Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-26
BACK FROM EUROPE.
MR.. 8. 9. r. PATTEsOy TELLS OF
HIS TRAVELS ABROAD.
ENGLISH TREES SMALLER THAN OURS
other Things That Attract the At
tention of Observant Travellers
Pleased with Paris and the French.
Caught by nm Avalanche.

formed as American travellers" said Mr..
s. S. p. Patteson last night in talking
with Dispatch reporter about his in
teresting trip abroad. "Messrs. Granville
G. Valentine. NJ. 8. Valentine, and ]. l..
Antrim were my travelling companions.
We returned TO dear old Richmond just
in time to vote in the primary. We
sailed from New York on the 4th Of Au-
gust, on the Majestic, one Of the fast
ships of the famous white-star Line.
We left Sandy Hook Lightship at las P.
NJ, and arrived at Daunt's Rock, Ire
land, at 1913 p. NJ, August 10th, the
passage occupying G days, hours, and
IS minutes
''The sea was smooth during the whole
voyage, and no one was SICK Life on
board was very pleasant. as the pas
sengers were from all over the world,
and were remarkably entertaining. Our
best run was made on the lastsday. and
was 451 miles. The distance over the
course. from land TO land, was 2,So7 miles,
but the whole distance to Liverpool was
3.Oii miles. One finds great difficulty in
keeping the time on board ship. the DIFF
ANANhNt bNAnffh lS4NtlIDDl ana hlCnmOnQ
being about hours. The average length
Of day going TO Europe in a ship travel
ling as fast as the Majestic is % hours
and 10 minutes but returning II is "a
hours and 50 minutes.
HIGH HATS TABOOED.
mo one wears a high hat outside OF
sandy Hook" said Mr.. Patteson. "a
mans headgear at sea IS a bicycle cap.
The lifeboats hanging I'm the davits make
ore feel uncomfortable when he thinks
that at any time. in case of disaster. he
may be out on the great Atlantic at the
mercy Of the waves. The Majestic is a
reserve cruiser Of the British navy. and
was launched June %, 1889. She is an
immense ship, and is capable Of sailing
from Portsmouth to Bombay I'm twenty
two days via the Cape Of Good Hope
WITHOUT coaling on the way. Some 300
persons can be seated I'm the dining-room
at one time. Her gross tonnage is 1000
Liverpool is a clean place, and evil
IDENTIFY a city Of great wealth and pros
perity. They have a custom-house, and
England is not entirely free trade. but
the inspection Is light and the inspectors
look chiefly for tobacco and cologne.
THE first idea one gets OF England
after leaving Liverpool IS that the trees
are smaller than ours, and he never gets
over this impression, for they are no.
where as large. But he soon reaches
the conclusion that II IS the best groomed
country in the world. The wheat crop
was being harvested in August. and It
was much cooler there than in Virginia.
The people are very polite and kind, and
no Vlrginian could fail to feel at home
They articulate more distinctly than we
do. and there is something particularly
N-g. fV4 III
they greet strangers. although, as a rule,
the people do not appear TO be quite as
large as the average Virginian or Ameri-
can. This was my impression, at least.
SHAKESPEARE'S OLD HOME.
Standardization is one OF the love-
Hest places in the world" Mr.. Patteson
continued as he grew more enthusiastic;
1.-THE little river Avon is az beautiful as
n dream. and no one can visit that town
"~1 f"N to he inspired nv its charming.
fairy-like appearance. He IS impressed
Dy the fact that IL is Shakespeare birth
place, and its quaint drea2y atmos-
phere is so fascinating that he does not
doubt that Shakespeare lived there, but
he feels as II he might meet a poet at
every turn OF the road. There, at the
Red-Horse Hotel, every American IS
shown the chair once used by our great
fellow countryman, Washington Irving
whose fame as writer still continues TO
grow among all English-speaking people.
The thatched-roof cottage of the Hatha-
ways, where Shakespeare courted Anne
Hathaway, remains unchanged, and is
still occupied by a member Of the family.
The great bard's birthplace and all of its
surroundings show that he was a man or
the people. How he managed to know
everything, and to know 1t so accurately,
will always be riddle The idea that
genius is the capacity for taking infinite
pains does not apply to him, for he SEEM
ed TO know everything intuitiyely. Any
one versed in the learning OF the law may
see that he used all technical legal ex-
pressions with absolute accuracy.
I'VE drove from Stratford over to War
wick. The castle IS, perhaps, the most
beautifully kept OF any In Europe, ana
yet It looks homeless 20 an American who
has visited Mt. Vernon, the most ideally
beautiful spot for a home I'm all the
world England has no Washington and
no Potomac. Warwick Castle is suited
to form OF live happily unknown TO
our country. The numerous peacOckS
about the castle seemed TO like It.
OXFORD UP TO EXPECTATIONS.
oxford IS what the man, who has read
"'rom Brown at oxford" and "Verdant
Green" expects to find. In the great
Bodlean Library we hate 10 leave the in
yiting shelves but there is no time 10
stay long anywhere, and we hurried
away to the Sheldonian Theatre, where the
degrees are conferred upon graduates,
and stop there q moment 10 remember
that it was from the gallery OF this
theatre that Oliver Wendell Holmes was
greeted, when the degree was conferred
upon him, with the question; Did he
come in the One Horse Shay? London
is immense and yet it is one Of the most
orderly cities in the world. There is
no such thing as jam on It's great
thoroughfares. When a policeman OBJ
serves that there is a chance Of such an
occurrence he holds up one hand, and
every vehicle Immediately stops until he
gives the word for them to move. Every
body obeys this regulation without hest
tation and without question, and by this
means traffic is handled without any
serious delay. No one is in hurry there
as we are here and in New York, and yet
they seem to accomplish great deal.
"A stranger might stay in London a
year and not half know the place. and
vet II is not difficult TO find ones way
anywhere from Charing Cross. There
are no street-cars, but there are immense
numbers OF omnibuses, drawn usually by
two horses. Most people ride on the
tops of these vehicles, and the fare is
very small. Cab fares are high and
the horses poor.
Everybody visits Westminster Abbey,
st. PauPs, the National Gallery, the
British Museum, Madam Tussaud's,
HYDE Park. st. James Park, and Hamp-
ron Court. We saw these places num-
her of times and many others, among
them 81. Sepulchre's church, where Cap
tain John Smith is buried.
TRIRIvTD OF AN AMERICAN LADY.