The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-06-21
Greeley In London.

Aik
Horace Greeley is spending a few weeks IL
London during the great industrial exhibition
and giving the result of his examinations in a
series OF entertaining letters to the Tribune We
make few random scissorings from the first
three or four.
The cause Of 7,mpTdnce--of total abstinence
from all that can intoxicate--s here about twen
ty years behind its present position in the l nteL
States think there are not more absOlut,
drunkards here Ian in our American cities, bu,
the habit Of drinking for drinks sake is all but u
nlyersal he arIstocracy drink almost TO a man
so do the middle class 90 do the clergy so alas
do the women There is less of ardent spirit:
mbibed than with us but wines are much cheap
er and in very general use among tho welloif-
while the consumption Of ale, beer. porter, &c.
(mainly by the poor is enormous. Only think o
f6 100000, or Iuenfy-Fipc Millions Of Dollars
paid into the treasury in single year by the peo
pie Of these islands - malt tax alone, while the
other Ingredients used in the manufacture of mall
liquors probably swell the aggregate to thirty
millions Of dollars. If we suppose this TO be .
little more than ne.third Of the ultimate cost o
thsse liquors TO the consumers, that cost cannot
be less than One Uundred Millions Of DOiidr,
per- anrsr "a sum amply sufficient if rightly
expended, to bansh pauperism and destitutior
forever from the British Isles. And yet the pool
trudge YEARLY ou loaded to the earth with e1
actions ard burders OF every kind, yet supplying
their brains, emptying their pockets, and running
their constitutions with these poisonous brutaliz
Ing liquors | see no hope for them short of =
system of popular education which shall raise
them mentally above their present low condi
ton followed by few years Of systematic, en-
ergetic, omnlpre.ent temperance agitation, A
slow work this, but is there any quicker that viii
be effective The repeal of the take. on knowl
edge would greatly contribute to the education
Of the poor, but that reform has yet to be strug
gied for,
The apostles Of sanitary reform here are antic
ipating very great benstits from the use Of the
Hollow Brick ust coming into fashion | am as
sured by leading member Of the sanitary com.
mission, that the hollow brick costs much less
than the solid ones and are perfect protection
against the dampness so generally experienced in
brick houses, and often so prejudicial TO health
That there is great saving in the cost Of their
transportation is easily seen; and, as they are
usually made much larger than the solid brick.
they can be laid up much faster | think Dr.
SOuthwood Smith assured me that the saving in
the first cost of the brick work Of house i one.
third; if that is a mistake, the error is one Of
mlsapprehension on my part. The hollow brick
is far less perfect conductor of heat and cold
than the solid one; consequently, house built
OF the former is much cooler in summer and war
mcr in winter. 1t is confidently and reasonably
hoped here that ve.y signal improvements, in
the dwellings especially Oft poor, are to be Sc
cured by means Of this invention. Prince Albert
laC Il r a. -
to be erected at his cost in Hyde Park near the
Grea: Exhibition in order to attract general at
tentlon to the subject.
The immense pccunIary success Of the EXhihi.
ton is Of course assured. | presume the Com
ms-oners will he able to pay all fair charges up.
on them and very nearly if not quite, clear the
Crystal Palace from the proceeds, over $4,000
having been tnken yesterday, and an average of
more than $4,000 per day since the commence
ment If we estimate the receipts Of Nav in.
elusive at 100000 only, including season tickets
and those Of June and July, at ~ 1000 each, the
total proceeds will, on the lst Of August, have
reached s700,000-a larger sum than was ever
before realized in like period by any Exhibition
whatever But then no other was ever compare.
bic to this in extent, variety or magnifcence.-
For example: a single London house has One
Million Dolldr, worth Of the most superb Plate
and Jcwelry In the Exhibition, in by no mean.
unfavorable position; yet had spent the better
portion Of five days there roaming and gazinp at
viii, before | saw this lot, There are three Din.
monds exhibited which are worth. according to
the standard method Of computing the value of
Diamonds at least Thirty Millions Of Dollars. and
probably could be sold in a week for Twenty
Millions; | have seen but one of them as vet, and
that stands so spicuousy in the center of the
Exhibition that few who enter can help seeing il.
And there are several miles Of cases and lots of
costly wares and fabrics exposed here, Il good
share OF which are quite ms attractive rs the
great Diamonds, and intrinsically far more vaua.
bic, Is there cause for wonder then that the
Exhibition is daily thronged by tens of thousands
even at the present high prcesi
The Queen and Prince Albert spent m hour in
the American department few mornings since
and appeared to regard the articles there dis.
played with deep interest. Prince Albert (who
is not merely esteemed hero man Of sterling
good sense but thoroughly versed in mechanics
and manufactures) expressed much surprise at
the variety Of our contribution, and the utility
and excellence Of many of them. ! mention this
because there are some Americans here who de.
clare themselves ashamed Of their co,a,trV be.
cause of the meagerness of Its share in the eIhi.
bltion.' do not suppose their country will deem
1t worth while to return the compliment: but /,
should have been far more ashamed of the prod
igality and want Of sense eyinced in sending n
profusion of American products here than am
Of the actual state of the case. l. is true. rs |
have already stated, that we are deficient in soms
things which might have been sent here with nd
vantage to the contributors and with credit to the
country; but for Americans to send here articles
of luxury aud fashion to be exhibited in competi.
ton with all the. choicest wares and fabrics Of
Europe which must have beaten them if only hy
the force of mere quantity alone, would have
eynced want of sense and consideration which
| trust is not our National characteristic. If
ever DO feel ashamed in the American depart.
ment, it is on observing n pair Of yery wcll
shaped and exqusitely finished oars. labeled n
present for the Prince of Wales, or something of
the sort. Spare mo 'he necessity Of blushng Tor
what We hare there, and am safe enough from
shame on account Of our deficiencies.