New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-29
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.
THE MEETING AT BRADFORD.

A CII0-llS PlblIC iNSlllblIoNo'
iyRoM ruE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.'
BRApFoRp Sept. II. - Why Bradfordi / have
asked good many people. and am not sure have
vet GOT the true answer. There so many other
plaees the Association might have gone TO, places III
themselves Just fitted for the half-hoday character
of the meeting for the Advancement OF Science. MOI
n few qualities must unite in the town which draws
this great company to its bosom and makes 1t per
tectlv content TO have come. 1T must be large
enough to take care of some thousands OF Visitors
Good hotels and plenty of them are almost neces-
sty 1t must be easily accessible by rail-
II must be an interesting town, or must
possess objects Of interest within easy excursion
reach Il must be rich and liberal, for the AsSocia-
tou expects to have its expenses paid, and thinks
those who pay them have the best Of the bar
rain Lastly and most indispensable of all, 1t must
invite the Association, for Science, with all It's mod
ern arrogance, has not yet assumed the royal pre-
negative Of inviting itself AS. in fact, its visit is
for various reasons thought desirable and honorable
there is yearly competition between two or more
places and of late years at least, the Association
has been in position to choose between signing
suitors 1t yields TO the more ardent or the more
pleasing as the may be- and this year 1t is plain
that il is passionate longing and lavish liberaity
which has determined its choice. The subscriptions,
pr promises Of subscriptions very large indeed,
and the zeal of the worsted-makers would take no
denial
For Bradford is far from being q holiday town.
The site of il and the country about it might have
been pleasant enough seventy years ago, but to-day
thew are arched over with a canopy Of smoke rising
softly out Of 200 huge factory chimneys can count
Rpleasng group Of Is within ten steps of the win
dows of the room in which l am writing-a private
house n a good habitable quarter of the town. Not
far Off on the other side are 60 more. Whether you
sit at home OF walk the streets you can have your
face tattOoed to ornamental pattern IN black and
white. and nobody win be surprised at your
appearing in that attire. The town Is built
throughout of a cold clay-colored stone
Hereabouts the genius of the Bradford architects
has pitched upon woTkman's cottage as the type of
domestic structure and built ii large small accord
ing to the amount of the contract Square and squat
is the house in which am staying and the house
next TO it, across rooted passage such as leads TO
London News. is also squat and square, and the
houses pass in coming from the busy streets are on
the same delightful model. know nothing so de
pressing as this country style without the country
with pavements about the open spaces instead II
grass and iron palngs where the rOSe-bushes ought
TO be climbing. Elsewhere there are handsome
dwellings and the amount of ground they cover, as
we'll as the size of them, is plain indication OF
Astounding wealth. And there are wealthy suburbs,
and fine country places all about and sIngularyfew
Door quarters SO far as have seen, for a town of
this size and character
In the business quarter you find broad streets and
huge buildings. The Exchange, the Market, the
Grammar School, ST. Georges Hall, some of the
banks and warehouses, and above all the new Town
Hail. are shown TO you with exultatiOn. There has
been battle of the styles with the usual result
Gothic and VenetianGOthic, late Italian and Early
Pointed, Renaissance and perpendicular, are to be
l. ID. ole fa-rnIr no
Happy Family in one building. The buildings
are massive and stately, TOO pretentious in some
eases. but on the whole wearing that air Of solid
fitness for the work they have 10 DO, which is the
first condition Of good architecture of any kind
The town goes struggling up the bills at a tremen-
dOus rate and grew fast that its builders had no
time to lay it out on plan On the nearest piece
Ifunoecupied ground overnight they put mp next
morning gigantic stone edifce and another the
next. They stand Glowing each other at acute
angles. The Midland Railway station has got ITS
left shoulder forward to look at the end Of the
Exchange and the Post Office, half way up the hill,
is squirting down a narrow alley at the other.
The new Town Hall, about which all Bradford Is
boastiug faces about north by west three-quarters
west little westerly, at the junction OF three
streets, and parallel to no one of them. 1t cost
flOOOJO They dedicated it-or opened IT, OF what
rated, at any price-last week. and they tell you
with pride that the ceremony cost as much as the
building. No such swift prosperity in England as
Bradford enjoys. Everybody makes money and
spends it. The shops are luxurious, their windows
stuffed with costly fabrics like bazaT, il-aTanged,
like all English shop-windOws, simply because they
will put in too much. There are so many articles,
You can see nothing. Little does that matter to the
Bradford buyer. who seems bent like an American
On his first visit to Europe, on having, not perhaps
the best but the most expensive wares
There is one good hotel the Victoria, in which all
the rooms engaged month ago, and some last
January There are two inns. the George and the
Talbot, which Murray pronounces Indifferent, and
there Others rejoicing in the names OF the Brown
Cow, the Market Tavern, and the Spotted House.
They might together find for about one
twentieth Of the visitors. The other nineteen
twentietAs are supplied with lodgings in private
houses. Of which the addresses are to be had on
application 70 the Secretary of the Association.
Bradford, / was told on arriving, had shown itself
unusually hOspitabe, and was glad TO hear it, be-
cause my attempt to secure rooms at hotel week
ago had resulted in gnomnous failure made up
my mind 10 accept private hospitality and 1 found
my host had made up his to accept S2j for it. To
remove any lingering feeling of delicacy my part,
he provides me with cup Of tea and two eggs each
morning for 81 %. aud there Is no extra charge for
the chimneys i can look at out Of the window.
GIN lucky to get what have at any price. Not
few members are quartered in Leeds half an hour
OIL by rail- in HauOgate which, rs an hour; in Ilk-
ley; IL Halifax; and in Huddersfield. There is no
lack of railways, or Of trains, aud extra trains are
rum and nobody need sleep in the streets unless he
prefers it.
To be an interesting town was the next qualifca-
ton Well if you take an interest in seeing how