Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 3

[64] midst of a cold rain-storm. I might have immediately taken another train onward, and arrived at Rochester (450 miles from Boston) on Sunday afternoon. Wishing to keep my rest¹ unbroken, I concluded to tarry overnight, and went to a Temperance hotel near the depot, and in the morning left for Utica,² arriving in that beautiful city at 2 o'clock P. M. Here I concluded³ to remain until the next morning. On going up Genesee Street, in quest of a Temperance house, I met Alvan Stewart going to church. We shook hands with each other, and he politely asked me to go and stop with him overnight. I declined, not wishing to incur any special obligations at that time, or in that quarter; but, on his invitation, I spent the evening with him and James C. Jackson (whose headquarters are now in Utica), and we had a talk on a great variety of topics, not excepting third-partyism. I spoke very plainly on the last topic, and made them both rather uneasy; for poor James evidently felt that he stood on a sandy foundation.⁴

Early on Monday morning, I left in the cars for Rochester,⁵ and arrived at that place in the afternoon, where I met with a most cordial reception from friends Post, Burtis, and others.⁶ Dear bro. Collins, to our astonishment, arrived from Buffalo the same evening, in feeble, but improved, health.⁷ Abby Kelley did not get along till the next day at noon. She came⁸ from Waterloo, in company with friend McClintock, wife, and daughter Mary. Our meetings continued in Rochester, three times a day, from Tuesday morning until Friday, 1 o'clock P. M. In consequence of the bad weather, and the very bad state of⁹ the travelling, and the uncertainty of my arrival, etc., etc., there were not so many delegates from abroad as were expected;