Part 10 (1/2)

”This _noble_ man is of opinion, too, that, should the railway be made, he is entitled to an enorns as a reason for his extravagant deerate the fact-that he is averse to railways in general, and considers the system as an unjustifiable invasion of the province of horse-flesh This horse jockey lord thereby excuses his conscience in opposing and endeavouring to plunder the railway company as far as he possibly can”

PICTURE EVIDENCE

Ahable occurrences that enlivened the coe contest, was a scene occasioned by a parlia in as evidence, before the committee on the Southampton and Manchester line, a printed picture of troubles consequent on a break of gauge The picture was a forcible sketch that had appeared a few days before in the pages of the _Illustrated London News_ Opposing counsel of course argued against the production of the work of art as testiu the illustration, which was forthwith put, ahter, into the hands of a witness, as asked if it was a fair picture of the evils that arose fro in the affir was then laid before the committee for inspection

-_Railway Chronicle_, June 13, 1846

EXTRAORDINARY USE OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

Oct 7, 1847 An extraordinary instance has occurred of the application of the electric telegraph at the London Bridge ters, thehis wife, was to have been executed at Maidstone Goal at twelve o'clock

Shortly before the appointed hour for carrying the sentence into effect, a e ter that an order should be sent by the electric telegraph instructing the Under-Sheriff at Maidstone to stay the execution two hours By the agency of the electric telegraph the communication was received in Maidstone with the usual rapidity, and the execution was for a time stayed Shortly after the transer from the Home Office conveyed to the railway the Secretary of State's order, that the laas to take its course, and that the culprit was to be at once executed The telegraph clerk hesitated to sending such a e without instructions froer from the Hos's execution was signed by the Hoor, the chairment and humanity, instantly decided that it was not a sufficient authority in such a momentous matter

An officer of confidence was immediately sent to the Secretary of State, to state their hesitation and its cause, as the e was, in fact, a death warrant, and that Mr Walter must have undoubted evidence of its correctness On Mr Walter drawing the attention of the Secretary of State to the fact, that the transe was, in effect, to make him the Sheriff, the conduct of the railway co unquestionable evidence and authority, arnature was affixed in Mr Walter's presence; and the telegraph then conveyed to the criminal the sad news, that the suspension of the awful sentence was only tes was executed soon after it reached Maidstone

-_Annual Register_, 1847

LOST LUGGAGE

Sir Francis Head, giving an account of the contents of the Lost Luggage Office, at Euston Station, observes:-”But there were a few articles that certainly ere not prepared to meet with, and which but too clearly proved that the extraordinary terminus-excitement which had suddenly caused so many virtuous ladies to elope from their red shawls-in short, to be all of a sudden not only in 'a bustle' behind, but all over-had equally affected entle breeches!

another his boot-jacks! A soldier of the 22nd regi his kit Another soldier of the 10th, poor fellow, had left his scarlet regiht of his family, had left behind him his crutches!! But what astonished us above all was, that some honest Scotch the crowd the face of his faithful _Jeanie_, had actually left behind hipipes!!!

”So open, previous to a general sale, a locked leather hat-box, which had lain in this dungeon two years, found in it, under the hat, 65 in Bank of England notes, with one or two private letters, which enabled him to restore the money to the owner, who, it turned out, had been so positive that had left his hat-box at an hotel at Birham that he made no inquiry for it at the railway office”

VERY NICE TO BE A RAILWAY ENGINEER

A lady in conversation with a railway engineer observed, ”It ineer, and be able to travel about anywhere you want to go to for nothing”