Brotherly Love; Pittsburg, iron city, that is smoky from above, Providence, city of jewelry; Quincy, the gem city 123 we call; Racine is belle city, which means belle of the ball. Richmond, modern Rome, a city of seven hills, Rochester, flour city, with its flouring mills. Sacramento, the city of the miner's pocket-book; St. Louis, mound city, forms the great outlook. St. Paul, gem city; Salem, city of peace; San Francisco, golden gate there by the seas, Savannah, Georgia, is the land of the live-oak tree^ Flower city is Springfield, a lovely town to see. Streator, Illinois, a city of woods we tell; Toledo, corn city; Troy is laundryville, Washington, federal, capital D. C. , Of magnificant distances the fictitious name will be. ALASKA. A STORY now I will relate All about the great Alaska state. There near the artic circle is this point of view, Its mines, furs and fisheries, I'll explain to you. Also over this country our banner is unfurled, The greatest glacier region known upon the world. One of the glaciers is fifty miles long And eight miles wide, is still moving on — This immense stream of ice, like a river or creek, Is a great bed of ice three hundred feet thick; Another forty m.iles long, five miles wide, 124 o o o o o o o CD CD O CQ bo PI One thousand feet deep along the mountain side. Sixty-one volcanoes Alaska can boast, Some on the islands and on the coast, Ten are active, with their peaks in the sky, Throwing redhot boulders many feet high; Streams of redhot lava come pouring down. That can be seen for many miles around. Many geysers and hot springs do there abound — One of these caldrons is eighteen miles round. Mt. St. Elias, with crest in the sky, Is over eighteen thousand feet high. Furs and fisheries next in the scale: Sea otter and walrus, seal and whale; The game is the mink, weasel and fox. The elk and bear, deer and muskox, Ermine, the reindeer, squirrel and polar bear, Rocky Mountain sheep, wild goat and white hare; Birds are penguin and seagull, albatross and auks, Eider duck and eagle, geese and fishhawks. Cold weather in the west does but little harm. The Japanese Current keeps the country warm; It is quite moist up through here, The rainy season lasts most all year; In the northern part is the ice and snow, It is inhabited there by the Esquimau. The timbers are yellow cedar, spruce, pine, birch, Also the cypress and hemlock, the fir and larch. Fish are halibut and cod, the salmon and sword. Whale, shark, porpoise we saw while on board. People find employment all they could wish, In taking the minerals, also furs and fish. 126 Among the largest rivers to-day Is the great Yukon, of Alaska, The Cok, Copper and Koskaquin also. Porcupine, Coville and the Indian too. The towns through here I'll give you: Are Sitka and St. Michael, St. Nicholas and Shaktolik, Mission and Leatherville, Fort Yukon and Partolik. OUR ISLAND POSSESSIONS. REASONS why the islands out at sea Are now the possessions of Columbia: January i, 1898, The Maine was ordered to Havana coast, February 15, Was blown up, and two hundred sixty-six lives lost; April 9, Counsul General Lee left the Cuban coast, March 28, And war resolutions were then introduced. April 21, Our Minister Woodford left Spain for fears. April 23, Our President called for one hundred twenty-five thousand volunteers. April 23, The Spaniards fired the first guns at Matanzas. April 25, The declaration of war through both houses passed. 128 April 27, Matanzas was bombarded too, April 29, The Bill passed for revenue. May I, Dewey sank the fleet at Manilla Bay. May 12, San Juan bombarded by Sampson and Schley. May ig, Cervera's Spanish Fleet arrived at Santiago, May 23, And were bottled up — the men, boats and cargo. May 25, The President called for troops seventy thousand more; May 31, The first bombardment took place on the Santiago shores. June 3, R. P. Hobson and seven of his crew Then sank the Merrimac, at Santiago. July 3, As Cervera then sailed across the deep His boats were destroyed by Sampson's fleet. July 17, Then Santiago surrendered to the Red, White and Blue, July 18, The Spanish vessels were destroyed at Manxanillo. July 26, Then the Spaniards sued for peace; August 12, Thus the Spanish War did