Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-08-16
LETTER fRon REV. HEWITT.
EDINBuEGu, SCOTLAND, July %, Iss

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, july ~, 1885.
10 TIE Ed49r of Tie Eagle:
You fully intended TO write, at least once
In two weeks, in order to give your impress
siops Of the country and the people, but
somehow you find the weeks run into
months in an unaccountable way, and your
letter writing has been much neglected.
You feel very much inclined to write
about the farmers Of Ireland. England and
and Scotland, but 1t is an endless theme,
and you only wonder why men Of fair in
telIigenee will persist in renting land at
from Is to 25 shillings per acre per annum,
when In the United States and in Australia
they can buy just as good land for what
one years rent would amount to. And yet
IL farm is to let there are from ten 10
twenty applicants for it. This is not SO
wonderful In Ireland, or In England, but
In many parts Of Scotland the land is very
cases, to pay his rent and keep his family,
with nothing left as a store for old age or
for the liberal education Of his children.
The merchants and manufacturers are the
men who, during the last fifty years, have
risen in wealth, culture and power in this
land. 1t is sneeringly said that "the Scotch
are nation Of shopkeepers." The shop
keepers have the money, and even blood
has to give way very often here to bullion.
Not SO apparent as either blood or bullion
is brain. Higher education has been and is
well attended to, and this city is the very
head center of higher education in Scot
land. There are from three to four thou
sand students attending the various schools.
They come up from all parts of the world
to read theology and law. but more espec-
tally medicine. Everything is favorable to
intellectual culture. A cool bracing cli-
mate, historic associations and traditions,
grand libraries, able teachers and lecturers
in all departments. good buildings, galleries
OF art and last but not least the purest and
best social surroundings. If a young man
cannot be inspired in such place to do
well there is very little hope for him.
| There are also fine advantages for young
ladies'. Edinburgh is not alone in her ed
ucational work. ST. Andrews, Aberdeen
and even commercial Glasgow have each
their universities and schools for special
tending. All over the land in each little
village there is some place where at little
expense preparatory course can be taken,
preparatory TO college, and even in these
small places the preparation for universe
ty course is complete. And still further
common school education is compulsory
now. But enough of this, you are inter-
ested in the antiquities OF the fine old city,
you visit the old castle, you look at the
crown and the sword and the diamonds.
"Tbe regalia of Scotland" "The sceptre
performed its last grand legislative Office
by ratifying the treaty of Union with Eng
land on the 18th of January, 1707." A little
further on you come TO the little bedroom
where James vi was born, and you look
out OF the window from which, when eight
days old, he was let down in u basket 70
the plain below, u PERCEPTIONS descent OF
even yet the sympathies Of tender hearts
90 out TO her, when her troubled life and
tragic death are remembered.
Passing down High street you come 10 st.
Giles church, or as il is called, cathedral
This is the old place-and grand structure
1t is-where John Knox boldly set forth the
doctrines of the reformation- The same
place in which Jenny oddies hurled heI
stool at the head of DIR. Harm when he
undertook, in the time of Charles, to read
the English prayer book TO Scotch presby.
terians.
A little further on are the houses Of par.
lament and the courts. Casually going in
to these you find n crowd in one of the halls
and are informed that the rioters at Stromt
Ferry are to be sentenced.
Early June, just as the fishing season be
gan, the inhabitants OF the district around
Strome Ferry, in the north of Scotland
were very indignant at the railway com
panies Tor shipping the fish caught on Sat
urday to market on Sabbath morning, ant
number OF them said 1t should not b,
done, and for one or two Sundays they car
ried out their purpose by forcibly resisting
the railroad companies. AT last, however
the arm Of the law was evoked and they
were arrested, brought to Edinburgh ant
. ten Of the leaders were put upon their tria
for riot and disorder, convicted, and yes
terday were sent for four months to be i'm
prisoned In close confinement. These mel
were conscientious in their resistance o
the railroad. They were moved by stron:
be unlawful, yet the law was executed up
on them, and there were no county com
, missioners to pardon them out.