Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-02-21
From Edinburgh to London.
THE ANCIENTC CITY OF YORK.
LONDON, Jan. 2S. 1873.

LONDON, Jan. %, 1873.
1 am sitting writing in the
midst of a city of more than four
millions of people, not one Of whom
perhaps is an acquaintance oi
mine. There is no solitude equal te
that stranger may experience in q
great city, and had l come from home
directly into this wilderness of Lon
don, should perhs ps be feeling very
gloomy just now. Fortunately for my
sell, Il had gone through four-monthsi
weaving process before coming here,
and hence make myself tOlerably com.
fOrtable. even though l know nobody
and nobody knows me.
Walking about these streets, and
encOuntering the masses Of humanity
rushing in all directions, each person
in dreadful hurry to get on, as il this
day was his last, and some underts.
king must be finished ere it closes, !
am impressed with the micrOscOpical
insignificance Of myself or OF any one
man. How does the beginner in life's
warfare get foothold even, in city
where the greatest warrior may be
struck down, and be remembered
scarcely until the sun is set. Men OF
my own profession, how do they, think
you, earn enough even to buy crust,
when commencing life in such place
as this? l feel like exclaiming to them,
a. old Abernethy is said to have ex-
claimed to class of medical students,
in commencing an Introductory ad-
dress-"GOd pity you all!'' came from
the old man iDvoluntarily, as he doubt.
less contemplated the struggles upon
which they were entering. But men
do get along even in great London.
The doctrine of the Survival of the
fittest" doubtless is in force here, al
though many fit man must be crush.
ed beneath the tide of adverse circum-
Stances only 10 make room for some
one no better, who can longer stem it,
because he is bIest with longer purse.
And some men work their way to en-
inence in smaller fields of labor, to be
called up here to fill some post OF hon.
or. Within the past few months two
medical men have come here from Ed
inburgh, to fiji positions in two OF the
famous hospitals of this city. Both
were already known tn" world over,
for their professional laburs and dis
coveries, and think they didn't act
wisely in leaving the field of their ear
ly labors, to begin life anew in this
much less attractive city. Ambition
of still greater honor no doubt was the
impelling motive.
But let London go for the present
although l have seen good deal of it,
am not well enough acquainted to
tell you very much of interest as yet.
Before my stay is ended, you will
hear my impressions. left Edinburgh
with regret, for it is pleasant city,
and / had formed pleasant associations,
and was profiting very much from the
there enjoyed. My ride
to this city Was by the east coast route,
and for part of the way the track lies so
near the ocean that an accident might
easily plunge the train into the salty
seas. We came through Berwick on
Tweed New Castle on Tyne. and York,
the city so well known for its Cathe-
dral. The scenery all the way to Lon
don is exceedingly u1interesting, the
country being very flat for the greater
part of the distance. Newcastle is
scarcely less smoky than Pittsburgh,
but the force of the expression, "that's
like carrying Goals to Newcastle" is
lost, since coal has actually been inn
ported to that city all the way from
This occurred about three
years ago when coal of a very ordinary
quality got up to about eight dollars q
ton. 1t is now about three dollars at
the pits mouth, which is much higher
than with you.
stopped for a day at York, which
is city OF the greatest interest. 1t is
one of the (if not the very) oldest CT
ties In this country. According to the
author of book [ picked up In the
hotel, it was built-Or the old Roman
station of Ebordcum, which was the
origin of the present city, was built
''in the year 1927 B. G. by Abrancus,
son of Mempricius, British king who
reigned about the time when David
held the scepter of Juda, and Cad, Ma
than and Asarh prcphecied in Israel"
[ can't vOuch for the accuracy of that
date, but it is true that York was one
Of the Roman stations, when that peO-
pie occupied and possessed this land.
Many traces of the presence of the R0-
mans have been found here. / saw.
for instance, a tesselated pavement
, bout ten by twelve feet in size, that
was laid i'm A. D. go. This was found
IA feet under ground. Also q half
iOZen Roman coffins of stone. These
we're generally lined with lead, and
he bodies covered with liquid lime.
The last of these cOffins, found about
hree years ago, in excavating for the
contained the remains of
emale, whose hair was very abundant,
md we'll preserved. I saw a large
,oil of it, which was quite pretty, and
iidn't present the appearance Of hav-
ng been buried In the earth for fifteen
hundred years. The coffins / also saw,
With bones that were lying just as they
we're found. Roman baths have also
lere been unearthed, and lead pipes
rom these are preserved in the Muse
I'M. Also portions of Roman fortifica-
ions; one corner tower is now stand
ng about thirty feet high, which dates
back to the third century. This was
Until recently entirely covered with
,arth, and hence it is well preserved. |
cannot stop to detail all of the Roman
Intiquities on exhibition here, such as
,oins, jewelry, pottery, &c. DC, all of
which have been found in the imme- !
late locality, and which serve TO fix
he date of the Roman possession.
Coming down to a later period, York
9 one of the few remaining old walled
owns of England. am not sufficient
y up in history TO give you the date Of
he building of this wall, but much of
/ still stands as solid as when built.
I was originally several miles in
ength; portions OF 1t run directly thro'
he present city. The part | visited Is
bout thirty feet high, and twelve feet