Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-16
TELLS OF ENGLAND
Rev. 4. Martin. of Davenport,
Talks interestingly at
Memoria Church.
VIEWPOINT OF HUMORISl
things Wherein Mother Country APP
peals to disabilities of Aver
age American.

small audience was present at the
Memorial Christian church last even
ng to hear Rev. A. Martin. of the First
christian church of Davenport, who
vas secured TO give his lecture on
England to the congregation On this
side. For the reason that his listen
ers were few. Rev. Martin did not deal
At the length he would have ON his in
eresting subject, but simply touched
briefly on the more humorous side of
he English life as seen by an Ameri-
1an
The speaker began with a descrip-
lion of the steamship lines at present
'rossing the Atlantic. and then pro
ceeded 10 take his audience aboard one
IF the liners for the cross-Atlantic jour
ney. He described the awful sensa
lions of sea-sickness. that well known
tormCntor TO the traveller. Sea-Sick
aess. Rev. Martin stated, is known to
last any length of time from few
hours TO as many days. but the average
time which the traveller making a trip
for the first time across the salt water
lies tossing in agony in his berth is
two days. After going through sensa-
tons beyond description for that peri
cd, the victim of the tossing waves will
come out of his state room with
sickly grin. which, with the effect OF
the fresh air. soon turns into a natura.
and healthy smile.
In Seven Classes.
Rev. Martin told of the seven classes
into which the people of England arc
divided. The first class is the royal
family, including the king and queen.
their children, and their childrens chill
dren. The nobility for the second dis
tinct class. being made up of dukes.
marquises. earls. barons, baTonets and
knights. Next comes the gentlemen.
best defined as men who do not work
n man could have the riches of Rookie
fe,ler. but not be a gentleman in Eng
land if he ever lifted his hands 10 man
ual labor The fourth is the higher
middle class. such as physicians, law
yers and the professions in general,
the fifth the lower middle Class. as
bricklayers. masons and the other
trades of high grade. The sixth is
known as the working class, and, as
the name denotes. consists of those
who perform hard labor The last
class, the seventh. and, Rev. Martin
stated, by far the largest. is the beggar
class. He said that beggars as known
in England cannot be imagined in this
There are many there who
never get a full meal and get what
they do receive to eat by begging, as
the work is not 10 be had as il is in
the United States.
Badly Crowded.
An interesting point the speaker
mentioned concerned population. IL
linois contains 100000 people. A
piece of land the same size in Eng.
land is swarmed with 29,000,00O. An
other point related to saloons. Licens-
es can be had there for $25 a year. and
saloons. known as public houses, are
accordingly frequent. and drunkenness
in keeping. The main characteristic
of the Engl.shman was given; he is
slow. And another, he eats four meals
a day.
Rev. Martin occupied the remainder
of the evening in telling in a humor-
Gus light about the English marriage
ceremony. that no marriage can take
pace between 3 o'clock in the after
noon and midnight, this being clause
OF the law, and other interesting facts.