Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-08-15
Railroads and Funerals In England.
Prentice Mulford' London Letterin San Fian.


Railroads and Funerals lin England.
Prentice Mulford' London Ietterin San Fian.
:" : cisco Bulletin. .,
The railways within London run right over
the house tops. For miles one looks down
chimney pots and into garret windows. 1t re-
quires half an hour to get fairly clear of the:
city from Charing Cross station. Very many
people travel third class. They sink style in
consideration of the expense. whats the
odds as long as you're happy?' Third-class
cars have generally three or four compartments,
each furnished with two uncuShioned seats.
The partitions between each compartment are
only breast high. The windows are small aud
without blind or curtain. Third class cars 60
nearest the engine, so that in case Of a smash
are painted iu the dingiest hue to be devised
hv a melaneholic British fancy. There is no
hnui6cation Of brass or gilt about the engines,
and nothing like the amount OF machinery ex-
tcrnally displayed as with ours. They are, in
appearance, sober, ponderous, dlngy, powerful
and rejoice not IN names but nun bers. There
is no cab" On some is a sort of shield with
two large lookout holes The carriages have
no such complicated trucks as ours. The car
wheels seem much lighter The trucks are kept
in the perfection forder. From end to end none
Tut employees are allowed upon them. There is
no walking the track for recreation here. The
cmbaukmeuts are finely Sodded and In many
places utilized for cabbage and potato patches
Many of the country stations are surrounded
with flower gardens, and at some | noticed the
name of the station grown upon the bank in
white or yellow flowers, the letters being near two
feet in length. At others it was similarly mark
ed, or rather laid with white chalk-stone. The
book, orange, apple, peanut,tig, and prize candy
lcddling curse, peculiar to our railroad system,
devised and carried on by precoclous boys for
the purpose OF promoting indigestion and tor
turing travellers, have not yet encountered.
Refreshments are served at the principal sta
tons, as with us. The stands are termed ''buf.
tcts. ~ Females 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 | o clock In the morning.
and on Saturday nights at II On Sundays they
open at and close at in the afternoon. The
bars 10 many cases are cut up in compartments.
There is jug and bottle entrance, devoted
entirely to the filling of these vessels for family
use. Then there is private bar for gentle
men, and another for the great unwashed. 1t
YOU are walking out with Polly Ann and Polly
lie dry and you are dry, you may take her into
the Public and treat her without either OF
YOU loosing your good name or character. About
MANY of these ''Publics'' may be seen old
women in the seediest rags | ever saw, fer
whom gin is the staff of life.
Rags here are ground up and used for ferti-
lizing material | think this is ultimately the
disposition made of the old women above men
toned. All about London you see advertised
cheap funerals" You can be shrouded, cof-
fined and buried with four mourners, for about
$40. Of course these mourners don know
who you are, what you are, where you c%amG %
from, or where you are going to, but they Will
look as if you were the last friend they had or
expected to have on earth, with yard OF black
crane dangling and waving from their hats like
50 many pirate flags, and when you are covered
up they will adjourn to the nearest pubic
house and over their porter and cheese pray
for some one else to die as soon as possible,
with cash enough to be mourned over. No
cash here, no mOurners All these professional
mourners have red faces and bottle-noses,
black suits, second hand well linked at the
seam and black gloves one-third too large
The friends and relatives within the carriages
have all the outward semblance OF woe on
them The last appear contented, and many
never enjoy ride in coach save on SUCH
mournful occasions. Who ever saw any one
shed tears at city funeral? If you would
gone die in the metropolis. Tears are tor
the country, along with dew, flowers, sunshine,
shakes and hop-toads.
TO DRIVE RATS AWAY WITHOUT PoIsoN.---;
We know of three methods: First, the old
French plan; this is followed chiefly in Paris by
men who make it a special business. They
take deep tub with water at the bottom,
and little elevation in the middle like an IS
laud, on which is only place for just one rat to
sit on. The top is covered and has large
balance valve, opening downward; on the my
die of this valve piece of fried pork or cheese
is fixed, and when rat walks on 1t to get the
cheese the valve goes down, drops the rat IN
the water, and moves back IN position:
road is made from rat-hole to the top OF the
,uh bv means ofa piece of board rubbed with
rhrese so as to make the walk attractive for
the rats. In the course of a single night some
ten twenty, or even more rats may 60 down,
and if the island was not there they Wouio
b, found most all alive in the morning quietly
swimming round; but the provision OF the lt-
lie Island saves the trouble cf killing them, be-
cause their egotistic instinct OF selt:preserVa-
ton causes then, to fight for the exclusive pos
session of the island, on which IN, the morning
the strongest rat is found 10 solitary possession;
all the others being killed and drowned around
him. Second the New Y ork plan invented oy one
of our friends. The floor near the rat-hoie
is covered with a thin layer OF moist cauStlc
potassa. When the rats walk on this It makes
their feet sore; these they lick with their
tongues, which makes .helr mouths sore, anu
the result is that they shun this locall9y' no'i
alone, but appear to tell all the rats III ne .he
ncighborhood about it, and eventually .ho
house is entirely abandoned by them, notwl!n, Twin
standing the houses around may be, teemllog E, y g
with rats. Third, the Dutch method this rs Is
have, however, never tried it. A number OF OF
rats are left together to themselves in " very
large trap or cage, with no food whatever; tne.1
craving hunger will cause them to hght: anu
The weakest will be eaten by the Strongest -
Attcr short time the fight is renewed ana 'ne ne
ncXt weakest is the victim, and so 1t goes ou