The St. Johns herald., 1898-11-05
ENGLISH SUMMER SPORTS.

All England in Summer is one large pleasure resort. To say that America is great place for sports would be to give utterance to an untruth; but it would give a false impression, as the British Isles is the greater place for amusements.
 We Americans often speak of the low wages in England, and when compared with the wage of Westerner it is small indeed. But let the people have a small wage, we are not to infer from that that the people do nothing except work. While tracing this Summer 1 generally ask the people if they read the Gospel tracts left the week before and as 6 rule the answer is.
 "We were of on our holidays this week and could not get time to read them," or something to that effect.
 The national holidays are Good Fri pay, Easter Monday. Whitsun Monday, first Monday in August, Christmas and Boxing day (Dec. 26). After or before these legal holidays they have 3, f or 7 days vacation. Besides these are many others. Each town, village or borough has its gala, tide or feast which lasts or 3 days. Most large factories give their employees special holidays varying from 8 days to two weeks. Every Tuesday afternoon in this district the grocers add other mer- chants close their shops and stors, for it is their weekly holiuay. Saturday afternoon mill employees and that class of laborers have thelr weekly holidays. All this isregulated by parliament. h. spectors are appointed whose duties are to see that each mill. factory. groc- cry store and other occupation furn- ishes it's employees sufficient rest and recreation. For instance, the mill hands are to labor so many hours year and the inspector is to see that this rule is enforced. So if one takes into account the national, County. city, factory and weekly holidays iR summer it seems that the people use the summer as one continual vacation.
 Most people spend their vacations at the seadide to such resorts as those of Blackpool, Morecambe, Southport and Brighton. There they get the fresh sea breeze and can all ehioy a variety of sports. Yachting. rowing, bathing, donkey-riding and courting (especially the later) are favorite pastime on the coast. Some prefer the euietness of the country and spend their vacations reading, carriage and horseback rid ing and sleeping. Others go to the large cities, e. g. London. Manchester Doncaster. Newcastle, Leeds, Noting ham, Sheffield and Bradford. Ther they witness the cattle and horse fairs, the races, cricket games, and attend the mammoth circuses, theaters and galas which are only found in the biz towns.
 Thus, you see, our English friends do not have all work and no play" It is perfectly necessary that they have their recreatIons occasionally for the reason that the kind of work most peo- pie have in England would make them a very unhealthy and shortlived peo- pie were it not for these vacations, A great many of these people spend all their Winter savings for these Summer pIeasantrIes. My idea before I came to this land that English people were 6 community nearly worked to death, has changed greatly.
 To see these English races is a great sight, Much interest is taken in horse races and cricket matches. At these times the people dress very curiously. The men wear plaid bloomeIs and leather leggins and the women wear short dresses of an odd colors and large hats with part of peacock covering the crown and flowers under the brim. The people dress just as though they were the jockeys. Horse races are swell affairs, not so much for the excitement during the running as for the style of the populace that attend them. So much for English sports. What have written is merely my observation while :! doing my duty in England. Not for getting nsy native territory nor it's peo- pie, am.
 Gours very truly
 Jas. ". Lesueur.