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

of windows on the outside to count by
The structure covers several acres and
the banking rooms are entered through
an archway and from a court.
had no particular business here, but
thought I would get sovereign changed
and see how the business was conduct
ed In the corridor, strolling about
with his eyes everywhere, and 1 pre-
sumo with some equipment under his
long flowing red robe which almost
touched the pavement, was large man
who looked d good deal like I have pic
tured a high priest with full regalia.
He directed me to the teller's window.
1 glanced through the rooms and saw
hundreds of clerks, touching elbows,
counting coin and recording the trans
actions, which I presume may have
involved one of the five pound notes
still had on hand, the financing of an
empire, or the paying of he Boer war
debt. This war hit London hard. They
tell me times are hard by reason of it
At night the millions of cash are low
cred into reservoirs of water. bur-
| glar who would hold up the Bank of
England must have a diving bell as
part of his kit.
The capital letters "E. c." after the
words London 1 had often seen on the
imprints and title pages of books and
after the addresses of English firms, l
was not very clear whether they meant
East Continent, or something else. AS
/ this trip was educational to me perhaps
/ the reader will not mind receiving some
instruction, although in many partlc-
ulars he may know more than on tn ~,
subject treated. The letters 'E. c."
simply mean East Central. the name or
enc of about a dozen divisions of Lon
don, agreed upon merely as conVen-
fence of location. especially in Iegaru
10 the Quick delivery of mail w. C.
means West Central and other letters
are the initials of names for other d.
visions.
In a little mark near the river we
neighborhood of the stand was CROWDED
with people. For iron seats near the
music an English penny was cnarReu'
and the same amount was asked Tor
printed programme OF the numbers.
I had studied English currency at
school, but found when first began
to deal with it on this trip that some
thing more than refreshing the memory
was necessary. If the reader VIII go
back to school days and then prlng
| himself to the necessity in Whlcn
found myself covering financial trans
actions from the payment of a bus
fare to the purchase of theater ticket,
or the settlement of a hotel bill, Will
say this. repeating some OF the ln1or-
nation already given;
An English pound is 20 shillings, $4S6.
| A crown is shillings, or SIPS.
! A half crown equals two shillings and
SiXDence. 81 cents.
A forin. or two shilling piece. equals
our half dollar.
shilling, % cents.
| TuDpence. cents.
| ! PENN. cents.
One half penny. 1 cent.
When the Englishman says one pound
six. the six means shillings. When he
says lone and six he means 81 cents,
and when he speaks of tupDence-
hapenny'' he means nickel in our
dialect.
The next dav we took in the British
Museum and other sights and situations
You may observe that frequent mem
ton is made of taking in" things and
wonder if the subjects of this trip never
experienced the past participle and We're
may appear, and strange as we all were
to the customs in England, and the
| language and ways of those on the con-
/ tinent there were few instances IN
which we could be classed as the VIC
Tins The cases of imposition were
rare and the few were in the main que
to our own faults. We found kindness,
politeness and consideration everywhere.
! There seemed to be an enormous num-
Der of nice people in the portion of the
world we visited. There were doubtless
some of the other. but we DID not nap
pen to find them. We followed the sun,
not the dark lantern.
/ ON the other hand the honesty OF
those about us and the remarkable faith
/ in our own good intentions was some
thing noteworthy. 1 have been trusted
by our strange cab driver standing AT
the curb without collateral. or wraps
left in the seat. in a way that was
! touching and which made him compare
| favorably with my banker, who has
known me for years. but wants security
for service advanced
This stuff is stringing out so that |
seem to be ''lost in London" l do not
| hon 7 will on cross
the English channel. We spent the
most time on the continent. We now
have our shore legs and Engllsn walk
ing shoes so that this party and this
narrative are likely to move along more
| quickly and cover more ground 1 no
! flee that my friend E. w. Howe of ths
/ Atchison Globe has also been away to
/ the Pacific coast and is telling his read
ers all about it. Whenever Mr.. Howe or
ANYBODY else sends me a certificate of
membership in his Don't Do That"
club. 1 am going to quit and take the
| first steamer for home T. T. NJ