Wichita eagle., 1888-10-25
A PICTURE or HALIFAX.
A City of Queer, Anticipated Structures
s Restsr1I Old Place.

City of Queer, Anticipated Structures
5 ResteuI Old Place.
From the sea, advancing upon the city,
from Pleasant Point, looking up the noble
basin; from Dartmouth, gazing across the
city facades and upon the fortressed Islands,
or from the citadel, peerirg over the slats
roofs and grim chiulDeys Of Halifax % the
shining sea and the far horizon beyond, IS
spectacle of unusual and reflective interest.
To one accustomed to the brightness and
newness OF architecture, 10 the virility and
glowing in every day activities, and the srGp
and fash Of business hfe II American cites,
the grimress, duIlness and inariniJy Of Hall
fax challenges an involuntary tasty resent
meut The city is both TOO rica and too roor
for even comparatively equable conditions
Her rich are the lor6ly, isolated rich- Her
poor are the squalid. soddeu, hopeless poor
The former have no need 20 exercise enter
prise or disposition 10 bestow in countless
possible ways for their own and their citys
lettering, g wise benevolence. But shutting
your eyes TO this, and only contemplating
the whole as q concrete series q pictures for
passing inspection aud interest, there is
something Ike 8 charm in her grim old
buildings, her shaded, unkeu,Dt streets. and
even in her ranshackie, storm ra-tled zen
ements. There Is not on our coast, nor e1-
cepting old Salem, such queer and anti
quated structures. They seem 4 composite
OF half city, half country architecture
OF Normandy, Holland and or own
colonial time Ponderous PorcGes, little
windows, spacious perch boxes as
among the old Pennsylvania Dutch settle
nents, bu1chy window roofs, c1rbrous
gables, dOrner windows i1nunerabIe,
'hipped1 roofs, shingled house sides and the
tremendous chimneys Of Marble1ead suggest
day AID tina Of Old, projected with sturdy,
lasting qualities into the new. If this be true
Of the habitations, . still quaiuter favor IS
found down on Upper and Lower Water
streets. or Bedford row and where the lanes
and alleys converge and intersect and strag-
gle along the wharves. All this region Is ike
the huddled water front groupings a. our
own picturesque Gloucester; and more diDli-
nutive. but Is dainty, bits can here be found
for the artists pencil IS st ancient Nuen-
berg itself.
No one can deny the restfulness Of the old
city. Nobody Is in q hurry Xcu seldom see
people about, OF at the windows Of the great
mansions. Beg-ars beg listlassly as II Cuba.
One sleeps IN G street car as i Greens along,
luIIed By the sluggish scnnoicnce Of the
driver and the dreamful linking OF the Iazlly
shaken bel IN the shops there Is hush and
quiet as at church. The very birds perch,
adjust their feathers and chirp as If after
some olden habit, and not from inPelling
life and instinct OF song. Citizens promenade
the streets-tGat is, when any are 70 be seen
as if hesica1t ard II doubt over the object
of their erraZd. The noon Gad night cannon
boom as if with delayed report, and their
echoes rumble over the city vi-h delinquent
ectoiags- Along the waarves, tba v7ate-zids
folk and al business affairs OF shipping seem
10 rest IS II under delayed orders. And away
above al, I'd on the citadel heights, the
measured pac-n-s Ct the ss1tiIels have O LIE
lessness that emphasizes this sense Ct endless
siesca, and har-uolt1es completely wicG the
feeling Of reposetlI fnalry iuvolGncarily
possessing the lo.te-er bcre.-EGgar l.
Wakeman n ST. Louis Republic.