Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-23
Mute5 ou foreigtt gands.
SKETCHES OF TRAVEL IN SCOTLAND.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.l
BY REV. r. LATHAM.


For several hours Scotch mist had been
falling and as the boat steamed up slowly
alongside the landing, and began to disgorge
her cargo of human freight, the clouds, as if
aware of our exposed condition, began to
empty their contentsin earnest. All rain is
water, and all water possesses the property
of wetting, but really it does seem thatsome
rains possess greater wetting properties than
others. This, 1 was told, is a popularity of
a Scotch mist. twill wet a man to the skin.
The Clyde runs through the city of Glas-
Cow, its general direction being northwest.
The larger portion of the city is on the north
side. When first seen, and especially on a
rainy morning, Glasgow presents gloomy
appearance. From Dumbarton Castle to
Glasgow, the country generally presented
gloomy appearance. The boats move along
so slowly at many places that they can
scarcely be seen to move. Posts are erected
at short intervals, on the banks of the river,
to each of which is attached a plank, on
which is written in large letters, "Dead
slow" Atthese places the boats only creep
along. At other places the river spreads out
for considerable distance when the tide is
up. Land, which is covered once in every
twenty-four hours by the tide, presents a
spectacle of gloomy desolation which is in
describable.
The first thing every traveller attends to
after reaching city or town in which he
purposes to remain for some time, is the Sc
lecting of a hotel or boarding house. Of
these there are in the city of Glasgow, l
suppose may safely say, hundreds. One of
these hotels is owned by the Glasgow and
South Western Railway Company, and is
said to be the third hotel, in size, in the
kingdom. Americans generally stop at
Philips Cockburn Hotel, al Bath street.
This is an immense five story stone building
fitted up in recent style, with all the mod
ern appointments. The proprietor and
manager of this hotel is James Philips, of
New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the Philips
Cockburn the American flag floats. Here I
may remark, that some thirty-five or forty
Americans were comfortably provided for.
We represented every section of the Union,
and nearly every State in the Union. AT
home, some of us were ultra southern Dem
ocrats, others were ultra northern Republi-
cans; some of us had been shareholders,
while others had been bitter Abolitionists,
but in Glasgow, all these petty political dis
tinctions were forgotten, and every man
took off his hat and bowed courteously
to the American flag, feeling and exclaim-
ing "that's our flag"
The places of interest in the city of Glas-
gov, are, I may say, innumerable. This is
true with regard to all the cities and towns
in Great Britain. They have history as
thrilling as fairy tale. In fact, no small
part of the history of these old cities is
fairy tale legends. AS places of interest,
the University, the Cathedral, the Monu-
ments, the Acropolis, the Exchanges and
Botanic Gardens may be mentioned.
It will be remembered that of the cities
of the British Isles, Glasgow, in point Of
commercial and mechanical importance,
and, in population, ranks next to London.
The rapid growth of Glasgow is very re.
markable. At the time of the union OF
England and Scotland, 1907, the population
of Glasgow was only little more than
twelve thousand. The increase in the pop
uation of England and Scotland during the
present century partakes of the marvellous.
In 1900, the population of England, includ-
ing Wales, was only about eight million
five hundred thousand to-day it is twenty
five million. At the beginning Of the
present century, the population of Scotland
was only about one and half million, at
present it is, perhaps, four million. For
various reasons the population of Ireland
has been gradually decreasing since the
year 1917. Its population at that time was
more than eight million; at present it is
about five million. During this period OF
eighty-five years, England, Scotland and
Ireland have been sending out large num-
bers of their population to settle up the col
onies of the British Government in various
parts of the world. In addition to this,
the English, the Irish and the Scotch are
scattered over the United States from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. The population of
the British Ises-that,is is of England Ireland
and Scotland, is about thirty-five million,
while that of the United States, including
the Territories and Alaska, is only about
fifty-one million. The State Of Texas alone
is more than five times as large as England
and Wales, and more than twice as large as
all England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
The territory of the United States is more
than three and one-half billion square
miles, while that of England, Ireland and
Scotland is only one hundred and twenty
one thousand, six hundred and eight square
miles; or, the territory of the United States
is more than twenty-eight times as large as
that of England, Ireland and Scotland.
But, to return to the main subject in hand,
it may be said Of Glasgow that it is both an
old and new city. 1t is entitled to be call
ed a city, not because of the number Of its
inhabitants, or the Importance or extent of
its commerce or manufactures, but because
there is, within its corporate limits, a Ca
thedral. This seems strange to Americans.
The inhabitants of little railroad depot
towns, in our country, do not hesitate to
use the word city as sufix to the name of
their town. 70 this, no one objects, and
city is far more dignifed if not more sonor-
Gus than villa. On the British Isles, no
town is entitled to be called city except
there be in it an old Cathedral, monu-
ment of architectural greatness and spirit
ual degradation and superstition of bygone
days.