MAIN STREET, BUFFALO, N.Y. The New York Central Railroad is the pioneer line from Chicago to the east The main line between Chicago and Buffalo is practically four tracked. On the way east the road traverses a small section of Illinois, crosses the states of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and northwest corners of Pennsylvania and New York, the journey covering the richest and most interesting portions of the Middle States, with many thriving towns and cities, a splendid farming country, and for about 300 miles along the south shore of Lake Erie, at times nearby, again sparkling in the distance. New York Central trains leave Chicago from LaSalle Street station, in the heart of the business district, and swinging around the southern end of Lake Michigan (to be seen from train) come to Gary, Ind., the “Steel City” of phenomenal growth, LaPorte, capital of LaPorte County, 59 miles from Chicago, a fine, well kept, growing city, with a number of beautiful lakes nearby; South Bend, 86 miles from Chicago, a thriving city of about 65,000, prominent for its manufacturing interests and seat of Notre Dame University; Elkhart, population about 20,000, is 101 miles from Chicago, delightfully located at confluence of Elkhart and St. Joseph Rivers; the New York Central maintains extensive shops here. From Elkhart the road separates into two divisions, the four-track portion, known as the “Air Line,” traverses a rich farming country in passing through northern Indiana and northwest part of Ohio; on the way is Goshen, a busy city of about 10,000 people, capital of Elkhart County; Ligonier, Kendallville, Waterloo, crossing point of Ft. Wayne and Jackson branch, and Bryan, Ohio. The other line from Elkhart, known as the “Old Road.” runs through southern Michigan and along it are a number of inland lake resorts, fine farms, and such cities as Sturgis, Cold-water, capital of Branch County; Hillsdale, capital of Hillsdale County, seat of Hillsdale College and junction point with branches to Lansing, Jackson and Ft. Wayne: Adrian, an important maufacturing city of 10,000 people, with Adrian College and State Industrial School for girls. The Air line and Old Road meet at Toledo, capital of Lucas County, 244 miles from Chicago, one of the world’s greatest railroad centers, and having a population of about 200,000, a branch extends north to Detroit. The city stands on the banks of the Maumee River, along which it extends for eight miles on both shores. Toledo has many big manufactories, is a most important port on Lake Erie, and is one of the largest bituminous coal centers in the United States: city and vicinity are rich in the early history of America. Leaving Toledo Union Station, a few miles beyond road again diverges, the northern line, four-tracked, follows the shore of Lake Erie through Port Clinton on the Portage River, and at Danbury, gateway to the Lakeside Summer Assembly, passes out upon Bay Bridge with its approaches over four miles long and spanning Sandusky Bay, affording a delightful view of the bay: across it to the north is seen Johnson’s Island, one time prison for Confederate soldiers; after crossing the bay comes Sandusky, capital of Erie County, population about 20,000, gateway to historic Put-in-Bay Island and the famous summer resort, just across the bay from the city. Along the southern line is Fremont, capital of Sandusky County, named after Fremont the “Pathfinder”; battle of Ft. Stephenson was fought here, and here resided ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes; Clyde, Bellevue and Norwalk follow, latter capital of Huron County; Oberlin, seat of Oberlin College, founded in 1833: the two divisions join at Elyria, a rapidly growing manufacturing city, of about 20,000, capital of Lorain County and located in the forks of the beautiful Black River. Next is Cleveland, 357 miles from Chicago, 183 miles from Buffalo, population about 800,000, capital of Cuyahoga County, and located on the Cuyahoga River and high banks overlooking great ore docks, the city being the largest iron ore port in the world, ship yards and a glimpse up-river of one of the world’s foremost cities. Cleveland is not only a beautiful city, but is great financially as well as industrially, the products of her varied plants going to all parts of the earth. The city is also historically interesting. Beyond Cleveland is Mentor, home of ex-President James A. Garfield; Painesville, on the Grand River, and seat of Lake Erie Seminary for young ladies; Ashtabula, a great iron ore port and junction with branches to Youngstown, Ohio, Pittsburgh and Oil City, Pa.; Conneaut, final station in Ohio before entering Pennsylvania, and noteworthy as landing place of Moses Cleaveland party in 1796; Erie, Pa., a fine city of about 75,000, on the shores of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, world famous in manufacture of boilers and engines, and of great historic interest, dating back to 1753; Westfield, N. Y., gateway to the resorts, great Assembly and Jamestown on Lake Chautauqua; Dunkirk, on Dunkirk Bay, junction point with branch to Warren and Titusville, Pa. Buffalo stands at foot of Lake Erie, at the mouth of Buffalo River, and stretches for ten miles along the lake and Niagara River; it is a prominent railroad center, terminus of the Erie Canal, eminent for its varied manufacturing interests, as the world’s largest coal distributing center, and for its grain traffic; the public park system is one of the finest in the world. A branch of the New York Central Railroad runs from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, 45-minute ride, while the four-track main line extends on from Buffalo to New York City.