Bio: Schofield, Hugh – Letter from France (Aug 1901)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Schofield, McCless

Source: Greenwood Gleaner 9/13/1901

Greenwood, Clark County, WI

Since publishing his last letter, Dr. Hugh Schofield has written home from Paris and London and with the permission of his parents we publish the following extracts, commencing at Paris on Aug. 14, 1901: Paris is a beautiful city. I think it the prettiest by far of any city I was ever in. We were out to Versailles yesterday and what a beautiful sight it is Went through the large palace where many wars and events in French history are illustrated by large paintings, and then we went through the large palace where many wars and events in French history are illustrated by large paintings, and then we went through the dairy farm of Marie Antoinette and her small palace called the small Trianon. The place is so full of the most interesting history that no one can be satisfied with only one day there, but that is all we had so we went through hurriedly. The Great Trianon is where Napoleon and Josephine lived, and we saw the apartments occupied by each of them.

Tomorrow is a holiday here, it being St. Mary s day (Catholic) and everything will be closed, so we are going to London tomorrow instead of Friday. We have been among foreigners so long where we could not say a word that we are glad to get to England.

Holland and Belgium are two very interesting countries, especially the former. The country is filled with canals and the railroad is on about the same level as their banks, while the farmland is much lower. Such being the case it is all a vast prairie, containing mostly pasture lands and filled with cattle, sheep and goats. The Hollanders are a very industrious class and if I am a judge, much better looking than the Germans. They are very odd however because they still cling to customs they had centuries ago in regard to dress, labor, etc. Amsterdam is surely the Venice of the North. It is all built on piles. Many buildings have been built so long they have settled more in one place than another, so they lean more or less in various directions. We went out to the coast of the North Sea about three miles and the place called Schevaninger, a famous summer resort.

From the Hauge we went to Antwerp and stopped between trains to visit the cathedral, the steeple of which Napoleon said looked like lacework. We next took in the old printing establishment where they had some of the old type and presses, also the first book ever published and many others of the same time. I could read the letters but not the words as they were in the Flemish language. We then went on to Brussels, the little Paris as it is called over here.

Everyone was so happy to get into England where we could speak and be understood. London is a wonderful city and is spread over such a vast territory. The buildings cannot compare with those in our cities for height. The streets are wide where the town is new, but horribly congested because they travel with omnibus rather than with streetcars. Yesterday we went through Westminster Abbey and intended to go through the House of Parliament but they are in session now, so we could not get in. We have crossed the famous old London Bridge. There are many places in the city where streets converge called circuses, meaning circles and many of them have monuments in them of some prominent Englishman. They have one of Queen Victoria which looks odd from the fact that it is the first one we have seen with a woman adorning it. This morning McCless and I went out through the aristocratic district and saw the house where Becky Sharp lived, the Chesterfield gardens, St. James Palace, the home of the Duke of Devonshire and many other places. Longfellow s bust is in Westminster Abbey, placed there by his English admirers. He is the only American I saw represented there. Andrae, the spy in our Revolution, has a tomb there and many others with whom I am familiar. One man, Farr by name, lived during the reign of ten princes and died at the age of 152 years.

I am having a delightful time and have seen and learned so much during the trip. I have been around London a great deal and find it an interesting old place. London Tower, where were kept the prisoners, etc. years and years ago, was so interesting. The block and ax they used to behead people with is still there and we wished it could talk. The way the castle is built for protection is wonderful. It seems funny to me a place of its kind could be taken with only spears, axes, etc., for weapons. Yesterday we were out to Windsor Castle where the late Queen lived and saw a great deal of it. We could not get into all of it because they are making repairs, but the stables, chapel and watch tower were interesting indeed.

They have only sixty lovely horses out there now, but when the queen was alive they had one hundred and forty also all kinds of harnesses, coaches, saddles, etc.

We will take in some country tomorrow, Sunday we will be at Edinburgh, the following Sunday at Queenstown, Ireland, and from there on our way home.

We have had beautiful weather all the time we have been here even from the time we sailed from NY.

Expect some rough weather home but will get sick and over it. We will arrive at NY, Sept. 7, but of course, it’s not sure as we may be delayed by fog or storms.

Aug. 22, 1901 Left London this morning and have visited Oxford and Kenilworth today. Tomorrow we go to Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare’s home and to Warwick Castle. English country is more like a huge park, trees, being so small and fields so abundant that it seems they were laid out for a park.

Best regards to all inquiring friends and love to all.

---Hugh