Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-08-14
-From Top of Omnibus
LOOKING DOWN on THE WORLDS LAR
aInsr CITY.

81 WALTER NfiadAas = oolCAhAh dEhAlh
LOOKING DOWN on TFFE WORLDS LAR
eEsT CRY.
LONDON, May 29s-The Londoner
gets about IN one Of two ways. He
either rides below ground in a steam
railway or up in the air on top OF an
omnibus. The street level Is seldom
used. We preferred to get on the roof
Of the bus. The underground rail-
ways arc stniTy, smoky, disagreeable.
When the easy trick o. climbing on
and on the huge bus has been learned
this method OF transportation Is far
~pleasanter. London houses, streets
and people can be seen so well in no
other way. "1tfs the only Christian
plan OF travelling 10 London, +" declared
Hon. George +. Parker. the efficient
st. Louis Worlds Fair Commissioner
TO Great Britain. Let us, then, jour
ney together through this big town on
'hus top. London is actually Dig
town. Immense as it is-th9 largest
city upon this planet and growing
rapidly-it appears a huge village. Its
houses are not ON the magnificent
scale one might expect, its streets are
narrow and crooked and its people
have not the alersGeSs and clipper
style that one has come TO believe to
be inseperable from city residence.
London is not a beautiful city. 1t
has a dingy though comfortable look.
Paris is a great garden of glory; Lon
don is a workshop, a saie-room and a
sleeping apartment. The English me
tropolis is blessed with a multitude Of
parks, which afford the breathing
place for the enormous population but
the parks are largely open meadows I'M
spotted with statues and unadorned
with art galleries and museums. There
are no s~ky-seraping structures in Lon
don. They are not allowed. Valuable
as land is-in the city proper it sells
at five million dollars an acre!-the
use Of the sky for building sites is not
permitted and there are few structures
over five or six stories in height. More
than this-there are open courts and
grass-plots in the very midst Of the
most intense life and space set apart
in this way is not thought wasted.
The American buys a lot of ground
$50 by Is feet in a city for building
purposes and builds on every inch Of
it. The Englishman saves at least a
third for a court yard or a grass-plot.
When the American does have a gar
den or an attractive open court be
puts 1t out in full view Of the passing
throng. He is anxious that the pub
lie may share 1t with him or, possibly,
the reason Is the outgrowth Of pride.
The Englishman builds a high wall
around his garden and closes the court
yard with a doubly-barred iron gate.
But we we're talking Of London from
the top Of a bus. II a balloon, travel.
ing over this city at the rate Of one
hundred miles an hour, dropped you
anywhere, IL would be on asp0t full Of
interest Despite London's lack Of
beauty IL is trimming with attractive
ness 70 all who come within its lin
Its.
RAMBLING AND SOME REMARKS.
The hotel In which we are tempo
rarily tucked away is in Kensington
which is, " course, a part Of London,
but some 3 miles from the Bank Of
England, where throbs the city's
heart. We climb upon the bus roof
and start down town. Here is Hyde
Park and Rotten Row, ~fayorite resort
Of the aristocracy. Further on we
enter Piccadilly street, passing the
Green Park. Yonder is Buckingham
Palace where King Edward and Queen
Alexandra reside. Across 70 the east
we sec the towers Of Westminster
Abbey and the Houses Of Parliament.
Soon we come to Trafalgar Square,
with its massive monument TO Lord.
Nelson, Britain's greatest naval hero,
the National Art Gallery and the
National Portrait Gallery. Passing
Clearing Cross we enter the Strand,
busiest highway in London. The
street traffic forms q frequent blockade
and we take our way slowly. Now we.
cross the site Of Temple Bar, the en-
trance to the city proper, a boundary.
which the King must have the Lord
Mayors permission TO pass. The ex-
tensive new law courts are here and
then beyond are the teeming Fleet
street. Ludgate Hill and, towering
over them, st. Paul's Cathedral
Through Cheapside We drive on to the
Mansion House, the Official home OF
the Lord Mayor and just beyond We
came 10 the Bank Of England, the
tsOld Lady Of Threadneedle Streets
a low square structure which domi-
mates the pocket books Of the popula-
ti0n. Here we take another bus, de-
scend 10 Billingsgate, climb, up the
Tower HIN and get a glimpse OF the
Tower OF London, the most famous
building in the city. From here we
see the Thames river with It's crowded.
bridges and lis hundreds Of shipping
vessels Of all descriptions. So much
for a morning ride.
IN THE HOUSE on COMMONS.
Through the courtesy OF Sir Benja-
min Stone, NJ. T.. we we're privileged
attend an important session OF the
House Of Commons. Joseph Chamber
ain was the most conspicuous figure
apon the ministerial bench. Among
Ihe speakers in the debate we're A. j..
one Of the foremost govern
nent leaders. Timothy Healy, the
iery irishman. Admiral Charles
Beresford, Sir Charles Dixie and Others
carcely less famous. The debate was
In regard 30 the navy estimates
md, incidentally, the American ship
ping trust though the question hour
which proceeded IL, gave an Opportu-
thousands have Kidney Trouble /