The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-25 00:00:00

RAILWAY TRAV ELLERS AND

RAILWAY PROPRIETORS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sirs —I make no apology for troubling you with this
communication, as it is obvious I can have no object but
to serve the publi,3, for having been once robbed and
rut on my guard, it is not likely that I shall suffer a
second time.

yy
On Sunday last, on my arrival at Derby from the
North, I presented myself at the railway station, and
requested to have a ticket for London by a second class
carriage. I was told the fare was °3s., which of course
I paid. After asking half a dozen porters at that ill-
regulated place into which carriage I was to get, I was
put into one for London. I had not been long in it
before I was informed that I was wrong, for it was for
passengers to London via Hampton, and that I was to
go to London via Leicester and Rugby. 1 did not
care how I went to London, but the proceeding excited
my suspicion, and I learnt to my astonishment that I had
been swindled out of 3s. Gd., the eharge via Hampton
being 19s. 6d. I remonstrated with a man in autho-
rity who seemed to have the ordering of the trains, and
he had the effrontery to tell me that everybody knew it
was cheaper to go to London via Hampton than via
Leicester and Rugby. I cannot believe he would have
told such a lie without having an interest in doing so.
In fact, my impression is, that the people at the Derby
station have some remuneration for sending passengers
to London by the most expensive route, and I am
anxious to give publicity to my opinion. I understand
the Derby station is the joint property of several Rail-
way Companies ; therefore it is difficult to ascertain to
whom complaints should be made. Perhaps the best
plan is to complain through the press on all occasions,
otherwise railways, which are so advantageous to the
public, will become positive nuisances after they have
superseded all other conveyances. In justice to re-
spectable and well-conducted railways, like the London
and Birmingham, I think it is only right to do it ; for
the malpractices of some. are creating a strong desire to
encourage opposition railways—.a measure 1 conceive
quite unnecessary, and a great waste of capital, if the
existing railways were properly managed.
I am, Sir, 5 our most obedient servant,
A CONSTANT READER.

RURAL FETE AT ARMADDY

CASTLE.

On Tuesday, the 11th current, the Marquis of.
Breadalbane gave a fete at Armaddy, which will long
be remembered by the people of the district. The
object of his Lordship was to gather around bim the
tenantry on his estates in the western districts of Argyll-
shire for the purpose of instituting annual meetings for
boat-racing and Highland games. The invitation was
truly a Celtic one, and included sll those within miles
round who are connected with his Lordship's estates,
either as tillers of the soil, tradesmen, or workmen in the
slate quarries, which are so extensive in Easdale. The
morning lowered and threatened rain, but this did not
prevent the people from starting to the scene of compe-
tition, and by 11 o'clock the usual stillness of Armaddy
was enlivened by the approach of the different parties
from the glens attended by their pipers, whose shrill notes
echoed from rock to rock, and sounded far away in the
distant hills. A little before U o'clock, the Marquis and
Marchioness, with her sister Miss Baillie, accompanied by
Captain and Mrs. M‘Dougall of M'Dougall, Mr.
Campbell of Glenmore, Mr. Aspinall of Liverpool, and
the other gentlemen who had come to see the gathering
took their station on a rising ground at the head of Ar-
maddy Bay, to meet the people of Luing and Seil, who
had arranged to come in their boats. The business
of the day commenced by a procession of boats—both
oared and sailing—which gathered from many a different
point till they mustered, at the Sound of Cuan, a fleet
of more than a hundred, when they manoeuvred in two
lines in view of the castle—a barge with the Breadal-
bane family flag leading in the centre—and afterwards
separated to contest for various Regatta Prizes, which
had been offered by his Lordship, and the competition
for which excited a very keen interest. the boatmen
having landed, the time till dinner was taken up by an
exciting round of rural sports, including :and in the
throwinga the
coursestone and hammer,
thaammmoesrt,
aldeampiirnagb,leadnidspfloaoyt
or
f ac
Highland bone
na
and muscle was giving—" the young contending while
the old surveyed."
The immense assemblage, male and female, with all
their children and friends who could attend them, sat
down to dinner, to the number, we believe, of 0,300
To find a hall fit for dining such a party in this district,-
or almost in any other, was out of the question, but
the day turned out fortunately fine, and tables were
constructed on a lawn, about a quarter of a mile from
the Castle, which were attended by 100 waiters, and
perhaps the largest party which ever was entertained
at one time in the Highlands, was most sumptuously re-
oled with beef, mutton, &c., all washed down with a
reasonable libation of whisky toddy. The Marquis and
Marchioness walked round the inside of this circle,
close to the people, receiving their congratulations, and
returning them in the most kind and affable manner.
The Marchioness and Miss Bailie then divided, from a
table provided for the purpose, confectionaries amongst
about 500 little children, who, in this day of rejoicing,
were not forgotten, and who must long remember this
kind act of attention.
Dinner being over, the party joined in the dance
upon the green—fifty reels at a time—to the music of
five pipers, and continued the jollification till a reascni
able hour, when some took staff in hand, others took to
their boats, and all departed in peace and merriment—
highly delighted with the generosity of the Lord of
Breadalbane. Soon after the prizes had been distri-
buted, about fifty of the neighbouring ladies and gentle-
men retired to the Castle, where they were entertained
at dinner by his Lordship, and spent a happy evening.
Two fat oxen, a score of sheep, twelve hundred
loaves, besides quantities of oat bread and cheese, with
five hogsheads of punch, were used on the occasion.