The record-union., 1898-10-10

|
| when it lost fifteen feet by lightning
stroke
This interested me. SO I went into
the yard where it was, being curious te
know how large base such a chimney
rested on. l hailed a workman who
nad been there for years, and asked
hlm what was the diameter of the
pase He looked astonished and sale
ne did not know. He could not tel
me the hight either, So / said: MY
man, 1t is 42O feet high, and it was 49,
until 1t was struck by lightning last
! year 1 have come from America tc
tell you this: and now please remember
IL, SO you can tell the next traveller
from New Zealand The fellow stared
at me as if I had been a strange chin
panzee-and l walked away disgusted
Ihen at another place 1 came upor
an ancient jail, an historic place that
ngureS in the immortal stories of Sin
waiter Scott as the prison where Rot
Roy was once confined. L had some
trouble in finding it; and when / got
there L found it was an engine house
for the Fire Department of the city. A
sprlghtly looking chap was securing ar
engine, and 1 asked, Pray, sir, will you
tell me what building this is?'
| The engine house, sir, he answered
| Yes 1 said, but what historic ole
building is it? what was 1t once used
| for?'
Sure, I don't know he said.
Well, then, I'll tell you,' I said
| you're in Jail and you don't know it!
Look up the history of the place, or ask
some of the wits of the town. and
walked away disgusted again.
/ What did you think of London?''
was asked.
mo man can understand the tide OF
human life that surges there said Mr.
| SchaW. 1T is marvellous what the ON
nibuses do in a day. All the street
| traffic is by omnibus and cabs, and all
| the streets are crooked and narrow.
had four calls to make one day, such
as / could have finished in twoi hours in
New York. My hotel clerk advised me
to hire the cabman by the hour; so ]
followed his advice. In an hour had
not made the first call, having been
caught in jam after jam on the streets
| When you reflect that four omnibuses
abreast will fill the streets, and that
| thousands of vehicles are swarming
| through every thorOughfare, you will
comprehend some of the difficulties one
has to encounter. In fact the streets
are so crooked and narrow that 1 do not
think it is possible that any other sys-
tenn cam ever be introduced"
Mr.. Schaw corroborates the evidence
of all travellers who have studied Lon
don. Helwas entranced with the many
evidences that it is the heart of the
commercial world, and was ready to
agree with the immortal DR.. Samuel
Johnson, that when one is tired of the
life of London, he is tired of life it
self"
The city is still growing so fast that
the mind can hardly grasp the extent
of it's growth when the figures are
named. From 1871 to 1881 it increased
more than half million souls. There
Is birth in London every four minutes
a DEATH every six. To-day it has near
ly six millions of people, having grown
to that extent since the census Of 1881
which gave 4790,000. If the great bel
in st. PauPs should ring to its full
sound more people would hear it than
there are in States like California and
Oregon combined
| Throughout all it's busy scenes" said
Mr.. Schaw London is a panorama Of
life and industry. 1t is marvellous tc
stand and watch the tides of human
life that surge through it's thousands
of crowded Streets
There is no sound of war or peace
no convulsions in State or kingdom tc
| the sremotest corners of the globe, but
mingles it's echoes with the roar OF
London No disaster of fire or flood
of tempest, earthquake or avalanche
but sobs its story there. No ship sinks
in the tempest of any distant sea, but
whispers the story of it's loss in this
great, ear of the world This is London
so complex in its commercial ramifica-
tions that a storm in the Himalayas
disturbs the commercial barometer o1
the worlds business heart.
Another idea of the magnitude Of the
place where Mr.. Schaw has been doine
business may be gained from the fact
| that the city contains over a million
houses. and that it is growing at the
rate of 10000 houses year. The mon
ster town has devoured four counties
already and is licking its lips for fifth
1t has more than $4,000 policemen. as
many cabmen, and nearly 1900 Post
office employees. One company alone
has 800 omnibuses, and the figures
show that it carries an average of 60,
100000 passengers a year; but tht
laundering underground cars carry jus
as many. Nearly 20000 persons wall
across London bridge each day, and
third as many vehicles pass the sam.
spot One of the great shipping dock.
alone hires 5000 hands to load and un
load vessels, while 10000 ships flying
every known flag, enter theef Iks OF
leave them daily. In it's mari bndor
has swallowed hundreds Of villaee, anc
in. thirty years it has added 2,000 mile.
to it's streets.
There are many American houses
prospering in London" said Mr.. Schaw
"and on some of the streets there ar,
hardly any houses but American, anC
they all say they are prospering."
/. Was there much distress among tn,
common people?" was asked.
"Of course London always has he
, hundred thousand paupers to feed, bu
1 found that there is very little suffer
, ing among the mechanical classes. ant
wages are fairly good. The union!
there are far more powerful than here
; but they rule things quite harmonious
! ly after ALL"
Continuing, he said: I'm a trip o
twenty miles on the Clyde from Glas
gov 20 Greenock, l counted more thar
| a hundred great iron steamships unde
construction, and most of them wer
: from 300 to 400 feet long. They wer
for all parts of the world, and / noticet
two large ones for the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company, others for foreign