Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-17

THEREABOUTs-' 'RADLEY'S''-CABMEN AND
THEIR QUARTERs-DULL TIMES IN ENGLAND
OUR STEAMER TO HAvRE-rRIP THROUGH
NORMANDT-PARIs IN 1855 AND Now-oUR
WASHINGTON BOYS ABROAD.
Editorial Correspondence OF The Star1
PARIS, August 5, 1878.
The MOsel paused an hour on the way to
Bremen to leave passengers for SOUTHAMPTON.
We were landed in small steamer Our
trunks intended for Paris were not examined,
but marked for the Havre boat. The customs
examination Of our valises taken ashore was
very light. On the way up the Channel the
Mosel passengers in appreciation of the good
qualities of Captain Neynaber had subscribed
sufficient sum for the purchase of some
handsome plate to present him and his wife in
commemoration of their silver wedding, and
a committee of those landing at SOUTHAMPTON
procured the articles and had them suitably
Inscribed. The boat for Havre did not leave
Until midnight, l and the day was spent by those
bound Tor Paris, in visiting Netley Abbey or
in rambleS about the city and neighbOrhOod.
There were swarms of idle people at every cor
ner, s9ilcitlng JOB to carry luggage or to run
amptonians said it was dull everywhere in
England We noted that the cabs had the
names OF the drivers painted at full length,
and that az the cab stands there were little
structures lettered
"ChBMEN's SHELTER"
These little wooden buildings are provid |
by benevolent Ladies of Southampton for the
use OF cabmen at their meals, and in bad
weather. They are about seventeen feet in
length and contain two tiny rooms: one with
gas stove for cooking and heating purposes,
ard the other used as an eating and reading
room, supplied with books, periodicals. fra:
and polished up to the height of neatness, and
everything looked exceedingly cosy and
cIeanly, The cabmen seemed very proud of
keep everything in order. The ladies supply
the shelters furniture, &c, and the cabmen
contrIbu >IXpence each a week for the gas
for the cooking: This seemed to be bit of
practical home Philanthropy that would prob
ably strike Sam Weller as rather more to the
pun pose than sending ''1anne! veskirs and
moral pocket handkerchers to the heather in
hot climates
OTHER BRITISH INSTITUTIONS.
The streets of Southampton, or many of
them, are macadamized with blueish stone
brought from Guernsy, aid have a surface
appearance much like our Boundary street. A
sort of two wheeled cart" as it is styled here,
is much in use for pleasure driving; and sty-
blocking ladies go ,Jehuing about in them.
tried one: it was about as easy as COpelands
famous bone-breaking two-wheeled ph9ton.
cabs with name and tail docked. They ride
with short stirrups, and sit the horse with
knees bent as if sitting in chair. Most of US
Everything at Radley's is old English. The
furniture is OF the mahogany order, substan-
tia! but sombre., English ale is served to you
has ponderous tables of the old pocket style.
The equivalent for modern urlnal in the
water closets is piece of croChery as old as
the time of Xantippe, at least. The chambers
are not supplied with gas; the bell-pull is an
enormous piece Of rope, the size OF q cable.
The dining room appointments, like the rest.
are dark and solid. The fare is not up to ex-
ditional roast beef of old England is tough
and not Juicy. The bread is dark ana triie
heavy.
A CHANNEL STEAMER
To American travellers the steamers used
between France and England seem away be-
hind the age. Probably those plying between
Southampton and Havre may be inferior to
those at some other points Of crossing the
channel, but any of them could doubtless
adopt some Of our American steamer wrinkles
to advantage. Our boat, the Southampton, ="
was Il hlggledy- piggledy concern with con
tracted cabins in which sea-sick passengers
We're SpIaWled about upon sofas or in their
open bertbS within arms length Of the supper
table, and there was mixed smell of cold
meats, cheese, bllge-Water and bile, that was
nau$eat!ng. AS soon as the steamer (Which
sits low in the Water) got out of the harbor the
portfolios We're closed. and the atmosphere
below was yet more offensive Many of the
ladies' spent the night on deck, wrapped in
shawlS. What are called arbor seats. protected
from the wind ahead, are provided for ladies
were quickly monopoized by the knowing
ones. Under advice took a sofa in a rear
cabin, but it was choice of evils. The room,
with the portfolios closed and the foul smells
this was added the ObStreperous snoring from
al sides. A fellow-passenger by the MOsel, a
New Yorker of sedate aspect but innately
larkish, who was trying to get. asleep on
neighbOring sofa seemed to think after awhile
that it was about time for America to assert
herself in this contest of the nations
Presently there arose from his quarter the
most astonishing series OF snOrtS, gaSpS.
and inartculate sounds imaginable. Now
II was like the wall OF lost soul, and
again it reSembied the angry Snarl of a car.
penter's plane going over knot in a pine
board, then it dwndled to the plaintive Whis-
per OF the Eolan harp. and again it broke out
then it swelled into Calliopean snort that
ought to have been heard from Southampton
to Havre. Then the fun began the sIeepers
stuck their heads out of their berths and sput-
tered DaDel OF lmprecatlOnS in five or six
languages. a BriliSheI who had been leading
In ihe snoring appealed eoQuently to our free
and enllghtened citizen to stop: Beg par
don You know but really this sort of a thing
won't do you know. Really now it won't do
you know" With child ike smile the New
Yorker finally consented to show himself
to get asleep before the full chorus of snoring
had RECOMMENDED, thus scoring another
victory Tor Tree institutions over the etfete
monarchiStS.
HAvRE TO PARIS
Our boat was slow concern and we did not
reach Havre until 10 o'clock in the morning.
The custom house officers were very Obliging,
and the examination Of our baggage was only
nominal. The government evidently wants to
make it pleasant for strangers to visit France
this Exposition year In my case they merely
enquired if 1 had any 'tabac." and then
chalked my luggage without opening it. We
stopped long enough at Havre to get nicely
cooked French meal, and then took the cars
Tor Paris. Our train was an express, but it
seemed to stop at way stations about as often
as one Of our B. Il o. "bOb-tailS." The route
through Normandy presents wonderfully little
change in tWenty-three years. There is the
same cultivation of the land in carpet-shaped
strips of vegetation of varied cOlOrs; the same
long stretches of straight highways; the same
stiff lines of tall Lombardy poplars; the same
trimming of the lower branches of other trees.
making them all look like pOplars; the same
long series of manufacturing villages, running
In snake like SinuOSitieS along single street
following the course of valley; the same
absence of anything like labor-Saving ma
chlnery In the fields; the same quaint timber
and brick houses the same eXpanSes of beau
tltul meadows; the same peaSant-cOStume:
everything Just about the same. The railroad
system OF France has been improved. but the
compartment cars are still in use. These. for
short distances are more comfortable than the
American hut q frin of hon