Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-10-23
Letter From EneIand.

London, Eng, Oct. 7, 1900.
Friend Haines:
Dear Sir.-My wife and 1 returned
from our Scottish and English lake trip
on the 4th. having been little over two
weeks making the round. Both going
and coming we passed through the most
beautiful and most interesting parts of
England and Scotland. The main cities
visited were Nottingham, Birmingham.
Derby, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburg and
Glasgow. On account of the Plague we
only spent about two hours in the latter
city. To me, the city OF the greatest in
terest visited was Edinburgh, containing
$50. 600 inhabitants. Itis in every way
the most compact and solidly built CITY
have seen here or in America. In the
first place every house and public build
ing in it, large and small, are made of cut
stone. did not see a single building
within the city limits made of brick or
weather boards-all stone, and every
building has slate or tile roof-nearly
all slate, however No wooden shingles
or tin are used for roofing either in Eng
land or Scotland. The great scarcity of
timber in both countries of course ac-
counts for so little wood being used, but
was of the impression that wooden
shingles were brought here from America
ocean treights being so cheap. Even
the mountains we saw in the northern
part of England and Scotland, like those
in Southern California, have no timber
upon them. ALI the streets in Edinburgh
are paved with stone. cut and set on edge,
like Broadway, New York, is paved, and
consider the main business street there
handsomer than either Broadway or
Pennsylvania avenue in Washington. 1t
is as wide as the latter, and the buildings
are five and six stories high, of much
prettier style of architecture, and the
sidewalks are 20 feet wide instead of 10.
All buildings and most of the fences in
Scotland are made of stone. Hedges
take the place OF stone fences in England,
but as you draw near London brick be-
gins to predominant for building pur-
poses. Almost every chimney top in both
countries has terra Gotta pipe about 3
feet long on it In looking over the tops
of the houses here in London they are
almost as thick as stubbles in wheat
field. and look extremely odd.
OF course, friend Haines, know that
most of the readers of your valued paper
are more or less familiar with the history
of this part of the world but there are
some things of minor detail which even
Macaulay overlooked, which interest me,
and likely would others.
None of the railroads here cross each
other at grade-the same with all roads and
public highways must 90 either
under or over the railroad. You cannot
cross the railroad tracks even in stations.
There is either a .unnel under the track
or bridge overhead, through which you
must pass 70 go from one side of platform
to the other. The tracks are drepressed
about three feet below the floor of sta.
tions, so that passengers step onto trains
on a level with the floor of the coaches
avoiding stepping up OF down. Nearly ali
the bridges are made OF stone or brick
arched- We passed over the great Forth
bridge. the main span of which is zoe
feet wider than the main span of Brook
lyn bridge, only it is on the cantilevei
plan. l regard it more wonderful than
the Brooklyn bridge, the highest part oi
the iron work being over 500 feet above
the water level.
Before reaching Edinburgh we stopped
and spent one day at Melrose, where i.
located the grand old ruin of Melross
Abbey. From that point we drove tc
DrYborough Abbey. where Sir Walter
Scott lies buried-then to Abbottsford
his beautiful home on the river Tweed
which is furnished and arranged just a:
he left it. Among the relics and many
costly and beautiful things given him and
gathered by him. during his eventfu
life. were two pistols and a blotting boot
found in Napoleon's carriage at Water
loo; lock of " Bonnie Prince Charles
hair; also a glass tumbler upon which
Robert Burns cut some verses with {
| diamond; and Rob Roy's sword and