The daily sentinel., 1909-03-09
written for

At the conclusion of several
months of close intimacy with this
weather-beaten capital of Scotland
first impressions are giving way to
more permanent, and it is to be hop
ed, more reliable views of the city's
eventful past and distinguished pres
ent. Planted high on her several
hills that slope in parallel ridges
eastward toward the stormy Forth
she holds a commanding position well
worthy the chief city of a realm. The
land itself shows the results of sew
eral periods of geological change. The
mysterious Ice Age has left its record
printed deep. Black rocks and fur
rowed valleys tell the story of
troublous times of earth-building be-
fore the advent of man, just as the
works of a later era bear record of
human industry. Volcanic action
first cast up the Castle Rock, now
some three hundred feet above the
valley, and with it the Salisbury
Crags to the southeast, and after
some unknown lapse of time a new
force in the form of great ice plows
from the highlands entered, and cut
furrows where 1t could, following the
paths of least resistance, until the
long hills were left headed by precip-
itouS, unyielding rocks, pointing in
the direction of the intruding ice
masses.
Thus science explains the methods
used by Nature to make the ground
ready for man. the rightful heir, and
he with the application of some
Scotch thrift and love of green grow
ing things, completed, in the build
ing of New Edinburgh city rivall-
ing liz picturesque beauty the recog-
nized queen cities of the world.
The ancient. walled Edinburgh
economical space, piled story upon
story and jammed one building
against another in such way as to.
leave little room for necessary traf-
fic; but after feudal times were
passed she burst these bands. and to-
day presents to her guests a city of
parks and gardens, laid out in cres-
cents, circles, squares and irregular
areas, with shrub, tree, flower and
grass. The Meadows, an open play
ground for the people. walled on all
sides by their homes and shops, oc-
cupies a valley on the south at some
distance from the Castle. A deeper
and nearer depression on the oppo-
site side was at one time the site of
the North Lock. but was drained
some two hundred years ago and
converted into the unrivalled Prin-
cess Street Gardens. This enhancing
bit of verdure, nearly a mile in
length, guarded on the one hand by
a long stretch of trim business
houses with their gayly dressed show
windows and on the other by the
Castle Hill and the Castle itself, rates
thus the new from the old city.
She is now an ancient city from
the viewpoint of an American. from
that of a European she is medieval,
while to the Oriental she must neces-
sarily be young and vigorous. A
western man quickly finds his ideas
of antiquity fading away and things
hundred years old are new and
uninteresting. Here historic associa
tions of the most dramatic as well as
ancient type throng him at every
turn of the cobblestone pavement,
while the reality of a thrilling past
is thrust upon his view in a manner
quite foreign to the Illuminating
powers of the pages of books.
1t is true delight to see Just where
and how it all happened in any case,
and Edinburgh annals are, 1t seems
to me, exceptionally attractive. Scott
and Stevenson. the romancers lived
here and wrote, because the Malcolms
and James. Bruce and Queen Mary,
ures of history did their world s
work in these crooked streets and
dark gray buildings. The religion as
well as the political destiny of many
peoples beside the SCOTS have been
materially Influenced by what was
\ done here. We look backward toward
\ the beginning of ii all and find
stronghold ON the Castle Rock ante
| dating probably the earliest tradi-
1 tions of the North, serving as seat
/ of power first for savage and later
/ for civilized man. Although many
\ changes have taken place in the con-
I figuration of its gigantic black sur
I face, still it bears record of the sue
cessive races and regimes that have
flourished there. With the march
of history we may travel from its
crest down the ridge to the eastward
and see that same ridge become the
! High street and finally, reaching the
Canongate, we behold Holyrood Pal
ace but as q new home for royalty,
and as the completion OF sort OF
spinal column from which city de-
yelops that today with its suburbs
shelters 100000 souls.
1t is a familiar experience to meet
with striking contrasts in all cities.
In a comparatively small space the
world seems to huddle together its
most unusual specimens. This ap-
pears to be particularly true of Edin-
burgh. She is one, and yet she is
full of contrasts, contradictions and
variety. The unity of things is only
emphasized by the diversity. Al
though robbed of the pomp of olden
days when kings and princess dazzled
the eyes OF the poverty-stricken with
.ha;r na,aapt vet the modern Edin-