The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-24
I A. MONTHS \ | j
TRAVELS
in EUROPE.
Mr.. Joseph speidel Talks Entertain
ingly Of His Experiences
in Europe. . /,
ENGLAND BEHIND THE TIMES.
Germany the Most Prosperous coun-
f tryiHe visited-Greatly Disap-
SSiS pointed in Paris.

I s
an European trip extending over q per-
iod OF month, and while there he
made. some observations OF an interest,"
ing nature. Mr.. speidel was accom-
panied by his son, Jesse, who is still in
Paris. While in Germany Mr.. speidel
contracted a severe cold, compelling
him TO make his so1ourn brlefer than
was bis original intention. He sailed
from New York July, T., on the Ameri-
cpn liner st. Louis, and landed at
Southampton on the 18th.
They remained In London eight days
and at Harwicls they embarked for Hol-
land, crossing the North Sea. They
then went by rail to Amsterdam. They
here visited the diamond cutting es-
Adjustments and ancient churches. AT
Cologne they visited the ruins of the
Dom church. which was erected in
1900 and was sixty years in building.
This church Is colossus in size and
teens with old paintings and relics.
They visited cities on the Rhine. and
saw the celebrated bridge spanning the
Rhine which Caesar crossed on his way
to and from Rome. The bridge con-
talned a bust OF Caesar, carved in
stone. They travelled by boat along
the Rhine and visited Frankfort, where
Rothschild laid the nest egg Of his mil
lions and still has bank.
AT Heidelberg they visited the ruins
of the Heidelberg castle. one OF the
most extensive OF Europe. 1t contains
a casls that holds $4,000 bottles Of
wine and has only been filled three
times. The castle was built In 1900 and
contains n statue Of a kings Jester that
was reputed to drink eighteen bottles
of wine every day he lived. Napoleon
captured, this tower In 1906 and UNDER
mined and blew 1t up. The part blown
| up Is twenty-five feet thick and ap-
| pears as solid to-day as It was the
day It was blown up. over one. hun
bred years ago. Heidelberg had be-
| tween $4,000 and 10000 inhabitants and
was noted for the fine quality OF Its
beer. The beer sold for. two and one
half cents glass and the glasses were
three times us large as what we Amer
leans pay five cents for. It was the
famous Bavarian brand. had a dark
color and had n rich taste.
At Strassburg they visited the IA
nous cathedral that has been in the
course OF erection for six years. Mr..
Speidel said the men were working on
1t the day they were there. After leav-
Ing Strassburg they went to Paris by
easy stages. !
/ Mr.. Speidel said he was greatly dis.
appointed In Paris. He has always
been led to believe 1t beautiful city
but. he said, 1t could not be compared
to New York. 1t had not the fine build.
ings. nor were the modes Of conveyance
+ as good.
In speaking OF the exposition Mr.
Speidel said It was not to be compared
with the Worlds Fair at Chicago. II
was not laid out MS Systematically. moi
had they the room. There were thirty.
four different spaces for American cx-
hibits. Americans were hampered for
space. The Westinghouse people
i own outside OF the electric.
al exhibit on account OF the
cramped condition OF that building
The Mccormick agricultural implement
people had also done this and they were
handicapped on this account.
The Americans had also n fine exhib-
1t ut Vincennes, six miles from the
exhibition This was found necessary
on account of lack of space In the ex-
position proper. Mr.. SpeIdel said the
French were Jealous of we Americans
and put US off with as little space as
possible.
The tickets for the exposition were
placed on sale In the Bourse. which
corresponds to our board OF trade, and
were sold us low as twenty centlmes
(four cents). Fakirs bought them up
when they were selling at low figure
and then peddled them on the streets rs
low as five cents and as high as twenty
1 cents.
On the Friday night before leaving
Paris, Mr.. SpeIdel saw the electrical H.
Elimination OF the grounds and the
naval parade on the Seine. To wit
ness this spectacle II was necessary to
purchase four tickets of admission at
seven cents each, making the price OF
admission twenty-elght cents.
i Hotel rates In Paris were very high,
especially for good service. The cab
rates were not unreasonable and the
service good. A "cabby" however, al
ways expected tip. Mr.. Speidel said
this was noticeable feature through
/
service performed the walter expected
a tip. In some places they would line
up and await their turn. Americans
especially would be expected to come
/ forth because they were supposed to
be each an individual Croesus.
Il Mr.. Speidel said England seemed to
be prosperous and the people seemed to
have plenty Of money. They were not
up-to-dnte as far as means Of Transport
tation was concerned. They were far
and away behind the United States In
this respect. The passenger coaches
had only four wheels and were about
twenty feet In length. Entrance
Is through Il small door ut the side,
which, after the passenger has entered,
is closed md locked. Passengers trav-
elled first, second and third class. First
clnss cost from four to five cents, Sec
ond class. two md onn-haif to three
cents, and third class. one cent mile.
Everybody there said TINT only fools
and Americans travelled frs. class.
The engines were very small and about
one-third the size OF those In this
country. The freight cars had q ca
| paclty OF only ten tons and had only
four wheels like the passenger coaches.
| All countries of Europe Ind the same
style OF conveynnces that England had.
In Holland when the conductor on Il
train blew horn It wns signal for
another attache on the train to blow
likewise and after tcn-minutes pnrley
the train would pull out. Before start
Ing fellow would walk along side the
train ringing bell to notify everybody
to be aboard.
In Holland and Germany there were
no fences In the agricultural regions.
| Thny hnI No I'm tIpu ~, n nh t,a, thI,,
being done In the most crude way. It
was not m uncommon thing to see n
woman behind n plow, TO which were
| attached n tanm Of cnwa 1fE. y