The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-06-12 00:00:00

Our wanbon Comsponbent.
[We &era it right to state ths.t we do ant at all time'
oa:selvea lth our Correspoatiesst'a opinions.]

One of the prettiest sights which Lae.don
during the season can show is the meet in Hyde-
park of either the Coaching or the Four-in-Hand
Club. The latter is the older and larger, and
perhaps slightly the more fashionable institution,
but both have an extensive aristocratic patron-
age, and their popularity in high circles is unde-
niable. When it is announced that a meet of
either club is about to take place, this much may
be reckoned upon as certain—that tens of thou-
sands of well-dressed people will find their way
to Hyde-park, there to crowd as near as possible
to "the Magazine," which is always the chosen
rendezvous on these occasions. e As coach after
coach drives up, each with its load of distin-
gUished personages, and each provided with a
magnificent team, which it does the lover of
horses good to see, the crowd surges around vehi-
cles .aiid.animals, all eager to know the name of
the owner, and to critically inspect every "ap-
pointment" within eyeshot. Interest culminates
when the Prince of Wales is seen driving up on
top of one of the coaches; and when the Prin-
cess of Wales, usually accompanied by some
of her children, comes in her carriage
to the . place of meeting, the well-dressed
crowd can scarcely restrain its desire to testify
appreciation of the presence of Royalty. But,
though loyalty may lie at the bottom of this de-
sire, the crowding which in its result often proves
discomforting to the recipient of what is doubt-
less meant as a compliment. This was strikingly
show!. at the four-in-hand meet a few days ago,
when the Princess of Wales, who had her three
daughters with her, Was so incommoded by the
crowd which persisted in pushing. against her
vehicle and staring at its wcupants, that she felt
compelled. to drive to another part of the park,
whence she could watch the procession of the
coaches from a position of greater seclusion.
Those visitors to the meet in question who
took a turn through the park after the crowd
had departed could net but have been struck
with the manifold beauties it presents now that
summer has set in. The visitor to London who
wishes to see the varied charms of Hyde-park
should not confine himself to a stroll along the
railing by Rotten-row, though there he may see
a display of beauty, wealth, and fashion almost,
if not altogether, unique as far as England is
concerned, but should wander in those parts of
the park "far from the madding crowd,' where
the cool green herbw_re, the spreading trees, and
the multitude of flowers show nature in all her
loveliness. It is not given to all of us to be able
to leave London when we please and seek rest for
mind and body in some secluded spot; but we
have the less excuse for grumbling at the fact
when almost at our very doors have been placed
such parks hs the metropolis provides. A stroll
through any of them will show how greatly they
are appreciated, and a glance at a good map will
indicate how large a space they cover. It would
be difficult to think of London without these
" lungs " of.hers.knd fortunately it is impossible
to deprive her of 'them. Not much in the way of
truly-fresh air can a coal-consuming, densely-
populated city like ours ever be blessed'with ;
but as long as our parks and other open spaces
are preserved to us, so long shall we be making
the best of the little fresh air we get.

It was not long ago that an -announcement
went the round of the papers that Paris was
about to furnish herself with an underground
railway; and now within the last few days we
have been informed that New York also intends
to follow the example of London, and to be
provided with a similar system. There will be a
difference, however, in die American case, and
not improbably in the French one, for, since the
Metropolitan Railway was constructed nearly
a quarter of a century ago, many improvements
have been devised by civil engineers which are
calculated to do away with some of the incon-
veniences which inevitably attend the London
system. But the main difference will not be so
much in the construction of the tunnel, though
even in this matter the difference will not be
small, but in the fact that the cars will be pro-
pelled by electricity, and not by steam. If this
prove practicable, and Alectricians agree that it
should prove so—the terrible atmosphere which
fills tunnels where coal is burnt in the engines
will be a thing unknown. Ventilation will be
required, of coursq, but that is not the difficulty
that has to be acountered upon the Metro-
politan system. The mere change of air might
be easy, but to render an atmosphere filled with
sulphurous smoke innocuous has tried to break-
ing point the skill of various engineers. Despite
this drawback, the -Underground Railway in
London has proved a very great convenience to
the millions who annually travel by its means;
and it may be expected to be equally of good
service in Paris and New York.