cease. August 13, The American victory at Manilla far away. August 25, General Shafter then left the Santiago Bay. August 26, The President appointed Commissioners of Peace. October i, And the Joint Commission then met at Paris; 9 129 November 30, 'Twas then Blanco sailed from Havana again; December 10, The treaty was signed by the United States and Spain. Thus the conflict ended amid storms and fears, Once again we give Old Glory three hearty cheers. Now this proved us the greatest nation on earth, And that none dare bother Uncle Sam in his berth. CUBA. CUBA, the largest of the West India Isles, From Key West it is about ninety miles, The shores are washed all around by the sea; From frost and snow its climate is quite free. Here's where the ocean tide falls and swells, And white sandy beach is covere;d with shells. The country is broken by its mountain chains. Has picturesque scenery, in valley and plains. The inhabitants are of Spanish descent, Also the negro to a large per cent. Fine timbers are lignum vita, rosewood and ebony The pine and cedar, live oak and mahogany. Rubber and palm, magnolia and dyewood Wild orange and fir, gumbo and corkwood. Over two hundred species of birds abound^ On both sea and land, where they are found: The pelican and loon, swan and seagull, The lyre and cockatoo, cuckoo and petrel. 130 Some wild animals are found there: Wild dog, the deer, squirrel and hare. There're many reptiles in the canebrakes: Alligators, lizards and large snakes. Many tropical fruits are raised in this clime: Grape fruit, maumee apple, the fig and lime, Lemons and oranges, nectarines and grapes, Pineapples and bananas, berries and dates. There is a great variety of fine fishes. Of which are known six hundred species. There're the herring and red snapper, the gar, and kingfish, Dolphin, the shark and pilot, sailor's choice and bone fish. The principal products the people raise Are cotton and cane, rice and maize, Coffee and rubber, yams and tomatoes, Tobacco, wheat, cocoa and sweet potatoes. The waterfalls and sulphur springs, The shady dells and other things. Now we leave these silver strands. And go to visit other foreign lands. PORTO RICO. OUR possessions, many islands there be In different directions, far out at sea, A brief description here will do. Of what we learned on the ocean blue. 131 Porto Rico, the most important of these isles, Is east from Florida, about one thousand miles. An idea of its size I'll give you here: Is that of Rhode Island and the state of Delaware. The population is nine hundred thousand in number. Its five hundred kirids of trees make fine lumber. There she sits, a beautiful queen; A lovely isle of living green. Fruit growing, lumbering and the mine, Are the chief avocations there we find. The chief products are sugar and maize, Rice, cotton and pineapples they raise. The minerals are copper and graphites, Oxides and yellow amber, salt and lignites. The granite and marble and other stone In many parts of the Isle are known. Many tropical fruits in this region old: Grape-fruit and oranges, yellow as gold. Of its wonders the sailor tells: Along the beach the beautiful shells. The capital of this fairy land. There on the coast, 'tis San Juan. Many beautiful birds sing in the trees, The climate is cooled by the ocean breeze. Now we must leave this lovely dell And about some other islands tell. Away to the west around Cape Horn, On a large vessel, we are swiftly borne. 132 HAWAII. HAWAIIAN Islands next come to view. Then safely we land at Honolulu. These beautiful islands are Uncle Sam's too, Where the golden sunbeams sink in the blue. Now these beautiful isles we are telling about From San Francisco are hundreds of miles out. All the islands do here comprise An area as large as Ohio in size. The principal exports here are found, Sugar, alone, six million pound; Coffee, forty thousand pounds here; Rice, six million pounds a year, The principal products we've told about. They raise vegetables, also fine fruit. Many volcanoes lift their heads Far above the flowing lava beds. The many wonders there doth unfold Like magic states and cities old. Chinese, Japanese and other nations too. Hunting and fishing the natives pursue. Many beautiful birds and butterflies And shells on the beach of every size. Long may our flag, the red, white and blue, Wave o'er these isles we now bid adieu. 