The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-09-24 00:00:00

our fonbon Corresponbrut.
(We deem it right to state that we do not at all times identify
ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

This has been an autumn of disasters, and the
railway catastrophe at Doncaster, by which
between twenty and thirty lives were sacrificed,
following hard as it did upon the yachting
fatality at llfracombe and the terrible holocaust
at Exeter, may be hoped to complete the tale.
As the Hexthorpe collision is still to a certain
extent Rub judice, it would be wrong to express
any decided opinion as to the cause, but there is
one point which the public generally will demand
to have cleared up beyond the possibility of
doubt, and that is the extraordinary statement
that, because the traffic at Doncaster was much
heavier than usual at the time of the accident,
the block system was suspended. Ordinary
persons would have imagined that that was the
very circumstance in which a rigid enforcement
of the block system would be most emphatically
required, and they have been so accustomed to
trust for satety to the "absolute block that it is
with a shock of something more than surprise
that they have learned that at the very time its
protection is most wanted, it is likeliest to be
abandoned. Eleven years ago, when two lament-
able catastrophes occurred within a twelvemonth
on the Great Northern line—one at Abbott's
Ripton in the spring, and the other at Arlesey
in the winter—it was stated that one reason for
their occurrence was that the "permissive
block "was used, and not the "absolute block ; "
and it was understood that the lesson then
taught to the railway companies would suffice.
Rumour says that it has not sufficed, and it will
be most comforting to the travelling public to
learn that rumour in this, as in so many other
cases, has proved false.
A few days before Parliament rose the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, in reply to a question,
stated that the issue of the "Jubilee sixpences"
had been suspended, owing, it is understood, to
the facility with which swindlers had electro-
gilded that coin and passed it off as a half-
sovereign. The right hon. gentleman added that
there were plenty of sixpences in reserve; and
as, since his statement, some of these have been
finding their way into people's hands, it is easy
to perceive that the "Jubilee sixpence" is now
a matter of curiosity rather than of commerce.
For the new sixpences now being issued, bearing
date 1887, are simply the old-fashioned coins
without a trace of alteration, and those in
possession of the unhappy little coin first circu-
lated on Jubilee Day may be recommended to
keep them as rarities. It may be doubted
whether ever a coinage raised such hopes and
caused such disappointment as that of which
this particular sixpence formed one. The
announcement that coins would be issued bear-
ing a likeness of the Queen brought down to
date was hailed on all hands as a very happy
method of popularly and permanently celebrating
the Jubilee year. But when the coins were put
into circulation they appeared to concentrate
within themselves as many defects as did that
roast leg of mutton denounced by Dr. Johnson,
which was described as "badly killed, badly
dressed, badly hung, and badly cooked." And
the popular dissatisfaction has by no means
disappeared with increased acquaintance. The
sixpence, it is true, is the only one that has been
sacrificed, and that on commercial rather than
resthetic grounds; but very few of the others
are to be been in circulation, and they are not
likely to become more generally admired as the
days wear on.
One of those social questions which, appa-
rently insignificant to those unconcerned, some-
times agitates a considerable circle in London,
is just now being ventilated in London,
and that is as to what is the " outside " of a
hansom cab. On the face of it this is a matter
of extremely small importance, and, at any
event, one which can easily be settled. But
it is almost as difficult as men of science
have found in deciding whether the sponge
is an animal or a vegetable. The im-
portance of the question consists in this
—that those who travel by cab have to pay
a certain amount extra for every package
which is carried outside; and the difficulty
cropped up when a hansom-driver claimed this
extra fee for a portmanteau that was carried on
the footboard. It was contended on the cab-
man's behalf that, as the doors would not shut
upon the portmanteau, it must be considered
as "outside' the vehicle; and the magisterial
lecision was in his favour. Hence the i.resent
storm on a splash-board which is just now
exercising many minds in the metropolis.
There are those who contend that a hansom
was never designed to carry outside '7.ggage
at all; that if it be plar.,:d on the foot-
board it is likely to be shaken off, and
that if it be hoisted to the top it obscures the
vision of the driver. There is a great deal in this
last contention which is worth attending to. The
driver's perch on a hansom is obviously so fixed
that if anything interferes with his line of sight
an accident is likely to occur. And it would re-
qnire eyes of the capacity described by Sam
Weller at the famous trial to penetrate the solid
bloclis of luggage which are occasionally to be seen
on a hansom roof.

