The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-07 00:00:00

Our i'oru)on (orrtsponbtnt.

two deem it right to state that we do not at all WON
identify ourselves with our Correspondent', opinions.]

Lord Mayor Stone, our new chief magistrate, pro-
misee, in his forthcoming annual show, to revive the
ancient glories of the 9th of November. Not, how-
ever, in their entirety, for that it is impossible. Time
was when, Instead of going to Westminster by land, a
grand civic pageant proceeded thither by way of the
Thames, the Lord Mayor using the splendid State
barge. But this has long been abandoned; the barge
has given way to the State-coach; the Thames is
superseded by Ludgate-hill, Fleet-street, and the
Strand. Instead of the civic authorities going up "the
silent highway" to Westminster in boats, they wend
their stately way through crowded thoroughfares, in
which the multitude is so dense that the shops have to
be closed, the traffic di% eted, and business entirely
suspended. There thee .0 in long procession, the
Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, in magnificent carriages, the
Aldermen and Common Councilmen, the numerous
host of city dignitaries, the array of ancient guilds
originally formed for the encouragement and protec-
tion of the various trades and handicrafts, military
bands, firm upright squadrons of hussars, and
queerly dressed watermen to remind the surging
throng of the departed days when this high
festival was held upon the river. Some years
ago when Alderman Sir Robert Carden was Lord
Mayor, he introduced a new feature into his
display--namely, a troop of knights in armour.
The grotesque appearance of these fellows, and the
indifferent way in which they reined their prancing
steeds, excited roars of laughter amongst the unfeeling
gazers, and the knights were given up. I should
explain that the object of going to Weetutineter—and
the route covers a distance not far short of three wiles
- - is that the new Lord Mayor may pay his respects to
her Majeety's judges, and be sworn in before the
Barons of the Court a Exchequer. There are many
persons who declaim against the Lord Mayor's shwas
a relic of barbarism, object to an important part of
London being disturbed for hours by the presence of a
vast mob, and emphatically want to know why his
lordship, if he wishes to proceed to Westminster at
all, doesn't je. as a private gentleman without all this
fuss. But the thought of abolishing the Lord Mayor's
Show, if seriously entertained, would almost drive
the Londoners into insurrection. I am not exag-
gerating when I say that to hundreds of thousands of
the population it is the only spectacular display which
they witness in the entire twelve months. They are as
delighted with it as a child in a country town is at the
:AKA of a circus, or at AIL exhibition of wild beasts.
For my own part I confess that I should not like
to see it swept away. Pass through Cheapeide,
Ludgate-ill, Fleet-street, and the Strand on any
other working day in the year, and you will see
nothiag but rushing traffic, hurrying crowds, and
anxious faces, the possessors whereof persistently dis-
regard the injunction to lay up no treasure upon earth.
But on the 9th of November there is a change—miles
of closed shops—miles of merry, good tempered faces.
The people come out to enjoy themselves, and no one
doubts that they succeed. There iff, it must be ad-
mitted, a little occasional horseplay. You might, for
instance, suddenly find your hat knocked off, and
sportively turned into a football; and the more dis-
concerted you become, the more immoderately the
spectators laugh. But this, after all, is a trifle, and if
men are wise, they don't venture into such crowds
wearing good hats. And they are doubly wise if they
eau keep their tempers in the midst of jeering chaff.
There is one thing in a Ninth of November crowd
which it gives ins great pleasure to record. I am weak
enough to confess that I always go and see theshow, for
it is a break in the monotony of life, and I have never
failed to notice how strong men and lusty women give
the beet positions to the children. The little one stand-
ing near them is the veriest stranger, and when the
precession has gone by they possibly may never meet ,
again; but while the grandees are sweeping past, the
children are taken up by thousands of stranger arms, I
and held aloft so that tbey may mica nothing of the
spectacle which the Lord Mayor of London has sup-
plied.
The School Board for the metropolis evidently has
all its work to do. The Registrar-General tells is
that there are in our grett capital more than a 'million
children under fifteen years of age. The Board esti-
mates that by April, 1076, it may be able to provide
sclued accommodation for 610,000 of these, leaving, as
will be seen, even then a very considerable margin. Of
the entire number of children under fifteen. 413,000 are
classed as scholars, 617,000 as of no occupation, and
51,000 of both, sexes in specific employments. It is
evident that a large number' of the vast total should
have been at schooL Contrast London for a moment
with Lancashire. In that populous county there were,
at the last census, 301,000 children between the ages
of ten and fifteen, and of these 116,000 were employed
