n hand, Black
Hawk, the great Indian Chief, in Illinois. He is an Irishman by birth,
and had been in our service at the battle of Waterloo, but he left the
British army, and entered the United States service in 1818. He was very
intelligent and agreeable. Our last visitor was Colonel Moore, also an
agent of the company; a most gentleman-like man. This will show you what
a superior set of men are employed on American railways.

Among the men who spoke to us as we stood on our balcony, was a
delightful character, a nigger. I heard Mr. Tyson look over and say,
"Jerry, why did you not tell me you were going to get married?" Up came
Jerry, looking the very picture of a happy bridegroom, having been
married the evening before to a dark widow considerably older than
himself. He was quite a "get up" in his dress, with boots of a
glistening blackness. He answered, "I sent you an invitation, Mr. Tyson,
and left it at your office." He was nothing daunted by his interesting
position in life, and had a week's holiday in honour of the event. He
was, to use his own expression, a "'sponsible nigger," though he was
actually only cleaner up, and carpet sweeper in the office, negroes
never being allowed to have any charge in the working of the line, or a
more "'sponsible" station than that connected with the office work,
though in that they are often confidentially employed in carrying money
to the bank, &c.

_Columbus, Friday 22nd._--It began to rain last night, and continued to
pour to-day till ten o'clock, so that we had no opportunity of seeing
much of the town of Wheeling, but our rooms looked on to the Ohio, and
were within a stone's throw of it. Another great steamer had come up in
the night, so there were _six_ now lying in front of the windows,
looking like so many line-of-battle ships.

We found that Jerry and his lady slept at our hotel, and I sent for them
next morning to speak to us. She was smartly dressed in a dark silk,
with a richly embroidered collar and pocket handkerchief, which she
carefully displayed, and a large brooch. He wore a turn-down collar to
his shirt, of the most fashionable cut; the shirt itself had a pale blue
pattern on it, and a diamond (?) shirt pin, the shirt having a frill _en
jabot_. His face was shining and glistening with cleanliness and
happiness, and she looked up to him as if she were very proud of her
young husband. He said he was very happy, and I complimented her on her
dress, and asked h