Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-10-19

| PugrlmS, " written Dy LII. JOS6Jn oI
ry, who, by the way although Welsh
man by birth, lived for years in Amer
lea, and served in the army during the
late civil war. AS this was the chief
competition of all, there was great
| deal of interest displayed by the peo-
! pie, and [ think that the fact that there
were over twenty two thousand listen
ers, and a great number of these in
very uncomfortable positions some
standing in crowds where they were
so warm that the perspiration fairly
ran off their faces, others sitting on
the laps of their friends, some sitting
on the ground and others trying to
accommodate themselves to the most
trying situations and thrOugout all
preserving the utmost good humor, l
repeat that this alone proves that this
competition was heard with a great
deal of interest. The POntycromes
Society, which was the successful one,
sang next to the last performance,
and [ sat entranced to hear them.
Notwithstanding the fact that this
vast audience had been listening for
five and a half hours to these same
two selections, when the last dozen
bars of ''He watching over Israel' was
being sung by the Pontycromes Socl-
ETY., the silence was something that
could be felt. 1t really seemed as tho
every one held his breath to listen, and
I believe the dropping of pin might
have been heard. 1t was grand, and
for once q believe the only time since
the 11th of last june [ entirely forgot
America, with all the friends and dear
ones there, and sat thoroughly spell
bound till the last notes died away land
l was awakened by a deafening thun-
der of applause to the fact that was
not listening to the utterance of a di-
vine truth by an inspired voice, but
that three hundred hard working,
horny handed golfers and Welsh
working men, many of whom being
too poor to travel by the trains, had
walked miles to do this singing from
pure love of it, had, under the direc-
man, who had grown up among them
and obtained his musical education
through perseverance and labor, sue
ceeded through the exquisite effect of
their voices, in holding this immense
multitude enthralled. In the adjudi-
cation delivered by Signor Randegger,
his remarks were summed up in the
words "They sang as though they
were inspired" which was quite all
that was necessary. [ enjoyed the
EistedpOd very much ,as among other
things, it gave me an opportunity of
seeing all classes and kinds of Welsh
people, and to observe a great many
ancient customs. The Welsh are a
very warm hearted and hOspitable
people, and are very enthusiastic in
all that they undertake. 1t is this
trait which makes so many good sing
ers among them. [ have been thor
oughly delighted with the singing in
the Welsh churches and chapels. There
is so much warmth and animation in
their singing of the hymns and every
one ''takes hold" as though each and
all felt a personal responsibility in the
matter. 1t would greatly surprise
some congregations which I know in
Vermont and Massachusetts to hear
these Welsh people sing during the
congregational responses and hymns,
and think it would do them good to
see the enthusiasm with which they
even grasp their books, as though
there was no other thing in the wide
world for them at that time but Just
the singing of that particular hymn.
In this line it would do our American
churches good if they would be more
like the Welsh.
Another very striking characteristic
of the Welsh, and one in which they
are very like their Scotch friends, is
the decided clannishness which per-
vades them as a nation. They are
very proud of themselves as welsh
men, and fancy that they are about as
near "the top Of the ladder" as the
rest of the world In one thing the
cities 'Fthis side'' are superior to those
of America, and that is in the matter
of the pavements in the streets. A
great deal of wood is used here in
place of the ordinary stone, and to my
mind is much nicer, being smoother
to travel over, and quite as clean as
the stone, and saving a great deal of
noise. Although the streets are gen
orally free from repairing apparatus,
sometimes it is seen; but in case the
street is undergoing repair, the man
paratively little confusion.
/ Quite different are the streets of
our own "American Athens" for
there one of its principal thorough
fares is nearly always in an "unfnish-
! ed condition." as the old lady remark
ed when she informed her friends that
''she should never again visit Boston
till 1T was done, for she had seen it
many times and should now wait till
it was completely
/ One day in the town of Machyullet,
4 n. Wales, I visited an almshouse
The poor here are provided for by a
tax rate upon the people, and think
they are generally well cared for. The
place was clean and neat, and the in
mates seemed to be kindly treated.
went out of the place thinking how
much poverty there is in Great Brit
ain, and that the most visible cause i:
drink. AS it is in Scotland, so it il
here, drink, drink, drink all the time
One other thing which would quick
ly impress a New England traveller
on this Island, is the splendid condition
ofroads throughout the country. The,
are nearly all macadamized, and ar,
kept in first class order. 1 have no
seen one bad road any where [ hav
been.
The other day, in conversation wit
an English clergyman, 1 was asked b.
him, what were my first impression
of the country? I answered him tha
my very first one was the extrem
: moderation of the peOD1e here. The