133 WAKE ISLAND. /T"NOTHER of our islands, out here you ( _L will find, Over which our banner was raised in '99 By Commodore Toussing, of the Boat Bennington; Two thousand from Hawaii, three from Hongkong. This is a beauty that strikes the sailors' eye, Where they get refreshments while passing by. GATE ISLAND. ~P> ETWEEN the Philippines and San Francisco jLj Is the largest in the great Archipelago, Five thousand miles from the California coast. Of its wonderful beauty the sailors often boast. It has about nine thousand population; Agriculture is their chief occupation. Many tropical fruits do there abound And an excellent harbor is also found. The soil is fertile and well wooded through; It has beautiful springs and pure water too. 134 ffl PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. OF the Philippine Islands we'll write an essay. They are along the southern coast of Asia, About sixty-one hundred miles away; Out from the great San Francisco Bay. About their size we'll now relate: Equal to Ohio and Pennsylvania state. Twelve hundred isles are added to our nation; They have there about eight million population. Some of these islands that are quite unknown, Where live savage tribes of the torrid zone; For three hundred years they belonged to Spain. They have each year about nine feet of rain. The climate is very good and never cold. Minerals are lead, copper and gold. Fishing and agriculture are the chief occupation, And one-ninth of the land is in cultivation. The principal products the people raise Are cotton, hemp, rice, tobacco and maize. Many tropical fruits on the island we find: Bananas, breadfruit, the citron and tamarind. Also Java, dates and cocoanuts grow, Oranges, rose apples and the mango. Gold and limestone from along many a creek. And great beds of coal, four feet thick. Vermillion, saltpetre and copper too, With marble and iron and salt also. Ebony and ironwood and the cocoanut trees, Spicewood and gum are waved by the breeze. 136 CD CD cd >y. PI OJ. m There are lizards, snakes and crocodiles, White ants and mosquitos on these isles. Towns: Zamboanga, Sual and Sloilo, Also Lelangan, Apar and Manila. There are doves, parrots and birds of paradise, Petrels, tocans and larks that fill the skies. Many lovely landscapes spread out to our view, So now we bid the Philippines a kind adieu. AN HISTORICAL OF THE UNITED STATES. OF the first settlers, but little is known — Cliff dwellers', mound-builders' and Indians home — We find old inscriptions on a tower near the coast; To have builded this tower the Norsemen did boast. The year one thousand is the date they hold to. But our date is fourteen hundred and ninety-two. The first place settled was in 1562, At Fort Royal, in South Carolina, too. Next settlement, 1565, may be seen Away down in Florida at St. Augustine. In 1582 a settlement did grow In the southwest at Santa Fe, New Mexico. Then in 1607 is when the English went To old Virginia, at Jamestown, and made a settlement. Next, in 1620, the Pilgrims led the way And made a settlement at Plymouth on Massachu- setts Bay. 138 Mormon Temple, m Winter, ■ Salt Lake City Then at St. Marys in 1668 More people settled in Delaware State. 1683, next settlement then Was at Philadelphia, by William Penn. The first states admitted to the Union were, 1787, Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia grand. 1788 New Hampshire and Maryland, 1789, also in seventeen hundred eighty-eight South Carolina, Virginia and New York state. 1791 Rhode Island came in. Which ends the last of the first thirteen. 1788 Marietta was settled in Ohio; This state is just east of old Hoosier as we go; In the year eighteen hundred two 'Twas admitted into the Union too. At the mouth of the Potomac some people land;, 1634 settled St. Marys in Maryland; Along with others it passed the gate, 1787 it was admitted as a state. Georgia was settled by an English crew In the year sixteen hundred thirty-two; Then it was admitted as a state. In seventeen hundred eighty-eight. The next was Alabama, it will be seen, Was- admitted in eighteen and nineteen. In eighteen hundred seventeen Mississippi was also taken in. Eighteen and twelve was then the date When Louisiana was admitted as a state; Seventeen hundred ninety-six will be 140 Devil's Slide, Utah The date of admission of Tennessee; In seventeen hundred ninety-two Kentucky joins in the Union too;. 