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1853.

Chapter II
1853.

808
[-958-]

Jan. 18. Left Milwaukee at 3 p.m. for a tour to the east via Janesville, Rockford and Chicago.

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Mt. Tabor Ohio, Jan. 23 rd, 1853.

My dear Wife and Children,--

I suppose you will expect to hear from me occasionally while on my present tour, to gratify you I propose to write an occasional letter. After leaving you I had no ill luck until the next morning, when I forgot my favorite black walking stick, which has so often sustained me in times of weakness and which I fondly hoped might sustain my tottering footsteps when old age creeps upon me. I wrote back to Mr. Edgerton requesting him to send it to Milwaukee and to drop you a line so that you would know where to get it.***

Had a pleasant stage ride across the prairies from Janesville to Rockford and by railroad to Chicago.

On Thursday I was whirled rapidly over the Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana railroad to Toledo on the Maumee river in Ohio where we had oyster soup for supper.***

The next day, was hurried up early, crossed the Maumee on a steam ferry and went forty six miles by railroad to Belleview on the Sandusky road, where we arrived just one hour after the train had passed, so I was compelled to lay here twenty three hours, waiting for the next Cincinnati train: But to make the best of a bad matter I had a fire made in a little private bedroom and went to work on the American Palaeontology just as naturally as if I had been at home and the hours slipped by.

It was not until Saturday at 2 p.m. that I was set down at West Liberty and looked eagerly about among the crowd thinking