The building, however, was not seen to advantage, as a very large
portion of it was burnt down last year, and the new buildings were not
entirely finished. The gentleman who showed us round was very attentive,
and gave us a report of the establishment, which shows how creditably
every one acted in the trying emergency of the fire. He gave us, also,
two numbers of a little periodical, which is written and published by
the inmates.
We left Utica soon after eleven, and came on to Syracuse, through a
well wooded and better cultivated country than we have yet passed. The
aspect of the country is varied by fields of Indian corn, and tracts of
burnt and charred stumps of trees, the remains of burnt forests. These
stumps are left for some time to rot in the ground, and a few taller
stems, without branches, are left standing, giving the whole a forlorn
appearance but for the thought that the land will soon be cultivated and
return a great produce; were it not for this, one would regret the loss
of the trees, which are turned everywhere here to good account. The
houses and cottages are all wood. The hurdles, used everywhere instead
of hedges, are wood. The floorings of both the large and small stations
are wood, worn to shreds, sometimes, by the tramp of feet. The engine
burns wood.
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