The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-30 00:00:00

A BLACK COUNTRY LEGEND.

Early in the present century, when Bilston was a long
straggling village with one main street, which formed a
part of the mail road from London to Chester and Holy-
head, the Bull's Head (advertised for sale Lady Day,
1870) was the principal inn of the place, and a well-known
hostelry on the old Irish route. It was naturally, and
almost as a matter of course, the house at which the town
worthies were wont to meet, drink good wholesome
home-brewed ale out of the Staffordshire black glazed
pots, smoke their long Broseley pines, and talk over the
politics of the day and the tittle-tattle of the neighbour-
hood. One bright summer's eve, while thus pleasantly
engaged in the modest smoking-room (coffee-rooms had
not as yet come into existence), a gentleman rides up
to the door, followed by his servant with the saddle-
bags. There is, of course, great curiosity amongst the
assembled guests to know who the stranger may be ;
and from the communicative valet they soon
learn that he is an Irish officer en route to
London. They become immediately desirous of
his company amongst themselves both for society
and news' sake ; but the gentleman unsocially
keeps his own room upstairs. So that at last, driven to
desperation and perchance somewhat pot-valiant, one of
the company, Mr. Edwar,d Woolley, of Stonefields,
screw•maker (i.e., of iron screws for wood), sends up a
servant with his chronometer to ask the Irishman if he
can tell what time it is by an English watch. Great
anxiety ensues as to the result. Presently the servant
returns with his master's compliments, and he will be
down directly with the watch and an answer. A great
shuffling of feet is heard overhead ; and by and by ap-
pears Milesius, followed by his body guard bearing a tray
with the watch and a brace of pistols on it. He unhesi-
tatingly announces that he is come to challenge the
owner of the watch, and hopes he will have the "decency"
to claim it and take up one of the pistols. (To the
servant—" Take the watch round, John !") "Is it
yours, sir?" The old doctor, Moss, was the first
thus addressed ; and amongst others present were
Messrs. Price and Bushbury. " No, sir 1" was the in-
variable answer from each put to this crucial test. At
length it comes to the owner, "Is the watch yours,
sir ?" "No sir 1" " Well, then, John,* since no one will
own the watch, put it in your pocket ; and as we do not
appear to have fallen among ' jintlemen,' bring out the
horses, and we'll ride on another stage." The tale of
course soon got abroad, and to the end of his career poor
Woolley, or rather "'Oolley," as he was more generally
called, was accosted with " What's o'clock, Mr. 'Oolley ?"
Only within a year or two of his death, while riding along
quietly in his carriage, a young urchin thus annoyed him ;
and in getting out to make a dash after him, poor
" 'Oolley " was upset and grievously injured. So that he
had good cause long to remember the loss of his "family
turnip," and his prestige of Quixotic combativeness.—
Notes and Queries.

THE LONDON TRAMWAY SCHEMES. These
schemes, 21 in number, embrace 376 main lines, loops,
branches, and extensions. It would be much easier to
enumerate the thoroughfares and localities that are not
proposed to be used than those that are. The total mile-
age of new tramways proposed. for the metropolis is about
250 miles, in addition to the lines already at work, and
about 100 miles already*authorised, but not yet constructed
or opened. The proposed extensions on the south of the
Thames are inconsiderable in extent ; but on the
north side it may be said with truth that there is no
thoroughfare, north, south, east, or west, that the promo-
ters do not propose to appropriate. One bill, or rather
the plans, embraces about 45 miles ; another above 40
Miles ; and one company, the London Street, schedules
about 60 miles of streets and roads. The plans of two sets
of promoters, the Common Road Conveyance Company,
and the Southall, Ealing, and Shepherd's-bush Tramway,
the one of 121 miles, and the other of seven miles, were
not lodged at the Private Bill-office. Whether the pro-
moters will receive a dispensation from standing orders
remains to be seen.—Builder,