Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-09-14

through gateway in the very heart of the
town, and instantly every sight, and al
most every sound of the great city is lost.
The seclusion is quite magical. And then
we are doubly lost, and doubly delighted
in the splendid library and beautiful pic
ture gallery of the venerable marquis. 1t
is one of the choicest collections in England.
Lord Lansdowne, who is now eighty years
of age retains all his youthful enthusiasm
for literature and art; and there is scarce
ly an author or artist of merit living, who
has not been aided and encouraged by his
lordship's munifcent patronage. Among
his paintings, Sir Joshua Reynolds portrait
of Sterne is work of extraordinary power
could not refrain from expressing the most
enthusiastic admiration of the life-likeneSS
of the picture; at which the marquis re-
marked that Sidney Smith used to turn from
all the rest and gaze most intently upon
this. There are many other gems which |
have not time to describe or mention; but
there is nothing in all this rich and rare
collection half as interesting as the noble
proprietor himself, whose earnest CONVERSE
ton is like living stream of history.
Perhaps there can hardly be more de-
cided contrast whereby to jolt the readers
sensibilities than plunge from the splendid
palace of the Mecenas of the nobility into
the mammoth pork and cheese establishment
of Messrs. Lunham & Co. But in the
expressive and philosophical language OF the
lively and loquacious Walter, 'Sich is lfe!'
Mr.. James McHenry, of Liverpool, one of
the Erest merchants and bankers in Europe
has just closed a contract with the French
government for supplying the Navy with
provisions; and 50 he calls to take me to
see the first lot packed off from the immense
establishment of Messre James Lunham &
| Co., who handle five millions worth of pork
and cheese per annum, and whose name Is !
well known to the Hubbards and Van
Brunts of New York. Such wilderness
of hams; such mountains of cheese; such
piles of pork, in all shapes, and for all mar
ketsl
'Tis grease, but living grease more"
The proprietors of this great pork shop
!
have just sent fitch of bacon to the
princess royal, presuming on the birth of
her baby, that the happy wife and mother
is entitled to such present in accOrdaeoe
with the good old English maxim, viz. Il
That if married couple live together for
the first twelve months without quarrelling,
they are worthy to be presented with a
fitch of bacon
Next am introduced to the lady of
Thread-needle street, and thanks to the
kindness of the managing governor, Mr..
Elsey, and to Mr.. Marshall, who has been
cashier over fifty years, have been permit
ted to visit every part of the Bank of Eng
land, from the vault to attic, a privilege
seldom granted to an outsider. Of course,
everybody knows that this is the greatest
banking institution in the world; but, CON-
paratively, few persons can have an ade-
quate conception of the vastness of the es-
Enlistment, or the extent of its operations
l shall not undertake to describe it. exter-
nally or internally; a few facts only, may
give the reader little food for the imagi-
nation The building covers about three
acres Of ground. Many of its rooms are
copied from the classic models of Greece and
Rome. The employees number about one
thousand. Several of the officers reside in
the Bank. No note is ever issued the sec
ond time. The notes redeemed each day,
are checked, cancelled, and put away in
boxes. After keeping them ten years, :,
they are burned. The accumulation
of the last ten years. now in the vaults
of the bank, amounts to three thousand mil
lion of pounds And yet any one of these
notes can be referred to in minute, and :.
the history of its issue and its return given,
The bank does all its own printing, and !
and several presses are kept busy. Every
thing is done by machinery-the note is :
not touched by the pen before it goes out.
l held in my hand yesterday, one note for
one million of pounds, and two little side ;
pocket packages of notes amounting to two :,
million of pounds. In the bullion-room, in :,
gots of gold were piled up like cords of h
wood, and silver bars in vast heaps. The -
for detecting light coin, and for :.
cutting them, are exceedingly curious and :
yet simple. Every bankers deposit is :,
weighed; and all the light pieces cut nearly =.
iu two and returned to him next day. The .
system of the bank is as perfect and as ex-
act as clOck-wOrk. And yet in spite of all h
precaution, some small forgery is almost
daily detected. But since the great forgery >,
committed by Asttell for 100000 pounds, .
and by Fauntleroy for $50, 900 pounds, the ;,
bank has not lost any very heavy sums; \
although, in 1922, capital punishment for !,
the crime was abolished, when the old To-
gies predicted that everybody hard up :
would turn forger =
In the specie department of the bank N
there were bags and boxes of sovereigns and N
halfsoyereigns enough to make miser mad. Il