in factories, and 14.2,000 were at school. Juvenile labour
is therefore brought into requisition to a much larger
extent in Lancashire than in London.
There have been many attempts to put a better class
of cab upon our stands, but hitherto not much suceess
has attended these efforts. There are many who urge
that a better class of cabmen would also be desirable;
but I believe that he average cabmen is an honest and
fair-dealing man, and that, when candidly questioned,
he will tell you the truth. He will tell, you that
the regulation price ot his labour is not sufficiently
remunerative, and that he reckons his over pay-
ments as a part of his legitimate income. Should
he ask you half-a-crown when his proper fare is
two ehillings, he will reply to your expostulation
by saying that if he always got his rieht fare
his children would have no butter on their bread.
He tells you that it hen you place yourself inside his
vehicle, you trust your life in his hands. It is difficult
steering, he urges, through the labyrinth of drays,
eumibusee, tradesmen's carts, hand barrows, and
Pickford's waggons; and if you are breimht safely
through a five-mile journey of this description, how,
he asks, can you begrudge such skilled labour an extra
..ixpen a.? Naturally this depends very much upon the
number If sixpences you may have in your pocket,
but a cabmen who puts his case before you in this way
is more likely to have his request granted than if he
were to impudently ask for a greater fare.
Thanks h: the efforts of the City of London Club,
the study of Chess has lately been stimulated and
popularized amongst us to an extent never previously
known. We have now chess columns in many serials
.4 the lighter class, and problems in this game are now
as eagerly studied as were the charades and the double
acronties which were such favourites a few years ago.
There seems to be a sort of freemasonry amongst the
devotees of chess which is found in few other games.
Go. into one of the cafes in the Strand of an evening,
and you will see the English clergyman, the French
communard, the Polish exile, and the broad-shouldered
German. At times eager arguments are raised over
some difficult position or disputed point; but, as a
rule, amity and politeness characterise the progress of
the match. The chess-table is, in fact, a kind of
legitimate republic where all distinctions are levelled
:is far as rank is concerned, and no superiority except
that of skill is recognized. The word "chess" is of
Pereian origin, but the name of the inventor of the
game luster been satisfactorily established.
As the recess goes on, political speeches do not be-
• °me fewer. In fact they often occupy a space in the
London papers out of all proportion to their import-
ance. People at this time of day have bad quite
enough of the causes and effects of the dined:Aim last
January; and they are tired ef the reiteration of the
Seseiou'e history. The Toms calls these addresses
"Parliament out of Session ;" the Daily News,
" Public Men on Public Affairs ;" the Teleor a ph,
"Politics in the Provinces :" and another morning
paper, "Extra-Parliamentary Utterances." But having
had almost enough of retrospective views, we are look-
ing forward now to the speeches of the Cabinet
Ministers at the Lord Mayor's banquet. The Premier
mid several f his colleagues will be there, and as Mr.
Disraeli is a capital after-dinner speaker the event is
nnticipated with a great deal of interest. The ban-
quet, which is always on a magnificent scale, is served
act Guildhall, and there are generally about 900 guests.
As a matter .4 fact most of these hear comparatively
little of the speeches, partly in consequence of the vast
Ftte of the hall, and partly because of the hum of
conversation which is kept up at the tables. The
gueste,natursdly enough, being unable to hear, talk to
their neighbours, and this becomes embarrassing to
men who expect to be listened to. Yet it is difficult
to see how the talk is to be avoided. In a place of
half the size, and with half the number of :meets, the
Cabinet Ministers would he heard; but so long as the
entertainment takes place at Guildhall this will be out
uf the question.

Although the International Exhibition has been I
finally- brought to a clisie, tle re is us lask of various
kinds of instructive reereation in London just now.
There are for instance, the Dudley Gallery, in Pall.
Mall, and the exhibition of the Photographic Society
in Suffolk-street. Either of these is well worth a
lilt, but in the latter more especially is to be
seen ample evidence of the progress which the
rt of photography has made in this country during
the past few years. The views of scenery, which
sire finer on this than on any previous occasion,
terve to illustrate an increased precision in all that
encerns technical perfection. There are fewer sharp
contrasta of light and shade, and the general result is
softer and more harmonious than in any collection
reviously brought together. In other respects besides
she treatment of landscape, this exhibition is a great
improvem;ut upon any of it. predecessors. As to our
places of amusement pure and simple, they seem not
to Farr from lack of patronage. Mr. Sothern fills
the Haymarket Theatre night after night; " Old
iiligkra" comprises the attraction at the Strand; at