New-York tribune., 1872-02-12
ypFryElrspHlLAN1nRohCAL PROJECTS

! ~ LONDON-IOW HIS PLANS FOR AMELlo-
! Rating TIE CONDITION or LAEOEEES oilGi-
! kATED-TliE NECESSITY IoE MEASURES OF
! SANITARY REFORM.
lrpON an OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TGIGuRBI
! LoSDoN. Jan. t5.-On the 2Sth of December
NTr John RusIn wrote Characteristic letter TO TIC Pd
/ Nal Gazette giving fanciful ntmaion of the manner
of cleaning the streets Utopia and suggesting pract
cal measures for swcepng the streets of London FROM
that communication extract the following passages:
The Utopans have the Oddest way OF carrying out
filings whom they LcCn, so far as tney can Fo ana
il occurred them one dirty December long sinct W9h
they like Us. had only crOssnGsweepcs Iae ~ eIrS @ lS %
Just well sweep the whole of the SCttct "S NC Clue
ngs it, that they might cross anywhere OF conrSe
hat meant work for the swccpers but the Otopas
have always hands enough for whatever WORK Is 10 pe
done in the open air; they appointed uue nllo, @ y,
hr0omSmen every quarter OF the town. ana since thcn
at any time in the il is in our little town as IL - III
great Rotterdam when Dr. Brown saw 1t on ms Journey
from Norwich to Colen in lG6s. the wOmch so ABOUT ~
white slippers which is pretty to see. IL would OF
course difficult 10 manage anytblhe Ike ,hs Ill
London because, for thing, in our town, we nave
rivulct running down every street thaI Socs, ~ o
river; and besides because you have coal'st anu Soo
which is worst of all In Utopia man would US 80 s9oH ~
Vomi spit in the street tor anywhere csc' udccu,
where do as much for the whole street have done
for the crossing; and to show that we can, mean on
the Isl January next to take three strectswccpcrs
into constant service; they will he the first worRe0pc
employ with the interest Of The 81 Georges lunl' OF
wherever can get leave from the police ana lnhaD-
ants Will keep my street-sweepers steadily at WORK
/
of London streets kept as clean as the deck OF snip
| OF the line.
1t appeared from this letter that the trial OF the
swcepers would be made and the 9th of Janu-
any called at Mr Ruskns residence to learn from nm
the results of the experiment. have no doubt that
there are thousands your readers to whom paticu
lars regarding the of life Of the author OF the
Stones of VENICE" would be interesting. |, therefore,
at the outset venture to give them brief description OF
the situation of John Ruskn's residence If any one
were writing letter TO the gentleman OF whom am
speaking he should address it, Denmark HILL Gambler
we'll" The part of the Hill which Mr. Ruskn's house
is situated the high road from London to the Crystal
Palace, Sydenham. An unpretcntOus gate-indeed,
rather rude i'm structure for such place-forms the
entrance short circular which passes by the
hadoOr When visitor arrives at the outer gate, the
! lodgcLecper opens it, and then pulls wire which
aetatcs bell hung the stables on the left
n1ud side he walks from the road. AS one
advances up the avenue his attention is at once
directed with long OutspreadiDg branches, which
O wet day. such that on which first saw it, wore
Il very mourDful aspect. On reaching the halldoor
vhc has glass panels the attention Is at once recalled
70 the the with whom the visitor seeks an
interview. In the hall. plain table on which
stands a small clock. hangs painting, the merits OF
which am not sufficient art COnnOlsscur TO describe.
bat which am not afraid TO say would reach cOnsd-
cradle sum- not only account of its associations nut
also OF its intrinsic worth The door was opened to me
by female servant. who told me that Mr. Ruskn never
saw any one whatever except by previous arrangement
accordingly lett and wrote the same evening, saying
that would call the day, and requesting that
Mr. Ruskiu had not time TO zee me, he would leave
written reply the questions had put In my ictter
Gu calling next day. the servant asked me my name
ard WAS forthwith conducted up stairs Mr. Ruskins
study. ". LegOuyc recently showed in an essay read
before The French Academy that we can never aDayze
the character of fully from his photograph. We
miss IN the pictorial representation in many cases the
expression he, of amiablity, of fire. of energy.
! I would 90 further and say that we can know little or
nothing OF a man by seeing him in public assemblies,
where his uerances studied and his manner that OF
fixed attention. have seen MIR. Rnskn walking III the
strcetsI should rather say along the roads, for am
ucighor of his and he lives in the suburbs have seen
| him and heard him speak at meetings, the object of
which wa, the promotion of art education His man.
ncr was a all that OF gentleman his speech was
always that Of scholar; but TO me he John Ruskn,
the author and critic l John Ruskin the man. At
any time should have anticipated meeting him with a
certain amount Of diidence but that feeling was con
,dcrably enhanced when remembered that it was only
on The Isl OF January he wrote the following words full
| of bright philanthropy and flial affection:
| Throughout the year which ended this morning, I
have been cndeavOrng than hitherto in equal
period to act for others more than for myself and look
ng back on the twelve months am satsed that III some
measure have done right So far as am sure OF that.
clear results following from that
simply IN accordance with the unfalng and undecciva
Of the same year to have to sustain the most acute
pain yet inflicted on my fe-to pass through the
most nearly mortal ness-and to write your Christmas
| letter beside my mothers dead body.
AS entered his study he from his chair moved
toward the door, and received Inc with genial vel
come could possibly have given to any of the dis
tiuguishcd visitors who frequently seek interviews with
| him.
Having explained to him the object of my visit Mr..
Ruskn told that what he had mentioned in the letter
TO The IdH lfd Gd=eHe only part Of scheme which
he had been projecting for years 1t was in fact part Of
the pan hinted at In OF the letters OF the F0rs
Cavgera scnes, in which he offers tithe OF what he
owns for the good OF the w0rkngmen and aborers Of
England lie said he had had an interview with the
medical officer OF the Board Of Health who had promised
that he would place him under district surveyor who
would give him certain space of street which to try
his experiment II he had his choice he would choose
81 iles in the first instance for several reasons but he
wait for the decision Of the surveyor There were
he confessed great difficulties in his way but with the
assistance of others he thought they could be
II requires who has no party ties and is
above all petty eaousies to undertake such work.
think may that am in that position. And shall
fight 1T out" added Mr.. Ruskin with genial smile,
"fOr I'm little pugDacious."
"I feel that at present We are In danger, in vague
danger it may be- but danger STILL" continued Mr.. Rus
kin "Our democracy is becoming every day and
more contcmptbe. Nothing is done thoroughly every
thing is done cheapy and shabby have resolved TO
do what can. My object is to make regiments OF men
and boys and train them In business trade and
have begun The lowest and dlrtest sort of work.
which shall endcayoT TO carry out IN the clcanest way
SANITARY matters terribly neglected among For
instance there sprng well down near Croydon - or
Il miles from London, from which the people draw
water. Ii totally unprotected, and filth aud rubbish
are thrown into II piomiscuousy. Imade some remark
about FOrs Caygera series OF letters to the workngmen
and laborers OF England. He said Il have time
look at the newspapers TO learn what is eaid of the
letters have barely time IN the mornings to .cOk