The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-08-17

From the Lawrence Journal.
Our old friend and co-laborer, No
BILE l.. Prentis, is making European
tour. and Is sending letters descrip-
tive thereof to the Commonwealth.
They promise to be unique and in
teresting. Prentis landed at LIVER
pool. His impressions on first reach
ing the city are thus set forth:
"It is a solemn thing for Kansas
man to land at Liverpool on a rainy
day. Coming from an open country
full of brightness and lit up by q
clOudless sun the bigness and black
ness, the inner and outer darkness of
Liverpool is well nigh appalling. A
turbid river, fosning and tossing like
the sea steamers black as night pl0W-
ing TO and fro; miles of lOwlying
warehouses, their slate roofs cleaning
dimly in the rain spires and chimneys
looming up spectrally in the Aist !;
docks that seem the work of giants,
skirting the stream as far as the eye
can reach ships masts like the trees
of girdled forest; ship-yards mass
Of timbers-these are the outlines OF
Liverpool a. seen from the steamers
deck"
This is graphic and picturesque, but
Prentis' mind is like q kaleidoscope,
and does not hold the same mood for
any two successive moments. The
next thing that strikes him is some
thing ludicrOus. He says:
"The American Republican realizes,
too, that he has, in our parlance,
"struck q new sort of government.
The tugs that circle around bear such
names as the "British King" the
Queen" the "Reyal George" and the
ia 4.
every color and attitude, with his head
and tail up; and with both those ex-
tremities down on four legs or on two
legs; having his everlasting contro-
versy with the unicorn or Sfgoing it
alone" He can be spread out in more
shapes than the American eagle, and
the British artist puts him through
more crookedness than was ever at
tanned by q circus contortionIst.
But these are familiar things every
where. Leaving the landing stage
and thus turning into Water street,
the first thing your correspondent saw
was a postOr announcing the virtues of
Perry Davis Pain Killer. Was it not
q noble thought-America stretching
out her hand with q bottle Of Perry
Davis Pain Killer to soothe the aRxi-
Gus bowels of England. Gen. Grant
did not need come to promote har-
mony between countries which cure
the same kind of stomach with the
same medicines"
AS he passes along the streets he is
impressed with the massive grandeur
and soliditY of everything he beholds,
and says:
"WalkIng along the streets one is
Impressed with the enormous solidity
aSu Nf he
ments of great stones, the warehouses
which look as if they had stood for all
time and were ready for eternity; the
plate glass windoWs; the enormous
amount of brass work everywhere,
and the big knockers on the doors that
would break in an Americon door.
Everything ia in the same proportion,
horses as big as elephants, shOd with
high-corked shoes, hauling a load for
3 small locomotive, go clanking up and
down the rocky ways; omnibusses are
rolling about, drawn by three great
horses abreast; and the street car,
lately introduced. Is 8 huge, lumber
Ing continuance with q circular stair
way for the people to climb up on top,
for English people love to ride outside
in the rain.
'sThe public buildings are enormous,
all of stone, and built to last forever.
L should imagine that no sensible
earthquake would presume to attack
them. st. Georges hall, the Museum,
the new Art Gallery, the Exchange,
the City hall, all huge, all black.
Take, for Illustration, the caitol at To-
peka, make it four times as large, and
then paint it all over with mixture
OF eqnal parts of SCOT and rain water,
and you haYe some idea of Liverpool
architecture. will not venture to go
into details as to the expense of these
things. 1t is safe to say that the cost
of the public buildings of Liverpool
Is equal to the revenue OF many a
kingdom"
And yet he adds that they call it
new town. The Liverpool man apollo
gizes for the newness and rawness of
his town-it is only four or five hun
dred years old, and you must make
allowances.
This is better than the ordinary run
of newspaper letter writing from the
old world and we shall watch Prentis's
progress with interest.