The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-30
FIVE WEEKS ABROAD.

| On our uTSI morning III 4<Oh0OAAs We
started out with plan to get a general
view and idea of the city. Hailing a
bus we at once labeled ourselves for
eigners by the awkward manner all
three scrambled to the top. we quickly
learned to gracefully and easily mount
the narrow. winding steps so familiar
to everyone in the pictures of the Eng
lish omnibus. Nothing is more in evil
dence and nothing seems to be more
| necessary or useful than the London
bus. 1t was a source of never-ending
| interest and patronage during our en-
| tire stay.
| The number of buses in the city ap-
proaches two thousand. They carry so
many people that. as I figured it from
some totals given me. they move num-
Der equal to the entire population OF
London, six million. every week In the
year. The fare is as low as oDe-half
penny. one cent in our money and as
high as a sixpence or even more for
very long distances: the average fare
paid is three cents.
| The vehicle is strong and heavy much
| larger than our omnibus. The tires are
broad. The wheels roll easily over the
clean, smooth pavements. Each is
drawn by two draft horses; so large
that ours in comparison seem ponies.
They move along in a slow trot.
These bus driversI They answer all
your questions, but never take their eyes
from their work. They are experts with
the rein and never hit spoke Once we
expected a collision. and braced our
selves. Nothing was doing. We thought
our man had made a misca1culation and
| was humping into a cab. but he did not
Our hubs passed over those of the ham
som. The axle trees were of different
heighth and that entered into the
drivers figures.
Everyone rides atop. except when the
seats, fourteen. are taken. or unless the
| weather IS bad. A dozen can get inside.
An ordinary shower cuts little figure, as
each seat is provided with a heavy OIL
skin. An umbrella does the rest. Peo-
pie wear umbrellas in London as Amer
lean ladies carry parasols. in sunshine
or shadow.
We were fortunate in our arrange
ments with the weather bureau for it
was dry and sunny nearly all the time,
only one morning did the rain happen to
bother us. We lodged the bad days,
which generally came when we were in
bed or on steamer or train. 1 observed
lQdl every WliGlG We WCAAi AllCAC was Oil
unusual amount of summer rainfall,
just as in Kansas this season
We missed an experience with the
London fog. which my English ac-
quaintances told me was sometimes 50
thick that one was often obliged to feel
his way along the sidewalk. You dis
covered you were running into somebody
only when noses bumped. Two apollo
gies, no blood, always followed. English
/ men are always polite even when meet
| ing unawares.
The politeness of the conductor on the
bus was only equalled by the courtesy
and little social respects paid every
where. I came to the opinion that the
English people were the most polite I
ever met, not excepting the French 1t
was the invariable custom of the Lon
don fare-taker, when I handed him the
pennies to say Thank you" It ap-
parently came just as easy to him as it
does for the American car conductor to
say somewhat brusquely, Fares. move
up in front, step lively" OF course,
when the conductor handed me the tick
cts to show that the fares had been paid
said Thank you" too, as I did not
mean to be outdone by him in these
little amenities.
The bus was so thoroughly placardcd
with advertisements that it was difficult
to tell what announced the route and
which was simply an advertisement of
a new breakfast food.
The buses moved along in one con-
tinuous stream, stopping at the curb at
frequent intervals. If you missed one,
or a crowded one passed, you waited
only a moment not minute, for an
/ other. The buses, wagons and car
riages of every description all turned TO
the left That is the right way over
there.
The street in front of our hotel where
we took this particular bus, was the
/ famous Strand. 1t is not much wider
! than Seventh street and after a few
blocks the name changes to Fleet street
These avenues are much alike in general
appearance, all hanked with five and six
story buildings, none higher, although
some sky-scrapers are under construc-
ton.
The policemen stood at each street in
tersection, two of them. They had COM
pIete control of the traffic and followed
a system which moved like clock work
and made the foot passenger from one
sidewalk to the other absolutely safe.
At intervals. say after forty or fifty
vehicles had gone by, one policeman
stopped the line going one way and the
other that in the other direction, making
a clear road for all on foot and all the
vehicles travelling the cross street. In a
few moments the same procedure was
followed with the traffic going at right
angles.
| have never seen anything equal to
this in simplicity or effectiveness. Chi
cago, New York and even Paris, have a
hit and miss way of handling the peo-
pie and teams on their crowded streets.
One must dodge in and out and take