Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-09-20
A Trip Across the Big Pond.
BY G. W. BLISS.

Ju1i gNtItdll. olIt hdS d''hlf - ~ ~
the sea was seen to be full of small
Jelly fishes, as large as sauce plates,
which were thrown back from our
Prov as we plowed along. These
were continuous until So'clock when
they were only occasionally seen.
IF you multiply i hours by II miles
per hour you will get IS miles of
ielly-hsh. But whether we passed
through them leugthwise, or across
a line Of them 1000 miles long we
shall never know. Swallgulls and
petrels, known a. Mother Carey's
chickens. follow ships clear across
the ocean, resting Oh the pillows
when tired.
The northern coast Of the Emerald
Isle il not 50 emerald al this season
Of the year as Iowa Co, WIS. Its
hills are bare and brown while ours
are covered with green trees. The
hilliness and barrenness of large
tracts surprised me, who had always
thought OF Ireland as low and damp.
We passed BY miles Of picturesque
brown rocks, ornamented with hun
dreds Of white sea birds clmging to
their sides. The Giants Causway
stands out in the bold relief with its
huge perpendicular columns Of dark
baealt
We ran into the Monille Bay to
put off IA few tons of mail sacks, and
the passengers got Il good view of an
old ruined castle by the sea, part
covered with ivy, and part used as
the foundation of more modern
wooden building. The ferns seemed
to be highly cultivated and crops
good.
During that evening we were all
on deck looking at the rocky isIets
in the Irish Sea between Ireland and
Scotland. Darkness came; we went
below. In the u. IN. we were past
tn" Isle of Man aud fast approach
ing Liverpool, This is the second
city Of Great Britain, and the largest
seaport in the world her docks, built
Of solid masonry, extending for miles
along the shores. Into these docks
come ships Of all nations, the largest
ones being able TO lie alongside, even
at low tide, and discharge their
carEoes. Liverpool is somewhat lar
ger than Boston, has fewer manu-
factures, fine streets, electric cars on
elevated road along the docks, and
is a wideawake business centre. The
great ship canal from Liverpool to
Manchester, which cost So many
pounds and so many years to build,
has greatly increased business. To
be sure 1t aid not cost So much, nor
was it SO difficult feat Of engineer
ing, ~ the new Chicago canal, but
we Americans must not brog too
much.
The London and Northwestern
railway, with its four steel tracks
from Liverpool to London, is Justly
called one of the best of its kind. 1t
carries passengers 1876 miles for about
SlOO and does it in four hours aud
thirty minutes. Like all Old World
roads, the cars are divided crosswise
into compartments to hold eight or
ten persons. These compartments are
Of three grades corresponding to the
three classes Of tickets sold All are
well cushioned, lighted and yenti-
lated, but there is no drinking water,
no conductor, and no boy with chew
ing gum and daily papers. Such nee
essaries of life are obtained at the
The country is fertile, gently roll
ing and very highly cultivated, the
crops being grains, hay and roots.
Fine stock seems abundant, but the
farm horses are slow and would not
suit a western Yankee. The absence
Of Indian corn is noticeable, also OF
fences, the place Of the latter being
taken by hedges Of thorus, etc. The
roads are fine, but crooked and mar
row and they always pass either uu-
der or over tine railroads, there being
no grade crossings.