The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-31

l
live, The landscape usually Is rolling.
The fields are surrounded with hedges.
Flocks Of sheep or herds Of cattle are
feeding on the green pastures; or the yel.
low grain Ia waving in the winds. 1n the
distance Is a forest or park.
And not far away Is vii
lage with its Uncovered church,
with the spire pointing to the skies. NOW
and then also may be seen the outlines oil
some castle in ruins, or still inhabited by
It's lordly possessor. English rural
scenery Is always pleasant and frequent
ly very pretty.
The towns and cities arc not handsome
ma compared with the best in the United
States. In all Great Britain the best
| looking city, so far as my observation
goes, Is Glasgow. And It's predominant
Characteristic is massive solldity, rather
than beauty Of architecture or Of contig.
uration. In England commonly the
towns bear the impress Of venerable age,
active enterprise, or permanency; but
they seldom possess even one very hand.
some street. l--,,s .'a- "a go. b"
AGRICULTURE. I'D 9
Agriculture in this land is in q forward
condition. The ground is well cultivate
ed and yields rich return: OF course,
farming cannot be on the same extended
scale here as 1t Is en- our western prafries.
| have been curious to ascertain for my
self the condition Of the laboring popula-
uon in the agricultural districts lhaye
rA,d annarently we'll authenticated &C.
counts which go TO show that their con.
dition in many places Is or has been
one OF extreme degradation. Poy-.
erty and ignorance are represented
as prevailing there almost as no
where else In the country. It may
be proper for me to confess that my
opportunities for observation in this field
have been quite limited and casual. But
such as they have been, they have not
confirmed these reports, at least in this
extreme form. do not question that
tile farmers-that is those who control
the cultivation OF the soil, as distinguish-
ed from the common laborers on the one
side, and the owners OF the land on the
oLher-are not very careful to advance
the condition Of those whom they employ.
There is no doubt a peculiar stolidity
about the farm hands themselves And
/ thought that / could notice the unta-
yorable impress OF this state OF things
even upon the houses which they occupy.
They are not usually very neat. They
look more like places where people man
age to live than where they feel that they
have home. Still ! believe that the
manner OF lie among this class is not so
low as II may once have been or as is set
forth in the statements to which have
referred. There probably has been an
dvance along nearly the whole line.
COMMERCE. AND MANUFACTURES.
ASricult IRE is not the forte Of England,
although rural life is appreciated there
al possibly in no other part Of the world
Commerce is one OF the greatest fields for
her enterprise. Il was Jean Paul Richter
il | remember correctly, who SAID that
when Zeus divided the world he gave the
French the land, to the English the seas,
and to the Germans the air, as their re.
: spectiye provinces. However it may be
with the others as 10 the cultivation oil
their allotment, the English are diligent
in theirs. Their sails whiten all seas.
But side by side with commerce We must
place the manufactures OF the dear old
mother country. The whole OF the GEN.
tral region Of England, from Manchester
and Birmingham to Leeds and Sheffield,
ia black with the smoke OF chimneys the
e. fires Of which are making the clothes
and implements Of the world. II is nc
wonder that thoughtful persons are earn
estiy discussing the question OF the sup
ply Of coal. Some OF the better inform
E ed among them have assured me thai
E within the space Of hundred years this
/, fuel will have become SO scarce tina
! manufactures cannot use it and compete
: in the markets with other nations. l
I this be 40, the future Of England is in
yoIved in grave uncertainty. Shall SOM
5 new fuel be discovered or utilized? o.
D shall the supremacy which England has
: 40 long possessed pass over TO Americ:
}. or some other people? And il so, wha
Q shall be her place then among the nations
For one / can fervently wish that sh'
g may find way 10 escape the calamit!
r which seems TO be threatening her.
3 EDUCATION.
In the line Of higher education she ha
long enjoyed place in the front rank
Oxford and Cambridge possibly have
/, been little slow to cultivate the modern
. physical sciences, and have chung too ex.
! cclusively to the ancient curriculum Of the
classics and mathematics. But they
! have yielded splendid harvest Of mel
y OF solid and varied learning and culture
: l have seen no university which seemed
I TO me to be so much as Oxford suitabl,
abode for those who wish to ct themselvel
to be leaders in the realms OF thought
The Quadrangles OF Christ's or OF Magda
! len College and the beautiful gardens
meadows and parks connected with them
ought TO be sort OF Paradise to the
scholar. And everywhere in England,
among the upper and middle classes, you
}. meet with men and women who have
mdde good use Of the splendid advan.
Z. tages which such institutions Of learning
8 have afforded them. But there has long
: been 4 dark contrast 10 this picture.
, Education for the poor has been shame.
, fully neglected. England, with all her
DoaSteu privileges anu httalhnents, uhtii
!. recently has left the masses Of her people
!. to grope in Ignorance, unless by their
: Iunafded efforts or the benevolence Of
Others they could raise themselves above
it. Happily better day has come. One
Of the precious legaeies which the,Lib-
erals left the nation was system Of pop
ular education. The Conservatives dur
ing the past session Of Parliament have
been tinkering at it, and perhaps have
injured It in some particulars. They
have iostered denominational schools at
the expense Of unsectarian school
boards. Still certain great principles
have been accepted by them, which in
sure hencciorth for popular education a
place among the great interests to be
cared for by the government, Foremost
among them I put compulsory attend
anee at school. Down 10 his tenth year
the child must 60. fiat the end Of tina.
time he has in some way been without
. this privilege, he is then compelled to
! supplement his schooling for q certain
: period. To put boy 10 some kinds Of
work before the designated age is an Of
fence before the law. In listening 10 the
debate in Parliament on this subject,
waR Glad In observe that everVbodY con.