Journey to to New York - Morse Coffin

Repeatedly on this trip have I been asked about Judge Ben B. Lindsey, having in view, of course, his magazine articles exposing the political villainy of Denver, Colo., of a few years ago; and in replying to all such inquiries I have seen to it that the Denver judge lost nothing at my hands, nor that the corrupt political gang gained anything of good from my report of them. It is very plainly inferred that the judge�s articles have been extensively read all over the country. And incidentally I get frequent opportunities to say a few words for equal suffrage.

While autoing Buffalo we passed through Tonawanda several times. Of course, all well informed people in the lumber market know this town of Tonawanda is one of the greatest lumber centers of the U.S., if not the world. I have no figures or data to give, but I desire merely to express my wonder at the immensity of the business going on there. It seemed to me there was lumber enough in sight to supply the whole United States and some to spare. And vessels coming or going, loading or unloading all the time. Lumber, nothing but lumber, nearly as far as one could see. Guess I never saw lumber before.

As to reciprocity with Canada, I find a diversity of opinion down here same as at home. My friend Backus was opposed to it, thinking, among other disadvantages, their fruit market would be injured as a result of it, while his friend and neighbor (one of the most extensive farmers and fruit raisers of his section) Mr. C.W. Lindsey, thinks it would be a decided advantage to all in his section and help the fruit market, especially the peach market. So likely we will have to �be shown� after it has been in working order for a few years. For one I am quite willing to see it tried, even if it does lower wheat in Colorado. A few cents per hundred for a brief time � which I am not at all sure of � guess we will make up in other things, but, if not, other people have rights as well as the wheat raisers. And this will apply to the sugar beet and wool matter just as well as to wheat and barley.

I also learned from Mr. Lindsey, above mentioned that in 1909, two carloads of Alberta peaches were sent from his farm to Portland and San Francisco, and successfully competed with the Oregon and Washington crop � so it paid him, notwithstanding that country�s reputation for peaches � the New Yorkers beating the �Sound� article in flavor in a marked degree.

In traveling one now and then encounters surprises. On the cars between Buffalo and the Falls, I made room beside me for a pleasant faced gentleman who was standing. He, inferring that I was a stranger in these parts, inquired where I was from, and being told Colorado, some thirty miles north of Denver, said �about Longmont� and when I replied �right there� he was surprised and delighted, as he proved to be a relative of Mr. And Mrs. Bruce Lockard and had just left his friends in Colorado.

Again on the boat near Boston, I think on the trip to Plymouth, I observed an uncommonly attractive elderly gentleman with a young man whom I judged to be his son. After meeting them a time or two, the old gentleman spoke to me, thus giving me an opportunity to take a seat beside him for a chat. I was sure he was not a native of that section and so expressed myself, when he told me he belonged on the other side of the water, in fact, was a native of Ireland and of Scotch-Irish ancestry, which was easily perceived. I found him an uncommonly well informed man, especially on national (English) and international questions as between England and the United States � Taft�s peace policy, etc. It was indeed a pleasure to talk with such a man. I remarked to him �I once had a friend in Colorado who was a county man of yours�, he promptly asked �what was his name?� and when told Capt. David Boyd of Greeley, Colo., replied �I knew him well.� And after remarking �The world is not so large, after all�, proceeded to tell me how and where he met Capt. Boyd and daughter some years ago while on their tour of Europe, near Belfast, Ireland, at the home of the head master of the school both had attended in their youth. Of course I was able to give him other information of the captain, the honorable offices he held, some of his literary work, etc., and finally of his death a few years ago.

Since sending my other letter, I have made the rounds of Catskill, Albany, Boston, Portland and Freeport, Maine, back to Boston and Plymouth and so on to New York, Kingston and here to make final visits. I also called at several intervening places of minor importance. I passed my first day in Boston on a �Sight-Seeing Car� around the city in the morning listening to the �Lectures�, whose megaphone talk was not very entertaining to me � cost $1, and in the afternoon same kind of a trip to Lexington and Concord, where was �fired the shot heard round the world.� This cost $2 and was worth the money.

I sat with the driver of the sight-seeing carriage at Plymouth, an aged man, and it was a pleasure to hear a native of New England express himself so radically and so frankly in harmony with western democratic principles and on my expressing my surprise and pleasure at his words he said �I am a democrat� and I think him a sound, consistent one too. Of course the editor of the Ledger may not appreciate the above, nor does he have to endorse it. While in Boston, I indulged freely in Boston baked beans, but failed to find them any better, if as good as those prepared by Mrs. Carr and Mrs. Coffin for our home camp fires in years past.

The National Guard Army meet comes off at Rochester this week, but guess I cannot be there though it would be a pleasure to meet there some Colorado faces. I go down the Hudson river as far as Newburgh again, in a day or so, as I have not yet finished my visiting in this region. I may never come this way again so I shall not hurry. Compared with the west this is not much of a farming country, but it has very many attractions for me and I like the people who live here. They are possessed of much of the good and little of evil. I like them.

In looking over the country where our parents toiled and struggled to make a living for themselves and family, it is a wonder to me how they did so much, and there comes over me a feeling of thankfulness to them � closely related to veneration � that they were able to furnish all us children with sufficient to eat and wear that we were enable to grow to manhood and womanhood with good constitutions for the battle of life. Seventy-five years ago the dairying business in this section was not what it is today � the money crop of farmers � and how people then made a living on the poorest of these stony lands, after clearing it of timber, is to me a wonder. Two words must cover it all � industry and economy.

I am billed to leave this locality on Sept. 2 and after stops in various places, including Buffalo, Chicago, DeKalb and Belvidere, Ill., Fairfield, Iowa, and Omaha, I fear I will be too late for our home pioneer meeting, September 28th, but my thoughts will be there any way.

I learn of doings at home through the �Times� which comes to a relative here every week.

�Good be with you till we meet again.�

Yours truly,

M. H. Coffin