Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-22
My Trip to Europe.

Mr.. EDITOR AT the solicitation of many
friends propose to give to the public through
your paper, some account of my recent trip
to Europe. | am aware that must do so un-
der very unfavorable circumstances, as every
day of the journey was so filed up with
sightseeing as to leave little opportunity for
making notes of what saw. and my time is
now so occupied with other duties as very
nearly to forbid giving any of it to this pur-
pose. shall make no effort at fine writing,
but relate the incidents of travel just as they
occurred, so far as my minutes and my recol-
be interestcd-for them do not write, but
for those who, from whatever cause, person.
al or otherwise, have dee ire to read plain
and simple narrative of my foreign expert
ences.
Hallowell. Nov. 20, 1879.
left home by the night train June 25th
had several hours good sleep, and arrived in
Boston in the morning. Having some hours
of leisure, l spent a part of it strolling over
the Common and Public Garden, and viewing
granite, took look at old Kings Chapel,
Park street church, and the famous Old Sout'
went into the latter, heard the telephone and
surveyed the curiosities and antiquities. |
next took the street car for Bunker Hill Mon
ument, and climbed up the stairs, said to be
200 feet high, and 295 stairs. 1T would be no
news to add that fine view of Boston and
its envir0ns can be obtained by any one who
will climb SO far.
New York City, June 9th. We had fine
smooth passage last night by the Fall River
boat. This morning the scenery entering
New York harbor was very striking and beau
tiful, the several islands and the various pub
lie buildings on them and on the shore
presenting a picturesque appearance. The
boat passed under the wires of the Brooklyn
bridge but the progress made in the struc-
ture is so slow, that it will be long before the
bridge will be passable. Some think it will
prove Il failure like the Thames Tunnel.
took passage by the elevated railway to
Central Park, and walked round an hour or
two. The Park is naturally broken and I'M
even land, with many kinds of native forest
trees, rocky heights, lawns and fields, and
ponds of water. The foot paths are broad
and smooth, and most of them concreted
Wherever there is shade alongside of the
paths, there are seats placed, and saw many
nurses with babies and children on the seats
and in the shades. Men, women, boys and
girls are in every direction conversing, rest
ing or reading newspapers. There are nu-
merous substantial stone bridges over streams
and ponds. In one place, there was a museum
and menagerie, but neither of them very
novel or interesting. After my walk, got
into public carriage and took long ride
about the avenues of the Park. These pub
lie carriages are very cheap and a great ac-
commodation to strangers. There were nu-
merous private teams in the Park, some of
them quite stylish. Soon after our carriage
started, the driver stopped to water his horses
at fountain, the day being very hot. As
there was no dipper at the fountain, asked
him if there were no drinking places in the
Park, and he answ cred none except at the en-
trance. Afterwards saw several hydrants
with clippers chained to them in different
parts of the Park, and after awhile 1t struck
Inc that what I understood as drinking
places" was something entirely different from
what the driver meant by the same phrase.