In this letter, to his father in Ballston Spa, N.Y., Starr briefly describes his trip south through Pittsburgh, Wheeling, in western Virginia, and Kentucky. Pittsburgh is described as as industrial town with polluted air and residential homes adjacent to shops and manufacturing sites. It is stated that coal sells for 3 cents per bushel in the nearby hills and 8 cents per bushel after being transported to Pittsburgh. The author writes that Wheeling has become a commercial town due to the Baltimore-Philadelphia Turnpike. He states that the region around Lexington, Ky., the bluegrass meadows, is perceived to be like the Garden of Eden, a common early American view. A brief report on the severe state of the economy in Kentucky, specifically the closing of banks and an empty state treasury concludes the letter.