The ever-growing proportions of the General
Post Office are a source of astonishment even to
those who have the more closely watched its
progress. The original building at St. Martin's-
le-Grand, vast as it was, and though frequently
enlarged, was years ago found to be insufficient,
and an even vaster erection was placed on the
other side of the street to relieve it. When this
latter was in turn discovered to be too small for
all the work that was wanted, an extra storey
was bodily added to the top; and now extensive
clearances are going on near to the oldest bui'd-
ing of all in order to put up a fresh erection at a
total cost of £125,000. Even then more will be
reqnired, and a portion of the site of Coldbath-
fields Prison has been secured to be utilised for
postal business towards the Northern Railway
termini. This last fact will bring home to many
people a detail of Post Office business which is
often forgotten—that a great portion of it never
passes through the "General" at all. By the ar-
rangements now in force much of the postal traffic
for the trunk lines goes direct from the district
offices to the termini of the trunk lines, and St.
Martin's-le Grand is thus considerably relieved.
Ent, as Efts been stated, even granting that relief,
the General Post Office continues to be inade-
quate to the popular requirements, and, however,
expensive may be the additions, the additions
must be made.
Continually there are being discovered in odd
and out-of-the-way corners documents which
throw considerable light on the history of the
past, and one of the most singular of these
. finds, affecting, as it does, a distinguished figure
in English literature, has been made known
within the past few days. It appears that
at a sale in L6ndon a short time since of a
brat( d collection of autographs, there lay
among them hidden and unnoticed, the original
warrant under which John Bunyan, therein
described as a " tynker," was sent for
the third and last time to Bedford Gaol.
The greater interest attaches to this par-
ticular term of imprisonment because it
is believed that it was during its course that the
immortal dreamer wrote the first part of the
"Pilgrim's Progress ;" and it is with a feeling
almost of awe that one would look upon a docu-
ment which, in a sense, was the cause of the pro-
duction of a work which has had a potent
influence noon the thought of two centuries,
and which has been more frequently translated
and more generally read than any book except the
Bible. Perhaps no one but the antiquarian
can quite feel the true flavour of such a
document; but even the least imaginative would
surely have a little quickening of the pulse at
t e sight of a deed so fraught with great conse-
. •tilleo to the world as that which by accident
1... e just been discovered.
Persons intending to emigrate to our Colonies
will be glad to hear that arrangements are being
made by which introductory letters may be given
to them for presentation to those on the other
side who would best be able to give them advice.
It was suggested some two or three years
since that it would be well if letters of
• introduction could be given to suitable
emigrants by some person in this country,
who should .be in corref-pondence with
those in the Colonies likely to aid with
counsel, or otherwise, the newly-arrived. This,
however, could not be done officially by the re-
presentatives of the Colonial Governments in
this country, as a certain responsibility would
thus be incurred which was regarded as un-
desirable; and, therefore, what was to be done
in this direction would have to be done by
arrangemeat and peisonal effort. Bear-
ing this in mind, arrangements have now been
made by which letters can be given to
intenclieg settlers proceeding to Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, Capetown, or Natal; and if those
Nee: . to whom they are presented are likely to become
good settler,s the individuals who have allowed
letters t be thus addressed te them, will reneer
any assistance in their pewee on the arrival of
the intr duied ern4.7ants in the colony. This is
very decidedly a stet, in the right direction; and
all who are interest;Ld in the cause of emigration
will hope that the Ixperiment may prove sue-
ceseul. The position of an emigrant when be