Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12
OLD CITY OF YORK
PRESERVES PAST
City, Proud of History, Has
Ancient Wall and Famous
Medieval Church.

NeallnE ancient roman devices IOT
catapulting huge stones. call atten-
lion to a city which preserves many
souvenirs Of medieval times. as well
as the early period of Roman occu-
patton. says a bulletin from the head
quarters here of the National Geo
graphic Society.
zone duty of the policemen of
York today is to clear the ancient
walls of pedestrians at nightfall and
lock up the gates. On these walls
one may stroll around the older city.
which today is but the core of York,
a walk of nearly three miles.
I'm doing so the visitor passes the
bars or gates, such as Mick1egate
Bar. which still discloses the arms
Of England. France and the city.
Once this gate seldom was with
out gruesome decoration of heads
of traitors: here hung the head Of
tho elder Duke Of York. consigned
by Margaret to die. with the com
ment:
of with his head and set it on YORK gates
so York may overlook the Town of York
Another evidence of the ancient
city is the network of narrow, tor
tuous streets. some too narrow for
an automobile to enter. and some
with upper stories projecting SO far
over the passageways that only in
fllIuudN uOtS II Ildl IoN oiieAAA VI $3.50
light reach the paving.
Police Wear Lights.
AT night the lighting also is dim.
and this fact accounts for an I'M
usual piece of equipment which the
policemen wear. A belt supports
contraption which puzzles visitors
until they learn it is a f1ashlight
which the policeman turns on In pa
nd N
is worn instead Of carried, so he
still may have both hands free to
deal with offenders.
"All the world knows about York
minister, largest medieval church
west Of the Alps. famed for the mar
vicious color of its stained glass Win
dows; for its choir and nave, where.
perfectly exemplifying the Gothic
building, the whole weight OF the
vault rests on few piers, leaving
all wall space free for windows; and
for other windows where monkey
musicians are portrayed and more
curious still. monkey funeral is
depicted
"One may climb to the tower of
Tork-minster, $50 feet above the
street. and survey the reason why
York was located on its present site
by the Romans. 1t Is at the head
Of tidewater of the Ouse. assuring
fresh water, and also permitting
ships to ply there from the sea.
Not ships of the present day British
navy, of course. but the light vessels
of the Roman invaders, so small that
they were drawn up on the beach
by night.
1T was less than a century after
the birth of Christ that the Romans
probably first came to York. Con-
stantine the Great was proclaimed
there, and the Roman town became
one OF the four Britain camps hold
ing the rank of Colonia. For en-
tirely different reasons this suprem-
acy was attained again in medieval
England. BY the roads of that time,
as by rail today. York is about half
way between London and Edinburgh.
Hence in the constant fighting be-
tween England and Scotland the city
was of high strategic Importance.
Now. there are more than so cities
in England larger than York: once 1t
was the second city Of Britain.
King Resented Indifference.
For five centuries York was the
only place in England. except Lon
don, which had a lord mayor. 1t
retains to this day it's privilege of
being a county unto itself and elects
its own sheriff. Kings found it polite
TO visit there. Shakespeare King
Henry the Sixth tells how Edward
the Fourth was proclaimed there;
John, on the other hand. fined the
citizens heavily for not giving him
the reception he believed his due.
Besides its beautiful church, York
is famous for pudding. for a relish,
for railroad station. and its most
famous citizen perhaps. Is myth
zeal character. For 1t was in York.
Defoe records, that Robinson Crusoe
was born.
1.-THE railroad station is unusual for
its size, and also because it Is built
on a curve. York citizens hold that
they have access to more places with
out change of trains, from this sta
ton. than from any other place in
the kingdom, not even excepting Lon
don.
In Garden Country.
1.-THE association of food with York
IS not surprising, for the outlying
country resembles one huge vegetable
farm Every fractional acre of the
rich, fertile soil is used; some tenants
have even rented patches along the
railroad rightS -of-way. so that the pas
senger approaches York seemingly
through gardens of cabbage and beans
and grain.
ne straw tl res Vi LIilSihilu (
famous: those of York are of eXcep-
iional size and flavor. And to pour
over them there come, fresh from
numerous dairy farms, milk and
cream, borne to ones door in a large
can set into a two-wheel cart with a
tiny platform behind, on which the
driver, usually a girl. stands as she
drives from house to house.
Through the ancient gatewaJs
speed automobiles. when they are rot
blocked by the huge carts bearing
kegs of beer to the scores of pubs
The pubs of York do duty IS soda
fountains. Women we'll as men
visit them, and there Is no social OPP
probrium about a young gallant, after
he and his lady fair have been TO n
motion picture show, taking her to
one of these pubs for glass of ale
or stout and listening TO the excel
lent musical program which many of
Them put on to attract late evening
trade York'S conservatism stops
short, however, of permitting danclug