Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-18
tFrom our Regular Correspondsnt)
Our European Letter.
LONDON, Dec. 2, 1873.

country. III Is, unfortunately, no new
thing to have to report a stagnation in
certain trades, but scarcely ever has the
national industry been so widely paralyzed
as it is at the present moment. In many
of the large towns in the north, such as
Sheffield, organized measures are being
taken TO meet the fearful suffering which
the coming winter is bound to entail on
those who are out of work. In all the
large coal and iron works the cry is the
same, and hundreds of large cotton mills
are standing idle. or nearly so, for abso-
lutte lack of orders. In Scotland, the al
ready bad state of affairs has been in
creased by the stoppage of large paving
works employing many hundreds of men.
The effects of the recent failures have still
to be felt in their more indirect bearing,
and this, joined to the poor state of trade,
makes the lookout north of the Tweed in.
deed gloomy one. In Kent and Sussex
counties there are still some thousands oil
laborers locked out, and there appears at
present very little chance of the difficulty
being arranged. In the mineral districts
Of South Wales there has been little or
nothing doing for many months. AT no
period for the last quarter of a century
has the country been in a state less calcu-
lated to be able to bear any additional
taxation than at present, and yet this is
the time chosen by u reckless aiministra-
ton to plunge the people into the horrors
of costly war. If England had few
millions to spare there are plenty of uses
for them at home, where they would be
more advantageously employed than in
annexing Afghanistan. Nihilism and So
cialism, and all the other isms which
wise statesmen dread, find fruitful soil
where taxes are high and wages low.
Until peace is assured, fear there is little
chance for the general revival of trade, so
eagerly hoped for by many thousands of
half-starved operatives and their families.
On Sunday afternoon Dean Stanley,
who had just returned from America. WAS
the preacher at Westminster Abbey, and
was listened to by II large congregation
Referring to his visit he said the people of
the present day in England had great
responsibilities, for they had to maintain
the good name of past generations. and
they must so act as that their example
might be safely initiated by the sons and
daughters of our flesh in other parts Of
the world. A word uttered in the com
mercial circles of this country soon reach.
ed the ends of the earth, and at once had
the effect of inducing others to act in a
similar manner. The fraudulent CONNER
cial transactions that took place in their
midst had distressing influence in similar
circles on the other side of the Atlantic,
and the laundering of the cannon in the
snow-clad regions of India was looked for
with the greatest interest. If they. as II
nation, set Il bad example, they must bear
the terrible possibilities. Such a state
OF matters ought to inspire gravity in the
most trifiing soul, and courage in the most
cowardlv. 1t must be remembered that
the people of the new world were our
descendants, and that they were not now,as
they had been, ruled by this country. In
the new world they watched with interest
every instance of commercial dishonesty,
all party strife and ecclesiastical bicker-
ings, while on the other hand, all public
spirit, any relief given in relation TO suf-
fering mankind, or any effort to aid in IL
Just cause promoted by this country, found
in the people of America II ready response
and warm sympathy. In Il word, in that
country the people looked for the example,
the energy, and the realization of what
was right and proper from England, and
they looked with grateful expectation,
from the suns rising till its going down
in fact, like one watching for the dawn of
morning.
After having been for some time delayed
by accidental circumstances, Il first expert
iment in illuminating Bllingsgate market
by means of the Jablochkoff eectricslight
was made on Monday night under the
auspices of the markets committee Of the
corporation of London. The display was
given by sixteen lamps, so placed rs to
illuminate the market most effectively
Their electrical connections with the
electro-motor were subsidiary to the four
circuits, the lamps ON each of which were
put in action simultaneously. BY this ar
any one circuit can be kept in
action, at pleasure. On this circuit, on
each current being completed, the lamp
exhibited delicate pink tint which al
most Immediately gave place TO the white,
or blush white light which these lamps
normally gave out. Occasionally it was
noticed that the pinkest hue infused itself
the surface of the globe, but the effect was
so momentary as hardly to interrupt the
continuity Of the white light. Any sudden
change in the rate of motion of the gener-
ators by altering the eectro-motive force
of the current might be sufficient to ac-
count for these variations, which, for the
purposes for which the light would be re-
required, would be of no consequence
whatever. 1t is to be borne in mind. also,
that on Monday night there was a first
trial with II new machine, so that it is
hardly to be supposed that the light pro-
duced would be at its best. Great diver
sity of opinion prevailed among the large
body of visitors present at the private
view rs to the practical efficiency of the
proposed mode of illumination, but the
general opinion was decidedly favorable
to it. AS its rivalry to gas was involved
in the trial, the electric lights were put
out after half an hours burning, and the
gas Jets, of which in unlimited number
have hitherto been used to light the mar
ket, were allowed to resume their wonted
duty. Gas made by no means Il bad fight
of it in the trial, but considerable guam
tity of it was fiaring away, and the guam
tity was necessarily an important factor of
the result. A ish-salesman in the market
hit upon an eminently practical expedient
for comparing the Two lights Before the
electric lights were extingushed he placed
a box of mackerel near one of the lamps,
and afterwards compared the illuminating
effect with that produced by gas. He was
understood to declare his preference for
the latter, but at the same time said that
the electric was II fine light, and would do
well for the market purposes, but 10 be
effective the number of burners provided
was not sufficient. The practical value of
the light found, of course, numerous advo-
Gates, but there We're also, us was to be
expected. some amount of adverse opinion.
In the first blush of actual trial, before the
new system has had any time to perfect
i self in the new situation in which it has
been applied, it would obviously be pre-
mature to venture upon any definite ex-
preston one way or the other. The Jab-
lochkoff light is to have four months
trial, and in that time the question will
undergo sufficient amount of investiga-
ton by the test of experience for its COM
plete and satisfactory determination.
ALPHA.