CHESTER 



1306 



CHESTERFIELD 



These galleries are reached by steps ascending 

 from the street and are lined with shops. The 

 streets in this section were excavated by the 

 Romans eight to ten feet below the ground 

 level, in the solid rock. There are also a num- 

 ber of the half-timbered houses of the sixteenth 

 century on these streets. 



CHESTER CATHEDRAL, 



The cathedral is one of the oldest in Eng- 

 land and was once the church of Saint Wer- 

 burgh's Abbey, one of the richest abbeys in 

 the kingdom (see ABBEY). Its grammar school 

 was founded by Henry VIII. There are also 

 an old Saxon church dating back to the elev- 

 enth century and a castle built by William the 

 Conqueror. The Grosvenor Bridge over the 

 Dee, a stone arch 200 feet long, is one of the 

 finest bridges in Europe. Chester, though 

 proud of its antiquities, has introduced all 

 modern improvements. It is an important 

 river port and trade center, and has a number 

 of large industries outside its walls. Popula- 

 tion in 1911, 39,028. 



CHESTER, GEORGE RANDOLPH (1869- ), a 

 popular American writer, best known as the 

 author of Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, a col- 

 lection of stories written in a breezy, enter- 

 taining style, and enlivened by humor that is 

 typically American. The best literary quality 

 of their author is his ability to present types 

 of character that are met in real life. Chester 

 was born in Ohio, left home at an early age 

 to make his own way in the world, and after 

 holding a number of positions of a varied sort 

 he became a reporter on the Detroit News. 

 From this position he advanced to that of 

 Sunday editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and 

 he soon became a regular contributor to lead- 

 ing magazines. Besides several series of Wal- 

 lingford tales, his collected stories include 

 Cordelia Blossom, a character sketch of a 

 woman who understood politics as well as 

 society; Five Thousand an Hour, the tale of 

 an effort to acquire honestly a million dollars 

 within a specified time; and The Making of 

 Bobby Burnit, the history of a rich young man 



who developed from a business novice to a 

 man of first importance in his city. 



CHESTER, PA., the oldest city in the state, 

 situated in Delaware County, in the extreme 

 southeastern corner of the state, and on the 

 Delaware River. Philadelphia is fifteen miles 

 northeast and Wilmington, Del., is fourteen 

 miles southwest. The city has fine transpor- 

 tation service through the Pennsylvania, the 

 Baltimore & Ohio and the Philadelphia & 

 Reading railroads and the Southern Pennsyl- 

 vania Traction Company. In recent years the 

 population has grown rapidly; it increased 

 from 38,537 in 1910 to 40,474 in 1914. 



Formerly shipbuilding was the chief indus- 

 try in Chester; several vessels of the United 

 States navy- were built in its immense ship- 

 yards, which are classed with the largest in the 

 United States. But its good harbor and ex- 

 ceptional transportation facilities by water and 

 rail have given variety to industry, and have 

 made the city the trade center for a very 

 prosperous section. Manufacturing interests 

 are largely centered in silk, cotton and woolen 

 goods, ship and railway machinery, dyestuffs 

 and building materials; over 8,000 people are 

 employed in its 300 factories. Chester has 

 a Federal building, a city hall, erected in 1724, 

 the Deshong Memorial Art building and 

 grounds, three parks, two free libraries and 

 two hospitals. The home of William Penn, 

 founder of Pennsylvania colony, is a feature of 

 historical interest. The locality is the seat of 

 Pennsylvania Military College, Crozier Theo- 

 logical Seminary (Baptist) and Swarthmore 

 College. 



Chester was settled by Swedes in 1643 and 

 was known as Upland until 1682, when the 

 name was changed to its present one by Wil- 

 liam Penn. It was laid out in 1700, was in- 

 corporated as a borough in 1701 and became 

 a city in 1866. Here, in 1777, Washington re- 

 assembled his troops after the Battle of 

 the Brandy wine. 



CHES'TERFIELD, PHILIP DORMER STAN- 

 HOPE, Earl of (1694-1773), an English writer 

 and statesman whose political career has been 

 overshadowed by the remarkable grace and 

 polish of his manners. His name has become 

 a synonym* for elegance of demeanor, and to 

 say that a man has the manners of a Chester- 

 field is to pay the highest possible compli- 

 ment to his good breeding. Chesterfield's let- 

 ters to his son, in which he gave him advice 

 in matters of etiquette, are famous and are 

 justly admired for their literary excellence. 