The message sent by the Queen to President
Cleveland on the occasion of his marriage might
be regarded not only as an expression of her
Majesty's personal good wishes for the happiness
of the wedded pair, but as representing the feel-
ings of the people of this country on the subject.
Despite occasional friction, there is a commu-
nity of spirit between England and the United
States which, it may be sincerely trusted,
nothing will occur to destroy; and as that kin-
ship may be best displayed between nations as
between individuals at times of domestic union,
it was fitting that such an occasion as the mar-
riage of the American President should have
been seized for the purpose. The simplicity of
the ceremony, which precluded anything like
a formal recognition of the event, added
to its interest as far as the public,
both English and American, were concerned;
and the vet y absence of State pageant in th e case of
the wedding of a personage bearing temporary rule
over a vast nation rendered the occasion at once
more significant and impressive. The citizens of
the United States pride themselves upon the fact
that at European levees their accredited repre-
sentatives are distinguished from all others by
the Republican simplicity of their dress, and by
the fact that they wear no decorations. The
same principle has now been applied to the
President's marriage, and although Mr. Cleveland
and his bride may be given all credit for this
adherence to their country's tradition, there can
be no doubt that the existence of such a tradi-
tion rendered their task the easier. But, after
all the details of the ceremony have been set
aside, the fact of the marriage remains; and the
people of England have not been slow to testify
that the simple words in which their Sovereign
wished happiness to her brother ruler across the
AtLintic, spoke, as in similar instances they so
often do speak, the sentiments of the whole of
her subjects.
As Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief the
Duke of Cambridge has just issued an order
which will be welcomed as a boon by thousands
of men in our regular forces. Hitherto soldiers
had been prohibited from smoking in the streets,
with the consequence that the rule was fre-
quently broken, though, of course, broken under
peril, and the "Indian weed" indulged in by
the men in holes and corners and thoroughfares
not likely to be frequented by superiors. Recog-
nising this the duke has ordered to be substi-
tuted for the old prohibition the following per-
mission: "Soldiers are not to go beyond the
precincts of their barracks unless properly
dressed, and they are not to smoke in the streets
until after 5 p.m. from Oct. 1 to March 31, and
6 p.m. from April 1 to September 30." This will
strike many folks as a reasonable compromise,
and it is likely to prove popular among the men.
There is no necessity to argue the abstract idea
of whether men ought to smoke; the fact stares
us in the fate that men do smoke, and, if
soldiers are to be treated as ordinary mortals,
their right of so enjoying themselves must he
conceded. Doubtless, it is only right, in the
interests of military discipline, that there should
be some restrictions with regard to smoking iel!
the streets; for any who have been to France 2:
will agree that the indiscriminate fashion in
which at all hours of the day the soldiers 101 l
about the streets and smoke is not calculated to,
raise their discipline in one's estimation. The
compromise upon which the Commander-in-
Chief has decided will, therefore, strike most
people as a very fair and reasonable one.
The pursuit of pleasure upon wheels, in the
shape of both bicycling and tricycling, appears
to be growing in popularity, and what was once
merely a fashion has now become an institution.
The Society of Cyclists, which was formed to
watch the interests of and promote'social inter-
course between the votaries of the wheel, has
just been holding its sittings at Colchester, and
a most gratifying record of progress was presented.
These gatherings; ,are always enjoyable, and the
programme foOqiiii cppasjen.was so varied as to
mit all tastes. .4ott,onjy,vverp- tliff9 papers read
of the usual type,such as one on "Cycling in;th. e
Highlands," watt arath.er nn " A Tricycle 1•;kt-,-
but an address. .on:. T1ie.444,-An4„,,P.aittiwstof,
Constable "—fqoo4.4grag tlareh .11e, port qa44,11t "
country which .. .i. . 6:r Av. :.I§ftitr4:looll:lc,.l.-‘l4
scapes of that • ,4,tri . or bilaclou. (agussiern
was made. r ' .. 5... w„,y,„hot.,• .ivet:e tvi6s
of immediate IfteitS';V=ycler /149„ad,,, 14,
isti,
their views were broadened upon either points of
value to all who love culture. As Dr. Richard-
son. the President of the society, observed after

‘vhat may be called the Constable part of the
programme had been gone through, "there had
been nothing in the history of cycling which
resembled that day's outing. The object of their
society was to place the art of cycling on the
very highest basis, so far as the advancement of
human thought and happiness was concerned,
and they had had a foretaste that day of what
would happen, he hoped, for many years to
come." This lope will be cordially echoedeby all
who like to see all amusement turned to its best
end. We all of us believe in the necessity for
possessing a sound mind in a sound body, but it
is not always easy to hit upon a method by which
the pursuit of the two can be combined; and
when such a method has been found, it deserves
to be encouraged.
Our lifeboat service is one of the most striking
results of voluntary effort that even England can
show, and every addition to the number of boats
deserves to be recorded as an incentive to extra
aid to a most deserving institution. But about
a new boat which was launched a few days since
at Southsea, a story is to be related which merits
telling on its own deserts, recording as it does a
most gallant act. It appears that not far from
six years ago, when her Majesty's ship Minotaur
was crossing the Bay of Biscay in very stormy
weather, a sailor fell overboard, and one of the
lieutenants named Heyland jumped overboard
without hesitation to save him. This, after a
severe struggle, he succeeded in doing, but when,
having brought him back to the ship and got
him safely on board, he attempted himself to
follow he was struck by a heavy sea and
drowned. The heroic deed, with its melan-
choly ending, so impressed many officers of
the Royal Navy that they determined to raise a
memorial that should tell it to the future, and
no better form could have been found in which
to perpetuate the bravery and self-sacrifice of
their gallant comrade than a lifeboat. This
accokiingly they presented to the National Life-
boat Institution, and, named the Heyland, it has
now been dedicated as a standing witness to a
feat of heroism that has not been exceeded for
valour by many a deed which has won fame upon
the battle-field. A. F. R.