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"I see on the map the Grand Trunk line from Portland through Canada; the Boston and Albany, and the Hoosac Tunnel routes across Massachusetts and New York (the name is of course changed in the latter State to New York Central); the New York and Erie Road to Buffalo and the West. The Pennsylvania Road from Jersey City to Philadelphia and Pittsburg and the West; the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which runs westward through the Potomac Valley; and farther south, the Norfolk and Western and the Central Georgia railroads."

"Notice, children, that all these great routes run east and west. Connected with them in the central part of the country, you will see a perfect network of railroads. Some of the most important of these are: the Chicago and Northwestern, the Acton, the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fé, the Missouri-Pacific, and the Illinois Central. Most of these roads run westward, except the last, which runs exactly south from Chicago to New Orleans. What railroads connect these with the Pacific coast?"

Fred replied, "The Northern Pacific from St. Paul, the Union Pacific from Council Bluffs -"

"This was the first railroad built across the Rocky Mountains," remarked Mr. Cartmell.

"The Atlantic and Pacific, now a part of the Santa Fé route, from Chicago, Kansas City, and Albuquerque; and the Southern Pacific from New Orleans."

"These great trunk lines," said Mr. Cartmell, “with their connections, interlace the surface of this country with iron bands, affording an outlet for the products of every section. As more of these great railroads start from this city of Chicago than from any other in the world, the conve

nience of this place for studying domestic commerce is very great.

"The subject of railroads is so vast, we will take it up again at another time, and now go on to consider the second method of carrying on domestic commerce, — by means of steamers and ships. Who can tell me something about this topic?"

"I know," said George, "that lines of steamers run from Boston to Portland, to New York through Long Island Sound, to Philadelphia, and to Savannah."

"There are," said Miss Gray, "a number of lines of steamers from New York to places along the coast, such as New Bedford, Providence, Newport, Baltimore, Norfolk, Richmond, Charleston, Savannah, Fernandina, Havana, Kingston, New Orleans, Galveston, and Vera Cruz. Whatever is produced in these cities or in the sections of the country represented by them, is carried by these steamers to New York. Three fourths of the vessels in the United States are engaged in the coastwise trade."

"I know some of the rivers noted for domestic commerce," said Florence.

"Please name them."

"The Hudson, the Delaware, the James, the Savannah, and the mighty Mississippi and its tributaries, fifty-four of which are navigable for steamers."

"I have read," said Miss Gray, "that there are two thousand or more steamers continually moving up and down the Mississippi and its branches. Fred, can you tell us anything about the canal system of this country?"

"I have a map here which shows most of the important canals. I did n't know there were so many."

"If you will look at Fred's map, I will point out one of

the most important of these artificial water-ways. The Erie Canal, through the centre of New York State, is the oldest

and the most important. It furnishes cheap transportation for the products of central and western New York, and for grain and other products around the great lakes. There are about two thousand boats on the canal, and it

contains seventy-three locks. The round trip between New York and Buffalo consumes a month."

"You said something, Papa, about a canal having locks; what do you mean?"

"That is a good question, little girl. A lock is a means of lifting a canal boat from one level to another. It has to be used when there are changes from a flat and level

A

B

country. Suppose A represents one level of a canal, and Banother. A canal boat passes through A and enters 3 4, which is as far as it can go. The gates at 1 3 are closed behind the boat, and the water in B is allowed to flow into

then the gate at 2 is opened mules through B. I have

3 4 till it lifts the boat to 1 2; and the boat is drawn by the in my hand a picture of three double locks on the Erie Canal, at Lockport, N. Y. A boat is just ready to leave the lock on the right.

"Let us now consider, children, some of the noted centres of trade connected with domestic commerce. For convenience we will group them, and mention first half a dozen seaports."

"The same places," said Miss Gray, “which were noted for foreign commerce are likely to be important in domestic commerce, for the one is greatly dependent upon the other."

"I will then mention New York first," said Nellie.

"You are right, Nellie. The Erie Canal and the railroads which centre there, all doing an immense business each year, and the great amount of manufacturing in and