The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-15

LONDON CORRESPONDENTS.
Interesting Letter from DR.. Jep-
son-Hintsfor Those who Think
OF Going Abroad.
LoNpoN. April1. 1s78.

Interesting Letter from DR.. Jep-
son-Hintsfor Those who Think
OF Going Abroad.
LONDON, April1, 1878.
Editor Iutslligsnee;
Several months residence in this city
have failed to reveal any very beautiful
streets. London Is emphatically not q
pretty city. As 4 rule, the houses are
extremely common place in appearance.
Even in Che fashionable West End the
large majority Of the streets are awfully
dreary in their m%onotony. Most Of the
buildings are brick and are Of the plain.
est construction possible. stucco-front-
ed houses are also quite common; but the
grand stone structures one sees all
through the newer parts Of Edinburgh,
are TO be seen here only In q few favored
localities, principally In the vicinity Of
Buckingham Palace, the Queens town res
idence. This palace, by the way, Is by
no means an attractive house, being
built Of stone, but with very little attempt
at the ornate. It Is said to be q very in
CONVENT house for the purposes IL was
intended 10 serve. but not yet having
called on Il. NJ, ! cannot speak from
personal observation.
What London lacks In beauty she fully
supplies In other attractions. Few citles
In the world, I imagine, have done more
for the education, health and enjoyment
OF their people. First in importance In
n city of such immense ajze ia 4 perfect
system Of sewerage, and this London has.
Paved streets, too, materially assist In
preventing disease. The payements 1
have seen here are Of four kinds. In the
busy streets, where the traffic Is very
heavy, the streets are paved with either
the stone blocks, or asphaltum, or wood.
The frat is very durable, but Is objec-
tionable for two r~easons-firs5 II Is very
slIppy when wet; second, /. causes great
noise. It Ia we'll nigh impossible to car.
~ on q conversation here oil a street
paved with stone. The asphaltum Is
much less noisy, but much more slippery.
Horses are constantly falling down, both
on this and the stone payemenS, when
they are at all wet. But both these pave
ments are very durable, and in a city
with almost leyel streets may be used with
advantage, and in the end economy. The
Nicholson payementorsome modification
OF il is used here on quite n number Of
the streets, and the stone pavement Is
now being replaced by the wooden, on
some Of the principal ihoroughfares. II
Is put down in 3 very perfect way. and |
have seen no evidences Of its giving way
in places, as In other cities. The bus
drivers tell me they like the wooden
pavement better than any other. II Is
certainly more pleasant for horses, though
not quite so smooth for passengers. Many
of the streets also are Macadamized. They
are rolled with an immense iron roller;
and when any depression occurs the
stones are loosened with pickP, fresh
ones putdown and the road made smooth
by the roller. By this process the Macad.
amized streets are kept very smooth and
hard, and seem to me TO be about as de-
sirable, for all purposes, as any style OF
pavement l have seen. Let me, at any
rate, suggest to the Council Of Wheeling
neyer::to construct any asphalt pavement,
unless 1t be on q perfectly level street;
otherwise the business Of the wagon.
maker and veterinary surgeon will be
materially increased. !.
Notwithstanding the immense size OF
London and the consequent great value
Of land, the city is better provided with
"breaihing places" than any place l have
seen even in America. Large public
auares OF one to three acres, planted
with trees, shrubs, flowera and grass, are
scattered all over the city. They are
shut in by iron fences, but are open to
the public during warm weather. Large
public parks too are quite numerous, and
these are open throughout the year, both
10 pedestrians and to vehicles. Regents
Park, containing 470 acres, Is the largest.
This embraces the biological Gardens,
with one Of the finest collections of ami
mails in the world; also the Royal Botan.
ical Gardens which are we'll worth a visit.
Hyde Park, the best known abroad, be-
u here all the great popular polili-
cal and other demonstrations are held,
contains 800 acres. 1t is well supplied
with splendid drives, on which, from
four ill seven o'clock Of a pleasant
evening, can be seen the elegant
turnout Of the wealthy and a%ristocratic
OF this worlds metropolis. Immediately
west Of Hyde Park, aud separated from II
only by a low stone wall, the two consti-
tutins essentially one park, are Kensing-
ton Gardens, containing oyer 200 acres.
In the latter are q number Of splendid
avenues Of old elms and chestnuts. Here
also is Kensington Palace, principally
interesting for having been the birth
place Of the present queen. Its quite
an un%pretendiug brick, and aside IRON
It's history scarcely worthy a visit. Along
the south side OF these two parks Is the
widely known Rotten RoRwhich Is simpiy
a broad road much irequented by eques.
trians Of both sexes, aud upon which
vehicles are not permitted. South east
Of Hyde Park, and joining ii at n T
ner, Is Green Park, about the same
size. west Of these two are the
Palace Gardens, with Buckingham
Palace in the front. In addition
To these. are half adoIsn less popular
parks, some Of which are large and beau.
tiful. In one OF these-Victoria Park
il the finest fountain in the city, It hay-
Inc cost $4,000, the gift Of Miss Burdett-
Coutts, To those who have seen the Da-
yidson FouRtain In Cincinnati, however,
his one appears rather unattractive.
London is ALEC well provided with mu-
seums and art galleries; chief among the
former are the British Museum and the
Kingston Museum. The former contains
one Of the largest libraries in the world,
the books now numbering nearly q mil
lion volumes. Under q law, a copy Of
every book published in Great Britain
must be presented to this library. Be-
sides, the museum Is very rich in scllp.
lures, antiquities and natural curioeities,
many Of these being exceedingly inter.
eating. By the way, the reading room
itself IL one OF the sights Of London. II
|. $40 feet 10 diameter, at the top a dome
running up to the height OF l06 feet, and
supported without pillars. This room is
much irequented BY authors, students
and Others, II being freely open TO
apy one who can present = certificate
Of character signed BY two householders.
KsnsinEton Museum is 4 more recent In
stitntion, but to me il was even more at
tractiye. The buildings being new, are
E,U. a.,ano.6 and In addition IA