The Missionary by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 30, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 29.

The Missionary.

By Stephen N. Haskell

Melbourne, Australia.

THE evening after the Sabbath, June 14, Brother Israel and myself left Sydney, by rail, for Melbourne. The distance is 573 miles. The cars are of the English style, narrow gauge, and not the smoothest. The Government owns the railroads, and the banks to a large extent own the country. The settlers are therefore principally renters. This prevents individual enterprise. But it is not so in Victoria to such an extent as in New South Wales. There are fifty-eight towns on the line of the railroad between Sydney and Melbourne, besides the flag stations, which are numerous. A goodly number of them range from three to seven thousand inhabitants each. The hills and valleys are covered with thousands of sheep, while horses and cattle are numerous. The country abounds with the eucalyptus, or Australian gum. The timber used in the Nicholson pavement for the streets is a hard wood called "black butt," and comes from the islands on the north and east of Australia. The soft wood that is used in building comes from Queensland and New Zealand. We also saw the spruce, such as grows in Maine. There are reasons for believing that in the Dandenong Mountains, not far from Melbourne, the highest trees in the world are to be found, taller than the celebrated mammoth trees of the Sierra Nevadas. Trees 420 feet in height have repeatedly been measured. Near Healsville, a fallen tree measured 480 feet, being 14 feet higher than Strasburg Cathedral. The native cherry tree is a bushy shrub-like tree, having the peculiarity of the stone growing outside the fruit. Many of the trees are beautiful, and the wood of nearly all is durable and admirably fitted for the finer kinds of cabinet work; especially black wood, myrtle, and myall, which are susceptible of a very high polish.

The railway regulations are of a peculiar kind, and in New South Wales are rigidly enforced. A man is fined two pounds (ten dollars) for getting off the car on the opposite side from the station; for entering the car without first paying his fare; for opening the door and entering the car after the conductor or guard has examined the tickets; for smoking in a compartment where it is not allowed; or if he enters a compartment exclusively for ladies, or if he takes a dog in with him. Five pounds is the penalty for entering the car intoxicated; or for using indecent or abusive language to a passenger or a railroad official; or for entering a first-class car with a second-class ticket. A cabman is fined the same if he enters any station and solicits custom.

Albury is the last station on the road before entering Victoria. It being Sunday we were obliged to wait over here until Monday morning. This town is neat, and the streets are wide, and it contains about 5,000 inhabitants. This is an agricultural district. Before the train stopped, the conductor informed us that we would find good accommodations at the Commercial Hotel, kept by Mrs. Pool, one minute's walk from the station. It is only an act of justice to state that Mrs. Pool, and those who appeared to be her daughters, fully justified the recommendation of the conductor. The charges were moderate and the accommodations were the best that we have found since landing on the Australian shores. We left Monday morning at 6:30, it being more than half an hour before light.

The Victoria railway coaches are a decided improvement over those of New South Wales. They are wider and run very much smoother. The passengers are not locked in as they are on the other line; they are at liberty to get out while the cars are in motion, by running the risk of paying a penalty of ten pounds (fifty dollars). At every station there is posted up on the outside "no smoking allowed." Ten dollars is the penalty. The different styles of houses and the different variety of materials used in their construction, such as wood, stone, and brick, show that the settlers are owners and have used their own taste in building. The Victorian thrift did not wait for the iron telegraph poles, as in New South Wales, but erected wooden ones, and when the iron arrived they were ready for another line.

The country is more thickly settled and cut up into fields. The very fences, roads, vineyards, and the cultivation of the soil, all indicate that a different spirit has touched the face of nature. We almost felt at home again. The settlers did not wait for the eucalyptus to die and rot by girdling, but they dug them out by the roots and burned them, and had their ground cleared while the trees were dying in the other colony. There is a rivalry between these two border towns Albury, and Wodonga. Both are enterprising towns.

We arrived at Melbourne about 2 P. M., Monday. This is a very different city from Sydney. Here everything indicates enterprise of the highest type. We can speak of only a few things. The public library in this city is the finest in Australia. It contains 127,206 volumes of bound books and pamphlets. There are over 3,000 American volumes. I examined many of the books, and in some instances holes were worn through the leaves, and all showed that they had been most thoroughly read. There are, in the colony, 212 public libraries, besides the one in Melbourne, and they contain 289,712 volumes. We have every reason to believe that American literature is eagerly sought and read. The SIGNS is taken, and frequently we hear expressions of the highest appreciation. Remarks like the following: I wish to keep this paper and read from it to-night in our temperance meeting; or I wish to read it in our literary society. The public library contains a set of our bound books, and the SIGNS and Good Health are regularly received. We were informed by the librarian that the Good Health is very much prized. The population of the city and the suburbs is 282,981. Rents here, as in Sydney, are very high.

America is much patterned after because of its spirit of enterprise. Every means is resorted to to improve the minds and morals of the people. However, there are some things that show that the sentiments of the people are not as elevated as they might be. I have reference to the statues that are numerous in the public parks. They seemed to have copied from Paris. We believe that we shall see good accomplished by our coming to this place. Already we have reasons for encouragement. We believe that God has gone before us. S. N. H.