St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-14
LETTER FROM LONDON.
The Revolution In the Attitude Of the English
Press Towards Acknowledgement scenes
Abundant Haryests.


The Revolution In the Attitude Of the English
Press Towards Acknowledgements scenes
Abundant Harvests.
Under the date of August 20, President
Buckham writes the Burlington Free
Press from London such an interesting
letter that we are sure it will interest
CALIFORNIAN readers.
Dear Free Press An American in Eng
land this season has new sensation.
He reads the American news in the Eng
lsh newspapers with some satisfaction.
Not only is the tone friendly, but the
facts are given accurately and without
bias, and the comments are intelligent.
The older men one meets do not so readi-
Nv exchange cordial sympathy for the
traditional British hauteur, but most OF
the Younger men are not only thorough
ly we'll informed on American matters
but heartily side with us in the great
issues of the times. The only exception
have met with is very clever popular
orator in the employ oil the Primrose
League who said to me- I'll doubt the
sincerity of this friendly talk on the part
of YOU Americaiis. Wait till the next
presidential campaign and see if both
your republicans and democrats do not
twist the lions tail as usual in order to
catch votes"
Burlington people will envy us the
pleasure Of hearing DR.. Watson in his
own pulpit. But in Liverpool he is not
DIR. Watson nor Ian McLaren, but John
Watson" You must inquire for John
Watsons church" said man in tram
car. think can say deliberately that
John Watson in his pulpit is greater
man than Ian McLaren in his books.
His thought was fresh and original; his
feeling genuine and Deep and the use he
made of his text and his thought and his
feeling was in the highest degree spiritual
and moving The congregation was
large and should say unusually inteli-
gent and devout. DR.. Watson well re.
membered Burlington, and spoke most
cordially OF the people he met there. He
said he often told in subsequent lectures
the story of the Burlington woman who
said she was not Scotch, had neither
Scotch father nor mother nor any known
relative, but she had a nurse whose par
ents were Scotch.
For many years English friends and
travelled Am. ricans have been constant
ly saying to me: "Ah, but you should go
to Devonshire!" l have been to Devon
shire and hereafter shall say to my
friends "Ah, but you should go to Devon
shirel" In this phrase Devonshire means
several IL ings. 1t means the rural beau
ties of the agricultural parts, rich fields
set about with hedges and hedge row
elms; dark red, broad-horned Devon cat
tie; fruit orchards, woods OF oak and
sycamore, pretty winding lanes. 1t
means picturesque old seaport towns
like Biddeford and Clovelly, and modern
pleasure resorts like llfracombe and West
ward Ho! 1t means cliffs and headlands,
and deep narrow valleys between tower
ing hills and moorlands purple with
heather and swept by ozony bretzes.
And perhaps more than all it means the
associations which romance has thrown
around it associations of adventure,
and love and patriotism, appealing to
every true and natural heart in the pages
OF Kingsley and Blackmore. What Burns
and Walter Scott have done for Scotland,
these two English writers have done for
Devonshire Whoever read Westward
Ho! acknowledgement see Biddeford and
Clovelly, or Lorne Doone without plan.
ing for visit to Doone Valley-or who
ever visited these spots without reading
or rereading these wonderful rornances
Nor does it much matter that the mag
NATIVE and the real scenes do not always
aeree-that the "Ship Inn" at Biddeford
is rather commonplace building and
the water slide in the Doone Valley not
so steep as we had iancied it, there is so
much else that no description could even
remotely approach All, yes, you should
see Devonshire!
We shall not sell England as much
wheat as usual during the coming year.
Harvest is now in progress, and amid
ideal harvest weather, an immense crop
is being gathered. Passing through the
country you hear on all hands the click
of the American reaper. The estim ated
average yield is about 80 bushels OF
wheat to the acre. full so per cent greater
than the average of our Western States.
But an American can't help plying the
English people especially the poorer
class in the matter of fruit. Wha. rub
Dish they are now selling at the fruiter's
for apples-worm-specked wind-falls-at
cents per pound-commended to buyers
as home grown" British lruit," etc.
Tomatoes are grown only under glass
and sell at our winter prices. We are
wondering If fruit will be as delicious as
we now think it will when we get home
where it is good and cheap. Butt flow
ers the Englanders beat us out and out
especially in roses. There seems to be
something in theclimate especially favor
able to the rose. We visited yesterday
the famous rose premises of Messrs. Paul
at Waltham Cross where we saw roses
by the acre in something like 1000 varie-
ties all in bloom, and, in spite of the
drought, in sumptuous condition. There
is some meaning in the rose being Eug-
lands national flower. Every English
man loves it and il he has not garden
to grow it in he trains it over his cottage
door or covers his walls with it. Cot.
tagers compete at the prize rose shows
and carry off no contemplate prizes.
wish we Americans had some national
flower that we could so love, and into
the growing Of which we could put so
much heart.
SeDtember Garden Work