Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1907-11-01
Friend Emerson:


Northampton to London, and as has
been our luck in the past, we were
saluted with shower. AS our bag
gage had been checked to our stopping
place, We took the subway-a rather
bold proceeding for strangers-but we
arrived at our hotel without the least
trouble. The subway trains are of
two kinds, steam and electric, and
consist of first, second and third class
cars. AS the distance is not great,
and the seats as good as those in the
New York subways, nearly every one
rides third class. The surface traffic
is by cab or omnibus and motor bus.
The buses are two deckers, and are
very convenient and cheap way of
getting around the city Fare is one
to two pence, according to distance.
We had map of the city, but the
streets are so crooked, and the names
change so often even if somewhat
straight, that we gave it up and de-
pended on buses, and when on foot
depended on bohbies or policemen,
who are very polite, and generally
gave US the right Information, for
even to them the crooked streets are
sometimes too much. As our hotel
was within five minutes walk of the
general postotice we were within easy
distance of the principal sights.
The first was st. Pauls Cathedral
an immense and massive structure
but not as fine inside as some we had
seen. There are q number of fine
tombs, among them being that of
Wellington. We attended a morning
and afternoon service on Sunday, and
except for the singing the service is
lost on the audience on account of the
size of the building and distance of
the minister The choir consisted of
about rs voices-boys and men.
Westminster Abbey is the Oldest and
most interesting here. We got in
just as the morning prayers began, so
we had to wait as no one is allowed
to meander around during services.
AS you probably know, there are, all
kinds. OF people buried here kings,
queens, dukes, princes, bishops,
poets. etc. etc. For a sixpence you.
can see the last resting place of some
very bloody villains and their victims,
all done by divine right and the
grace of God, and who are now
buried as good christians in the
house of the Lord. Strange, is it notS
Nearby is the Parliament House,
open only on Saturday to the public,
so We we're on hand that day. The
fine room was the kings robing loom,
where he puts on his best clothes
AS he was not in when we called we
passed through the Royal Gallery,
in which are some fine paintings, to
the House of Lords, where we took
seats and looked around whilelresting-
Bat we can't describe everything in
detail, SO will say everything in the
house is fine. After resting we passed
through a lobby into the Princes
room, then through another lobby
into the House of Commons. Here
there is no carved woodwork, and the
seats are not SO soft. You next pass
down into Westminster hall, where
the old kings used to have high old
times eating and drinking; and there
is brass plate in the floor where one
of them stood when he was sentenced
to have his head chopped off. This
hall has a fine carved oak ceiling
without supporting columns. You
next pass down into the crypt and
chapel, very fine with gliding and
marble, also has the finest baptismal
font we have seen SO far. This place
was evidently designed as a handy
resort for the lawmakers and law
breakers to ease their guilty con-
sciences by prayer after particular
yillainous piece of work. It is not
used much nowadays. We did not
ask why not. The main or Victoria
tower of the Parliament House is
about as large square and as high as
the Call building in San francisco.
Trafalgar square is fine open
place, with the Wellington monument.
The National Gallery of fine arts
faces the square, so we went IN and
looked at the paintings, mostly by
old masters. But we liked the late
gallery on the shore of the Thames
better, for here all the pictures are
by modern artists. We called at the
Bank of England one morning. II
has no wjndows IN the street side