Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-08

eler. Then to crown this confusion and
thoroughly crush us to the earth, we were
assured that most of the hotels were full
to overfowing, an International Expo
sition being the attraction to the greater
part of strangers. After driving at
break speed over the entire city,
we were finally dropped down at the door
of a dismal looking cafe. Here we were
to find the palatial hostelry had pict
ured in my minds eye when told the
name. The "Etoile dor" might have
seen better days, at least hope so, but
they might have been way back in the
time of the Iron Duke Alva, for it had
without doubt set and sunk into dirty
oblivion We were ushered through hall
way, very narrow and filthy, into the dim
ing room at the back of the house In one
corner of this room sat fancy looking
gentleman pounding, in the true beer
saloon style, upon an upright piano. He
stopped as soon as we entered,
and, turning squarely around, stared at
us in blank amazement. We said moth
with full force where we had brought
up. After waiting some time, both
hungry and tired, an old gentleman,
whose acquaintanceship with soap was
rather limited, to judge from the color
of his face and neck and unkempt head,
came in smiling and bowiDg, saying in
most execrable French, "Will Messeiuers
please to.followime. We acquiesced, re-
| turning his smile, and he led the way up a
circular stairway, so steep and narrow We
had to hang on by rope evidently for that
purpose, used in lieu of balustrading. Af-
ter struggling up past three stories 10 this
| manner and seeing no stopping place in
| the darkness above, we refused to go any
further, and in disgust turned and came
down again, out into the open air. For
tuuately our cab was still at the door, so
we had the luggage hoisted on again and
| started off for trial of more respectable
places. 1t is a long lane that has no turn
| ing, so after circulating around from one
| hotel to another C and found house
at last where we might use the dining
room, very pleasant one, too, by the
way, as bedroom, provided we were up
early IN the morning, otherwise the
guests might suffer for the want~of a
breakfast. Ofcourse we jumped at the
chamber. We found several Americans
and Engiishmen supping They were not
| in the slightest degree moved by our
| wornout condition and the information
that we wished to retire, but first running
their eyes over US critically, finished
| their meal deliberately, seemingly OBJ
llvious of our presence. Alter an hour or
| so of filling they did leave, and we, thank
| full enough, dropped into our bed and
were sound asleep soon afterward. Fol
lowing long and refreshing sleep c.
and | were up betimes in the morning,
| and before breakfast went out for a stroll
| on the grand promenade along the river
This promenade is a most superb structure
| of iron and stone 1t is raised on a series
OF iron pillars over the Quais and faces
the river Schelde for some distance. On
a warm summer evening the people of
Antwerp delight to loll here, watching
the river craft sailing up and down the
stream, or listening to bands of music
performing on the Quais. The Antwerp
have several fine orchestras, that in sum
| mer hold forth nightly in the various
| public places and parks. But to return
to the hotel At the breakfast table we
sat with lot Of Britishers aud few
Americans, who were more or less pleas
ant.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOHN BULL
AND UNCLE SAM
was never more strongly apparent to me.
The liveliness and jollity of the Ameri-
| cans was most infectious, and c. and
L soon struck up some pleasant acquaint
| ances among them, but cur English
cousins never cracked a smile, only now
| and then furtively cycling us with don t.
| dare speak me air which was intensely
| amusing. One could hardly help feeling
as perfect swindlers under such fire, and
they the upright, honest men upon whose
persons and purses we had designs This
was my first meal in a foreign land and
| an interesting one it was, too. Antwerp
French, Anvers; Spanish, Amberes-is
most delightfully."- quaint and fascinating
place, even with all its filth and smudgy-
| nosed childrSn. To an American fresh
from New York with its broad sidewalks
| and ample streets, Antwerp seemed doubly
old aud quaint, such narrow little ways
| cut it in every direction. Then the
! houses, with their old weather beaten
| fronts, still az somber as when the much
hated Spaniard dwelt within. One finds
street after street of such, very little al
| tered since they were first occupied. here
| and there little something Of modern
make, but nothing more. There still
raw - t'' tho light OF day the same quaint,
Small shops of 400 years ago. There Is
general movement throughout most ol
the large cities of the contiRent, just
now, to replace old buildings and land
marks by new ones, and to the antiluary
it is simply ruin. Where can the old
fellow turn, in few years, for things of
interest? On every side modern archi-
lecture, in all its horrible newness and
matter. of -factness, confronts him. Poor
old chap. [ am afraid he will
| h.
along with the best parts of
his loves and studies. Fortunately,
in Antwerp, this hing can't be carried
very far nor the Change brought about
very quickly, owing chiefly to the love of
the people for things Of or links with the
past; that past so full of glory and
richness. As we struggled through the
| streets, turning from one into another, L
| felt sure of meeting some old graudee or
| burgomaster of the sixteenth century, so
| thoroughly impregnated one becomes
with the air of quaintness. The scarcity
of sidewalk is so great that every one
walks in the street, until forced off 1t for
safety, in case OF passing vehicle. The
| thoroughfares are not of the cleanest,
and pedestrians generally go with trous-
ers and skirts tucked up The city was
founded as early as the seventh century,
so you can draw some conclusion as to
| the aged look of the place. 1t is now
one OF the greatest seaport towns OF Eu-
| rope, and is the outlet of the commerce
of Germany as we'll as Belgium. 1t is
most advantageously situated, about six
ty miles from the coast, on the Schelde,
or Escant, in the native tongue, and fur
nishes superb harbor for hundreds of
vessels. Under Emperor Charles V
Antwerp was perhaps the most prosper
Gus and wealthy city on the continent.
Its decline began during the Spanish
regime. Under the terrors and rigors OF
the inquisition many worthy and wealthy
| citizens fed the country, and finally,
through the jealousy of Holland, along
with several terrible wars, its complete
ruin was nearly accomplished. In the
latter part of the eighteenth century the
French obtained possession of it, and re-
opened the navigation on the Schelde,
which had been etfectually closed by the
Dutch forts at the mouth. Its present
prosperity dates from about 1910. 1t is
the arsenal of Belgium, and one of the
strongest fortresses in Europe. The in
tention is to make it the rendezvous
for the Belgian soldiers in case
the neutrality of the country is
violated. Some one has calculated
that, with its present means of defense,
it would take 10000 men to besiege it
effectually, and one year to starve it into
surrender These facts are not much in
themselves, but they serve to give you a
pretty good idea of the Importance of the
city. Antwerp is rich to overfowing in
places of interest to an artistic tempera-
ment, and as c. and both lay claim
to some of that quality We Immediately,
| o4far 6rst hraa FIST set ont "tn do