The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-28

cellent coign of cantage from which to study street life.
 The morning being rainless, clear isn't the word, there's too much murk- mess. my friend and I started on a ride to Charing Cross. Standing on the curbstone Locker on in Vienna" we leisurely bided our time till the coming of bus not already full.
 At last. catching the wanting-to be caught eye of the bus conductor, he put mp his finger, Presto, This silent signal stops a vehicle like magic. Jumping on the step, We were soon scrambling up the -cramped winding stairs leading to the top. Although but a momentary one, the halt for us to get aboard had in turn halted, one after another. a line of vehicles stretched full blocks length behind.
 In London thorodghfares the traffic is divided into two distinct currents; one flowing along the left side and the other along the right side. They flow In opposite directions, a coming. and a going one; this leaves the middle of the street open, and when a break | down happens. the wreck is at, once dragged into the traffic clear centre. At the more thronged crossings there are usually two policemen whose duty t Is to check the vehicular traffic ev- tFV two or three minutes Tn order that pedestrians may cross in safety
 Occasionally some one succeeds in eyading the guardian of lives and of ten in their eagerness sacrifice safety and have frequent narrow escapes from being knocked down and crushed under the moving wheels. One young working woman, l remember In par ticu!ar. by her intrepid dash to cross the street, put me all a-quiver with fear The wheeled procession had just gotten into motion after a policeman. stop for the crossing, when l saw hel hurry!ng from milliner's shop. She was just in time to be too late for ar open crossing. She saw it but noth. ing daunted determined to work out her own salvation. With her parcels under her arm, she stepped to the curhstone as our bus came up The tempting space of two feet betweer our horses head and the rear wh eel. of the cab in front was too much fol the hurry -microbe which had gotter in his ins!dlous work. For the seconC | time since we had left Bishops Road the horses were trotting with the swift ness of Atlantis. She ran. passing sC 1 close that the dust from the wheels o l the cab hickered over her light suit that she might dart between them anC our horses. IL was as rash an act a ! the deUanCe or AJd8. our drive i watched her intently. and with tight ened rein. This particular exigenc, aad been anticipated and he met 1 with alertness But for his watchful ness and caution in reining up sharpl, she would have been killed.
 Close shave that, Aiss." he callet out as we swung by, With a smile sh, nodded acknow ledgment, too breathles to speak. besides being only half owe yet for there was the other line t. struggle through before reaching tn f opposite pavement. Rounding a bent ,n the road. bring ng us in view of tn tumultuous traffic in Oxford circus (be fore making the next dash), she wa lost to sight.
 Here was a long stoppage. the circu being "jammed." All sorts of thor oughfares, from narrow covered al Icy to magnificent broad d-breasted OK ford empty into the circus as into
 caldrun. The Circus? It is neither
 show nor thoroughfare. In Americ we would call 1t a square" provide
 we took out the round corners--in
 w.ord-squared the circle.
 THrougA the pulsing street ceaseless ly tArobb!ng with life. we passed.
 We disereeuy logged along in
 st!ngy gait til oxford Street bushes Io0med along. while one street offers
 clearcut contrast by its damned u flood of traffic but there Is very Iittl