The Dickinson press., 1888-05-12
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY.
SOME PROMINENT FEATURES OF
THE CITY OF MELBOURNE.

Elmo Appearance of the Strects-.All "Up
Hill and Down Dalc'-Busincss Build.
ins>-A Gcnial Climatc-Saturtlay AZ
ternoon-Cunpulsory Education.
The first feature which catches tho cve Of
| the Traveller on arriving in Melbourne is the
line appearance OF the streets as to width
and construction, Several different methods
have been tried i'll constructing roads, and as
the city corporation is very wealthy no ex-
penSe has been spared to make them level,
lasting and solid. Macatlamzing was tired
and is still i'll use i'll many places, hut in con-
sequence OF the constant caro- needed to keep
1t III repair and the quantity of dust which
arises IRON It's use, is not considered as
good method. Asphalt is also used and
makes Il fine roadway, but i'll summer the cx-
'i'n'e heat sottens it. causing an ugly APP
l''a'i.nce where there Is much traffic. The
latest ami best method is the cube block sys-
/ tenn, which, besides making a level street, re-
! qlrcs hut little repair and does not cause
much dust; it is, however, very costly, and
/ consequently only used where the traffic is
| very 9rcat.
/ When Melbourne was first founded the
city proper was about Il mile square, being
| divided into blocks by streets run north and
south and east and west, seven each wav,
making thirty-sx blocks. These blocks are
| subdiNldcd by narrow streets ono chain in
width, run ON the same principle as the
wider ones, the names being the same with
the prefix little as Collins street, Little
Collins street, etc, and, the streets running
III dlrect lines, Il center is designated above
and below which the street is known as
north or south, or east or west, as the case
tl,,,, 4:
nins from this designated line.
Up HILL AND DOWN,
Melbourne is all up hill and down dale"
fiiaahctll street. which divides the city into
east and west bcin. the lowest part-so low,
III fact, that during heavy rains the ut other
| Tunes sluggish running channels assume
river like proportions, making tho streets
impas>ablc for PEDESTRIANS As, however,
such occurrences arc rare no steps have been
taken I" prevent them. The highest point
in tlls city is Carlton Gardens, the site of the
international eXhbiton building of IssO-sl.
from the dome of which building an extern
.ivr view is obtained of the city and ell
Nlrons, the eye stretching away over miles OF
'liiulatlns and we'll populated country in
one direction, and over the sparkling and
placid waters of Hobson's bay, studded with
vessels from all parts of the world. in the
other
The business buildings Of Melbourne are
the pride OF the city, fit to ndorn the first
c!tlcs oil the world, presenting to the sight
SOM masses OF masonry, worked in the most
altistlc styles, stretching from street to street
as lar as the eye can reach. Collins street,
the business center, the homo of the stock
broker, financicr and spcculator, the center
of fashion, folly and wealth, in the morning
devoted to tho rush Of business, and i'm the
afternoon to the tlirtatons and gossip of the
bellies of Victoria, is ma iestic with it's struct-
urrs OF marble, sandstone and granite tow
crinS on every hand. The Union bank, Stock
Exchange, London Chartered bank Land
Credit bank aud numbers of other institu-
ti"i'S ." wealth and magnitude, to he seen ut
one glance, represent i'll aggregate cost hun
hreds of thousands OF pounds, and impress
one with the sense OF solidity, wealth and
pcrm,nencs. And 50 it is throughout the
'l'A Everywhere the eye meets with build
lngs erected To stand for centuries, il need
he, strong, massive and artistic.
THE GENIAL CLIMATE.
he genial climate of the country has tho
same effect with Mclbourncites as with the
inhhhltants of all other Australian cities,
creating great desire for ont of door ulll,lse-
''Nhe', "iiNu 10 oiic VI tue IllOSC noticeable
features Of Australian life Saturday after
noon Is set apart rs Il kind of weekly half
holiday, the merchants, manufacturers and
others $" arranging that their employees are
free from noon of that day until the follow
ing Monday morning. OF course, there are
exceptions, where certain occupations require
the presence of employees OH Saturday even
ino. From those buildings, however, where
tho propretors allow the half-hoiday will be
seen streams OF young men and women boys
ana girls, rushing away as soon as 12oclock.
noon, arrives, first to dinner and then lecrca-
tlon of some kind - boating, swimming,
cricket, lawn tennis, etc, during summer;
l"otiail, lacrosse, etc, during winter occupy
I'll" youthful minds "f thousands of workers,
while tho more wealthy class hav" hunting,
yachting and racing. The who'll immunity
seems to havcn ii mania for athletic sports, tho
government providing suitable grounds
"galorc.
Amid Melbourncs pleasure propensities,
however. it must not be supposed that the
welfare of the coming generation is forgotten;
far from it; education is made compulsory,
all children between the ages Of ) and IL
years having to offend one of the numerous
public schools, failure to comply subjecting
parents TO nominal fine exceptions are
1li;tH" where II doctors certificate finds tho
child unnbe to undergo the fatigue of five
hours school per day; also satisfactory csi-
dence that he child attends q private school,
cScmpts from attendance at Il public one
Education isa branch of the civil service,
teachers entering as pupil teachers and work
in1 upward by promotion and examination,
and the school buildings are the pride Of the
lpcalitics where they are situated The
wealthy class are also very liberal in their
subscriptions to the various private schools
and colleges, institutions where a young man
or young woman can be iittel for any path
in lifc-Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.
4 Victory Of Peace.
Even now abloodless revolution is going on
throughout the Transvanl The inroad of