1818 was the time When Illinois state fell into line; In eighteen hundred forty-six The state of Iowa was annexed; Then in eighteen hundred thirty-one Missouri was admitted to the Union. Virginia first settled in 1607, Admitted to the Union in 1787; At St. Augustine the Spaniards arrived,. Settled in Florida 1565; Then her numbers were sufficiently great In 1 815 was made a state; The next one settled was New Mexico, Back in fifteen hundred eighty-two; Also next, South Carolina first, 1562 at Port Royal near the coast; In 1787 into the Union came. And from Charles I took its name. St. Marys in Michigan in 1668 Was the first settlement in the state; Till 1837 she did wait To be admitted as a sister state; Indiana then was first settled at Vincennes ; 1719 by the French and Indians; Her admission, as may be seen, In eighteen hundred sixteen; Massachusetts was settled at Plymouth rock. In 1620, by Puritan stock; 14^ In 1787 its admission gained. There once, at Salem, witchcraft reigned. In eighteen hundred sixty-one, Then Kansas became another one; Six years later we find the date When Nebraska then was made a state; In eighteen hundred forty-eight Wisconsin was made a legal state Ten years later you will find Minnesota state fell into line; Then in eighteen hundred ninety-six Then Utah with the states did mix; In eighteen seventy-six, they tell Then Colorado came in a centennial; Then also in eighteen forty-nine Oregon with the states combined; In eighteen fifty, the golden state Was next to enter in the Union's gate; In eighteen hundred sixty-four Navada was admitted at the door; Texas, the largest state we have Was admitted eighteen forty-five; Both Dakotas fell then into line In eighteen hundred eighty-nine; Then Montana and also Washington 1889, both states became; Then Idaho, also the state of Wyoming, . In i8go, came into the ring. Indian Territory and Arizona, New Mexico and also Oklahoma Are too light in population. To be admitted into the nation. 143 The Geysers, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming BOOK NUMBER FOUR Scenes in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming CANADA. WE visited Canada, north of the United States. Its beautiful scenery, the mountains and lakes. The Falls of Mt. Morencia, the greatest of all; Fifty feet wide, two hundred feet fall. Other cataracts here you will find, None are so majestic and so sublime. Through here it is rolling, broken and hilly, Through the central west, plains and prairie. The minerals are salt, gypsum, iron and some more. Copper, lead, zinc, the gold and silver ore. Turpentine, granite, marble and limestone. The soil is rich, we see, passing on. Now of this country, the greatest occupation Is mining, agriculture, hunting, and fishing The mackerel, herring, salmon and cod. Halibut and pickerel, trout and shad; Also oysters and lobsters, everywhere most. And the seal and whale on the northern coast. Birds are golden eagle, hawk, and crow too. The snipe and prairie chicken and the cockatoo, Chinese pheasant, the grouse and the sage hen, The robin and thrush, the sparrow and wren, The penguin, the sea gull and the loon, The crane and king fisher, heron and swan, The pigeon, wild turkey, duck and white crane too; The brant, the goose and sandhill crane also. 147 The game is the moose, elk and reindeer, The silver fox, sable, and sea otter there; The muskrat and beaver in the water are seen; The wolf, the mink, the pine martin, wolverine, The lynx and wild cat, coon and porcupine, The weasel, the squirrel and also the hare, Many other animals besides polar bear. Factories and ship building along the line. The trees are walnut and cedar, oak and the pine The box elder and willow, birch and cottonwood. Peaches, the pears and apples that are good; The plums and grapes and the berries, Siberian crabs and different kinds of cherries. The products are wheat and oats, corn and rye. Buckwheat, the