Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-12-15
Shrewsbury Town !
Rich in Remembrance Of Former Ages it
now lies Quiet and Peaceful on
the Banks Of the Severn.
The Home of the Shrewsbury Cakes and
the Wonderful Bakers Of Old. Whose
Secrets Died With Them.
Life in the Quarry with Its Broad
Beautiful Avenues OF LINES. Fairs
and Sports on the River.

Special Correspondence to The HERALD.
Shrewsbury, the capital of Shropshire.
is beautifully situated on peninsular
formed by the river Severn, having an
isthmus not more, than three hundred
yards wide. The city contains interest
ing remains of an ancient wall, the
castle, two monasteries and Bene-
dictine abbey. There is also a free
school with an endowment fund of
e, 100 year, the Town and County
Hall, Public Rooms, a handsome Greek
structure, the Market House, dating
from the reign of Elizabeth. and many
other schools and hospitals. Two
bridges, the English and Welsh cross
Severn, and connect the Abbey For
gate and Coleham on the east, Frank
well on the west TO the north is the
other suberb Castle Forgate The town
connects itself with the history of the
country from the 18th to the 18th CEN
fury.
The Brown and Shrewsbury Cakes
made here have long been famous
The town called by the Welsh Pengivern,
was named by the Anglo-Saxons Scrobb-
Byrig and of this the present name is y
corruption. St, Chads is the principal
church of the town and is used on all
public occasions, The parish comprises
one-half of the town and several miles
into the country. On the south side is
a terrace that commands view of the
Quarry, which is a meadow of twenty
three acres gradually sloping to the
river Severn, along the bank of which
is graceful avenue of lime trees, not
unlike our elm in appearance, but
when in bloom fills the air with its fra
GRANGE for a long distance. In this walk
extending $40 yards in length, where
LOFTY ARCHING BRANCHES
entwine themselves into natural ar
cade. Seats are placed i'll abundance
where one can sit and listen to the band
which plays two evenings in the week,
or listen to the chimes of the MANY
churches for evening service Three
other walks planted in similar way
lead from this the principal promenade
to the town. The trees are more than
200 feet high and it is. without excep-
ton, one of the loveliest spots | was
ever in. At the entrance to the center
avenue close by the church is fine
colossal figure in bronze of Hercules
cast at Rome from the Farnese Her.
cules. To the stranger il is never
failing source of delight, such quiet
reIgns within five minutes walk of the
heart of the city, as secluded as if in a
forest. a cluster of horse-chestnuts and
other trees enliven what might be con-
sidered a formal arrangement of these
walks. The Horticultural and Agricul-
tural Fair is held in this charming spot
for two days every year, when the Life
Guard Band, the finest in London, alter
mates with the Shropshire Band in dis
coursing sweet music while the crowd
of people wander about or sit under the
trees watching the various games,
RIDING FOR THE RING,
jumping and other amusements. The
"Pengivern'i Boat House, with that of
the trainer. is situated on the Kingsland
side opposite the Quarry. 1t belongs
to the grammer school boys. They
practice here every evening and have
their scull and long boat races. They
have taken a large number of very
valuable prizes in silver. The Quarry
is generally full of spectators and all
interested in the efforts and success of
their own school boys.
! was invited. with Il few others, to
take a boat ride. We took our supper
with US. The evening was lovely, the
houses along the river have large gar
denS the house facing into them. The
walls are high and all the fruit trees
are trained upon this with boat house
ut the bottom. All the houses look old,
and many are 50 covered with ivy that
nothing is visible but the glass of the
windows. 1t is thought to draw the
dampness from the building. The river
is very crooked and we were constantly
coming upon something new. We
passed the cricket ground Of the
GRAMMER SCHOOL BOYS.
They looked very nice in their white
uniform and seemed to be enjoying
themselves as boys generally do when
left TO their own devices The ivy and
holly, my special fayorites, grow SO
luxuriently that every bit of broken
wall or ruin is soon covered and makes
a picture, a spot of beauty. The river
is narrow and seems small compared
with our great waters, but sometimes
rises eight or nine feet causing much
damage. We went up several miles,
landed and had our tea. The sun was
just setting behind us as we returned
SO we could enjoy the gorgeous beauty
of every spot tinted with its golden
rays. The houses are gloomy and
where there is so much to enjoy both in
feeling and seeing, one is tempted to
remain out of doors most of the time
The roads are perfect, always in order
like our national road At short dis
tances are piles of stone for repairing
Walking in the country one day | saw
a very old man of eighty years at one
of these piles. | asked him could he
not do something easier. He said he
had always broken stone and his home
was in the little cottage yonder. Every
cottage, no matter how small, has a
window garden. The finest fuchsia
plant | ever saw, full of flowers was in a
small window adjoining a blacksmith 5
shop. the family room. 1t served as a
blind from the eyes of passers by as it
was close upon the street
L. S. V. A.