The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-13 00:00:00

A GROWL FROM A NOR'-WEST PASSENGER.

A correspondent, writing to a London cotemporary, says :
I have been under the necessity of braving the perils of the
North-Western line this evening, and I experienced some of
the unpleasantnesses which are of too common occurrence to
those who, like myself, are unfortunately obliged occasionally
to face the dangers of that passage. Our train, which was duo
at Huston.square at 8 30, got on tolerably well till we arrived
at Leighton, and was to its time, or nearly so. From that
station, however, to Watford we had to follow slowly in the
wake of a luggage train, and were kept in a pleasing state of
excitement by the frequent screaming of the railway whistle
and by the train being at times brought to a stand. At Wat-
ford the train to which we were indebted for this amusement
was shunted, and we had the pleasure of passing it, and a
monster it was, being composed of an endless variety of luggage
vans, empty trucks, and closely packed pens of cattle and sheep.
To make up for the lost time, our pace from Watford was a
"neck-or-nothing" one, which served to keep up the previous
state of excitement, and we thought that if we were fortunate
enough to keep on the line the end of our journey would
soon be attained ; and if wo were not so fortunate, some
of us would probably attain an end of another kind, These
agreeable fancies were rudely cut short by another tearing
lot of screams from the whistle, the rushing of steam,
and the screwing on of breaks, the climax of all
being two loud reports—bang ! bang ! —like the firing of a
brace of blunderbusses. The train was brought to a dead
stand in less time than I should have thought possible, and
again a row of heads was projected from the carriages, the
proprietors of which wished to learn, if possible, what the row
was all about, Af. er some delay we crept slowly on to Har-
row, passing as we did so, one coal and two cattle trains which
had been shunted to make way for us. Though we did
eventually arrive in safety at Euston-square, and only half an
hour behind time, I think you will agree with me, sir, that this
is a stee of things that ought not to be put up with quietly.
I The Leicester and Hitchin line will probably be open before
Christmas, and1 if so, will ease the traffic on the North
Western, and do away with your suggestion of an extra line
for luggage being attended to. If the Leicester and Hitehin
line be not open by Christmas, God help those who will have I
to try the North-west passsage at that festive season, when
traffic is so much increased. In the meantime, if the present
management will persist in dovetailing a number of coal,
luggage, and cattle trains between each passenger train, they
ought either to furnish those trains with engines capable of
doing the work, or more shunting places ought to be provided
beyond Watford. If they cannot attend to these matters, or,
at all events, do something or other to nut an end to this
undesirable state of things, it would be no bad job if they were
to shunt themselves and make room for men who would do
better.—I am, sir, A NOR'-WEST GROWL.
London, Nov, 8.

TUE CALIFORNIAN PEN.—The everlasting question of
" is this a good pen" has been answered by Mr. E. T. Hall,
of South Jklan street, who has succeeded in producing a
metallic pen, which he designates—not inaptly—as above.
There is hardly anything more annoying than a bad pen—
every one knows the misery. The pen made by Mr. Hall is
fit for any hand to use—light or heavy—and, what is of the
greatest value, it does not corrode, but will work with equal
facility in any ink, From experience of metallic pens, we
ast nearly as long,
can say that this one, which is polished as gold, and will
is the best one we have evt r