The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-12
HOSMER IN
YORKSHIRE
Travels of the Late
President of
Oahu
AT EARLDOM
OF RICHMOND
Visits to Other interesting Places
in the Old Country-R Ruins
Of Greyfriars.

An early morning drive through the
West Riding of Yorkshire, once the
haunt of Robin Hood and his merry
men, brought to mind Sir Walter
SCOTS description in the early chap
tiers of Ivanhoe. The smooth, we'll
made country road leads US through an
occasional grove with it's grateful
shade, and then out into the morn
ing's sun again. Over the hedges the
eye beholds fields of rich green barley,
made bright with the scarlet petals OF
numerous peoples. Here and there
stone farmhouses with their outbuild-
ings are seen, and an appearance OF
moderate prosperity and quiet comfort
seems TO pervade the country side
We follow to the south the old Roman
road-''Watling street"-over which the
imperial eagles have been carried by
the legions of the Caesars in the latter
days of the empire. Until the last CEN
fury this ancient turnpike was the
means of communication between Lon
don and the north. It's Importance as
the former Edinburgh stage route has
been lost in these days of rapid tran
sit. Our destination is Richmond, the
seat of the historic earldom of that
name. John of Gaunt was made Earl
of Richmond by his father, Edward
III, before he became Duke of Lam
caster. and Harry of Richmond, an
other duke of Lancaster, was pro-
claimed Henry VII on Bosworth Field.
Soon after passing Aske Hall. the
seat of the Marquis of Zetland, We
gained considerable hill, at the foot
Of whose terraced slope the towers and
roofs of Richmond, nesting in the little
valley of the Swale, form a beautiful
panorama. No wonder this noble pros
pect caught the fancy of the artist,
Turner, who has painted the scene
Here we were met by friends, resi-
dents of the place, who guided US to
the chief points of interest, so that
our time was employed to the best ad-
vantage. AS we traversed the narrow
and crooked streets and lanes lined
with ancient houses it seemed as II
this quaint cid place had been Just
awakened from a Rip Van Wrinkle
back to the medieval time. Naturally,
our feet turned toward the ancient
castle whose grand old Norman keep
stands out as the most prominent Yea
ture of the town. We examined il ali
the whole five acres of area, enclosed
by the ruined wall eleven rect thick,
and in some places standing at its
original height of thirty feet Beneath
the keep, built by a Norman baron IN
1146, tradition says King Arthur and
his knights of the Round Table lie
spell bound in a mysterious sleep"
One of tn etowers is named from Rob-
in Hood, but no legend hints at a rea-
son. The castle dungeons have held
King William of Scotland, King David
Bruce, and also Charles I, after Mas
by. In recent years barracks have
been erected within the castle yard.
and when the foundations were dug,
many headless skeletons were exhum-
ed. the victims doubtless of summary
martial law. In another part of the
area there are said to have been buried
who died of the plague in 1897 Be-
meath the castle walls, and leaning
against them, are the homes of former
artisans, tradespeople and dependents,
and these stone houses, some OF them
being six hundred years old. are still
though an atmosphere of In
sanitation is plainly perceived. One old
close, occupied by several families, Is
entered by q lane too narrow for a
wagon to pass. Winter Goals are
brought through this in bags. There
are no drains, closets, OF cesspools, and
all garbage is still, as of yore. carried
out by this winding passage in tubs.
The market place Is just below the en-
trance to the castle, ana presents a
mingling of past and present.
castle walls, and a market cross yet
stands in the center of the square. In
this are still to be seen the iron
rings to which criminals were tied
when publicly fiogged. The pillory and
stocks which were once at the foot OF
the cross, have been removed. Near
by, we were told, the old Maypole
stood-the center of the village festivi-
ties. On one side of the square is q
sight seldom seen. Holy Trinity
Church, erected in 1860, though still
used as a chapel. has its basement d.
vided off into stores, a bank, and q
barber shop, from the rent Of which
the pastors salary is provided. The
signs and colored pole seem incongru-
Gus enough. when we observe the
Gothic windows and stained glass just
above. It was market day when we
visited the place. and the square was
occupied with country wagons Of every
description. Eggs, poultry, game, fruits,
l. - - ~ H.