The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-25 00:00:00

Qllpcitourbriby Obsertur

SATURDAY, JUNE 2.1, 1887.

!JUBILEE DAY,

THE mcdr-pi cyanid-for pageant is raveled.
The longest day of this our yeer of grace
will be markt d tkrough all time as one /ditch
witnessed such a celebration as the earth has
not before seen. Jubilees of sovereignty
there have been in Britain in bygone days,
Ro3 al Jubilees, abroad, too; but never such
a Jubilee as that of her Most Gracious
Majesty Victoria, signalising as it did the
completion of this country's brightest half-
hundred years. Berlin saw an august
gathering of Royal rank and beauty when.
Kais, r William kept his ninetieth birthday,
but yen the splendour of that memorable
aggr gation of kings. queens, pr:r ces, and
ant haf sadors was eclipsed by the assemblage
hich On Tuesday went to Westminster to
take part iu the Thankegivin,2: Service th: t
formed the e!iirf item in her Majesty's
Jubilee einninemora,tion. Every part of our
overeign's vat realm was represented in
the congregation; and with her own subjects
there mingled a goodly array of envoys from
multitudinous foreign potentates, the
bea, era of congratulary despatches to
Britain's queen and India's empress. The
ceremony in the Abbey was the centre of
the national rejoicing, in which, later daring
the day, the rest of London joined with an
enthusiasm altegether without parallel; and
which' had its jubilant ramifications in every
city, town, and hamlet of the kingdom; and
many- an echo fro,n gathering. of English-
men in other lauds. The weather, which
f a fail week before had been enjoyably
b am= e rhke, wa., on Jubilee Day all that
heart could wish for, the hot June sunshine
liciag tempered with refreshing breezes.
So it was that the brilliant streamers of silk
and bunting, the charming greenery and
many-hued blossom., and all the rest that
was beautiful whieh:had been filched from
the fields of nature and fashioned in the
workshops of art to give honour and glory
to the Jubilee celebration, made the most
pleasing possible show. So it was that the
three gorgeous processions from the Palace
to the Abbey had a most memorable regal
presentment, the magnificence of the equip.'
ages of kings, queens, and princes being
enhanced by the smiling beams of the noon-
day sun. So it was, too, that the troops,
horse and foot, which lined the Royal route,
showed at their smartest, delighting the
eyes of the leiges. The Life Guards were
there, imposing in appearance; picked
cavalry-men, light and heavy, in varying
uniforms; infantry, artillerymen, and blue-
jackets; volunteers of every description.
The scene was one never to be forgotten.
Stands towered at intervals along the route,
packed densely with eager onlookers in
holiday array; every balcony and housetop
and other point of vantage was filled 'with
people who had flocked to see the procession.
On the ground millions thronged to get a
glimpse of their Queen, and to give her a
hearty cheer as she passed. Tremendous
crowds pressed everywhere tightly up to the
military guard lines; and even the migh my
multitudes who stood waiting to witness
the pageant in the morninz, were out-
numbered at night by the myriads who
moved along the gaily decorated and dazzl-
ingly illuminated streets Everything was
successful in the, highest degree, and her
Majesty could not have wished for a more

maikerl display of national, loyalty and
sympathetic emotion than which greeted her
/upon her Jubilee Festival Day. Perhaps
the ensemble of the State processions them-
selves would have been rendered more im-
posing had it been unbroken; if, we mean,
tile three divisions of carriages of which it
was chiefly cormed had pa3sfyl along without
the gaps which went between ;.and certainly
the people would have welcomed that section
of vehicles which containad the kingly
visitors muc'i m v,ciferously had not the

Sovereigns boen hidden out of sight by
reaion of ill ei L. coaches being closed, bat this
is all that a.c. 'critic can find to cavil at.
Most of ail tlw eavalcimie of Royal Princes
whicls girt ab.alt her Ilajestv's own cream-
hprsed carriage proved popular; and the
Royal equestrians received ovations of ap•
piause wiich were only transcended by the ,
thundering e.liettrs evoked at sight of the
Queen herself, seat ti oppOsite the Princess
of Wales, everybody's favinarite. and our
Princess Roynl, the coming Empress of Ger-
many- Next to the stalvvart, handsome
linsusald ot the latter, in his maanificent
white Field-Marshal's uniform, rode the
Heir App_xent, whose figure is familiar to
all, and ooth, as well AA our Sailor Prince,
were hti:ed along the line with uneeasing
gree:ins ; the alter Princes, who were sons-
in-law, grandsons, and grandsons in-law of
her Majesty, also being cheered loudly. The
Indiin Prince.s who attended the Abbey, and
the contingent of t1.k..0p w.:O Caine
to the capital of the Empire - to jkin in the
Juhilee rejoicings, received their full mead
of recognition, needless to Add, from the
pOlilliaCe RA they passed. In, the snered
boil ling the spectacle was molt memora'ole
—indescribably grand, indeed;: but nottling
iii t.e brilliance of that tlazzlinc.; array from
every land was more remarkable than the
stately reverence of the Queen herself, as,
she-bowed in thanks before the altar, andthe
toeing affection with which, wlrm wor-
Waal over, she forgot her high estate for
DI otileut, and becate a simple woman, as
gdie warmly returned the kisses of her
children m besi:4l:2t of the smiling thou-
swank Out of the old Abbey titan Went the
Qom sad her twehea, ink threuelt the epj

landing crowds to her palace, and tie
Phanks,:riving was over. At nikht all thr
letr:lpolis was superbly-e'ay, for then as.
electricity, and many coloured lamps lent an
added lustre to the artistic decorations which
abounded everywhere. Everything in the
strc-ets Wit= a 4 beautirtil as the fairy FliCelle9
of a splendidly presented pantomime. With-
in doors old folk and the poor were being
feasted and feted, and the young enter-
tained in a war to make them keep Jubilee
Day green in their memoriestill second child
hood dims their sense,;. The festivities have
since been continued on Anch a scale that
scarcely anyone seems left who has not par-
ticipated in the Jubilee commemoration.