The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-16

Sno'enes, all tne DOCKS, Gil tne neWspd-
pers, all the battles, all the railways and
oil the governments had ever accomplished
for Them from the days of Mieczyslaw and
Boleslas to the day these roads were DONE
Cannot sorfie Of the expensive and high
art frills of that great Columbian exposi-
ton at Chicago be trimmed little, and
thus make room for road exhibit-not IN
inaccessible dabs and bits in dozen diff
ferent departments, but in one generous
and comprehensive Department. Then the
millions Of visitors, including city and sub
urban folk everywhere whose health and
pleasure largely depend on good roads, as
well as farmers whose betterment and com
fort would be intellectually augmented by
perfect roads, would carry away with them
knowledge and purpose which would not
only add billions 10 our national wealth,
but make, in good time, our broad land
bloom and blossom fairer than the sweet
est garden spots in all this old and worn
out Europei
With such thoughts as these | came,
with the carts and cartmen, along the brow
OF the hills skirting the noble valley OF the
Exc, to ancient Exeter which looks far
away TO the warm green sea that beats
upon the red cliffs OF Devon.
IL was in ancient days an old British
town, built long before Caesar, and called
Caer lsc, or the city on the river. Antigua
rians observe that, like most Celtic trad
ing towns. it was built for safety some
little distance from the sea, and Just be-
yond where the river Exc ceases to be navf-
gable. Discovered coins of the Greek
dynasty in Syria and Egypt prove that
Phenlcian merchants must have come
here many years before Christ to trade for
Cornish and Dartmoor tin. Then the Ro-
mans marched in and made ii a great sta
tion. Lastly the Saxons fortified the town
on the Exc, and traded here with the Cor
nish Brtons across the lamar.
The Exc was the frontier then for the
Damnonians, but Athelstan came and
drove them pellmell into Cornwall and
rebuilt the walls Of Exeter. The Cornish
Britons, cooped up among the rocks OF
Cornwall, soon had their avengers. The
Danes came crowding up the Exc with
their black sails and black banners and
wintered in Exeter in $40, rejoicing in Sax
on beeyes and ale. The old red tower still
seen in the Rougemont ruins of today, was
always getting beaten about by stones
from military engines and Clipped by
crossbow bolts William the Conqueror
besleged it, wishing to sieze Githa, mother
Of Harold, and her daughter, but they es-
capped safely to Bruges. while Perkin War
beck, as Richard w." when Joined by the
Cornishmen Of Bodmin, besieged the place,
but unnecessarily, and was finally hanged
at Tyburn.
And so on and on runs the grim story
that has left just enough scar and hardl-
ness on the lovely, leafy old city TO add
mellow charm TO all you may see and
know. Fifty thousand folk do not live to
gether in a more winsome spot in England.
The empowered Devon hills which sur
round IL, the glorious valleys which reach
their greens and blooms to its very doors,
the grand sweep Of the Exc vale TO the
sea, the city's noble old antiques, its beau
tiful streets, half in the shadows Of re
mote architectural past and half in the
sunshine Of modern elegance and adorn
ment, give everything upon which you
look a sweet and winsome face.
10 all blends in that fine sunset glow
which some Of these old cathedral towns
take on so fttingly. The pleasant seeming
smiles back 10 you from polished panes,
from snow white old arches, from bright
red roofs and brighter red banks OF roses.
from marvelously clean stone steps and
areaweys, from bits Of ancient thing, from
doorknobs and brasses glittering like bup
nished gold, from the suggest and trim
NEST Of shop windows; indeed, from al
things that can tell Of substantial, vel
kept age without the sembiance of win
kle OF a frown upon 1T.
You feel this sense of radiating hearth
ness and amplitude again in Exeter around
the market places on these pleasant mar
ket DAYS. All the country folk gathered
here are well garmented comfortable ano
CHEEKY. They all look as though they hao
stepped opt of the 'merrie old England
of the books, now so hard TO find outside
of the covers of those books. Pride glow:
in their faces for old Devon and Exeter
it's capital, and in themselves. They &c
say Dickens found his Fat Boy" Of Ding
ley Dell, among them. And well he might
for they are fat and fine and stanch, one
and all. Rosy, overlapping jowls and oi1
paunches, suggestive Of plum pudding'
and the famous ''clotted cream" OF Devon
are everywhere among them.
You are thus in love with Exeter Ions
before you have many times wandered III
and down Queen and High streets, saun
tered through the arcade of Chapel street
peering into the old half timbered struc
lures that cluster in stately fashion around
the wide cathedral close. and have at last
come among the silences within the great
cathedral walls. A pedant can alone tel
another the exactitudes and measure
ments Of such messy, massive, marvel
Gus edifce. Coming one by one to Eng
lands splendid cathedrals, you will at
least surely remember Of them all those
impressions upon your mind and heart
which seemed most powerfully character
istic of each.
In the sense of architectural distinctive
ness Exeter cathedral will remain 10 your
memory remarkably distinguished from
all other English cathedrals. Their plans
invariably comprise huge central tower
and smaller towers at the west end. Here
are towers browning the ttansepts. This
does away with the usual four cumber
some arches INTELLECTUALLY separating
nave and choir and permits the grandest
uninterrupted view of vault and vista OF
the entire nave and choir to be found In
England.
Two other structural pecuiiarities are
seen in this cathedral. The choir and the
nave are Of equal length, and throughout
the whole edifice the openings are wide
and low, rather than narrow and lofty. The
latter feature contributes greatly, along
with the emnhatic feeling that the struc