The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-11-13
English Social COWardice.

English friends will feel outraged by
it, but truth compels me to say that,
in some respects, the English people
are the greatest towards i'm the world.
Physical danger and suffering they will
encounter readily enough, but ridicule
and public disapprobation have terror
for the m which they dare not face.
One o. the most charming Englishmen
| ever met was narrating to me only
the other day how young American,
4 common friend of both of lis, used to
wear, when he first cine to London, a
Scotch cap in the street, and how he
was finally obliged to tell him that I'M
less he put on the orthodox stovepipe
he could not accompany him. Itseems
that etiquette forbi'ls a gentleman to
appear in public with any other head
gear than the aforesaid stovepipe, and
my English friend dared not counten-
ance contravention of the law. A
gallant captain of the queens body
guard, to whom | related the matter,
sustained his cOuntryman, and declared
that he himself, although of profess
sion which requires courage as its first
essential, would not venture to show
himself in Bond street or the park with
soft felt hat.
Pursuing my inquiries, | have found
that q similar tyranny prevails in in
Vulnerable respects. Mr.. Gladstone
is reported to have said that a cabinet
minister might better commit any
blunder rather than have his front
door opened by maid servant. Gus
tom demands that man shall be
employed for that duty, and whoever
infringes the custom becomes an out
cast at once. So, too, the carry
ing of parcels in the street by ladies
or gentlemen is forbidden, and | have,
no doubt, been set down as lunatic
by shopkeepers many time, because
l would insist upon taking home my
purchases in my own hands. l believe
an exception is made in the case of
books, provided they be not wrapped
up in paper. These may be carried
without loss of caste, but everything
else is mark of infamy. To walk
with the coat unbuttoned in front is
likewise improper, and is regarded very
much as walking without any coat at
all Nor may a gentleman, not in
business, wear sack coat in London.
No matter how hot the weather may
be, his outer garment must be frock
coat buttoned up as l have mentioned.
Only in the country, and while trav-
cling, is luxury of looseness and COM
fort permitted.
ELEcTRo-MAGNETIC RAILWAY SIG
NALs.---Railway signals which work
without the help of human hands seem
to offer some assurance of safety that
has so long been desired by travellers.
1t is known that the distance-signals,
worked by long wires, are liable to get
out of order, and that there is a limit
to the distance at which they can be
placed. Mr.. SpagnOletti, chief cleo
trician to the Great Western Railway,
has invented an electromagnetic signal
which is well deserving of attention,
as it can be worked at any
distance; at two or ten miles, as well as
one hundred yards. The ordinary out
signal arm, with which we
are all familiar, is attached to a rocking
lever between two electromagnetic:
these are connected with battery in
the ordinary way, and contact can either |
be made by signalman touching a key, |
or by the locomotive pressing down
For night service, colored
lamps can be worked as readily as the |
signal arm. To an outsider, the nu-
merous signals at railway station APP |
pear confusing and complicated. 1t
this electromagnetic signal were taken
into use no other would be required, and
thus simplicity would come into play.
In cases where the apparatus is worked
by hand, a little copy of the signals in
the signalman's box tells him whether
the distant signal, far out of sight, Is
properly or not. But, as be-
fore stated, the locomotive itself will set |
the signals; will leave danger-signal
in the rear; will ring a bell to
announce its approach; and, on arrival
at next station, lets down the danger
signals first put up, raises the next,
sends on the warming whistle, and so
does all the signaling with the regu-
larity of clockwork. OF course there |
must always be sufticiency of battery |
power to keep the magnets up to their
luty; if this be done, the signal-post |
may be fixed in any place wherever it |
is likely to be most effective.