The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-08-20

deepen it as to allow q vessel drawing
twenty-five feet of water to pass up
The building of iron ships here If
on grand scale. l did not see Q
wooden vessel on the stocks. 1t is Q
tedious business passing the Custom
House officers, where there are many
passengers. The large American
trunks were we'll searched, but my
modest one passed very easily. The
officer pushed his hand down on one
side and asked pleasantly if | had
anv cigars or tobacco. He then put
bis mark on it, as we'll as on my hand
trunk, with a piece OF chalk, ana
was free to land. I had no English
money smaller than a sovereign. sc
! that / had to make some American
dimes pass with the porter. l d'o
not tarry long in Glasgow, but took
(cab for the North British Railroad
station. My first expression was
What diminutive cars! They are
only wide enough for three seats, anu
are entered on the side like carthage
Each car is divided into six compart'
ments holding. each six passengers;
II took first-class give shlllings ana
six pence) for Edinburgh, forty-elgh'
miles and found the seat comfortable,
roomv lined with broad cloth, with
head rest, arm rest. and hand support
like a carriage. The engine has a
stove pipe three feet long for smok'
stack. although I have seen only
steam issuing from it. l suppose they
use the hard coal which makes but
little smoke. The cars are small. D"
thew have many of them, and they
90 like .whirl.wind.. An old gentle,
man in the car with mo, who had
come down from Edinburgh on bust
ness on an express train and wa
going back on an accommodation
train, complained of the number o.
stoppages, when we made the forty
eight miles in less than two hours
Az express train passed US when at a
station it W sudden roar, a fash
and it was gone. The old gentleman
was very sociabIe. and shook hands
with me on parting. BE pointed out
tho ruins of the old castle of LinlIsh.
gow beside d beautiful sheet Of water
The Railway station is very near y
and ia called Linlitbgow. The oats
oionr the road is still quite green.
wheat is turning. No new potatoes
!, market yet This ,is the season
for straw berries and early green peas.
The old gentleman asked me If l
thought their trees were small. l
could not but say that they were
They did not appear to be over thirty
feet high. Gould the size OF the trees
have anything to do with the size OF
the cars and lelegraphic posts, which
were about hulf as high as With us?
This railway was in first class order.
The rails were carefully fastened to
every cross-tie, and the whcle was
firmly ballasted with rock Every
thing exhibited the reign of order,
neatness and dispatch. The guard
was in constant, attendance, and saw
that every door was shut before the
-:;si train n started. It was q deiightfn
trip, exhibiting the every-varying
scenery ola most beautiful country.
On arriving at the Edinburg sta
ton, on extensive structure OF iron
and glass, a cub took me to the Royal
Hotel on Princes street, near the
magnificent monument to Waiter
Scott, and facing the Castle. Here |
expect to remain several weeks and
have taken private lodgings after
stuying two days at the Hotel. |
have nicely furnished parlor facing
on ST. Patrick's square, and bed room,
for fourtee, shillings q week, inclu-
ding attendance and gas. Street
cars and omnibusses pass before the
door and hack stand is close by, 10
that as soon as recover from my
fatigue and am strong CROUCH for
sight seeing 1 can easily avail myself
of them. People here do rot speak
of taking tho street car, but the
tramway. The cars and omnibusses
have spiralsteps leading to seats on
top, where the fair is cheaper. 1t is
a wohder our northern r thren hive
not adopted this Improvement. The
car itself is handsomer than with US,
and is accompanied mostly by ladies
ann gentlemen. The office OF the
conductor is no sinecure.
The days here are very long. The
sun rose this morning at 4.15 and
sets at $50. On the 25lh of June it
rose at 3.34 and set at 9.05 o'clock. It
rains frequently and the climate is
cold. The sky has not the deep blue
as with us, but is moro the color of
their gray stone houses.
A fuRerI has just passed-the
hearse is as black as black cloth can
make it, surrounded by heavy black
curtains and surmounted by nodding
plumes, I suppose, but more like
scare crows, drawn by two black
horses, the driver in black cloak with
streaming black hat band, proceeded
by half dozen men in highland cos.
tune, playing on the bagpipes and
followed by gentlemen in black on
foot. Truly a funeral affair.
While standing on the day after
my arrival, near the national muse
um on Princes street, the feeling
came strongly over me, Why this is
Athens, old Athens! am amid her
temples and her statues. But the
one o'clock gun from the castle dis
pels the illusion and I realize the
fact that the hand Of genius has
thrown a glamour around me; that a
S.o,< ,nd n Gh.ntrny aro livino yet