The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-21

or a little girl, but that is no matter:
the British Constitution guarantees the
right to smoke ad. lib. on top of a
bus, and the Briton must have his
rights. The lady in the next seat be-
hind can climb down if she doesn't like
second hand smoke from cheap
"shag."
The ride on top of g. bus is often
very pleasant, must admit, when once
you are comfortably seated, if you do
not worry over the chances of breaking
your neck in getting down. You have
a fine view of the streets and the people
and Of whatever you pass. The fact
that you make part of an advertising
pagenat need make no difference Ev-
cry bus is plastered all over with signs
of infants foods, patent milks, plays,
soaps and patent medicines.
But what, when it rines, as the Cock
neys say? Is not the top of a bus I'M
comfortable on a riny day? Bless your
art; that is hall provided for On most
buses there is a rubber apron attached
to each outside seat, and you have only
to draw it around you when the shower
comes. And that is not all. So Won
derful is the march of improvement
umbrella bus. There is an umbrella
attached to each seat and when it
rains you have only to hoist your UNI
brella. Who would have thought of
such luxuries fifty years ago?
The messenger boy, or the errand boy,
is happy as a King when he gets
front seat, lights his cigarette, and
takes out his penny novel or his pink
newspaper. He is to have a ride of
two or three miles for a penny or
penny ha' penny, which his boss fur
nishes. Susie, the working girl, with
her rosy cheeks and her heavy English
shoes, evidently enjoys it. AIRY, the
clerk, III his silk hat, and conscious of
his seventeen shillings and sixpence a
week, considers it a luxury. But to an
American who, in the dim and shad-
owy past, once took a ride in a cable
car or an elevated train, the London
bus seems a fit companion for the
Tower or the ruins of Melrose Abbey.
BEASTLY UNDERGROUND TRAINS.
So, nothing is left but that unspeak-
able thing, the underground railway
or the main sewer, as Londoners call
it. 1 suppose there is not as outrage
Gus a means of transit in any other
city in the whole world. It is not worth
while to waste adjectives upon it; the
word vile describes it thoroughly. The
only good thing about it is the fact
that the employees, like most Londoners.
are almost invariably polite and atten-
tive. It would be a sorrowful thing
for New York if we We're to take to
building railroads under ground
Many Americans no doubt remember
the pictures Of the London underground
that were published in one of our prom
inent magazines a few years ago. There
We're fine, high arches, lights glittered
everywhere, and happy-loolxing trav-
elers waited for the sumptuous trains
to draw up. But the artist who made
the pictures must have had a. fine i'm
agination, that lifted him high above
the sordid regions of fact
To travel by the underground, you go
into a dismal-lool1ing station and apply
at the booking office" for a ticket,
taking it first, second or third class. as
you prefer. Before you have made
many journeys you learn that there is
very little difference between the first
class carriages and the third, all being
equally bad, and all going by the same
train But there is considerable diff
ference in the cost; what costs a shill-
ing first class costs about a sixpence
third class. A man at the top of the
stairs punches Your ticket as you go
through the gate, and you look down
several long flights and see far below
dim figures moving about in the haze.