Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-02
TRAVELLING IN
The OLD WORLD
Scenes and Impressions from
Northern Europe by Former
Resident of County.


Resident Of County.
A. E. Edblom and wife returned
last Wednesday from three
months trip in Europe. They are
the guests here of Mr.. and Mrs.
Andrew Ray of Willmar and three
Of Mr.. Edblom's brothers in Lake
Lillian. They will also visit with
Edblom's brother and sister at Ken
mare, N. D., before returning to
their home at Eugene, Oregon.
Mr.. Edblom kindly furnished the
Tribune with the following inter-
esting account of his travels across
the sea:
For many years we had desired
to visit not only Sweden but other
European countries, and in April
we left the Pacific coast for the
East. After many stops on this
continent we crossed the Atlantic
in the Mauritania, one of the largest
steamships af1oat, where we enjoyed
the finest of accommodations.
Reaching England in safety. we be-
gan our journey northward for
Scotland, stopping here and there
to see how the ''Hinglishman" did
things. We reached Glasgow in
the Lowlands Of Scotland, which
are so underlaid with coal and iron
that it is now the chief manufacture
ing place Of the globe. The coun-
try is dotted with factories and
foundries. It reminds US Of Pitts
burg. The traffic in Glasgow is
as great as in lower New York. A
street car ride costs ha'penny, or
one cent. The city owns the street
car system. There are good public
schools, and it is the ambition of
every man to send his children to
college. The northern part of Scot
land belongs to rich Englishmen
and Americans and is used for hunt
ing preserves and pasturage.
We went from Glasgow to Edin-
burgh by way Of the Trossachs, de-
scribed in Sir Walter SCOTS poem
"The Lady of the Lake. After Wis.,
iting many castles around Stirling,
and Edinburgh, we took the ely
ing Scotchman" for London, run
ming at an average speed Of more
than a mile minute. We stopped
at several places to visit points of
interest. We travelled second-class,
as it is common saying in Eng
land that only princes and fools
travel first-class. On reaching Lon
don we found it very hard to get
rooms at hotels, as the Franco-Eng-
lish Exposition was held there
and everything was very high. We
spent many days in sightseeing,
among other things taking in the
exposition, which was tame affair
compared with our own. We saw
the St. Pauls Cathedral, one of the
grandest churches of the world.
Its great bell was just striking the
hour. Its rich mellow notes can
be heard far out from the city.
This bell is never tolled except at
the death of a member of the royal
family of England. Next we went
to the Bank Of England. This in
stitution covers eight acres and
looks like a prison. We drew out
some money from the half billion
of dollars in gold kept in it's vaults.
The money is not counted out, as
we do, but weighed on scales like
those used by grocers. Men were
scooping up gold like a grocer
scooping up sugar. We visited the
tower of London and saw among
other things instruments of torture
and the ak used in beheading some
of England's greatest noblemen.
Then we took in the House of Par
Lament and after some difficulties
we were among the chief officials
Of the great British Empire. At
last we came to Westminster Alb
hey, full Of statues and memorials
Of English monarchs and heroes.
Leaving London for Dover, we
next crossed the English Channel to
Calais, France, and went thru the
custom house for inspection. Here
we found that the English and
Swedish languages were of little
value. We took the French Flyer
for the most beautiful city of the
world. We stopped at the Hotel
Magenta and took dinner IN the
evening, consisting of half dozen
courses or more, the plates being
changed at each course. We took
a French sleep at 40 miles an hour.
Next morning we got up. ordered
our breakfast without froglegs or
snails, and having despatched it,
started for the Eitfel tower and as
cended to the top by elevator to the