The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-12-07
Letter from England.
CHESTER ,IrY, FLINTsHIRE, ENGLAND,
OCr l6 1894

This hnus me ia Merry England, AT one
OF the oldest cities in the kingdom, dating
as it does back to slxty-one years after the
birth OF our saviour.
About 10 "a. III. started on foot for
Hawarden. (HaIden) the home of clad
stone | had intended 10 go by rail but
waited for Cockney friend to accompany
me Till it was TOO late.
A dark gloomy morning with fresh sea-
breeze, road hard as steel and smooth as
a tabie and picturesque landscape. Is 1t
any wonder that my feet seemed to tread
on air and my heart beat IN unison with my
foot steps. Workmen were cleaning the
road as | went along and at intervals OF
twenty yards were piles OF broken stones
ready for any needed repairs. Could We
have such roads in Michigan, country res
| idence would be most desirable, for the en-
tire road is like "a well kept boulevard In
our best cities. How wheelmen would re-
iolce and wnat boom there would be In
real estate prices But we may take heart
when we remember that less than one hun
were well nigh impossible for mud. Our
reform will come much sooner and the
farmers of Michigan can hasten 1t by con-
certed action IN the right direction.
All along the road were country villages,
not great mansions but comfortable homes,
empowered in fowery gardens and sur
rounded by fruit trees, Nearly every place
had its name on the gate post and most of
the names seemed very appropriate to the
place. Several villages with their matched
roo S and children playing near the parish
schools were past, then turn IN the road
and gradual ascend of Il mile and hawar-
den village Is entered. From the hill is
splendid view across the country to CHESTER
whose Cathedral and tower gave 1t the APP
pearance of an old feudal town. The entlIe
stretch of country looked like garden
divided into plots by hedge-rows, adorned
with goodly trees and watered by bright lit
tie streams.
Hawarden is a village Of four hundred
people, but the parish, which takes III the
|
miles has population of about 1000. To
provide adequate religious services for this
population four chapels of Sase, in addition
to the parish church have been erected. In
these buildings social gatherings are held
and similar business attended to. The
schools are mainly under the control OF the
clergy and are elementary in their nature.
In order to prevent these schools from fall
ing into the hands Of the State. the paro-
chial schools must eXpend certain sum OF
money annually for their support. One OF
the main objections 10 the change Is fear
that as soon as Board schools were intro
duced the improvements made would in
crease expenses. This is practically admit
ting the superiority of state schools, and
indeed it seemed to be a foregone conclu-
sion that reform was only question OF
time, wealthy property owners and the
clergy being the most pronounced in their
opposition to the new system. fine mod
ern building has lately been erected in the
village and here instruction in higher
branches is given to the young people, while
an excellent gymnasium furnishes abun-
dant physical development. 1t is called
"The Institute" and is chiefly of benefit to
the poorer classes, since the rich usually
send their children to some well known
college. To some extent il would cores
pond to our high schools, though l should
judge it inferior in every respect except IN
the matter of physical education. This in
stitute is almost the only modern building
in the place. Quaint little cottages with
straw roofs two feet thick, square red brick,
two stored houses with CORNER windows,
little low shops with projecting roofs and
large chi Aneys are found side by side along
the main street, as well as along the lanes
which run in every direction except straight.
In the center of the village is a drinking
fountain erected by the villagers on the &C.
casion of the Gladstone golden wedding in
1889. Near this fountain Is the gate to the
castle grounds. Free entrance is granted to
everybody, as well as permission to use the
main driveway of the estate. The other
walks are either closed by gates or marked
private. From the gate to the castle Is a
winding road of about mile. Under the
oaks and beeches are cattle, quietly feeds
ing and to the right you hear the FLASHING
sound of little waterfall and catch a
glimpse of the smooth surface of a little
lake.
j did not see the grand old man, for he
was not in Hawarden at the time, but his
grandchildren were playing under the
trees as as passed by. The castle is not
open to the public at any time; neither is
| Mr.. Gladstone at home, to strangers, except
on rare occasions. The reason is plain, his
time would be taken up to the exclusion of
more imp Jrtant affairs. saw where tree
had lately been removed and of course l
had the right to conclude that Gladstone
performed part of the work, for in the viii
lage shops are numerous photos OF himself
and family, in which he is leaning in a dig