But it should be said that before the country can attract and retain travelers, its inhabitants must learn something about the preparation of food.  If, for instance, the landlord’s wife at Burnsville had traveled with her husband, her table would probably have been more on a level with his knowledge of the world, and it would have contained something that the wayfaring man, though a Northerner, could eat.  We have been on the point several times in this journey of making the observation, but have been restrained by a reluctance to touch upon politics, that it was no wonder that a people with such a cuisine should have rebelled.  The travelers were in a rebellious mood most of the time.

The evidences of enterprise in this region were pleasant to see, but the observers could not but regret, after all, the intrusion of the money-making spirit, which is certain to destroy much of the present simplicity.  It is as yet, to a degree, tempered by a philosophic spirit.  The other guest of the house was a sedate, long-bearded traveler for some Philadelphia house, and in the evening he and the landlord fell into a conversation upon what Socrates calls the disadvantage of the pursuit of wealth to the exclusion of all noble objects, and they let their fancy play about Vanderbilt, who was agreed to be the richest man in the world, or that ever lived.

“All I want,” said the long-bearded man, “is enough to be comfortable.  I would n’t have Vanderbilt’s wealth if he’d give it to me.”

“Nor I,” said the landlord.  “Give me just enough to be comfortable.” [The tourist couldn’t but note that his ideas of enough to be comfortable had changed a good deal since he had left his little farm and gone into the mica business, and visited New York, and enlarged and painted his tavern.] I should like to know what more Vanderbilt gets out of his money than I get out of mine.  I heard tell of a young man who went to Vanderbilt to get employment.  Vanderbilt finally offered to give the young man, if he would work for him, just what he got himself.  The young man jumped at that—­he’d be perfectly satisfied with that pay.  And Vanderbilt said that all he got was what he could eat and wear, and offered to give the young man his board and clothes.”

“I declare” said the long-bearded man.  “That’s just it.  Did you ever see Vanderbilt’s house?  Neither did I, but I heard he had a vault built in it five feet thick, solid.  He put in it two hundred millions of dollars, in gold.  After a year, he opened it and put in twelve millions more, and called that a poor year.  They say his house has gold shutters to the windows, so I’ve heard.”

“I shouldn’t wonder,” said the landlord.  “I heard he had one door in his house cost forty thousand dollars.  I don’t know what it is made of, unless it’s made of gold.”

Sunday was a hot and quiet day.  The stores were closed and the two churches also, this not being the Sunday for the itinerant preacher.  The jail also showed no sign of life, and when we asked about it, we learned that it was empty, and had been for some time.  No liquor is sold in the place, nor within at least three miles of it.  It is not much use to try to run a jail without liquor.