Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-04-27
rANDARD- MEANWHILE TENNESSEE sATURDAY-APRs 1885,
IcELANp,s METROPOLIS.
Sights and Scenes In the Famous Old
Town of ReykjayiI,

sights ana scenes In the Famous Old
Town of ReykJaviI5.
Reykjavik, poor little metropolis OF
two thousand inhabitants, has, never
theless, It's sights and sounds. It's
houses, with but few exceptions of
wood, consist usually of single story,
but in isolated instances rise to the
dignity of two. Through the town
runs a wide and tolerably straight
street, on which live several of the dig
nitaries of the island, the Bishop, the
Governor, the Chief-Justice, and other
members Of the Government. Upon
one side, surrounded by wooden pal
ings, is the public square, in the CEN
ter of which stands bronze statue of
Ihorwaldsen, presented by the Danish
Government to the native. country Of
the sculptor At the farther end is the
littlc cathedral, which contains mar
bic font by the artist himself. Around
the different sides of the square
are grouped the new parliament house,
the post-ot1iee, and school for girls,
which draws its pupils from all parts
OF the country. One of the most i'm
posing buildings Of the capital Is the
Jail, and two OF the most awe-inspiring
OF her citizens are the policemen, who
in turn patrol the streets in felt helmets
and uniform. 1t was not discovered,
however, that they ever arrested any,
body, because nobody ever so far for
got himself as to warrant arrest. The
jail consequently is always empty, q
fact that can be but imperfectly under
stood when one sees its manifest SUI
periority to all other dwellings. One
of the policemen exercises, in addition
to his function o. public veal, that of
librarian of the Icelandic Literary
Society, which was established as long
ago as 1916, and has published many
works. He is also an author, and has
written at least one valuable book.
The streets of Roykjayik are UNI
paved, but at certain corners, wide
apart, stand lamp-posts, wherein burn
kerosene lamps TO light the belated
citizen to his door One of the most
characteristic of street sights is the
long lines of ponies that almost con-
tinually come and 60. bringing loads
of dried fish, and carrying back the
necessaries of life; and almost all of
life's necessary demands in Iceland
must be supplied from without. Even
the wood with which the houses are
framed comes from Norway, and must
be taken into the interior on the
backs of horses. a frequent sight is
procession of ponies, each
with a board on either side,
fastened at one end to the pack
saddle, while the other end is
left to trail and bump along the UNI
even road. On pleasant mornings an
other kind of procession is often seen.
1t is composed OF women and girls,
each with wooden tub, and all going
to the warm springs to do the house
hold washing. The water can be had
at all temperatures, from boiling hot,
where it bubbles up out of the earth,
to tepid, farther down the little stream
from the overflow, Dipping up tub
full of hot water, the washerwoman
puts her washing to soak, and then Sc
lects a convenient place upon the bank
near the waters edge, where she kneel:
and rubs and wrings piece by piece. -
Wlhem II. Carpenter. IN atlantic.