Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-13
Notes of a European Trip.

Years.
 Some notes of Mr. William Franklin's trip to Europe will be given to our readers ln thls and succeeding articles. Our townsman, ac- companied by his estimable lady, left New York June 16th on, the Scythia. Fellow pas senpers were the Rev. Dr. John Hall or New York, one of New York's leading clergymen, whose lectures at Marquand chapel have iden- tified him with our Yale School of Theology and made him still further known to many ladies and gentlemen of this city; Rev. NIT. Chamberlain, of Norwich, one of the bright est ornaments in the Congregational pulpit or Connecticut, and eleven other clergymen, who, with others, went in part to attend the great Sunday school convention held 1n Lon don. Mr. Franklin went for several objects for health and to visit his native land; also to visit relatives and ascertain regarding hls ancestry and to enjoy some of the most noted sights of England and France and other lands The voyage was attended by nothing remarkable. A few of the passen- gers amused themselves in part according to time honored custom in exercising the prlv1- lege of criticism, as applied to the fare and the duration of the trip. As to either of these matters there was nothing to justify stgrumbling," :" for the table was abundantly supplied and the trip but one day longer than expected, and all landed in a high state of satisfaction, and the Cunarders were voted trump steamships according to time honored custom. Feminine hotel clerks in this coun- try would be considered hEsus nGtu7g, but at English hotels one soon gets accustomed iu Inv f1avo CTS that they find these officials of the weaker sex the equals in attentive politeness, suavity and competency to those this country affords. Leaving Liverpool the train was taken for Yorkshire county, wherein is the town of CIitheroe, near which our traveller was born. On the journey and thereafter in the journey ings through England comparison with our railway system was suggested, and though the English cars are not equal to ours in beauty and palatial style none except the PulImans-of American make-yet the Eng fish railway system was felt to be superior to the American. The difference noted was in the attentiveness, patience and courtesy of the guards, the fencing in of the roads all over England, the absence of any crossing of trains at grade-all crossing being either over or under, by bridge or tunnel-the exits and entrances to the depots being so | arranged that passengers do not cross any of 1 the tracks, sure precaution with lightning trains dashing through the stations at sixty miles an hour and in the easy stepping to and from platform and car. The system of compartment coaches, first and second class cars, etc., all are familiar with but as to the transition from platform to car the difference in tavor of the English exercise of care and painstaking everywhere exhibited was shown | when at @ French station en route for Brussels, when, in stepping into car, an | American lady severely sprained her ankle. Fifty-six years ago our traVeier left his l native land and this was his first return. | Pleasant it was to find cousin who held the l boy in his arms when the hour of departure l had come, and to see the old double stone | house erected one hundred years ago by our travellers grandfather, and to note the initials
 'J, F." of that ancestor, cut in the cap- stone of. the cellar window. Many of the | name of Franklin were found all over the
 counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lin coInshire Sir John Franklin, of sad Arctic | renown, and our own Ben Franklin, hailed from this section of Albion, and the name | Franklin. as ancient records show, denoted | an order or rank and was assumed for a sur |
 English poet Chaucer, descriptive of coun- try gentleman:
 This worthy Franklin bore purse of silk
 Fix'd to his girdle, white as morning milk,
 Knight of the shire, first justice of tn assize.
 To help the poor, the doubtful to advise.
 In all employrnents, generous just he proved. Renowned for courtesy, by all beloved.
 Many castles were visited in Yorkshire, and
 the monument to Robert Peel. Our visitor
 next came to the quaint old town of Chester,
 having fine new buildings, but some very an
 cient and venerable, preserved and cherished
 with pride for their antiquity and shown as z
 source of income to strangers who visit this
 old place, around the old part of which may
 still be seen the wall built by the Romans
 Eaton Park, the great park of the Duke o1
 Westminster, in size miles by 12, was visited
 The dwelling of the Duke is an immense
 structure, and is having an addition built
 which it will take two years to finish and
 has already occupied eight years in building
 The Duke is credited as the fourth richest | man in England.
 From Chester to Manchester, @ city ot
 3OO GOO inhabitants. Here the greatest sight
 is the Bellevue Gardens. It is nothing un
 usual to find 6O,OOO people enjoying them
 selves at this place-a great resort for all the
 country around. The owners, it is said, have
 been offered $5, ,O0O for the gardens
 They have been place of amusement and
 recreation for @ generation. Beautiful
 grounds and pleasure buildings are numerous
 and grand pyrotechnic displays are given
 thrice week Our visitor witnessed the
 grand panoramic scene, the burning of the
 Tuileries, executed by ireworks-a grand
 imposing spectacle and representing the
 scene faithfully, as seen when the real Fuller
 ies were visited later on. All the pyrotech
 mics, gas etc., needed in the displays, are
 made on the premises, and force of 300 ol
 400 men is employed, who serve to repre-
 sent soldiers or ''the military" in some of the
 pageants. Dinner for 10, 900 people is served
 at an hours notice and frequently on the
 great days a dozen large excursion trains ar l rivs, some from many miles distant.
 | The humanitarian, charitable and benevo
 lent spirit displayed in the erection ant maintenance of the houses for old ladies a F Grindleton speaks volumes of the care fo this class. Here you will see different collec
 tions of from 10 to 20 little neat one-stor,
 cottages in groups, tenanted by old ladies 7 | who here find the comforts of a home, anC spend their declining years in peace ant serenity bountifully provided for; many l heart would be reioiced to see more such in
 stitutions as the Sheffield home for old ladies in our own city, and welcome the day whe1
 worthy people who have borne the burdel and heat of the day and are overtaken b.
 penury shall not, as in so many cases to-day | 1 look forlornly to town support in an uncom
 fortable resort, as is so wildly portrayed il one of Carleton's pathetic ballads. Privst { liberality pays for these homes at Grindleton From MancneSGof to LOnQOn, 1of Iu1le
 at fifty-ive miles an hour and here tn
 visiting was mainly confined to Westminste
 Abbey, where, of special interest to our tray eler, was the place where Peabody's remain , lay, the tomb of Dickens and the tombs o the royalty; to St. Paul's where the tomb of Wellington and Nelson, made entirely o cannon these heroes won, were among tn special objects of interest to our visitor an, : the Tower of London, where the crown jew els, valued at R17, 1000, 900, the old armor o 3 Knights ''whose bodies are dust, their goo swords rust, {" and 100, 900 stand of arms, ok
 and young, were specially noted. Our tray
 eler inquired of visitors whom he found wer
 residents of English towns, why the jewel 5 were not converted into capital and used il 3 the industries. arts or sciences if such sun , would not be better invested but with evi
 dent pride in the jewels the answer came tha they were part of England's greatness. Phillips Brooks, (of Boston,, the sam 7 whose fervid eloquence our citizens hay been privileged to hear at Marquand chapel 7 preached at Westminster Abbey while ou visitors were there, but they were unable t.
 attend much as they desired to. But durint