Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-05-24
sTAUNroN TOURISTS IN EUROPE.

IMPRESSIONS OF LONDON-HYDE PARK
AND ROTTEN ROw-REsULT OF A
TAURANT-QUEEN yICTOR1A's RECEP-
TION-THE ROYAL STABLEs-A vIR-
GINA EX-sPEAKER IN THE HOUSE OF
COMMONS,
&C., &C.. &C.
Correspondence of the Staunton VIND1CAroRl
LONDON, MAY 9Th, 1878.
No doubt you have seen from the New
York paper the steamship Russia had
reached port safely, which was equivalent
to the announcement that tie StauntOn
party had arrived in statu quo Oh terra tirfn0.
To say nothing of the ten days voyage,
we landed at Liverpool, Saturday morning
the 4th inst, and fro thence via. the Mid
land r. r., thro' that portion Of England
nown, believe. as the ''Derby" section,
the most beautiful country l ever saw
reached this place at six O'Clock the SAINT
evening. From Liverpool to London it Ii
$50 miles, and we made the distance in ex
actly five hours, running the last eighty
miles in eighty five minutes. How is that
for good time? Rather better than TIT
4. u o. average. is it not !
Well We are here in
'LoNDON-TOwN.'
the biggest one we have struck yet l was
was not favorably. impressed with the place
at first, as it presented the aspect of inter-
minable streets running in every way re-
gardless of any uniformity as to direction
aud crowded with arush of people, horses
nd vehicles, with houses of sombre and
dingy appearance and the atmosphere
cloudy and misty, which by the way, has
The more you see of the place, tho the
greater it appears, and when you think of
its wealth and advantages you begin to re-
alize the fact that you are in the centre of
science, art, discovery and invention. But
no description of London from me, if you
please. Suffice it to say it covers one hum
bred and twenty-five square miles and has
population of four million of people.
Now draw your own inference and con-
clusion as to what it is.
We breakfast about eight O'Clock every
morning and after lighting one of Haines'
best, that struggled thro' in my overcoat
pocket, we saunter out, ,up or down town I'VE
know not which, to see the sights. Hanger
and Ransom seem to have found more
pleasure in CROPPING around amongst the
kingly, queenly and poetical tombs in West
minister Abbey than in anything they have
seen, but whilst 1 appreciate fully the
sacred structure, and feel very melancholy
of course when l know that I stand over
the ashes of such as Edward the Confessor,
Queen Elizabeth, David Garrick, &c., &C.,
appreciate rather more the living, gay
and festive scene in
HYDE PARK AND ROTTEN ROW.
And now having mentioned the Sc places
1.-THE latter two), l wish 1 could give you az
idea of them-I cannot cite you Central
Park in New York for a com parison, fol
as between the two; there is none-the
Park itself is one of the most magnificent
ever saw, covering space of 400 acre.
and the thousands of splendid equipages
that drive there every evening add to its
gayety and spleudor. The grandest and
most conspicuous object about the Park
in fact the finest piece of art have seen
| in Europe-is the Memorial Monument to
His Royal Highness the Prince Conso: t
The idea is a colossal statue of the Prince
in bronze, placed beneath magnificent
shrine and surmounted by works Of sculp
ture illustrating those arts and science.
which he fostered. The monument is ele
waited upon high pyramid of steps. From
the upper platform rises a pedestal sur
4 rounded by sculpture representing group
of the most eminent artists Of all ages, TIN
four sides being devoted severally to paint
ing sculpture, architecture, poetry and
music, the figures being about six feet high
But my descriptive powers are exha listed
SC shall give it up and leave it to YOU
imagination to paint the picture.
Rotten Row is the place of all that ha
taken my eye! 1t is just like vast race
course, only horse back riders being ad
| nAluUCu Ol1 L Ou 0CO OIL t1O IQoAlOA "
London out for fun and exercise, a sigh
unequalled in the world, 1 guess. TIL,
horses and ladies are both very handsome
but one from America cannot help from
being amused at the Style of English riding
as daylight is very perceptible between The
saddle and rider at every stride of thu
horse. The style is all they are after tho
and they certainly have it. One thing
can say about the English girls is. thai
whilst the majority Of them are not beau
tiful cease with girls the world over-even
with the Staunton girls including the
schools) all of them are fresh looking anG
healthy. in consequence, no doubt, of the
continual outdoor exercise they take
which our American girls will not do
However, have nothing to say against
American girls and not much for them
just at this time, suffice it to say they are
all dear, foolish things as well as the Eng.
| lish.
THE QUEEN LEvEE.
Queen Vic came in from Windsor
Castle yesterday morning to her city resi-
dence, Buckingham Palace, and in the
evening held a drawing room las they call
it here). We, hearing Of it, repaired to
the Palace, and loafed around on the out
skirts to witness the procession as it was
admitted to the Palace. Upon occasions
Of this kind all who are entitled to ad
mission, to wit: certain of the nobility and
those having tickets, neither of which 1
was, assemble in procession in front of and
around the palace in their equipages, witt,
their drivers and footmen in full livery,
with both ladies and gentlemen in court
dress, and by turn they are admitted to
the Palace, where they are received by the