The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-22 00:00:00

Our Irtdou CorrtspoOtnt.

tWe deem it right to state that we do not at all times
identify ourselves with our Correspondents opinions.]

The proposal which has arisen out of the late
Fisheries Exhibition to construct a subway frcm the
Metropolitan District Railway station at South Ken-
sington to the Albert Hall, by way of the Horticul-
tural Society's Gardens in which the Exhibition was
held, is likely to result in an important addition to
Underground London, It is proposed to push forward
the work so as to complete it by next May, when the
Health Exhibition is to be opened. Not only will the
eubway be a great convenience to the millions who
will probably visit that Exhibition, but the idea is
likely to be adopted in other directions. Already it is
proposed that the subway shall be connected w.th
that popular institution the South Kensington
Museum. It may be well to explain that it
is not designed to construct a tunnel in the
ordinary acceptation of the term. The interior will be
decorated vifth artistic tiles, long lines of electric light
will supply illumination as bright as day, and the
absence of smoke will cause it to have little in common
with the Underground Railway. There will be a
footway and a tram route worked by an endless chain,
and altogether the project appears to be one of the
most practical and practicable which have been started
for some time. It is stated that the initiative is due
to the Duke of Edinburgh, and that the scheme has
been heartily taken up by the Prince of Wales.
How London would manage to keep its streets from
being absolutely dangerous to pedestrians if it were
hot for the relief afforded by the underground system
it is difficult to imagine. Over seventy million
easseeengers are carried by the Metropolitan Railway
annually, being an average of about a million and
a-half per week. Over one section of the railway in
the City there are as many as 568 trains daily, It is
a not too daring flight of imagination to fancy London
" cataoombed " as it were by railway tunnels and
connecting subways. It will be remembered teat a
subway has been constructed between the Houses of
Parliament and Westminster Station, and has proved
a great convenience.
While on the subject of railway communication, it
May be mentioned, as a fact which has not been
publicly announced hitherto, that a proposal to con-
nect Buckiugham Palace with the new Metropolitan
line, the Parks Railway, was not favourably con-
sidered by her Majesty. This is not surprising after
the occurrences on the underground railways on
October 30th last. A tunnel in proximity to a Royal
Palace would always be a cause of anxiety, if not a
real source of danger; and it can easily be imagined
that Her Majesty would rather be without such a
doubtful convenience.
There is a strange fascination for the public in exe-
cutions, executioners, and notorious criminals. Cir-
cumstances of late have conspired to attract more
attention to these grim subjects than usual, and the
humanity of the present system of carrying into effect
the extreme penalty of the law has once more been
hotly questioned, There can be no question, however,
that in making executions private there has been a
great gain to public peace and propriety. Those who
remember the terrible scenes which used to transpire
in front of Newgate would have trembled at what
might lave been the result if Monday's proceedings
had been public. It wan arranged some time before-
hand that only two reporters should be present. One
of these is recognised by the authorities as the un-
official recorder of these scenes which have been few
at Newgate of late years, and in that capacity he has
witnersed every execution at this prison for over thirty
years or more. This is an experience which few
people, I imagine, could endure under any circum-
stances of duty.
Although, as a rule, the most severe part of the
Tvinter is that after Christmas, the storms which have
recently passed over the country have inflicted an
enormous amount of damage, greater, perhaps, than
any since the famous "October" storm of 1878. A
gale of this kind means a considerable loss to the
public revenue by the interruption of telegraphic corn-
munication. But more serious than that is the incon-
venience caused to the public and the officials. The diffi-
culties of the latter are not generally known, nor is the
ingenuity with which they often manage to overcome
them. For instance, when telegraphic communication
is suspended between any two places direct the first
thing is to discover come roundabout route which
remains intact, On a recent occasion the wires
between Dublin and Belfast had been rendered useless,
but both places were in communication with London.
Messages between these two towns in Ireland had
therefore to be sent across the Channel twice in order
to be delivered. When it is remembered that corns
idea may be formed of what is meant by the simple
announcement that "owing to the storm the tele-
graphic eervice has been considerably interfered with,"
In this connection I may relate an incident, amusing
and instructive, which cccurred in Fleet-street a few
days ago. Many of the leading provincial daily papers
have now London offices with which they are in direct
telegraphic communication, so that the London repre-
sentative can, as it were, speak right into the office of
his paper in the country. One of these London editors
had occasion to leave the office during the early morn-
ing and closed the door after him without having pro-
vided himself with the key. On returning he was
enable to obtain admittance nor could he attract the
attention of his telegraphist at the top of the building.
In this dilemma it occurred fo him to go a few yards to
the London office of another paper published in the
same country town. He explained the circumstances
which were telegraphed, say to B office in the country;
B sent across the message to A office in the same
town; and the message was then sent back to the
telegraph operator at A's London office, who then
understood the situation and was enabled to admit his
locked-out chief.
During the week preceding Christmas, what is left
of fashionable society in town becomes further det
pleted, the good old custom still prevailing that the
festive season should be spent in the ancestral halls.
But although the fashionable papers now declare
London to be " empty," it is difficult to realise it in
the crowded streets where the footpaths are almost
impassable by reason of the crowds which are attracted
by the Christmas displays in the shop-windows. The
difference between fine brisk weather and rain and
fog is represented in many tradesmen's accounts by
hundreds of pounds in a day; and business has not
been so brisk lately that they can afford to despise
meteorological influences, Christmas day this year
falling on Tuesday, some people will be fortunate in
obtaining a holiday lasting from mid-day on Satur-
day to the Thursday following. The large firms
in the wholesale Manchester goods and other drapery
firms have agreed to close their establishments on the
Monday intervening between Sunday and Christmas I
Day, of course in addition to the Bank Holiday on
Wednesday. Much as this might be desired it would
be impessible to concede it in some businesses, or in
many retail shops of any kind. The feeding of a
population of three or four millions is a matter which
cannot be overlooked, especially at such a season.
Her Majesty, as usnal, spends Christmastide in the
Isle of Wight. There are certain stated observances
at the Court during Christmas, mostly in the form of
maintaining old Enelish customs, but otherwise the
season is not marked by any departure from the quietude
to which her Majesty's tastes and circumataeces incline
her. While other families will have social reunions there
can be no gathering of the Royal Family. The Duke
of Connaught is now in India, and the Duke of Edits-
burgh has just resumed active service in the Navy by
taking over the command of the Channel Squadron.
The second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales
is still at sea, and he also will spend his Christmas
apart from his Royal relatives.
If Parliament had been sitting, or the public atten-
ticn occupied in some other way, it is not probable the
acceptance of a seat in the House of Lords by the
Poet-Laureate would have been so warmly discussed
as it has been. Of course, the addition of a member
to one of the Houses of Parliament is al subject on
which the publin have a right to speak; but the dis-
cussion has taken a personal turn, and it is not pro-
bable the creation of the title will have any public or
political effect in this life of the present holder. It is
not within the bounds of probability that Mr. Tenny-
son will ever take part in legislative work. It is, there-
fore, so far as he is concerned, an empty title but
whether he is deserving of all the harsh criticism Which
has been passed is another thing. For the sake of
literature he may have accepted the honour • more
probably he has yielded to the solicitations' of his
family. Poets, like other men, cannot free themselves
from domestic influences. Mr. Tennyson's eldest son
holds office as one of the permanent officials of the
Government in the ludia office, ad for his sake the
Laureate may have become a Lord.