The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-16
MAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
The wauderer Writes Again About
Old Cathedral Towns.
SOME PLEASURES OF THE ROAD.
An Eloquent aud Practical Plea for
Better Roads In AmcrIcn..Thc An.
cient City of Exctcr..Its Glorious
Environment, Sunny Aspect and
Noble Cathedral
fcopYnIonr. lggg. BY EDGAR l. wAxsxAx.l

GPtcl4s GOFTGtpohtIHIOI INC 40 SAtJ'NNt''
EXETER, England, July 9, lS99.-NH-
ture wears other aspects than those OF
sunshine and gladness in those tight
little" British islands.
The rain falls asthough tumblcd upon
you by mischiovou4 elves who have
watched for your unwary coming, and
the logs and mist flap about the hills
and mountains and slap tho faces OF tho
glens and valleys like ships unstaid
sails pounding its deck in q storm.
But you find sovereignty Of elation
and exultation in wandering alone
among the historic and sccnic glories OF
any land. A good staff or stick, stout
pair OF legs, receptive mind, and
above all chccry and sympathetic
heart, weatcvcr your luck, arc tho regal
companions for such lettering.
And nature never fails to appear to
single leVotees At her myriad doors and
windows with radiant welcominGs.
How witchirg is even this foggy morn
ing, half disclosing tho wondrous
charms Of valley, mead and strcam |!
AT times scarcely can your hand be
seen before YOU for tho strange cddies,
curlngs and fantastic convoluti0ns OF
the fog. There Is Jour road, hard as
british conservatism" beneath your
feet-one OF the best and surcst and
most beautiful ways in nil tho world,
bringing to the heart OF the American
wsndercr upon it tho keen and patri-
otto pang that those OF his grander
land are ashamed by honoss compare
son.
Even, in tho dazzle and fog you can
not mistake both OF these hard facts.
What may be to the right or left or be-
fore, yonr fancy quickened by the
mornings awakening life, intensified
by near and far mysterious sounds, can
alone locate or divine. Tramp, tramp.
tramp, bravely as you may, these grow
into consciousness 80 imperative OF
recognition that, despite yourself, ever
and again you stop to Listen.
Drip, drip, drip from the leaves OF
the hedges into water basins OF rock,
the great drops striking like silvc: pei
lets upon swinging glass; until the very
chimes OF the fairies are rung in your
ears beside the road. Not rod away,
but invisible, rivulets OF tho nights
making wimple from rocks to pools, in
all manner OF melodic runs, from the
staccato OF tenor trills to the barytone
minors OF stately psalms.
Just at your side perhaps goose will
suddenly hiss, US II reaching its long
neck from fog hidden door puddle to
snap at you from behind the Curtaining
mist. Beyond or behind some chained
dog, making dismal hewgag OF kennel
door and chain, leaps in and out, bay
ing to his peasant master of nntlmely
footsteps. Over your head the restless
abrasion OF boughs whisper that the
leaves, from their weight OF fog cups,
sigh and moan as if impatient OF their
sunless prisoning. Hedge branches
crackle from the water weight, as in the
frost battles of approaching winter.
Here and there, as the heavy breezes
move triAe, come the hesitant pipe OF
stirring bird, the patter OF wild hares'
feet upon the slippery leaves, the
shuffling scamper OF some skulking
pheasant, the complaining chatter OF
rocks and davis, the half caught, hoarse
resonance OF hidden waterfall, while
faint and far and strangely mutiled,
from little hamlets in the distance. the
notes OF school bells steal family along
the folds OF the clinging mist.
PLEASURES OF THE ROAD.
Making your way is sometimes like
pushing through impalpablc banks of
snow. But in the CHEEKY old English
inn, in the presence OF mullins white Us
snow, bacon crisp and brown, an omelet
Us yellow as frost painted beech leaf, a
Jug Of "clotted" cream as sweet as q nut
kernel and fragrant brewing OF tea in
the delft pot under the ..'cosey," you
have reason to rejoice in tho blood
tingle thai comes from doing hall
dozen miles before breakfast over n
perfect road, through genuine British
fog.
It wrs on such morning that Ecame
over tho east Devonshire hills and halt
cd at wayside inn, still high up among
the wooded heights, as l neGred tho old
cathedral town OF Exeter As the fog
lifted could sec from my inn window
cart aftcr cart jogging comfortably on 70
the Saturday market da; sales in Exeter.
From tho busting good wife OF thu inn
/ Inquired the distance they had come.
.'From round about Bow, CoppIestone
and North Tawton, she answered.
'cAnd how far is the farthest of those
places ~ l asked.
North Tawton may DO likes ten or
twelve mile, sir, Mt least from Exeter"
told her thought that n good dis
taHee for heavily laden cart drawn by
only one horse.
"Contrarywise," sho rctortcd cheer.
ily, "many comes from iur. beyond Egg.
gcstord and Chumleigh, twenty-five
mile, sir, by hill and dip; and many
carts, sir. do DO loaded as heavy as q
ton and half and two tons, sir. Amer.
lean beasties 'avcn't the might OF Devon
cattlo, am told sir" she concluded
hall quiGzically.
Quito right sho was. told hor. And
clipped tho wings Of her De"onshire
prido by also relating, may tho saints
forgive mo! how We did not require
that sort Of cattle in America; as We
had railways between ali villages, all
over our farms Il could havo truthtully
said, railway mortgagos), did chores on
roller skatos, and won't to tho milking
and visited noighbors OH tram cars pro
PEELED by electricity, for all Of which
sho made me pay handsomely ut the
reckoning.
That morning, all the way TO Exeter,
alon gside those huge carts which
bowlSd along under their grcat lo0ds as
easily as over cathedral floor, and in
a thousand other places on the high
WAYS OF England, Ireland and Scotland
i have inexpressibly tonEod Tor the
-. A. L.IiI,, trurofar anna nj Ihnar