J. Richard Beste, 1855

J. Richard Beste was not one of Madison’s biggest fans; given opinions he gave based on his brief stay there. But he also provides a good description of the operation of the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad from downtown and up the famous inclined plane.

Beste, J. Richard. The Wabash: or, Adventures of an English gentleman's family in the interior of America ...Adventures of an English gentleman's family in the interior of America. London, Hurst and Blackett, 1855.

“The Kentucky river flows into the Ohio nearly opposite Vevay. It seems to be a beautiful stream, with a very rapid current, between high precipitous banks of rock. It is navigable to small boats for about one hundred and fifty miles; and at a place called Frankfort; a net-work of railways to the interior begins.

We had dined on board our steamer, and were now approaching the end of our pleasant voyage. I would gladly have gone down the Ohio to a town called Cairo, where it flows into the Mississippi, and have thence ascended the latter stream to St. Louis: but cholera still prevailed on the shore and in the boats of the Mississippi; and the ship fever, brought up from New Orleans at this time of the year, was said to linger about many of them. We had, therefore, resolved to land on the right bank of the river and find our way, as best we might, across the states of Indiana and Illinois. About six o'clock in the afternoon, our steamer drew nigh to the landing at Maddison, an important place in Indiana, ninety-two miles from Cincinnati --a distance which we had passed over in seven hours, at a cost of one and a half dollar for each grown-up person, including dinner.

Our children and the diminished number of our pets, polly and the canary birds, were quickly transferred to the disabled steamer that served the purpose of a floating wharf, Our baggage was hauled upon it and covered its crazy deck. Amongst this, was a guitar which the porter of the hotel caught hold of; and casting his eyes around at the unusually large party and at the baggage, imperials and carriage-boxes of shapes such as he had never before seen, paused a moment in meditation as to what we could be. He was a native American. Emigrants are fair game to such; and, after a while, he exclaimed, whether in jest or earnest, I know not,

"Oh, then you are the company that has leased the concert house! When do you open it?"

"To-night," I replied: "and you shall be my first fiddle, in a cap and bells," The people, who had congregated around, laughed at the retort: and we all proceeded in good humour to the hotel.

Maddison is said to be a very thriving place. It did not appear so to me: but rather declining or stationary. And, indeed, referring to the census of the United States, I find that the population of its county is entered in the year 1840 as having been 9,025, while in 1850 it was only 10,031. This is corroborative of my recollection of its state of decay: an increase of ten per cent in ten years is tantamount to a decrease in this country. Why the very next county in alphabetical order in my little book, is thus entered:--"Mahoning, 1840, none: 1850, 23,745--increase, 23,745"! That is what we call here being alive!

I should have been very glad to have made an incursion into Kentucky to visit its Mammoth Cave, had not the cholera and the heat of the weather made us dread delay. The cave, it is true, has not been explored more than a distance of about twenty miles, which are supposed to be only a beginning of its subterraneous ramifications: but a cavern twenty miles under ground, which contains, as this is said to contain, two hundred and twenty-six avenues, forty-seven domes, many rivers, and eight cataracts, would appear rather extensive to a mere British stranger. I should have liked to see the underground natural "church," big enough to contain five thousand sittings; the "haunted room" in which the two Indian mummies were found; "Goram's dome," six hundred and twenty feet high; and the "bottomless pit", into which visitors are let down by cords tied round their waists. I should have gladly seen the walls and roofs of polished stalactites, and the floors covered with sulphate of lime as white as snow and sparkling like diamonds:--to have taken boat in the underground river and have floated to the "rocky mountains," as they term a vast ridge of stalactites in one of these immense halls. But as several days would have been required to investigate this wondrous cavern, and as the beautiful scenery around it would doubtless have seduced us still further from our route, we resisted temptation; and talked of the puny caverns of Matlock and of Torquay, to prove that we already knew what the inside of the world was like. We resisted temptation, and turned our backs on green Kentucky.

I did not like Maddison. I heard that cholera was in the town: and the hotel, the Maddison House, was uncomfortable and exorbitant in its charges. I noted it in my memorandum book as to be avoided:--a rather amusing caution on the part of one who was not very likely to travel that road again during the present conformation of this globe and universe! We slept here one night; and, on the following morning, at seven o'clock, took our seats in the railway cars for Indianapolis. I had had much discussion in the office to induce them to take my luggage, which they insisted ought to follow by a goods train, as there was some wonderful hill to be ascended, and great weight would be trying to the engine. However, the matter was settled at last in consideration of four and a half dollars being paid for extra luggage.

After leaving Maddison, we soon came to this hill up the banks of the Ohio to the tableland above. It was a very steep inclined plane--steeper than any I have seen in England or Wales; but a magnificent engine, made in England, drew us slowly to the top. We then passed through a country that was very pleasing. Forests of oak and beech trees covered the land; except where, here and there, they had been removed from some small clearing, some farmhouse, village or rising town. The cars rattled through many of these, in the very streets of which the stumps of the recent forest yet stood, two or three feet above ground, and obliged all wayfarers to turn aside. Hence the origin of the American expression "to be stumped." The busy community had not yet had time to dig them up. This would be done when they were more settled. Through the shady woods (it was a hot day in June), beautiful cool ravines opened into the boundless forest: adown them, leapt and sparkled bright rivulets that ought to have harboured delicious trout. I was told that they contained no fish; as the waters quite disappear during the summer months. This scenery was much more pleasing than that we had heretofore passed through; inasmuch as beech, oak and other trees had replaced the monotonous Scotch firs of New York and the north of Ohio States; and, when they occasionally opened and showed us small prairies and park-like grounds, I fancied how pleasant a backwoodsman's life would be in such a scenery, in such a sunny climate. We were determined to be pleased with Indiana; and already discovered that the manners of the "Hoosiers," as its inhabitants are familiarly called, were much more gentle and considerate than those of the go-a-head "Buckeys" of Ohio State. I had much pleasant and instructive talk with one or two persons in the cars; and we were, altogether, highly gratified by this very decided advance towards the Far West, the backwoods and the prairies of North America.

At two o'clock, we arrived at Indianapolis, the capital of the state. We had come a distance of eighty-six miles in seven hours;-- slow work, but the inclined plane had delayed us. We had paid two dollars and a half per grown up person for our places, which perhaps was rather dear. But the cars were perfectly comfortable: the managers and people had been very attentive and obliging: and, in short, we had had a very pleasant ride.”