The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-14

the Firth OF Forth, ever which that great
cantilever bridge which is the marvel of
modern engineering has been buj /; y0u see
the ancient castle off toward I'd west, and
up alOft you see domeS tow rs, steeples
and monuments, hills and Sales TO your
hearts content; and you obtain superb
view OF the city, old and new. Still another
picturesque view, hardly less attractive, is
found when yOn mount to tue top of the
Castle, from which you descry the Pentland
hills and gaze upon scenes that captvate
the Imagination.
RENOWNED FOR LEARNING.
Edinburgh has been renowned for ages as
a seat Of learning. In the various depart
ments OF the great university, which was
founded over three centuries ago, there
are 26O0 students. There are 2490 in the
Technical College, and in an official report
Dust made tIfhe French Government, the
3erVt-N az Hollege is referred TO as the
type 6f wtlal echnicaI institution ought to
be. There IS beTe-&u abundance of academies,
normal and high Schools, art schools semi
naries, scientific and theological institu-
tons. There are also industrial colleges, re-
fOrmatOry schools, and so on.
THE FINE ARTS.
Here, also, is the gigantic Museum of
Science and Art, freely open to everybody.
Here is the still more gigantic Scottish Por-
trait Gallery Gree. Here is the National
Picture Gallery Qree1 Here is the very
valuable Antiquarian Museum freP). Here
is the Carnegie Free Library (referred to
elsewhere) Here are the Botanical Gar
dens (free) Here aud hereabout, in short
are other like institutions, many and fine.
THE MODERN ATHENS"
Soon after the opening of this century
there arose a yearning among certain pund-
its for Greek architecture in Edinburgh, and
there have been erected anumber OF fabrics
in imitation Of others that gloriied Greece in
cassie times. Among these the Antiquarian
Museum. the High School, the Physicians
Hail in Queen street, the National Picture
Gallery, the Bank of Scotland, the County
Hall and several imposing structures on
Princess street, and the unfinished national
monument on Cation Hill (Which is modelled
after the PaTthenon in Athens are con-
spicuous examples. 1t is on this account as
well as on account Of its schools of learning
that Edinburgh has taken to itself the title
of the Modern Athens" which it deserves
to say the least, as much as our own Boston,
Even the prison, when viewed in front,
when you behold its massive towers and
columns IS an impressive and attractive
Spectacle, and that not only for architects.
POPULAR GUMPTIoN.
There is a notable range of intelligence
among the pOpulace of Edinburgh. In my
rambles | have talked with all sorts of peO-
PIE from the ragged to the genteel, from the
tCilOr to the factor, from the theolOgan to
the thinker, from the clerk to the capitalist,
from Tom TO Harry, from the noodle to the
Wl5eacTe, anu L nave ever N4ltI6 1DuUu an
amount of gumption, love and pleasantly
that has amazed me. This gumptiOn and
so forth may be due to the original traits of
the Scotch people, to their wOndrouS eX-
peTienees of many ages, to their excellent
training in the schools, to the influence of
their host OF trained men, to the sermoniZ-
ing of the shrewd cleTics, to the universal
study of the Bible and to the widespread
reading Of books of all kinds. About the
latter | speak elsewhere, and the growth of
il in these times is marvellous.
LIQUoR-sHoPs, CHURCHES AND PAPERS.
There are in this city of Edinburgh, with
its 300, 600 inhabitants about one-ifth
the population of New York;, but two daily
morning newspapers, while there are 769
Licensed places for the sale OF liquor, and,
including the port OF Leith 201 Churches
Both Of these newspapers are large sheets,
each Of them sold for penny, and neither
of them published ON Sunday. OF the liquor
licenses, ~ are held by hotels, 418 by
grocers' shops, and 300 by public-hOuses
(taverns). Ii is said that are also a few She
beens, which. however, do but little BUSH
ness In the High street and its continual
tons from the city castle to Holyrood
Palace, as well as in other streets
inhabited by the miserables, there is
much drunkenness, and on saturday
afternoon, when the masses of workers are
free the display of it in these quarters by
men and women is hideouS to behold VI
the 2O1 churches, 100 are Of the PresDyter-
ian order, which Is here divided INTO tDree
branches-the Established, the Free and
the United-while the others are Of various
creeds including six of the Catholic. Be
sides the services in these churches, there
is a greatsdeal of preaching by g0spelers IN
the streets aud in the fields adjacent to the
city, and these with their girl-songsters,
hold forth on the evenings OF week days
as well as in the daytime on Sundays. Most
of the churches are well filled on Sundays,
and among them are not few noble edi-
fees, including the grandly dOmed Cathe-
dral of ST. Giles, which was built in Catho-
lie times, and in which John Knox preached
between three and four centuries ago.
FAME AND GENIUS.
Not in all the wide world beyond the
bounds of Edinburgh is there a monument
to any literary genius that approaches in
grandeur or briliancy this monument
which stands here in the Princess-street
Gardens in honor of the Wizard of the
North" Sir Walter Scott, poet and ro-
mancer. As l stood to-day gazing up at the
lofty, ornate majestic, superb work OF art,
Z felt proud to think that 1t was not IN
honor of any King or cOnqueror, but IN
honor OF the author whose magic pen gave
us the s. Lay of the Last Minstrel" Inc
monument looks magnificent when seen at
the dawn of day, or in the glory OF the
noon-time, or under the shadows OF the
cleaning, or by the moonshine. III IS per-
petual delight TO the eye and the magma
ton. There are many other monuments OF
statues here in honor of other men OF litera-
ture, science and philosophy. Here, but
steps from the Scott memorial, Is the exquls-