100 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



amusing, for instance : Upon reaching Stirling by steamer from 

 the old town of L-eith in Scotland, a penny per head was demanded 

 from passengers as harbor dues for crossing about six pine planks. 

 Again, at Inversnaid, Loch Lomond, two pence per head was the 

 fee for crossing tlie planks to board another steamer. On inquiry, 

 however, we found tliis was kept up simply as a time honored 

 custom— honored because it was old. All these and other old 

 practices impressed us as rather antiquated and very susceptible of 

 improvement. 



Not least among the time honored institutions of Britain is the 

 tallow candle — it maj^ not be large, but to the good people 

 over there it is universal and seemingly indispensable. For artificial 

 lighting they have, first, the electric arc and incandescent light, also 

 gas as we have, then there is a drop all the way down to the tallow 

 candle. Such a thing as a coal oil lamp is so seldom seen, that, 

 during the whole course of our peregrinations through England, 

 Scotland and Ireland, we can recollect of seeing but two oil lamps, 

 and one of these out of commission. 



As most of you are doubtless aware, stoves and ranges, as we 

 know them, are not in general use but tlie range is built into the 

 wall, partly in the shape of a fire-place, necessitating, we should 

 judge, considerable skill and experience on the part of the house- 

 wife in preparation of the dail}' meals. 



On the other side of the question, the New World has some 

 things to learn from the Old, and very much, we fancy, in the 

 matter of road making. It was liis practice, when off on some side 

 trip and the railway did not favor his line of travel, for the writer 

 to favor himself by five, ten and fifteen mile walks over superb 

 hard roads found everywhere throughout the country, the hke of 

 which would put to shame the roadwa3^s on most of our city streets, 

 and are not to be seen in our rural districts anywhere that we 

 know of. It is said the ancient Romans, when leaving Britain, 

 bequeathed to them, as a legacy, the art of road making, and 

 assuredly, if this be so (and the}' left no other), the British people 

 have in their carriage roads and drivewa}S a luxury of transit^ 

 worthy of imitation. 



