Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-02-25
LONDON, ENGLAND.
Written By hrs. +. NacklNnoH.
Part Third.


metropolis where a man can get employ
ment without recommendation or
character. At the Dock gates at half
past seven in the morning may be seen
congregated thousands of men of all
grades waiting for their turn to come.
There are bankrupt butchers, bakers
and grocers, sailors, old soldiers, broken
down gentlemen, discharged lawyers.
clerks, servants and thieves. indeed
anyone who wants loaf and is willing
to work for it.
On returning again to the city we
passed the statue of George Peabody,
the great philanthropist, and true son
of America. He was the first man to
improve the condition of the poor in
London, building comfortable little
houses for the workingmen, and also
donating two million five hundred
thousand dollars to them. He also
gave, it will be remembered, generous
sums amounting to several millions of
dollars to found libraries and colleges,
in our eastern cities. He justly deserves
a monument here among the poor of
the east end of London.
The Bank of England and Royal Ex-
change are close together in the center
of the City. The Bank of England is
comparatively an insignificant looking
building, yet it is a perfect hive of
industry; in its interior arrangements
LOO men finding employment and
earning 81, 800 900 per annum within
its walls. The clerks of the Bank of
England are not allowed to marry until
they earn $50 per year; this rule,
which is very good one, is adopted by
all the Joint stock banks in London. If
any clerk violates this law he is immed-
lately discharged. Around this build
ing the pressure of traffic is enormous
and always guarded by soldiers at night
In this vicinity is the Corn Exchange,
Stock Exchange and Leadenhall Mar
ket (meat and game) and not far from
here, about one mile, is ST. Paul's
Cathedral altogether the most interest
ing and usually the first place visited
by the average tourist in this part of
London. st. Pauls was built by one
architect, Sir Christopher Wren, and
finished in thirty-fve years, and
during this period one master
mason, Mr.. Thomas Strong, and
one Bishop, DR.. Henry Compton,
occupied the See, very curious coinci-
dence. For his services Wren received
with difficulty 81 900 year
st. Pauls occupies very nearly the
site of the old Cathedral, in the center
and most elevated part of the City.
The plan is a Latin cross and bears a
general resemblance to that of St
Peters at Rome. Its length from the
East to West wall is 500 it., North to
South $50 it., and width 125 #. Except
at the western end where the two
towers and chapels make this the
principal front, facing Ludgate Hill,
about $50 #. in width. This is the main
entrance, and one ascends to double
portico of coupled columns, twelve
Corinthian pillars, over which is
colossal figure of st. Paul. From the
center of the Cathedral rises an i'm
mense dome, which contains the cele-
brated ''Whlspering Gallery" Here
low whisper, uttered on one side, may
be distinctly heard on the opposite side
of the gallery. Over this is an immense
cross resting on ball. which is reached
by 356 steps from the "Whispering
Gallery" and will hold eight persons,
and GIG steps from the ground floor
''For external elegance we know of no
church in Europe which exhibits
cupola comparable with that of st.
Paul's, while it is admitted that the
interior of the English Cathedral will
bear no comparison with that of the
Roman" The upward view of the
dome of st. Paul's, however, conveys
an impression of extraordinary magnif-
cence; though not SO elevated as st.
Peters it is still very lofty, and has
been considered by many more beauti-
full than that of its rival.
We attended the jubilee Service in
1887 which was choral and rendered
most exquisitely by the choir and
splendid organ which the Cathedral
contains. After service when the
Cathedral was comparatively empty we
walked about looking at the different
tombs and monuments to England's
naval and military heroes, besides
authors, artists and philanthropists. At
the entrance is statue of John How
ard, and at a corresponding point one
of DR.. Johnson. Howard with his
keys is often taken for St Peter, and
Johnson with his scroll, for st. Paul.
Near by is a statue of Sir Joshua
Reynolds, and under the choir a monu-
ment to Lord Nelson, and many others
all more or less connected with English
history. The crypt is now only used as
a place for interment. On the site of
the ancient high altar is the grave of
Sir Christopher Wren, covered by flat
stone bearing this inscription:
Beneath lies Christopher Wren,
builder of this Church and City, who
lived upwards of ninety years not for
himself-but for the public good
1t has been remarked that if West
minister Abbey has its "Poets' Corner"
so has st. Pauls its Painters Corner"
Besides Sir Joshua Reynolds, Van
Dyck, Turner, and West several