Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-18
From Our Regular Correspondent
Our European Letter.
LONDON, Eng. June 3. Is


nor distance forms the subject of contest
is somewhat Of novelty in these later
days. This character strictly attached
to the great annual gathering of bicyclists
which met at Hampton court on Saturday
afternoon. Many of the riders ran down
in the forepart of the day, with lady
companions, to disport themselves in those
delightful gardens, which, although now
sustaining the gardeners floral reputation
only by tulips and japonicas, would surely
rank second to Cameron to the one which
Maud probably came into. Long before
the time for starting the procession, spec
tators came trooping in thousands, over
the bridge, along each road, and through
Bushy-park, towards the Lion Gates
riders and tricycles and other mechanical
weight-carriers, mixed up with wagonettes
and carriages, drawn by that out-of-date
animal, the horse. Representatives of one
hundred and four, clubs took part in the
demonstration, each body in their peculiar
uniform, taking station according to the
date of the establishment of their club.
At five the bugle sounded the "Wide-
awake call, when the Pickwick led, in
couples, through the park gates, those
who were to follow being massed in the
road toward gston-bridge. The way
through the park, round the Diana pond
and through Teddington, returning by
Hanworth to Hampton Green-was lined
by throng Of critics and admirers. The
chief of the executive, Mr.. L. G. Yeoman,
had under his orders one thousand, three
hundred and eighty-one riders of glttering
noiseless machines, who filed through the
park, where the chestnuts were beautifully
in leaf and just budding for flower, the
fine lines behind only just splashed with
foliage, not yet sufficient to hide the
abundant mistletoc. Many missEaps oc-
cured, through the crowding on the
track of spectators and other causes, such
us the "vaulting ambition that o'erleapS
itself and falls on 'tother side" but moth
| ing serious marred the commencement of
the six miles ride past palaces ard man.
sions and cottages whose inmates gazed
with establishment on young Ergland,h
bestriding the bicycle, and repeated in
modern vernacular the old query, where
unto can ye liken this gencration~
| The large number of Americans arriv-
ing at the hotels here is hailed by II sort
of in-door-relcf paupcr in the shape of a
porter, who handles their baggage badly
and palms their charity briskly. At the
very threshold of the home-comforts
hotel" enormities of petty pauperism
commence, and where they end no man in
his wisdom knoweth. If ever perpetual
motion wins the prize it is the British
hotel motor-pauper that will be the lucky
dog in his unbroken system of mendicant
Nothing will stop him; not suggestion
as TO his manhood, his self-rcspect, if he
have any, or even all the fears portrayed
by the thirsty waiter before David Cop.
perfield. Like " the wandering jew" he
is bound TO go on and on" in the high
ways and byways of livericd beggar
Proud and manly British porter; give hin
a farthing to appease his self-respcct! Yea
kick him like dog, but pay him his
pauper "tipn and he the while rejoiceth
Put him in the pillory of contempt-but
pay him, and happiness is his! Wher
within the vestibule of British hotel
and particularly the railway depot mon
strosities, there is Il cold, Shiny suspicion
creeping over you, by the frigid indil1er
ence to your presence, that you have beer
enormously indicted into u Moorish tile
tessellated and paved prison, instead of ;
home-comforts " hotel. You charg,
yourself with some "nihlistn or ICON
munistlc proclivities implied or express
ed, and regard the "miss and certainly
the "missus" rs of the spy-school. Ii
the course of human events, when it be
comes necessary for the said swiline
females to declare a little of your indie
pendence, you are allotted to Il cell ant
designated in true prison formaity by :;
number. The warder conducts you t.
your doom and now commences the elast
law and charges of attendance"
never saw SO much of a myth so mon
strously charged for rs British hote
thing called attendancem Physically i
is nowhere, and reminds you of Paddy
flea; positively, it is everywhere in you
bill, and recalssthe sleight-of- hand ability
Of a certain secretary of the United State
naval department and well-known- patel
in his rantaloonS. 1t is never omitted
land where you see it not there it is, an,
where you see it large it grows! A sor
OF silent system of the PENAL colon,
order prevails in British hotel and
your genial nature is not overshadowed b,
a wet blanket, certainly your equity form
may be surrounded by damp sheets. l
fyour vacancy, that nature abhors, erie
laloud for meat and bread, and the hour i
| after 10 p NJ, woe unto your cravings 70
q "wce bitr' The "fat boy - in "Pick
wick" is unheard in the home-like com
forts" of n British hotel at that hour and n
whites is up" Gone are "squar
meals," or even angular sections or frac
luions of them. Famish, gentle foreigner
land 60 to bed an Independent citizen.
| To the novice family coming to Londol
with householding intentions, l sympa
thetically say, with flood of bitterly OK
perienced tears in my sorrowing eyes
|" Look before you leap!n Never take
real estate agents word for anythin.
about II house in London and fight shy G
| his bond. Look keenly at II landlord an
dissect landlady. Get, if you can, al
honest surveyor and have him to examin
/ the house from roofto drains, from smok
Ichimneys TO stufy cellars. See the receipt
for tho taxes and rates paid before you
occupation. and properly up to date. |