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1、CHAPTERI-ACROSSTHEPLAINSLEAVESFROMTHENOTEBOOKOFANEMIGRANTBETWEENNEWYORKANDSANFRANCISCOMONDAY.-Itwas,ifIrememberrightly,fiveo'clockwhenwewereallsignalledtobepresentattheFerryDepotoftherailroad.AnemigrantshiphadarrivedatNewYorkontheSaturdaynight,anotherontheSundaymorning,ourownonSund
2、ayafternoon,afourthearlyonMonday;andasthereisnoemigranttrainonSundayagreatpartofthepassengersfromthesefourshipswasconcentratedonthetrainbywhichIwastotravel.Therewasababelofbewilderedmen,women,andchildren.Thewretchedlittlebooking-office,andthebaggage-room,whichwasnotmuchlarger,werec
3、rowdedthickwithemigrants,andwereheavyandrankwiththeatmosphereofdrippingclothes.Opencartsfullofbeddingstoodbythehalf-hourintherain.Theofficialsloadedeachotherwithrecriminations.Abearded,mildewedlittleman,whomItaketohavebeenanemigrantagent,wasallovertheplace,hismouthfullofbrimstone,b
4、lusteringandinterfering.Itwasplainthatthewholesystem,ifsystemtherewas,hadutterlybrokendownunderthestrainofsomanypassengers.Myownticketwasgivenmeatonce,andanoldishman,whopreservedhisheadinthemidstofthisturmoil,gotmybaggageregistered,andcounselledmetostayquietlywhereIwastillheshouldg
5、ivemethewordtomove.Ihadtakenalongwithmeasmallvalise,aknapsack,whichIcarriedonmyshoulders,andinthebagofmyrailwayrugthewholeofBANCROFT'SHISTORYOFTHEUNITEDSTATES,insixfatvolumes.ItwasasmuchasIcouldcarrywithconvenienceevenforshortdistances,butitinsuredmeplentyofclothing,andthevalisewas
6、atthatmoment,andoftenafter,usefulforastool.IamsureIsatforanhourinthebaggage-room,andwretchedenoughitwas;yet,whenatlastthewordwaspassedtomeandIpickedupmybundlesandgotunderway,itwasonlytoexchangediscomfortfordownrightmiseryanddanger.Ifollowedtheportersintoalongshedreachingdownhillfro
7、mWestStreettotheriver.Itwasdark,thewindblewcleanthroughitfromendtoend;andhereIfoundagreatblockofpassengersandbaggage,hundredsofoneandtonsoftheother.IfeelIshallhaveadifficultytomakemyselfbelieved;andcertainlythescenemusthavebeenexceptional,foritwastoodangerousfordailyrepetition.Itwa
8、satightjam;therewasnofairw
