Middletown transcript., 1869-02-20
gotes of Grarr1.
Writtentor the Middleto,on Transcript
Recollections of the Mother Countrv.

Fleet street, in London, contains many
old taverns and chop houses, which carry
us back to the days of johnson, Boswell,
and Goldsmith and among the noted
places of that character is the Mitre, near
Mitre Court, which still stands, and is
still renowned for the excellency of its
chops and beef-steaks. Here johnson and
his friends were accustomed to congregate
and discuss important events, over their
chops and ale. The old house has been
entirely renovated by the recent proprie-
tor, and is mostly patroniacd by lawyers
of the Inns Of Court, although English
men of the old school still delight to take
their steaks, chops, and half-and- half, here
and recount their experiences in old Lon
don of by-gone age.
DIR. johnson resides at No. s, in Bolt
Court hard by; William Cobbett, and
Ferguson the astronomer, also lived in
that Court.
Ordinarily, when strangers visit this
extensive metropolis of the British EN-
pire. they imagine that the district ten or
twelve miles long by eight or nine in
breadth is really London; but old London
proper, or the City, is the nucleus of the
whole. 1t was formerly surrounded by
walls with gateways, which are now all re-
moved; Temple Bar, the last relic of the
old enclosure, designed by Sir Christopher
Wren, and erected in 1872, has lately
been removed, as it was an obstruction to
street trafc. AS terror to evil-doers,
the heads of dccapitated criminals were
stuck up on the top of this arch, until
about eighty or ninety year ago.
The noted printers, publishers, solicit
tors and attorneys, poets, actors, and prose
writers, of the 10th, 18th, and 18th CEN
turies, all resided within stones throw
of st. Pauls and the Bank of England.
Now, the population of the city proper
only amounts to about 100, 900 thousand,
while the entire metropolis contains more
than thirty times that number { about
5000, ,O00.) and is constantly expanding in
all directions. Between nine and ten
thousand new houses were erected in the
year 1864 alone. when we reflect that
the Great Fire of London, in September,
1866, destroyed 13, 900 houses, and laid
waste 400 streets, the prodigious number
OF 400, 900 buildings now standing there
gives to us some idea of the number and
extent of the streets of that city.
broadway, in New York, is considered
to be excessively crowded with carriages,
drays and omnibuses, but on the narrow
Strand and Cheapside, of London, more
than 100 vehicles pass through these streets
per hour, besides foot passengers, which
renders crossing these thoroughfares ex-
tremly dangerous the authorities how
ever, have caused to be built in the mid
die OF the streets at certain intervals, lamp
posts, surrounded by three or four granite
posts, so as to allow foot-passengers to
partially cross over and while looking out
for another chance of completing the jour-
ney between the moving throng, they are
protected by those useful resting places.
While glancing in this part of the town,
a spire of great architectural beauty is
conspicuous, and on closer view, it proves
to be the appcndage of the St. Mary-Le-
Bow, better known as Bow Church, one
of Wren's masterpieces, and celebrated in
prose and verse. To be born within
sound of its bells constitutes the true Cock
ney and within it's walls the Bishop of
London is general consecrated. The clock
also excites universal attention.
The Bank of England, often more ia
miliarly called "the Old Lady of Thread
needle street." is an object of worldwide
interest. Its founder was a Scotchman.
named Patterson, who left as a leg
acy that no Scotchman should ever be per-
mitted to act as director. The capital is
ETA, 800, 900. About 1000 clerks are
employed here, at salaries varying from
$3.50 to $4,000. Most of the building is
open to visitors, and includes with courts,
an area Of about eight acres. The bull
lion office, treasury, the apartments where
the notes are printed, and the weighing
office, where the coin balances of accurate
construction are used, are. all worthy of
careful observation.
1t is well known fact that the Bank
never sends out the same note again after
it has been redeemed, but is mutilated and
consigned to the waste paper room,
The General Post Office, on Cheapside.
of Jones architecture. is admired by
New Workers, who reflect that the chief
post-ofice of America is only an old con-
tracted church, built in the 18th century,
and i'll adapted to the wants of Gothamites
The London establishment employs more
than 20, 900 clerks, sorters and letter car
riers, In the various parts of the King
dom.
Besides the Royal Mint, where all the
coinage is made, with the exception of
the copper and bronze coins, made at Man
chester, the other noted sight in the cas-
tern part of the city is the famous struc-
ture called the Tower of London, founded
by William the Conqueror; besides con-
tanning in the g Hose Armory" an exten-
sive collection of armour illustrating the
kinds of armour in vogue in past periods,
placed upon stuffed figures of men upon
stuffed horses, has Jeuel House, con-
tanning the following valuable collections
of state jewels. The I" New State Crown"
made for the coronation of Queen Vic
toria, and valued at more than 9100, 900.