Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1886 — First Impressions of Melbourne. [ARTICLE]

First Impressions of Melbourne.

We landed at our leisure at Williamsftown, from wliich a railway train was to take us to the city. We were in no hurry, for the day was still early, and we had no plans save to find a hotel in the course of it. A “nigger, ” who must have weighed thirty stone, wheeled our luggage to the station in a hand cart. As at Adelaide, I was impressed by the good English and the good manners of the railway officials. There was an American smartness about them, b.ut it was American with a difference. Something ought to be due to the climate. Manners soften of themselves when tempers are never ruffled by the cold. The line makes a long circuit by the shore; we had ten miles to go. The fields were inclosed till the way by the Australian rails one hears riding men talk about—heavy timbers, four feet pnd a half and five feet high. Clusters of wooden houses were sprinkled about, growing thicker as we advanced, and painted white to keep off the sun. Gardens and flowers were, as usual, universal. Melbourne station was like other metropolitan stations in the world —vast, crowded, and unbeautiful. . . . I was disappointed, after Adelaide, with ,the first; appearance of the streets. Melbourne is twice as large, and many more times twice as rich. The population of it is 300,000, who are as well off as any equal number of people in the world.' Bnt the city has grown hastily, and carries the signs of it on the surface. The streets are broad.'] There are splendid single buildings, town hall, university, parliament bouses, public offices, besides banks, exchanges, and a

jail, church, etc. There are auperb shops, too. gorgpous as any iq London or Paris. But side by side with these you see houses little better than sheds. People have built as they could, and Rs their means allowed them, and they havp been too busy to study appearances. But they have boundless wealth and as bonndless ambition and self-con-fidence. They are proud of themselves and of what they have done, and will soon polish up their city when they can look about them at their leisure.