Ladys Life on a Farm in Manitoba | Page 3

drive much, as tramways
pass through every street almost, and all are so badly paved that paint
and springs would suffer. The ferry-boats which ply between the cities,
starting every five minutes from different wharves, astonished us most;
waggons, carriages, &c., all drive on twenty at a time, and three or four
hundred foot-passengers, the latter paying two cents per passage.
On the whole I think we have seen almost everything that is to be seen.
We spent an afternoon in the Central Park, lunched at both of
Delmonico's restaurants, dined at the invitation of our banker at
"Pinards," where the roses were lovely, the centre bouquet measuring
two feet across, and each lady having different-coloured bunches on her
serviette; a play at Walleck's, theatre both pretty and well-ventilated,
and a most splendid exit, the stalls on the same level as the street--the
whole place seemed to empty itself in about five minutes; and a day's
expedition to Statten Island, from which we had a lovely view of New
York, its surroundings, and the whole harbour. To-morrow we are to go
for three nights to Washington, returning here to start westwards on
Monday, though everybody tells us we are going too early in the year.
The spring in Manitoba has been very late. A----, writing on the 26th of

April, says they are just starting work, but cannot do much at present
on account of the water from the melted snow not having run off. The
rivers have broken up. The Red River carried away one of the two
bridges at Winnipeg. He happened to be in town at the time, and
although he didn't see the bridge go, saw it afterwards and the jam. The
ice was blocked for about a mile above, tumbling all over the place,
making the river rise about ten feet an hour, washing out all the
neighbouring houses. It lasted about ten hours, then crash it all went,
floating quietly down the stream, the water receding at the same time.
There has been so much snow this year, which makes everything
backward; but it has all gone in a week. It must be quite marvellous
how quickly it disappears, as, going from one farm to the other,
distance about seven miles, starting at 4 o'clock A.M. with the
thermometer showing twenty degrees of frost, when the sun got up it
was so hot he, A----, couldn't get back. Next morning, starting equally
early, he only travelled two miles; the snow was so soft the horses sank
at every step above their knees. He was trying to take a sledge-load of
hay over to his "Boyd" farm. The cattle there having run very short
lately, they even had to take some of the thatching, which was of hay,
off the roof of the stable to feed the animals. We may have difficulty in
getting up to Winnipeg, as the railroad is washed away within about
eighty miles of the place, and the passengers are transferred to a
steamer, which takes them twenty miles to another train. There was a
fear of famine in Winnipeg, as no provisions could be got up. Lots of
emigrants, when they saw the water, turned back. Good-night, we have
packing to do to be off early in the tug which takes us over to Jersey
city to catch our train to Washington at 10 o'clock on the Pennsylvanian
Railway. The Commodore's son, who is home on leave, goes with us,
and we have many introductions. We are bidden to a reception at the
White House, and have been vainly endeavouring to get into some of
our hostess's smart gowns; but, alas! they are all too short, so we shall
have to be content with our own black foulards.
* * * * *
RIGG'S HOUSE, WASHINGTON, May 2nd.
We had our first experience of drawing-room cars coming down here,
with very comfortable arm-chairs, and one seems to do the journey of
200 miles easily, in about six hours, through very pretty country. I

never saw such people as Americans for advertising; all along the line,
on every available post or rail, you see, "Chew Globe Tobacco," "Sun
Stove Polish," &c.
We enjoyed the reception at the White House. Our invitation was from
8 to 10 o'clock P.M.: we arrived before the doors were open, and had to
wait some few minutes in the entrance, which is glazed in, and where
the drums of our ears were sorely tried by a noisy military band, which
when you get into the rooms and at a distance sounded well, but not
just alongside. After depositing our cloaks, we filed by two and two
past the President, shaking hands with him and the wife of the
Secretary of State, who receives when there is no Mrs.