The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-02-28 00:00:00

SLIERBORNE.
RAILWAY MOVEMENTS;

When the Great Western and South-Western
companies opposed each other in that deadly conflict
which brought down the dividends of one time from 8
per cent to 1, the reat prize for which they fought
was Exeter, and it Is no exaggeration to say that the
object of reaching that city by half-an.hour earlier than
it could be reached by the Great Western via Bath,
Bristol, and the Bristol and Buster, cost both companiee
directly and indirectly more than • million of money.
The West of England in those days was tho scene of
most exciting incidents. Sirveyors scarcely out of
their teens were snapped up at £2.1 a mile and
when they got into • flat open country easily
went over five miles • week. Witness to the
most trivial of facts—the deposit of • plan at a parish
clerk's, or the takings of • village carrier--were con-
veyed to London under guard of sharp office clerks,
lo gt clov,r, taken nightly to the th,mtreadrenehed
with champagne, and allowed as much • day in addi-
tion as they could make at home in • week. "Piping
times," said an old lawyer now no more, to us, "five
guineas • day, hotel expenses, first-class rail, and
they'll stand about 255. • day for cabs I" The news.
paper proprietors reaped small fortunes, and it is said
the copyright of one paper was paid out of the proceeds
of *roe weeks' notices. One incident may bo men-
tioned. A county newspaper was at press at midnight
of the first of the °ventral of the three weeks in
November. Machines were then almost unknown, and
the laborious process of "paPing off" a broadsheet at
a press had proceeded up to 1,210 numbers, when a
postchaise was driven up to tLo door, and out rolled •
precise limb of the law (now dead) who bad posted
from Dorchester to read proofs. "Want to see such
and snob • notice." There it was, but 1,210 copies of
it had already been worked off. "There's a comma
out here,' roared he; "and a letter turned there;
stop the press !" In vain he WU assured that the
notice had been spelt throng's. "Bring down all the
papers" he cried. It was done. " Sure you've got
them all?" "Yes." "Put them in the postehiase and
charge them all to us" and away he drove at mid-
night with the sheets printed on one side only, and
charged to him (tor they all In those days bore the
impressed red stamp) at 51 each, whilst the jaded
pressmen were solaced with • gift out of the charge of
£26 (!) for the half-printed sheets. It MIS anat.:Sent In
those days to show the most trivial of error: to floor a
notice, and the changes that were rung on provincial
names were amusing—" Catherston, otherwise Cother-
stone, otherwise Gatterston, otherwise Cothelstone"—
so ran the notices. Counsel were feed enormously,
and it is said the Lord Chief Justice received 1,0 C)
guineas for one speech in reply, for reporting which
the shorthandwriter's charge was 18 guineas. When at
length, after longer campaigns than were required to
conquer France, the South Western got their direct
line,they were:content to rest onitheadvantage of shorter
distance, and did not seek to emulate the "Fxpreu"
rates of the Great Weetern,then considered the bczaicical
of railway travering. Distance told, and thou the
Great Western . pot on a clipper, which was designed
to run the whole dietanco from Paddington to Exeter
in ai hourastopping only four times—at Swindon,liath,
Bristol, and Taunton. We have heard that it never
could come near its time and after some trial it was
discontinued: The South-Western took up the mad
race bet their line was green and in parts single and they
had to ran through several towns which were loud in
their protsitations. Sherborne especially complained of
breach of faith, and the matter was so warmly taken up
that the train was brought up at that stationoutd after •
time the traffic) manager followed suit to the Great
Western, and the " Quick Express" was discontinued.
The inhabitants of Sherborne are again excited by the
rumour theta special express Is designed to run through
from Waterloo to Exeter in 4i hoists, stopping only at
Basingstoke, Salisbury, and Yeovil Janction ; and •
representation has been made to the directors that this
would be a breach of an arrangement entered into with
the Salisbury and Yeovil company at a public meeting
held soma dozen year. ado, when consent was given to
a level crossing instead of • bridge, on express coalition
that all trains stopped at Sherborne. If the directors
determine to run the train and stop at Sherborne, it
would run through the junction, and the Yeovil traffic
for this train would probably be worked by short trains
between the two towns. Every day reveals plainer the
great mistake that was made when the Stoford Junc-
tion was formed, and we fully expect to hear soon that
The company will go in for a loop line, ruining into and
through Yeovil, near Martook and through Crowkerne.
It would be somewhat longer;than the present; but it
would be of immense benefit to the towns named and
the parallel part of the old line meld be usefully worked
for gods and slow traffic. A requisition for a public
meeting on the subject of the new train, has been
numerously signed here.