New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-16

house rents higher in Cardlif than any toWu n"'0
vet visited In the Kingdom The very lowest ra'e
paid by wordDgmen Is from 6s. lSl 5ol to IS 'SzI
week. These houses have 'front.' and BACK rooni
kitchen behind. small wash-housc, and, upstairs,
two or three bedrooms The result Is that AT ieasV
two families obliged to crowd into each OF 'hese
little houses As q rule, IN England the nuihoer
of voters in town the size OF Cardh reaches aoou'
Il. 600 but IN Cardiff the system of two
families in house reduces the number OF house
holders and rob the poor man of bis right to vote,
the voting strength Of the town being only 1000.
But in spite OF the drawbacks of the aristocratic
owner, the Cardiff people have plenty to do ana
seem very busy doing it. The docks during the
day swarm with people of all nationaties, and the
principal streets of Cardiff at night have, not lnapty
been compared 10 Ratclif Highway London. Inc
sho ps are tolerably large and the houses OF lal
| SIZE A couple of gas stars blazing over doorways
about hundred feet distant from each other denote
/ the existence of music balls. The electTic Hshs
| operates here and there and there are hoIeis,
theatre and other evidences of advanced ciyllza-
ton But for all that. saws weil-hloIIIieIi o,,
dOner there suggestions OF the Famous G y:
| Jack is everywhere drunk and bawlnR IN s u
laughter and lurches sailing under all SORTS o. coi
ors and talking every language spoken rom Dl,n d
to Peru Now he is negro IN tai nas IiEai IN,
cucumber legs now q Norwegian In req snht VI a
Finn in fnr cane or a Dane IN q shiny CLOTH Such
| is the motley crowd one meets at night on tne
streets of Cardiff
| Swansea is not such progressive place as Car
| diff During the last ten years the popuiatlon ol
the former increased % per cent ana th IatIer 30
| per cent The two towns have lately been com
petng for the Location of the proposed uhvers onS
| College for South Wales and Monmouthsnhe, anu
Cardiff has won the day. / have been furnlshed
with briefs Of tue arguments on both sides, lncud
ing coored maps showing the distribution Oh popu,
| IatioD of agriculture, mining and manufacturing
| wealth The fight was lively one and seriously
doubt il citizen of Swansea would
Cardiff Poor Mr. Mundella, the vlce-presldent OF
| the Council OH Education, was perpiexed. ne
wanted to shift the responsibility OF decidlng ine
question of location. aud suggested that swansea
and Cardiff fight il out and settle 1t. In the mean
time torrents of argument on both sides poured 10
| upon the right honorable gentleman. SWan Hna
claimed the college because she had vQted 9looOoO
for n: because her industries exceeded those OF any
| town in the world: because 1T was the centre OF
population; because of ITS magnlheent oay; anu
| other hand, Cardiff published c0lored map SNOW
ing ITS wonderful growth, lis network OF ia roaas
| It's marvellous docks and tremendous posi-
| bihties, and lastly. claimed yoclierousy
that twenty years ago it had subscribed 80 oO lor
| the college when Swansea only offered $3.50 for my
| sides, and bringing away large bundle OF Inap5
! ard pamphlets on the subject from each ,owt,
| think the arbitrators decided wisely ana 'ua'
In March the Bay of Swansea IS not very beauti.
| full The town itself is filled with the vapors OF
spelter tin-plate and copper smelling 1t IS noted
Tor its docks, which are very fine, and for work
| house which looks like "a gentlemaus
country seat; flowers In the WINDOWS
and a profusion of evergreens enyeling the garden
and entrance" Strangely enough can see TINS 1act
| nowhere i'll the documents have on the Swahsea
side of the college question: The tutelary genius OF
fhls town is Sir Hussey Vivian IL Is SAID lhat ne
once saved the town from utter ruin aud disgrace
by asking the following question:
'"What about the breakfast and where Is III 10 DE
held7"
down to open the docks, but, until Inc
eleventh hour had wholly neglected TO provide
| a breakfast. The remark of Sir Hussey VIVIAN
electrified the people OF swansea, an iron mouse was
erected almost night, aud thousand people sat
| down to breakfast 1t remains to-day tine IRON
house, | mean a monument TO the Barohets Iofe-
thought " e,,:1
Swansea people have great deal of local pride.
Said an observing gentleman: g never met any
community of people who have larger 1altn III
| their town than the Inhabitants OF Swansea. Car
| spect but Newport they shrug their shoulders at;
Bristol they consider as good as dead ana Aliioiu
they heartily 6espise" . 49,, ~,
| terprise in CARDIFF, Swansea and Newport,
and they all mind of American cities.
The greatest obstacle TO their progress Is the
| fact that half dozen capitalists seem TO Own
| the three towns--Lord Butte and Lord windsor, OF
| Cardiff; Sir Hussey Vivian, of swansea; and Loru
Tredegar and Sir George Elliot, OF Newport In my
next letter shall show The value OF the industrial
forces which these yield, and, as In the CIeVe,
land district, we shall find these Immense mineral
| riches controlled by few powerful nOblemen.
| ROBERT z. PORTER.