St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-03-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
How Rapid News Transm issio
WA Then Accomplished.


uc lOllOWluS OOmcWnTt SuSScStlS0
Passage recently attracted our atten-
ton while We were reading an article
on the '.Pre-eminent Power and Great
ness Of Britain" in the Monthly Re-
view for 1927: "A newspaper pub
lished in the morning in London is by
the same night read hundred and
twenty miles on! The twopenny post
revenue of London alone is said to
equal the whole pOst-Office revenue OF
France! The traveller going at night
from London. sleeps On the second
night four hundred miles OH"
We smile nowadays at the facts
which appeared SO startling to our
fathers. and can well afford to let them
enjoy their satisfaction without any
feeling of envy. when We remember
our own advantages. 1t was with no
intention. however. of instituting any
comparison between the past and
the present that We have in
troduccd the foregoing extract. but
because it recalled to our mind
a curious incident in the old days of re-
porting. which occurred some four or
five years after the date of that passage
The circumstance we are about to re-
late was considered. in the era before
railways were in existence and tele-
graphy was as yet undreamed OF. a
very remarkable instance Of rapid re-
porting; indeed, it completely mystified
even those connected with the then
existing means for the transmission Of
news, and continued problem for
some time to those initiated in the
ordinary work Of journalists It is
from the unpublished notes of the
gentleman who had the chief arrange
ment OF the details of the matter that
We take the following circumstances.
The undertaking in question was in
connection with . famous banquet
given at Glasgow more than fifty years
aeo. and which was convened for re-
suscitating the old Tory party, SUP
posed 10 have been annihilated by the
passing OF the Reform act. A memor-
ablc speech by Sir Robert Peel was
anticipated as the great event Of the
occasion. every word OF which would
10 eagerly read. and the first re-
mort of which it was necessary to strain
every available resource to secure.
! The banquet at Glasgow took place on
: Friday, and was not over until two
o'clock on the Saturday morning; yet
and this is the startling feature
which 80 astonished newspaper read
ers of that day-in a second edition of
tho Saturday issue of the Morning
Herald-which edition was circulated
aver Great Britain and ireland early
she following MOnday-there was a re-
port of the proceedings at Glasgow.
vith Peel's speech in full!
One incident alone is sufficient to
ehow how taken by surprise every
body VAS at this astonishing instance
n newspaper enterprise. Sir Robert
Peel, after leaving Glasgow. proceeded
a Nctherby. and remained with Sir
lanes Graham until Sunday morniug.
On that day. having important busi-
- to attend to. he left for the south.
The open carriage in which he travel
"A stopped at the Kings Arms at Ken
AL 10 change horses. The landlord Of
the inn haa been told previously to
hand Sir Robert = paper containing the
rroceedings Mt the banquet; and there
vere anxious eyes on the watch
srom the first-noor windows OF the
hoste,ry to note what effect the cir
.,,mstancc of SO unprecedentedly early
report would produce upon his mind.
He at first refused the paper: but on
hing told that there was y full re-
,,ort Of the Glasgow demonstration in
!, eagerly seized il. with at the same
.;me an incredulOus look. When. how
ever. he saw in . Saturdays paper.
,,,hlishcd in London, his own speech
r.rhatim, he was fairly astouished.
rh.re was no mistake about it. and
leaning back in the carriage. he COM
,,enced reading it as. the horses being
now changed, the journey was resumed
southward
How had il been possible under the
.han existing means Of transit to Sc
cure q report Of speech made In
Glasgow late on Friday night in a
london newspaper issued on thu fol.
,owiag Saturday. and circulated IL
we.,,noreiand " the sunday morning
efsere