The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-17 00:00:00

A RAILWAY REVOLUTION.

The Midland Railway Company has come to
be rsgarded as the en Ant terrible amongst cone-
petiug lines. The olderrailways could have but
little idea of tha contrequencea when this new
intruder forced its way into London between tl 8
Great Northern OD the one hand, and the Lou-
dou and North Westeru on the other. Many of
us utlil remember when the midland was a mere
branch line from Rugby, with merely running
powers over the London and North Western.
Then it pushed on to Hitchin by way of Bedford
the Great Northern terminus at King's Cross
being Iltiliewl-qoarters. Next we find it, no
longer satisfied with using the rails of a rival
cempanv, extending itsmain line into St. Panora
where its vast terminus comprises the modt
splended hotel and railway Station in the worllt
At this moment it is atrout to build in the very
heart of the city of Loudon the finest goods eta
lien in the metropolis. It has most honourably
distinguished itself by its efforts to attract and
to accommodate the travelling public. Years ago
before it had attained its present commanding
position, and when third class carriages on other
Lines were mere cattie pens, dark, draughty, dirty
and inconvenient, the Midland introduced well-
glued coaches, with comfortable seats, and backs
with less of the perpendicular than those to
whieh the railway passenger nad hitherto been
asonstomed. Cushioned second-class carriages,
both upon the seats end above the level of the
shoulder, were first run upon the line of this en-
terprising company. We all remember the
sensation created by the resolve of the directors
to attach new and third-class carriages to all
trains, and many have found the comfort of the
sleeping cars which were lately put on at night i
betweeu London bind Bradford.
But tlie moat recent move of the Midland has
come up ,n. its rivals like a clap of thunder
Whiie trie Norte-Eaten' and the London and
Nortn-Weeteru are threatening to raise the third-
class exit, fares by 15p r and the South
Eastern, through Sir Edward Watkin, contain.
plates the aholitien of the workmen's trains, the
Midland declares that on and after ties let of
January next, it will have no more second•class
carriages upon its line, and that there shall be a
uniform tariff of three-halfpence per mile fir
first, Cease passengers, and a penny per mile for
those of the third-class. No wonder that the
announcement caused iutense surprise and azi-
tation in the railway world. '('he Midland has
conquered for itself such a place amougst tho
powerful corporations that this resolution po
seises all the force of a decree. The other com-
panies. iu teeny cases reluctantly, followed the
example of attaching third-class carriages to all
trains, and there is no doubt that, whether will-
ing or not, the lines which in any way compote
with the Midland system must charge the same
rate of first-class mileage. The public will u iv/
begin to regard 'three-halfpence per mile as the
proper lirst•class fare, and will resist any en-
deavour to charge more. Thie pushing corpor-
ation has thus the courage to throw itself upon
the confideuce of the public whom it has soda.
soured to serve in every possible way. Gummy
of our lines it has lung been obvious to an expe-
rienced rye that second-class carriages are well
nigh superfluous. While they prevented so is
from going first-class' they lieve tempted very
few out of the third. Let us censider for ani '-
went how the new plan whit work. Al: who f .r-
-nierly trevelied see cmi will now go first, and
many who went third will gladly pay half as
much again for the comfort of the first. At the
same tine numbers uho now remain at lrAue cc ill
venture upon a railway lint, when they can du
so cheaply, expeditiously mud luxuriously.

Time'ilo'ne 'can skovithe effects of Bus rivo-
lotion upon the traffic receipts. It is not given
even to Boards of Directors to command success
but certaiuly the Midland Company deserves it.
The Directors are supported in their bold policy
by a mineral traffic of extraordinary dimensions
Gad the company which. only ten years ago, pos-
sessed merely running powers over the lines of
their rivals, 'now own a line which has become
the main artery of the inland coal conveyance. to
Londou. [bus far, every great step which the
Midland Board has teken in railway reform has
been juetilled by its results. All the precedents
in the history of the line are in favour of this
latest and boldest stroke of policy, and there is
no doubting the popularity which will be secured
There are but few amongst us who cannot recol-
lect the miseries of a journey by a Parliamentary
train. It is not so long ago that the poore r
classes could travel in only one trail a day at a
Penny Per mile, and had there been no statutory
obligation, it is doebtful whether evea this soli-
tary train would love been run on sonic of the
lines. It left London at an inconveniently early
hour in the morning, crept itiOng at the rate if
twelve miles en hour, stopped at every statiou
throughout the live-:thig day, was detaiued,
b. eked, and shunted io the most irritating man-
ner, to allow tile fiat trains to pass, and lilial:y
crawled into its far-off destination late at night,
the passengers fatigued and disgusted with the
tedious and unnecessary delays to which they
had been systematically subjected. Ilion the
second-class carriage.; were not nearly so good
as the IC sea third-class, and the third-class
oecasionally had wooden bars for windows, sill-
hr to those now used in horse boxes. It is in a
great degree to the constantly pushing, public-
spirited 3.lidiand that those who travel are in-
debted for the nuiuorous reforms which have
taken place. and a large number of persona out-
side the ranks of their own shareholders will
wish them success in the new,et and boldest
se itures which they have yet male.

BRIARPAST.—Epen's CoooA.—tiliAtarrL AND CoNi•
gownao.—.' Be n thor .ugh know', du of the natural
laws winch go- rn the 1,611.• ~1 digestion I.lld no-
t:Won, sad by no wet Ilion of the tine prop .rties
wou..eiee. Me. t.prc has provi led our creak-
fast tablea s deloately 11,,Evoored beverage iebas6
My save as many heavy eillm."—Ciri/ Service
Ga.( •e. 3tade simply with boiling w.i.er or milk —Sold
by firovern only, labelled me+ Eyes & co„
)lowtopathie Clietaists, 4c3. Tbrssth....:sis Street, and
1702 Piccadilly; Works. Euston Road.

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