New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-11
HERE AND THERE IN LONDON
OBSERVATIONS AND IMPRESSIONS OF A
RECENT TRAVELLER.
London, August 30. 1892.

,or eioni6conce In going 10 London from any
part OF England go up; In travelling In any d-
rection from the capital you go down" 30 In Lon
don itself everything goes up If 1t goes in the drec'
ton OF the Bank-tba Is, the Bank Oh England anu
going from that centre toward any OF the points Oh
the commas IS to 90 down, The word Bank, which
is not only always spelled with captai d. Out IL
always uttered with an impressveness that suggests
an initial letter OF largest type, may be said TO be-
In sense interchangeable with CIty-a term OF equal
dignity and value in the eyes OF Engiishfheh' anu
likewise invariably adorned with a capital SCI The
City does not mean London by any means: II means
certain limited section OF London-the part where
business Is mainly carried on, and where the great
financial institutions stand.
The City is, believe, cOnterminOus with the original
city OF London with its walls and gates. or the
latter there are "reminiscences in several streets.
which bear the names OF Bishopsgate, Cripple
gate Ludgate, etc, while at the point where the
strand and Fee,t glide imperceptldy into each other
the site of old Temple Bar, which the last OF the
gates left standing, being removed late 1878, Is
now marked by monument surmOunted by bronze
representation Of the city griiin
Hawthorne I'm his charming descriptions OF his ex-
pericnces In England, embodied in sour Old IIome'
says that at Greenwich Observatory he thought OF
himself as standing at the very centre OF Time and
Space In Ike manner when stands In Thread
necdlest either OF the other thoroughfares enclOs-
ing the unimpressve one tOred building which houses
the Bank OF England he may easily feel himself At
the very Of the World, for be Is at the heart Of
It's m,hties city and almost hear its incessant
thrcbbings.
Speaking OF up and down in England 1t may be
added that far is the practice carried and wOntcd
have the English become to ii that they talk OF
going down from London to Windsor, say, when they
actually get "A boat the Thames and ride up
the river. Nor do they the slightest inconss-
tency in doing.
There are innumerable odd and interesting things
in the names Of London streets, as well as In their
appearance and the fantastic ways in which they wind
about. Probably there IS nothing odder than the ex.
perience of stranger in walking along Bshopsgate
who looks up and suddenly that he Is no longer
in the street Of that name but in bearing the pre-
posterous title OF Bshopsgate Without. To the Lon.
doner always accustomed to that sort Of thing there
IS nothing out OF the way in this, and probably not
from years end 10 the other does he give a single
thought TO the fact that the latter indicates that
that portion Of the street outside OF the gate
bearing the designation Bishops.
Street names In London are not usually painted on
the glass In the lamp-postS, although this Is done in
parts OF the city. CThe word city, with q
owercase c." Is properly applied the entire town.
The common practice IS to paint them conspicuously
on the walls OF buildings at the street The
name Is almost always followed by or two letters
such as E.,' "W..' Nv. C..'1'E c. IN. W." ETC.
These indicate sectlons-East, West West Centre. East
Centre Northwest and the like-and are Of especial
convenience 20 the postolce officials i'm asserting and
distributing the mails. Another curious thing I'm Lon
don street addresses Il the fact that in addition the
and number OF the street itself some other name
Is attached, that OF prominent thoroughfare
or park or general designation Of a certain region as
for example, WelIingtOnst., strand; or Montague
ST.. Russell square, or Burlington Gardens, Bond-st.'
This does not mean that Wcngion-st Is part OF the
strand, that Montaguest. is contiguous RUSSELL
square, or that Burlington Gardens is in Bond 1t
merely signifies that Is near the other each
case, the second being name presumably well known
to everybody In London. Sometimes there Is more
than street Of the same name. 80 that the special
designation Is absolutely necessary to prevent confu-
sion; and in general It determines the relative loca-
ton, and so Is great convenience
There IS volume after volume of history bound up In
the names OF the streets OF London, everybody
knows; and nowhere have LondOners resorted to the
American device Of numbering streets indicating
them by letters Of the alphabet In order simplify the
scheme Of nomenclature. There are certain ad-
vanages IN the latter method; it saves time and
trouble; but yet it is impossible not 10 sympathze
viii; Richard Grant Whites view of the subject and
reaiirm hi, statement that IT is impossible to embody
much sentiment In such a name West Fifty third
st., cr to 90 In raptures In speaking Of the good
times we used 10 have in dear old Onehundred and
seventy -hfth-,t one does not find in London much
states Of laying out all streets right angles with
another The general impression which the traveller
gets OF this city. in this respect, is that like Topsy, it
erowcd,' ard WIS not made To order. The impress
sion is an agreeable one
Why should there be a Monument I'm London! Hero
Is another word that always is spelled with a capital
Initial. The Monument means Just one definite thing
and there is qualifying adjective employed 10 make
the meaning clearer The Monument, which stands
not far from London Bridge erected oddly enough
a memorial OF the great fire which In 1866 wrought
such an immense amount OF damage. IL was designed
equal to It's heght from the spot where the hre broke
out. in Pudding Lane But who can tell why the
spend large sum Of money TO commemorate such an
cventi As well. 1t would seem, might general scr
up stone TO mark the spot whore he suffered Q
memorable defeat. II cannot be said that the Lon
dG3eIs Of oday feel very deep interest in the work
me In surprise when told him that had done so and
found II well worth while well. we'll he went on.
to and from business. and never thought Of climbing
ment Is an impressive work and as / chose fairly
clear dayas good day probably is often met with
wardIng though doubtless not tenth part Of the
mighty city could be seen. AZ the top is an at
which no procrs to all visitors. Tie following notice.
ness Of expression is displayed The telescopes are
iowedj' Wv ''''
Aldermen have evidently not fallen nom their high
estate III England Is In some paris, Ut iedsi Oh ue
United Of the rural towns while stroll
ing about the streets. CHANGED upon stone shaft in
the base OF which a drinking fountain. Inscribed
on one side we're these words Erected by public
subscription to record the services Of Alderman
---, 10 whose unrng eyerti0rs this town Is chiefly
Indebted for It's supply of pure water
At the little hotel in that town asked
BY the houSemaid. on coming in rather late in tho
evening II she could offer pair OF slippers.
This l. only Illustration of the regard for ones
personal comfort which is manifested in MANY
In this land of efete desposm.' America has some
things o learn from the old country, after all.
THEIR TERMS NOT ICCEPTED.
Aro Bates IN The Book Buyer.