The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-09-04
Railroads and Funerals in England.

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one looks down chimney tops and into
garnet windows. It requires half an
hour to get fairly clear Of the city from
Charing Cross station. Very many
people travel third-elass. They sinl
style in consideration of the expense
"What's the odds, go long as you;
happy Z" Tbird-class cars have gen
orally three or four compartments, eact
furnished with two uncushioped seats.
The partitions between each compart-
ment are only breast high. The vim
dows are small aud without blind or
curtain. Third.class cars 60 nearest
the engine, so that in case of q smash
up your turn comes first. All railway
carriages are painted in the dingiest
hue to be devised by u melancholy
British fancy. There is no fnni3ca-
tipn of brass or gilt about the engines,
and nothing like the amount of ma
chinery externally displayed as With
ours. They are, in appearance, sober,
ponderous, dingy, powerful-snd re-
joice not in names, but in numbers.
There is DO 'cab." On some il sort
Of shield with two lookout holes. The
carriages have 10 such complicated
trucks as ours. The car wheels seem
much lighter. The trucks are kept in
the perfection of order. From end to
end none but employees are allowed
upon them. There is no walking the
track for recreation here. The en-
bankments are finely sodded and in
many places utilized for cabbage and
and potato patches. Many of the ccun-
try stations are surrounded with flower
gardens, and at some l noticed the
name of the station grown upon the
bank in white and yellow flowers, the
letters being near two feet in length.
At others it was similarly marked, or
rather laid with white chalk stone.-
The book, orange, apple, peanut, fig
and prize candy peddIing curse, pecu-
liar to our railroad system, devised and
carried on by prococious boys for the
purpose of promoting indigestion and
torturing travellers, l have not yet. en-
countered. Refreshments are served
at the principal stations as with u.s.
The stands are termed "baffets.n Fe-
males preside at them, always young
and handsome.
The British bar-maid is generally
handsome. Beauty is quite effective
at the beer pump. All bars must be
closed at one o'clock in the morning,
and on Saturday nights at twelve
On Sundays they open at one and close
at five in the afternoon. The bars in
many cases are cut up in compart-
ments: There is "jug and bottle en-
trance" devoted entirely to the filling
Of these vessels for family use. Then
there is "private bar" for gentlemen
and another Tor the great unwashed.
If you're walking out with Polly Ann,
and Polly be dry, and you are dry, you
may take her into the "Public" and
treat her without either of you losing
your good name or character. About
many Of these "Publics" may be seen
old women, in the seediest rags ever
saw, for whom gin is the staff of life.
Rags here are ground up and used
for tertllizing material. think this is
ultimately tile disposition made of the
old women above mentioned. All
about London you see advertised
"cheap funerals" You can be shroud-
ed, coffined and buried with four
mourners for about twenty dollars.
Of course these mourners don't know
who you are, what you are, where you
came from or where you are going to,
but they will look as if you were tho
last friend they had Or expected to
have on earth, with q yard Of black
Grape dangling and waving from their
hats like SO many pirate flags, and
when you are covered up they will ad-
journ to the nearest public house, an1.
over their porter and cheese pray for
some one else to die as soon as posi-
ble,T with cash enough to be mourned.
No cash here, no mourners. All these
professional mourners have red faces
and bottled noses, black suits, second
hand, well linked at the seams, anu
black gloves third too large. The
friends and relatives within the car
riages have all the outward semblance
of woe on them. The last appear con
tented, and many never enjoy a ride
in a coach save on such mournful oc-
casion, Who ever saw any one shed
tears at city funeral9 If you would
have your friends "weep not for me
when am gone," die in the metropo.
lis. Tears are for the country, along
with dew, flowers, sunshine, snakes
and hop toads.-[Prentice Mulford't
Loudon Letter in the San Francisco
Bulletin.
~ The departure Of the edito
Of the Grand River Sachem on tn,
press excursion is thus announced
tsTha odd Chief ia off, oone