The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-03
TIE CENTER OF THE WORLD.
Such London Is Deemed To Be, and
Charing Cross Its Central Point.
The News Business on English Railways-The
War Feeling Against Russia, and the
Absolute Certainty of War.
correspondence of the India napoIis Journal.

Correspondence Of the India napoIis Journal
LONDON, April 22-There are two great
newspaper institutions one in America. one in
England, that are kindred and remarkable mo-
nopolies. The first is the American News Com
paay, the second w. Fl. Smith g. Sons. You
know all about your own great organization. A
sketch of some salient features of Smith & Sons
will interest you. 1t is the picturesque side
that propose to show YOU The American
News Company is not as comprehensive scheme
as their rival house in England. The English
concern is both a wholesale and retail firm; it is
the great newspaper distribution agency; has an
enormous circulating library; sells books, and
conducts tremendous advertising business. 1t
is in fact the American News Company, with
branches; and its income is enormous Smith &
Son founded it, and the Smith who now owns it
has partner partners chiefly because re was
appointed First Lord of the Admiralty under
Lord Beaconsfeld's government. You know
your 'Pinafore,' and recall your memory to
the fact that Gilbert's ibretto was a pleasant
burlesque of Mr.. Smiths appointment. Mr..
Smith is member Of Parliament for the aristo-
cratic city OF Westminster, and is in the fore
most rank of political personages. His father
kept a small newspaper and book store which,
under his vigorous management, and with his
sons intelligent aid, has grown during the sons
lifetime into a vast monopoly of trade that has
covered England with news and book stores,
while the sons wealth and ability has made him
statesman and added his name to the page of
history. A feature of the business of Smith &
Sons, which has no parallel in the United States
or in any European country, is their business
annexation, on renting terms, of the principal
railway depots throughout the United Kingdom.
They lease the walls Of the stations to exhibit
advertisement placards, and they have book
stall and newspaper stand on every platform.
Occasionally they meet with the competition of
some other house, which tries to outbid them in
their rent to the railway corporations; but they
generally manage to maintain their position.
The first outlay of rival for the erection of
bookstores all along the great roads would be a
fortune in itself; and the English are conserva-
tive people; changes are not easily made, es-
pecialy when there is the smallest question
involved as to the necessity or advantage of
change Smith g Sons have almost become an
integral feature of English railway administra-
ton. Their book-stalls give life and animation
to station platforms, and while the famous
firm reap splendid reward from their enter
prise, the companies consider themselves liber-
ally paid for the accommodation granted. A
0ook-stall of Smith & Sons is one of the sights
Of great railway station in England. AT
Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield
and other large towns, the newspaper and
literary stores make quite important appear
ances in their way, although only wooden
structures.
Americans entering the Midland or North
western stations at Liverpool, for the first time,
will be struck with the cheerful aspect which
Smith e. Sons stores and news-stands give to
the platform, in contradistinction to the gloom
which generally pervades American depots.
An interesting illustration would be a sketch
made at the Charing Cross railway station. On
stall of this description you will find cheap
editions of the popular novels of past seasons,
as well as expensive editions of the newest
books together with the magazines and other
serial publications; you will find the picture
papers temptingly displayed, and all the daily
and evening papers, with their contents bills,
set out in a row along the front of the STALL
Though the newsboys go round to the trains
with trays fun of journals and books (tney are
not allowed to enter the carriages, as in
America), the sales at the stalls are enormous.
Something akin to the English system are the
news-stands at many of the stations of the ele
waited roads in New York; but the London book
stall of a great railway is unique. 1t has it's
counterpart in the library and journalistic
counters of the leading American hotels, such as
the Grand Pacific, at Chicago the Parker House,
ROCtnn- NoxyV VII. 1o Nopt 81
mental. at Philadelphia. But these are indie
pendent businesses; while Smith & Sons carry
on their London trade in thousands of similar
stands, one at every leading and at many third
and fourth rate railway depots throughout the
United Kingdom. Smith & Sons can make or
mar newspaper; and possibly it is similar
kind of power on the part of the American News
Company which hear has led 20 journalistic
revolt in New York and to the formation of a
rival association.
At the 0haring Cross depot in London the
book stall COMPLETES the busy scene of depart
ure platform, where you can take your seat for a
ride up into the city, to the coast, to many an
inland town, and to Folkestone or Dover, en-
route for France and the continent of Europe.
While the Laureate waited for the train at
Coventry, he was interested in grooms and por-
tiers on the bridge, and he watched the three
tall spires. Should the thoughtful or poetic
stranger find the time pass slowly on his hands
at Charing Cross, having mastered the news
of the day at the book-stall, he may find ample
food for thought in the reflection that the
ground on which he stands was once part of the
green old English village of Charing; that the
when il was carried to Westminster for burial,
is marked by handsome new cross ct the en-
trance of the depot; that the waters gate where
Wolsey embarked, broken hearted in his barge
for Esher, is within a stones throw and that
the historic tragedy of Cromwell's protectorship
was enacted close by When King Charles was
executed journalism was in the first days Of its
earliest infancy. What narrative the descrip-
tive writer's of to-day would have made of that
event! The memory of the King should be
specially honored and respected in the CONNER
cial departments of every public journal; for he
was the first, aud probably the last monarch,
who patronized the advertising columns of a
newspaper. s'His Sacred Majesty inserted an
advertisement in the Public Intelligence of l6f4,
announcing that he would continue the healing
Eli d,,r;sas. tho month of