Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-04
Another letter from Rev. L. L. Hubbard
FROM the New Castle star,

Another letter from Rev. L. L. Hubbard
From the New Castle star.
HOTEL DE LA PosTB.
Mr.. EDITon:--After writing my last
letter TO the New Castle Star we passed
through the English Channel and up the
North Sea to the River SHIELD and up the
river to Antwerp. Just a few hours ahead
OF us, In the Channel, off Beeehy Head, q
schooner ran into ship like ours and sank
her in eight minutes, with all on board
lost. Coming up the river we saw the
dykes the Dutch fought the ocean with
when the contest for growing potatoes on
the sea bottom began. Antwerp we found
To be the nfst city in Belgium Tor com
merce. The harbor was perfect and the
city solid, rich, clean and queer. The
streets are neither crooked nor straight,
beginning anywhere and ending opposite.
The houses are formed into one uDbroken
but crooked row, usually three stories
high, made of brick and cemented over
OF the same color (ayellow cream H. facing
the street with Quaker. front, without
porch, stoop or step.
The stores are fair, the hotels good, the
people polite, the girls pretty, the old
buildings showing age, and tho walters
In tho hotels and eating saloons wearing
full dress--spanking bosom, white Crayat
aud sharp-toed shoes and all. From Ant
werp we came to Brussels on q train
something like our own, one difference
being partition across the car and side
door entrance, with two seats, seating
Ave each, facing each other. On the
floor Iron tubes full Of hot water for your
feet, the balance OF you freezing. l do
not know what you would do If you
wanted water or were In pain during the
ride, for there is no Accommodation.
Brussels Is the capital of Belgium, a
royal city, with the finest kind Of public
buildings. The Palace, the Houses OF Par
lament, and Palace OF Justice, and Ma
tional Offices, aud cafes, and cathedrals
and theaires are unsurpassed in the glo-
rious U. 3. A. The ely is paved with
Belgian blocks, and SO often swept and
scrubbed by women on their knees that
the streets are more used by pedestrians
than the sidewalks. There Is an entire
absence of those miserable American
cobblestones and crossings. There arc
no crossinge. The whole surface of the
city 10 an unbroken pavement of rolling
surface, so arranged as to hold neither
water nor dirt anywhere.
The display Of merchandise is wonder
full, the prices about half of what have
been accustomed to. The women work
where God intended man to work, and
dogs draw the carts about town. Frhe city
is lighted by gas, oil, electricity and can.
dies. The majority OF the people are Ro
man Catholics, there being but two En-
glish churches in the city At one Of
these worshipped in the morning-tht
High Episcopal Church of England; al
the otherin the evening-the Reformed
Episcopal Church. The land is low and
level, cultivated with great skill, and
made TO yield In great abundance. Tht
butter Is served fresh each day aud 1rest
always; you must salt 1t for yourself.
} like 1t this way ever 10 much, it's like
eating cream. This city is an illustra
! ton OF the power OF civilization with en-
J liehteument drawn from the Bible. Not
quite one hundred years ago the Thron,
was asked for liberty OF conscience fo
the people; Its request was denied, ant
after war for thirty years Belgium won
aud the result Ia marvellous. What
stride forward 1t would be If the cit,
! would honor the Sabbath-they make i
a holiday. Faithfully,
E. L. HUBBARD