barley, also potatoes and hay. This country was seen in year one thousand, For they find inscriptions of the Norsemen. The Esquimau live up around the north sea, A number of Indian tribes also there be. Many large rivers find their way Into the oceans and Hudson Bay: The St. Lawrence, Athabasca and Yukon, Mackenzie, Assiniboin and the Saskatchewan, Sebern and Frazer, Nelson and Hayes,^ And many others that flow to the bays. Towns: St. Johns, Quebec, Kingstown, Ottawa and Oswego, Fort William and Winnipeg, Lytton, Vancouver and Toronto; Also there're London, Brandon and Belleville, Fort Felly, Battleford, Yale and Brookville; 148 Mother Grundy, Monument Park, Colorado Thence to the westward we still move along. We visit Assiniboia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Of their beauty we will sing this song: Their summers are short, winters are long, The eastern part rolling we see as we pass. The western is hilly and very mountainous. The soil is rich, they raise small grains, And large herds of cattle on its grassy plains. Alberta is noted for its rich grassy plains. In the mountains are the gold and silver in veins. The country is being taken up with claims, As westward moves civilization over the plains. Still, the Indian wigwam may there be seen Along the timbered nooks of many a stream. Thence on westward into British Columbia, The greatest state in western Canada, Noted for its fish and minerals most. And has fir and cedar along the coast. WONDERS OF AMERICA. THIS America is the bright star of the West. Of all the nations we think it is the best. A description of its wonders I will now give you, If you will read this story of my travels through. The principal resort and attraction we see Is out in California, the great Yosemite; Now the second wonder is the great Niagara Falls, Where foaming waters thunder over solid stone walls; 150 The next one is the Park, the great Yellowstone, Hot springs and geysers, the greatest ever known; The Arizona forests of petrified wood, Centuries ago the living timbers stood. Then the homes of the cliff-dwellers old Down in Arizona, where now they find gold. Next to Virginia we take our flight, Its natural bridge is a wonderful sight; Thence to the caves in the same state. Which are wonders, indeed, all very great. Arizona canon with its walls so steep, With its palisades six thousand feet. The next wonder is the Philadelphia zoo. And Washington's monument comes to view; Then the State House in New York, Next is New York City's Central Park. Then as through Montana we go We saw there a petrified buffalo; Next is the lighthouse out in the bay — We mean our great Goddess of Liberty. The next one is the Brooklyn bridge, The harbor by the city's edge; Then the Lookout Mountain and Gettysburg, Masonic Temple and Chicago boulevard; Then the Mammoth cave on the old Kentucky shore, The Devil's Tower in Wyoming is just one more, Then up in Wyoming, where our banner is unfurled, We find the longest natural bridge in the world. Superior is the largest fresh-water lake; Mississippi river will the next wonder make; 152 Hunting Moose in British Columbia Indian Burying Grounds Colorado for wonders is never at a loss: There 're the Royal Gorge and Mt. Holy Cross, Then another wonder, the greatest of its kind, The Hoosac tunnel on the East New York line. Another great wonder as you go — The earthworks and mounds in Ohio. Then through the Bad Lands of Dakota we ride. We saw a stone turtle that was five feet wide. The principal wonders, I have written them, So then for the present I lay up my pen. THE DRUNKARD'S DREAM. TWAS the still hour of 'midnight while I was asleep. There were some wonderful visions did over me creep. I dreamed that I passed through the last dying throe, Then my soul took its flight to the regions below; Through the wide, yawning portals I passed— My passport examined, admitted at last, And then, being informed by a ghost on the way, My respects to Old Nick I straightway must pay. Forthwith to his throne I went and fell prostrate And then paid my respects to the Old Arch Apostate; Then, rising, he bade me follow his wake, A tour through his kingdom, then we'd take. * That is, their revolution around the sun. 179 