Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-05-18
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE FREE PREss
Letters from England.
No. xxx.

DUDLEY. April II, 1855
South Staforishire must have been beau,
tiful region before the Iron age. Even now
when YOU can find little bit of scenery free
from hast-furnaces and coliIcries, there is
something unusually warm and bright in it,
But when you are told that exhaustless guam
titles OF iron-stonc, coal and limestone the
three ingredients employed in the manutac-
ture Of iron are here found side by side, you
will not need to be told that this is hot
rural district. Take your station on the
eminence occupied by the ruins Of Dudley
castle, and you overlook one of the most
remarkable regions in the world. You could
no more count the number of blast furnaces
and pit-chimneys within your range, than
you could number the white caps at sea
Especially at night, the appearance is Won
deriul. You might fancy yourself at the top
ofSt. Paul's with London illumina ted stretch
ing away for miles on every side of you-
Beneath your eye, more iron is made than
in the whole compass of the United States
Indeed there are in this region single propri-
all the American manufacturers taken togeth-
er. But for the American trade large
number OF these furnaces and FORCES would
be silent
The Iron-masters Of this region have
regular plan of settling upon their scales Of
prices At the four principal towns engaged
in the iron trade, Birmingham, Wover-
hampton, Dudley, and Stourbridge they hold
quarterly meetings for arranging among
Themselves the prices for the ensuing quarter.
These meetings are well known among iron
merchants in America Their results are as
anSiously looked for and as carefully pub
lshed ms the quotations at tho stock exchange
and the corn market. The meetings are
always closed by dinner, and report says
that these iron masters Toll at their ioyial
board with appetites as unetuous as the
Alderman at Guidhall. | sat down To one
of these dinners myself, hut it being found
out that | was not OF the livery and worse
and worse than all that | was an American.
was obliged to take a Know Nothing oath
SO cannot reveal any secrets. ! must say
however, rather slyly, that the wine went
round with freedom which made me suspect
that the Jolly god is a fay rite Of the craft
The lands in the vicinity Of Dudlcy are
mostly the property of Lord Ward, who is one
of the woathiest peers in England. His
annual income i. not far from f40O 900 over
S50O0a day. lie very seldom attends in his
IN 10 I,,t
ofhis time in hunting. fishing, racing and
such like sports He has just fitted out a
yacht and loaded it with game which he has
shot ON his estates, and is about proceeding
with it to the Crmea. 1t is also said that
he is to take out Il great quantity of Eau de
Cologne for the officers.
Near the estate of Lord Ward is that of
Lord lyttlct0n, whose seat at IIagley Park is
celebrated by Pope and Thompson. Lord
Iyttlcton is Lord Lieutenant of Worcester
county, and occasionally makes little speech
in the House of Lords, but he has not more
than hItieth part OF the income of Lord
Ward. visited IIngley Park on one Of the
finest spring days Of the season. The lawn
had that soft, NOISY rdure which one secs
no where but in EpgLad, aud which | can
uy"r lir" 81 aimiripg AMI whiting ahout .---
y an we're grazing IN all parts. 1t seems that
by an old law, the maintenance of certain
number of deer cxcmrts "a nuhlemau's park
from the landtax Immediately after entering
the Park gates, the visitor sees before him lit
tie grove ofoaks aud in their midst a small neat