Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-05
Jottings of European Travel.

RooRDALE, England, May 10Th, 1878.
Editor Rutla7pd Herald My first
communication was written off the coast
of Ireland, and sealed while the noble
ship was yet ploughing her way towards
Queenstown, which port we touched on
Wednesday afternoon, May 18th, landed
some Of our passengers, admired the
scenery, took pilot on board, passed
compliments with outward bound yes
sells, and again the great lung of our sea
castle began to throb, and in the buoy
ancy of hope we steered for the channel
and Liverpool At six o'clock we sat
down to a dinner, which, for richness
and variety might have given entire sat
lean epicureans, and which, aoith teao e.
! ceptiO71s, was washed down with large
rotations of champagne and sherry.
The moon arose bright and clear, the
decks were clean and the promenaders
cheerful and happy. Thursday morning
we passed Holy Head, and for hours we
had charming view of the Welsh coast.
At two o'clock p. M, we reached the
bar, and we waited for tug which, in
due time, took us to Princes Dock, and
with thankful hearts we once more step
ped on shore and walked the clean
streets of black, smoky Liverpool.
We found the alexandra" an excel
lent hotel, with sumptuously furnished
apartments and the best of attendance
At an early hour we took the train for
Rochdale, arriving at 1870 o'clocka M,
and as the cab conveyed us through the
streets of the old town, conflicting emo
tions filled the mind but we were
especially surprised to find such marked
prosperity in every branch of business,
for we learn that all through England
there is now an unparalleled state of
prosperity.
In Rochdale, our native town, this
improved condition of things IS every
where apparent. The town has enlarged
one-halt within few years, the work
ing people have much better wages,
better homes, better clothing, better
schools and literary institutions than
ever before. New churches, chapels and
school-honses are being erected in every
district of the town.
The sanitary system, from being the
very worst, has come TO be the very best.
There are now public slipper and swim
| ming baths for all classes of the people,
public free libraries, containing $4,000
volumes, embracing every kind of read
ing, every known language, and cover
ing every century since the invention of
printing,
The Town Hall is wonder of archi-
lecture, carvings in stone and wood,
mosaics, frescoing, historical illustra-
tons in stained glass, and tower-clock,
which chimes tune every three hours,
changing tune every day for fourteen
days; yesterday we were charmed. ev-
cry three hours, by the old and patriotic
tune of g Yankee Doodle"
There is so much life. dress, music,
talk and jostle that it is difficult to get
rid of the impression that yon are
breathing the air and mingling with the
people OF some live Yankee town But
as you look at the solid walls of brick
and stone, the ancient halls and church
es, and the black, murky sky, the illu-
sion vanishes, not into thin air, but into
dense smoky clouds.
We are happy to state that the pow
erty of the English working. class, of
which we have heard and seen so mnch,
is now thing of the past-let us hope.
never again to be experienced by them
or any other people in like measure.
On Tuesday evening, May Is, we had the