[Hanover—Saturday, 7 June 1873]
Saturday—Came to Boston, feeling already as if we were leaving dear friends behind us. Came down the valley of the Connecticut shining in loveliness. Met Mr. Coffin (Carleton of the Journal) who told of a canal in Canada 29 miles in length to cost 3 millions of dollars wh. will bring grain from Chicago to Burlington at the rate of 4 mills per ton per mile; the railroad charges are a cent and a half for the same—the result will be that Boston will rise at once to a totally different position in the prosperity of the country, being so much nearer Burlington than New York. The project is really a gigantic one if we consider the result to our native city—as for Mr. Coffin should this be done, and be the acknowledged projector, Boston should never forget his name, nor generations to come be ignorant of it.
