The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-28 00:00:00

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PRICE 5(1.

The public should be on their guard against a
large circulation of half guilder pieces of Demerara in London,
the size of which is nearly that of the fourpenny
whilst
the value scarcely exceeds three pence. A large quantity of
three-penny pieces are also. in circulation, ,chick, like the
former, are iable to be mistaken for the four-penny pieces..

HORSE RAILWAYS.
Once on a time there was a certain ancient vender of
fish who was in the habit of tramping from place to
place, carrying his merchandise on an ass with a couple
of panniers, into one of which the old codger used to
pack his fish, while in the other, by way of counterpoise
he would stow an equal weight of stones. One day, a
neighbour, who had some brains in his head, remon-
strated with our itinerant hawker of marine merchandise
on the absurdity of his conduct, and endeavoured to
prove to him that it would be much better to put fish
into both panniers and dispense with the stones alto-
gether, as his ass would then be able to carry twice the
quantity of fish, or the same quantity with twice the
case. The fishmonger, who was a great stickler for
good old customs, and had a profound veneration for
the windom of our ancestors, either could not or would
not comprehend the logic of his reforming neighbour,
and told him that his plan might do for any thing he
knew, but that his father and grandfather used to carry
fish in one pannier and stones in the other, and he was
determined to do the same as long as he live", as he
hated all new-fangled notions as he hated the devil.
We have often been reminded of this story, on wit-
nessing the dogged obstinacy and infatuation with
which people are apt to cling to old and absurd usages,
and to resist the adoption of simpler and more effectua
methods of accomplishing their purpose. The effect of
iron rails, or of stone ways, in reducing the friction of
carriage wheals, has been known for half a century,
probably much longer ; and yet even on long lines of
road, where there is a dead level, carriages continue to
" drag their slow length along," at the rate of five or
six miles an hour, when, by the simple application of
rails, they might with equal ease double the speed with
four times the load.

Since the vast advantage of rails has been so
triumphantly proved on that admirable line of road
between Liverpool and Manchester, one would
have thought that rails would long since have
been laid down on common roads wherever
the line was adapted for the purpose, and
yet we are not aware that there is a single turnpike, or
other road, on which the experiment has been made.
Can it be possible that at this time of day men who
have an interest in turnpike roads are ignorant of the
wonderful advantage in power and speed ►whirls a horse
derives from travelling over a road where iron or stone
tracks are laid down ?

In the Library of Useful linowledge there is a sepa-
rate treatise on the subject of the horse, in which it is
stated that, on a railway, the animal will draw a load ten
times heavier than what he can move on a common
road ; and in the Sporting Anecdotes an instance of the
power of draught on the rail is recorded which is so re-
markable that we shall here transcribe it entire.

" An unparalleled instance of the power of a horse,
when assisted by art, was shown near Croydon. The
Surrey iron railway being completed, and opened for
the carriage of goods all the way from Wandsworth to
Mertsham, a bet was made between two gentlemen,
that a common horse could draw thirty-six toes for six
miles along the road, and that he should draw his
weight Irom a dead pull, as well as turn it round the
occasional windings of the road. A number of gen-
tletrme❑ assembled near Mertsham to see this extra-
ordinary triumph of art. Twelve waggons loaded
with stones, each waggon weighing above three tons,
were chained together, and a horse taken promis-
cuously from the timber-cart of Mr. Harwood,
was yoked into the team. He started from
near the Fox public-house, and drew the immense
chain of waggons with apparent ease to near the
turnpike at Croydon, a distance of six miles,
in one hour and forty-one minutes, which is
nearly at the rate of four miles an hour. In the course
of this time he stopped four times, to show that it
was not by the impetus of the descent that the power
was acquired ; and after each stoppage, he drew off
the chain of waggons from a dead stop. Having gained
his wager, Mr. Banks, the gentleman who laid the bet,
directed four more loaded waggons to be added to the
cavalcade, with which the same horse again set off with
undiminished power ; and still further to show the effect
of the railway in facilitating motion, he directed the at-
tending workmen, to the number of about fifty, to
mount on the waggons, and the horse proceeded, with-
out the least distress, and, in truth, there appeared to
be scarcely any limitation to the power of his draught.
After the trial, the waggons were taken to the weighing
machines, and it appeared that the whole weight stood
as follows :

Tons. Cwt. Qr.
12 waggons first linked together 3S 4 2
4 waggons afterwards attache' l3 2 0
.50 labourers, suppose 4 U 0

