Lorenzo Brown Mission Journal

Revision as of 17:32, 6 April 2008

[pg 6] ... 30 Express train. Slept very little. Came into Pittsburg at dusk & to Harrisburg at daybreak & to New York at 11.13 am through [? Griehane Ohio ?] saw many manifacturing towns where large quantites of wagons threshers mowers are made

[pg 7] Saw yesterday & today millions & millions of feet of lumber of all kinds sorts & sizes also staves & shingles by [? aeres ?] Farming interests are not as well developed as the manufacturing but through Pennsylvania near Philadelphia & New York farming seems to be carried on scientifically. Not very large orchards but some of them very old judging from the size of the trees Crossed the river onsteam ferry & took a room at the Stevens hotel no. 27 Broadway near the Battery and Castle Garden where there is a fine view of the harbor of sail & steamers continually coming & going. The little steam tug boats towing large ships out & in & the [? hibberly ?] canal boats to & from their moorings at the dock & wharves the street cars are in abundance & drive to all parts of the city fare five cents

[pg 8] May 1st 1875 This being May day there is unusual bustle & stir as yearly leases expire & many are removing to new homes which brings the strays & other vehicles into active employ. The constant rumble of the different conveyances over the rough pavement is almost deafening and the throng of passers on the walk is immense. A constant stream either way so that one cannont avoid an occasional collision. One thing I notice that all both Gents & Ladies walk rapidly very fast there seem no idlers all are busy ask a question or direction of a passer an answer is given civilly & pass on no time to talk or speak except in emergencies. One month today since I left my home in St.George & a week tomorrow morning since leaving Salt Lake City. Shall not hear from there for some weeks.Got & paid for our tickets for Liverpool intermediate passage $35,00

[pg 9] May 2 Sunday not so much business doing to day all large houses closed but street cars & carriages are busy by the thousand. Took a walk up Broadway to Central Park a distance of 5 miles. I think saw many places of interest such as Trinity Church which was rining a chime quite musically as I passed. Here is a very old cemetery noticed some very plain tomb stones more than 100 years back & some splendid monuments of late date Saw Tribune Herald Sun appletons & many other large publishing houses some of these buildings are superb almost magnificent Saw wallacks Niblas Booths Coloscium Barnums & many other theaters and places of resort but[? Innist hasten ?] are to the park which is or was a rough hilly rocky swamp place of I presume three miles long & I don't know the width This was purchased some years since by the city & converted

[pg 10] into a place of public resorth with its neatly paved walks & carriage drives over arches of hewn rocks or brick with granite steps 15 or 20 feet wideSummer housees bowers small groves which are more than natural. The marsh has been converted into a Lake of near two miles in circuit with neat row boats black & white swans are floating lazily along or sitting quiety on their nests. There a huge peacock is feeding among the trees The Museum was not open But saw the menagerie Lions Tigers Hyenas Leopards Zebras Bears from India & to the Poles including an immense grizzly a nest of alligators were sleeping quietly & a pair of sea Lions one was diving & swimming around raising his head accasionally with a hideous bellow While the others lay quietly on the bank apparently enjoying a nap Saw a great variety of birds among them an [? estuck?] Forntains were playing in numbers

[pg 11] saw one spring running from a huge rock as natural apparently as any in the mountains. These ground must have east an outting of many millions & must with shrubbery and flowers & various surrounding be an exceedingly beautiful in summer as nothing seems to be ommitted I mus not omit to mention some small but regular open carriages each drawn by a pair of goats in nice harness for the childrens benefit. Came back by street car for five cents cheap riding 5 miles May 3 Took a turn down to the docks and back by Wall street a short narrow street To make so much stir in this big world Then to top of Trinity Church the highest elevation in town. There are ten bells which are rung cheerfully several times on the sabbath. The longest pipe in the organ is 32 feet The main body of the church is lofty & gloomy Service is read by candles light the windows are painted

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