Enckes' period, twelve hundred and four days Around the sun in its orbit, where it displays, Halley's comet flies far among the spheres And returns again every seventy-five years; In the year nineteen hundred and ten Is the time 'twill visit us again. Donati, the comet which has the curved tail, In two thousand years will return on its trail. There in the azure robe of night. As if piercing the deep blue skies, Behold yon beautiful train of light; In lightning speed she flies. It is a messenger, it smiles At its errands to perform; Traversing heaven's endless miles From distant parts unknown. Wonder in heaven, how it shines! She pauses not in her space As onward moves her endless trains. Like a legion in a race. She brighter grows as near the sun, And faster moves upon her road, O, 'tis a comet in her swift run. See, she flashes around that globe, She swings away among the spheres As if too great, their silvery light. Ah, see the horizon she nears And is lost in the abyss of night. Perhaps age on age will roll away, Old Time may stop and cease to fly. As that comet moves so swiftly on, 180 Ere she will again light up our sky. The comet of eighteen hundred and eighty-two In nine hundred years will again pass through. Biela's comet, in its long siderial run, Every six and three-fourths years will return. One million per hour they will run When in perihelion, or nearest the sun; When in aphelion, from the sun so far. Their speed is five or six miles per hour. Comet of forty-three, while still on its trail. After passing the sun, all turned into tail. One comet, as if driven by siderial monsoons Became entangled among old Jupiter's moons. Five and one-half years were experienced between. But since striking Jupiter has not been seen. For millions of miles along their track, The tail is seen as the comet comes back. In the years of sixty-one and eighty-two, The comet's tail the earth passed through. He who marke the sparrows' flight Will guide the comets and worlds aright. We are safe in our journey around the sun Until old time himself, his race has run. 181 STARS. 7-|-\E'RE far beyond the solar system too, VL/ Where float the planets in the deep blue. Yet our siderial journey is only begun, There 're distant millions of stars beyond; The spangled heaven's shining throng Their great original proclaimed, They publish forth through every land The work of an almighty hand: O, say, mortal man, have you heard of His fame Who telleth the number of stars and their name. Who fathoms the chasms of the dark abyss, And setteth the millions of suns in their place? There's Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades Andromeda and the Daulphin he sees; There're Castor and Pollux, those stars next In the great celestial globe are fixed._ Beta and Delta, Sigma and Pallas. In our siderial journey we pass The Lion and Boots and the Great Bear, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio are there; In the south we find the ship Argo, Hydra, the Cross and the Milk Dipper too; Stars of the first magnitude we see — They number in all about twenty-three, The second number, with regard to size. Also contains the number of sixty-five. In the third, two hundred stars appear; 182 The fifth, eleven hundred shining clear; The sixth, thirty-two hundred come to view; Seventh, thirteen thousand and ninety-two. The number of stars to the most piercing eye Is about six thousand to be seen in the sky. During the period of the last four hundred years, Thirteen were destroyed, ten new ones appears Stars rotate and revolve too. Just as all our planets do. Most stars are larger than the sun of our day, Yet they look smaller, being so far away. Each with its retinue of worlds, is found Among the constellations, moving around. Centuri, the first, in our siderial run, Nearest to us, half the size of our sun: Light is three and one-half years in crossing the abyss — Pray, what mind can comprehend such an immensity as this? A rifle ball moving one thousand miles an hour Would be over two thousand years in reaching that star. What shall we say of the North Star, if you please? It takes light fifty years to cross those dark seas. Also the Seven Sisters who wander- through space Take five hundred