.55 6 2"
As connected with this subject we invite the atten-
tion of our readers to a letter which may be found in
another column of our journal, signed Observer, the
same writer who, in our publication of the 2d instant,
recommended a railway for horse carriages on the road
between Liverpool and Waterloo. It is not our inten-
tion to offer any opinion as to the accuracy of our corre-
spondent's calculations, respecting which our readers
may form their own conclusions. He seems very con-
fident in the correctness of his data, and in the practica-
bility of his scheme, but no doubt many persons, less
sanguine than the projector, will be of opinion that he
has not a little overrated its advantage and probable
profits, whilst he has underrated the expenses with
which its wear and tear would be accompanied.
They will, moreover, be apt to think that he
has exaggerated the inconveniences of steam loco.
motive travelling, whilst he has kept out of sight its im•
moose advantages in power and speed, which will neces-
sarily secure for that mode of conveyance a decided pre-
ference over horse-power. There is, however, ample
scope in the country for steam-carriages and for such
conveyance as that suggested by our correspondent ;
and, so far from regarding them as rivals, our opinion
is, that both may work together for the public con-
venience, and afford ample remuneration to the respec-
tive proprietors.

Some of our readers may think it strange that, in
treating of the subject of railways on turnpikes and
common roads, we should have made no allusion to any
of the numerous projects for the introduction of steam-
carriages on such roads. Our reason for the omission
is our thorough and long-entertained conviction that loco-
motive steam-carriages, without guiding rails, will never
succeed, as they will necessarily be attended with the
most imminent peril to passengers and to the public.
We have often avowed this opinion, and we have seen
no reason to change it. .
Such carriages would require the most unremitting
care and aq?ntion on the part of the director, as the
most momentary neglect on his part might prove fatal,
as the carriage, if moving at a considerable rate, would
be off the road in the twinkling of an eye. Locomotive
carriages on railways are admirable contrivances, but
without rails they would, in our opinion, be attended
with the most disastrous and latcl consequences ; and
truly sorry are we that we can arrive at no other con-
clusion, as we shoal be delighted with the substitution
of stead and iron for the muscles and sinews of that
noble and much abused animal, tho horse.—Liverpobl
Mercury.

ANOTHER FEMALE IN DISGUISE.
On the morning of Sunday last, about four o'clock, as po•
lice-constable Flwer, 'l' 42, was on duty in the .New-road,
Hammersmith, he heard a noise in one of a row of unfinished
houses on the side of the road, as if some person was asleep
therein. On entering the building he discovered in the base-
ment, concealed up in a corner, what lie took to be a boy, ap.
parently about twelve years of age, dressed in a cloth jacket
and corduroy trousers. By his side was a bundle, tied up in a
large towel, which he said was his own property. Ilis an-
swers to the questions put to him by the constable ben).-
eva-
sive and unsatisfactory, he was conveyed to the station-house b '
i
filled
g inspector,
withb
u whotter, a
found
knife, thereintw o p pair
rqouf sw
ar te
cr n:ilnogasf:
a mSergeant
Kelly., where his bundle was examined byt
.
KelSr
t,l yi ,
nnearly theeaarley acting
two towels, a bottle filled with water, and, -on searching his
clothes, one penny only was found in his
possession. Sergeant
Kelly then asked him his name, when he said it was Joseph
Taylor, that he was thirteen years' of age, and resided with his
mother at No. 8, Thomas-street, Grosvenor-square. In the
course of Sergeant Kelly's inquiries he noticed that the boy's
hair had been recently cut, that his features were handsome,
and that in figure he much more resembled a girl than a boy,
and, on telling him his suspicion, he acknowledged that he was
right as respected his sex, anti that his Christian name, in'tead
of being Joseph Taylor, was Phillis Taylor. She also stated
that she had four brothers and sisters, and that her object
in adopting the disguise was to walk to the residence of her
uncle in Sussex. She left her home between three and four
o'clock in the afternoon ; but the rain commencing when
she had reached Hammersmith she went into the new; build-
ing for shelter. Sergeant Kelly immediately communi-
cated the circumstance to Inspector Morgan, who sent her
home to her mother by police constable Earthy, T 103. On
reaching Thomas-street, he found she resided as she had stated,
and her mother, who had been distracted at her absence, in-
formed the policeman that the clothes she had on belonged to
her brother. The girl in question was her eldest child, and on
Saturday, having to go out to work, she left her at home to
take care of the other children, and it appeared that, having
got her brothers and sisters out of the way, she went to the
baker's and got the loaf found on her in her mother's name,
and then went to a hairdresser's shop close by, to whom.she
offered to give her hair, which was remarkably line, if he would
cut it short. The man accepted her offer, and it having been
cut she returned home, disguised herself in her brother's
clothes, and started off on her journey. On the policeman ask-
ing the mother the reason of herdoing soshe replied that, being
a remarkably intelligent child, a neighbour frequently lent her
novels to read, and also she had read the case of " Romance in
Real Life" which appeared in the papers a few days since, which
seemed greatly to interest her, and she supposed had induced
her to undertake a similar adventure.