Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-19
A MOUNTAIN ON THE MARKET
England's Famous snowdon to Be
Sold at Auction.
ONE OF THE PR'oesoF ALBION
G ents, 'ow Much do i'Ear Fur This
Helegant Ill. Widjthe Water
falls and Everythink
Throwed Ip?"
Old spowoon ON the Block.

Oh SnOwdOn on the BLOCK.
LONDON, August 2.-[Special to THE
BEE. Ito be sold at public auction to
the highest bidder, by Bousfield & Co.,
at the Mart Tokenhouse Yard, Lon
don, etc.--Snowdon.
The above notice appeared in the
London newspapers short time since.
Some American buyers or possible buy
ers may perhaps want to know of what
they would become owners under this
sale. Snowdon is the Englishman's
mountain; not part of long range
like the Rockies, but single sturdy
old peak, standing up by himself, to
face the SHOWS and mists of winter, and
the hordes of tourists in the summer.
The cockney will be surprised indeed
to learn by the handbills OF the sale,
that there is any one who can claim
any greater or more particular right in
the old giant than himself. Has not
this been our stamping ground, where,
until our family costs are lighter and
our summer vacation longer. we must
satisfy our Alpine climbing proclivities?
Are we, the great British public, to
have our way barred by some miserable
speculator, who will possibly fence up
our venerab friend, and either keep
us out altogether or charge us a sordid
entrance fee ior our right to roam over
his summitI No; fortunately the cock
ney is protected by the great English
law of prescription.
We might, and possibly the auction
eer will, expatiate on the beauties of
the surrounding country which is nur-
tured and watched over, as it were, by
IL. 4
some of which are hardly inferior to
Lanberris lying at his foot. the min
iature waterfalls precipitating them
selves into little grottoes. shaded with
ferns and carpeted with moss, the
happy sparkling trout streams, dane
ing over their rocky, uneven beds, the
gray old weather -huted, Uncovered
bridges, and snug little hamlets in the
valleys, with their comfortable old
fashioned inns, standing with open
doors to receive the weary traveller, or
the jaded city clerk, who for twelve
long months has fretteo away mis- life
in a London cellar.
Bnt this is not our object. We wish
merely to introduce to our readers the
old fellow who is the subject of this
sale; the contemporary OF the Druids
and everything ancient and rugged in
the history of our island.
The question arises, what can fell
low do with it. A mountain is not
everybody's money. Barn lm might,
perhaps, take it away in sections; but
then comes the question of waste to
the freehold;' for rs Mr.. Bonslield
gives us to understand, the freehold is
the cockney's right of easement" if
clambering along loose particles of rock
can be called an easement" No; the
purchasers right of use and enjoyment
is like the license of the English liquor
seller, Ito be drank on the premises"
The prospectus states there are some
houses on the mountain, which bring in
rental of e20O per annum, and the
prospect, or rather probability of find
ing copper or something OF that specu-
lative nature, if you will only dig far
of ''these desirable premises" is the
little level plateau at the summit,
where fellow willingly pays hall
crown for small bottle of bass, rather
than walk down to get it, and eggs and
bacon in proportion. To supplement
this profitable side of the question,
the auctioneer after the manner of his
kind, pictures the happy purchaser
complacently looking over the preci-
plce into the lake below, and con-
templating with satisfaction the enjoy
ment which his mountain will afford to
all comers without charge or distinc-
tion.
The sale commences, and after some
minutes of doubt and hesitation, a par
son thinks that it is s3rth Gl 900 to him,
probably the reverend gentleman con-
siders that when he is up on the top he
will be nearer to heaven than he can
possibly be at any other spot in the
United Kingdom. But this will not buy
it, and after a succession of lingering
bids, and when the gentleman In the
box has declared that he will accept ad-
vances of e5 at time, this pride of our
land, this hero of our geography primers,
this hoary son of ages is knocked down
for the despicable sum of little over
$4,000, the price of modern dwelling
house. The owner is changed, but the
mountain still remains the same, old
SnowdOn. DRUID.