years to send light to this place. One hundred «fifty stars in that group descry Yet only seven are seen with the naked eye. The outpost of our starry system. Out at the extreme, like our Neptune, To reach us, it would take their light 183 Five thousand years in its rapid flight. It would take light ten thousand years To cross this immense cluster of stars. What shall we say of God's work round about? Shall we all the secrets of heaven find out? In every direction His glory is shown, [n the millions of worlds that are His own. Our cluster like a ball doth display, Along the outer edge is the Milky Way. There are a hundred million shining suns, Around the center of gravity, each turns. Now in our starry journey we've come To this outpost of our great system. Now we come to the gulf of dark abyss, Still on and on o'er its dark waters we pass, Then on and on, still on in gur flight. Till finally safe on the other shore There are six thousand clusters more. Now to reach us it would take their light Five million years in its rapid flight. Then on, still on and on, move our celestial cars- Many clusters we pass, some larger than ours, We stop in the center of a cluster again In thirty millions of years to reach our train. We see our cluster of stars, in their skies, A round ball of light like an apple in size. Shall we in our journey a bit farther ream? "O, no," says our guide, "we'll lose sight of home." There's the spot where the golden light is shone, ^he centefof the universe, the seat of God's throne, Bound on all sides by the specks of great light 184 Where the myriads of stars move round in their flight. How rapid th>e eye and the mind travel through Among the millions of stars brought to view! Homeward now through the vaulted sky, We bid the sun, moon, and stars good-bye. Roll on, ye globes of splendor and might, And of the great Creator sing; Ever shooting forth thy silver light. An homage of praise they bring! 185 INDEX The Traveler's Dream - A Poem on Indiana A Poem on Illinois - A Poem on Chicago A Poem on Missouri A Poem on Arkansas A Poem on Indian Territory A Poem on Oklahoma - A Poem on Texas A Poem on Mexico A Poem on New Mexico A Poem on Kansas - A Poem on Delaware Springs A Poem on Iowa A Poem on Michigan A Poem on Wisconsin A Poem on Minnesota - A Poem on South Dakota A Poem on North Dakota A Poem on Manitoba - A Poem on Montana A Poem on Idaho - A Poem on Washington A Poem on Oregon A Poem on California A Poem on Arizona - A Poem on Nevada A Poem on Utah - 7 A Poem on Colorado 59 11 A Poem on Wyoming - - 61 12 A Poem on Nebraska 65 13 A Poem on Kentucky - - 67 14 A Poem on Tennessee 69 15 A Poem on Mississippi 71 A Poem on I^ouisiana - - • 72 16 A Poem on Alabama 73 17 A Poem on Georgia - 75 18 A Poem on Florida 79 20 A Poem on South Carolina 81 21 A Poem on North Carolina 83 22 A Poem on Virginia - A Poem on District of 84 23 Columbia 86 24 A Poem on Maryland 87 26 A Poem on Delaware - 89 28 A Poem on New Jersey - 90 30 A Poem on New York City 91 32 A Poem on Connecticut - 95 • 33 A Poem on Rhode Island - ■ 96 33 A Poem on Massachusetts ■ - 97 35 A Poem on Maine 99 37 A Poem on New Hampshire 100 39 A Poem on Vermont 102 - 43 A Poem on New York 106 49 A Poem on Philadelphia - 107 - 53 A Poem on Pennsylvania 109 55 A Poem on Niagara Falls - 112 57 A Poem on West Virginia 114 A Poem on Ohio - 115 A Poem on the Inferno - 154 A Poem on Fictitious A Poem on the Moon 165 Names of States - - 118 A Poem on the Sun's A Poem on Fictitious Elements 166 Names of Cities 122 A Poem on the Sun 167 A Poem on Alaska - 124 A Poem on Solar System 169 A Poem on Our Island A Poem on Mercury 169 Possessions 128 A Poem on Venus - 169 A Poem on Cuba 130 A Poem on the Heavens - 170 A Poem on Porto Rico 131 A Poem on the Creation - 170 A Poem on Hawaii Islands 133 A Poem on Earth 172 A Poem on Wake Island - 134 A Poem on Mars - 173 A Poem on Gate Island - 134 A Poem on Minor Planets 174 A Poem on Philippine A Poem on Jupiter - 175 Islands 136 A Poem on Saturn 176 A Poem on History of A Poem on Uranus - 177 United States - 138 A Poem on Neptune 177 A Poem on Canada 147 A Poem on Meteors 178 A Poem on Wonders of A Poem on Comets - 179 America 150 A Poem on Stars 182 MAR 19 1304