Oxford Democrat., 1897-01-05
FROM PARIS, MAINE, TO PARIS,
FRANCE.
No. Z.
THE LONDON STREETS.

| No. Z.
THE LONDON STREETS.
(Fiom our specia. Foreign CorcsPondcnt.)
LONDON, ENGLAND.
Your first day In London sightseeing
you shall hear about the streets, street
traffic, etc. First, the streets themselves,
or rather roads--for they have few
streets here-ire very unlike our
New England city thotoughfares, not
being cut up with car tracks or dishgured
with trolley wires, for London proper
has no line of that description, though In
some Of the suburbs they have what are
called trans, running on rails not unlike
our electric cars, but drawn by horses.
Neither are they paved with our rough
paving stones, but with blocks OF wood,
which appear like ordinary boards saw
ed up into blocks about 6 inches by 2,
and which have apparently been previ-
ously stepped In some black mixture, to
preserve them evidently. making the
streets very smooth and easy TO ride
over.
The omnibus Is the Institution Of Lon
don streets, and the favorite mode OF
locomotiou, and though very unwieldy.
numbering and top-heayy, Is quite easy
IL YOU ride on the top, which Is the pop
uIar way in pleasant weather. Inside
there are two seats facing each other,
and holding about ave persons each, aud
At the entrance end special stairway
leads TO seats on the top; and though
dangerous to life and limb 10 make
the ascent and descent, almost every one
gets up there somehos, except the blind,
the lame and the halt, for there Is no
better way OF seeing London than from
the top OF an omnibus, and our first ex-
perience on the top OF Hsmmersmith
bus will long be remembered.
IL gives you strange sort OF sensation
to look down from your "high estate"
upon the people passing below you. The
poor horses have the hardest OF IL, for
when Londou's historical mud is In evil
dence. rs 1t Il most OF the time at this
season, Il Is the exception to see horse
up. The fares are about what they are
At home In the ordinary street car, ex-
cept that they charge by the distance.
Another favorite way OF travel Ia to
take "hansom," nsmsd from the man
who invented L.; but II he had had any
idea OF the fitness Of things, he would
have named u "homely", for more
ma handsome looking object 1t would be
difficult, TO i'm, ,gine. IL resembles some
what the old-fashioned two-wheeled
lone horse shay" Of our grandfathers,
with the addition OF seat behind, at the
top. for the driver, who holds the reins
high up over your head and the top OF
the carriage, and speaks TO you through
little trap door in the roof. When you
get 10 you shut the little doors In front,
and make yourself prisoner up to the
chin-wbi h no doubt would be great
Inconvenience TO those with whom that
feature predominates. The fares are
shilling (25 cents for two miles.
Then there IL the four wheeler, which
Il mainly used when you have baggage,
and whose dusty, dirty cushions you are
apt TO find are Inhabited.
OF localities and streets We shall deal
chiefly with those that are OF familiar aud
historical interest: The Strand, Charing
Cross, Trafalgar Square, Piccadiily,
Fleet Street, Threadneedle Street, White
hall, Pail Mall, Cheapside, Rotten Row,
etc. The very names on the street cor
ners hold fascination, and TO be actually
"A part Of these historical precincts seems
like dream, aud we can scarcely believe
thAt these nsmes are part OF the van
ished past, forgetting that ia London
names endure for ages.
Chsrlng Cross Is an extensive railway
station. so called from the ancient village
OF Cherrjnge which once stood here. IL
Is the centre OF all the bus lines, and
hundreds Of cabs are lined up within the
enclosure, which Is surrounded by an
iron fence. Chsriug Cross Hotel IL over
the station, archways running under
meath for the trains. The magnificent
equestrian statue OF Charlie; |, cast iu
1000, which adorns the space In front.
has seen many vlcissitudes, having been
sold TO be melted down, but was restored
aud erected here some years after. In
iiartshorn Lane adjoining, Ben Joasou
once lived with his mother aud step
father, a brick-ltyer.
Directly opposite is Trafalgar Square,
point OF attraction. In the centre rises a
massive granite monument li5 feet high,
10 memory OF e. IN. Nelson, 70 commem-
crate his death at the battle OF Trafalgar,
in which he vauqaished the great En-
poror Napoleon. At the top OF the col
umn l. statue of Nelson Il feet high
At the four corners OF the pedestal are
four immense lions, and Il Is also adorned
with other statuary, fountains, etc. just
In the rear rises the imposing facade Of
the National Portrait q III .ry, with Its
many Greek columns, and having a
frontage of 460 feet.
Aud here Is the Strand. We wonder
| 10 you have had the same vague idea Of
1t that we had heretofore, but we did
not have 10 ask, "what is the Strand."
as certain other American girl In Lon
don did. There is nothing particularly
imposing or remarkable about 1t at the
present day. its interest being mainly
historical, for 1t Is now nothing more or
less than a narrow street lined with
shops, for most Of the stores In London
are shops. Ii takes It's name from its
formerly skirting the banks OF the
Thames, hut the river Is now concealed
by intervening buildings. At night It Is
u dazzling sight to walk through the
streets lighted up on each side, for the
shop keepers keep their whole stock Ia
the windows, and the jewelry aud silver
ware stores make most sparkling and
spectacular effect. $50 years ago many
mansions of the nobility stood here,
with gardens stretching down to the
Thames. The palaces have disappeared
or been converted into shops or used for
other plebeian uses, but the streets them
selves and few dilapidated mansions
still recall those days OF royal bygone
splendor.
At Strand Lane, narrow opening, Ia
an ancient Roman bath more than 1900
years old. 1t Is l3 feet long, 6 wide and
) deep, aud Il one OF the few relics left
Of tide Roman period. The bricks at the
sides are laid edgewise, and the flooring
Of brick, covered with stuccO, Is worn
down 80 you can see the pavement un-
derneath. Clear cold water flows In
from the old "Holy well," for which
Holywell Street IL named. Fleet Street
Is continuation Of the Strand, which
now contains few objects Of interest, but
has memories OF many literary associa-
tions In the past.
i Pail Mall derives its name from the
old game Of Pail Nail introduced into
England in 1900, forerunner of the
modern croquet. IL was then fashion
able suburban promenade. but is now a
place Of fashionable club-life for men.
Then we come to Regent Street, full
Of Diapers shops, where all the ladies re-