No 21

MISCELLANY NO 21

SERIOUS RAILWAY TRAVEL 1862

PART 2

EVE OF DEPARTURE.

We have now arrived at a period within a few hours of starting on the intended journey, say the night before. At this juncture the traveller, like a wary general, reviews his forces, and places his baggage in order, ascertaining that the addresses are all properly affixed, the locks secured, and the straps and cords fastened. If the intention be to start very early in the morning, a vehicle should be engaged overnight, and the driver instructed to be at the door in ample time for the removal of the luggage and the getting to the station. But by the time the vehicle arrives, you yourself should be ready to step into it. To this end, it will be necessary to ask a policeman, or some person whose duty takes him abroad at night, to call you at the proper hour. In some country towns the people who have to attend the markets are in the habit of chalking opposite to their doors overnight, the hour at which they wish to be aroused the next morning. Thus the policeman reads his instructions as he walks his beat, and awakens the inmates accordingly. This hint might be acted upon by railway travellers; for the person who had been spoken to, might forget the number of the house, the hour at which he was to call, or possibly lose sight of the circumstance altogether, unless thus reminded. Again, some persons sleep so soundly that the noise of the door-bell or knocker fails to impress their auditory nerves. In many of the manufacturing districts of England, the factory hands employ a watchman, who is paid by subscription, and whose especial duty it is to arouse at certain hours those by whom he is employed. For this purpose he is armed with a long cane or wand, and the habitations of the factory people being for the most part low built, he is enabled to tap at the bedroom windows, and this he does in every case until he receives a response from within. It is well known that no sound from without sooner startles a sleeping person than a noise against the window. Acting upon this hint, the person who arouses the railway traveller might discharge against the window of his bedchamber a little gravel, or a few small shot, following this up by a vigorous ring of the bell; the one sound effectually breaking in upon slumber, and the other acting as a reminder.

But the best plan of all to insure being in time for an early train, is to sleep the night previously at an hotel adjoining, or adjacent to, the departure station. Here there will be little fear of awakening as the bustle in the passages and various bedrooms of other early travellers will, generally speaking, be sufficient to awaken the heaviest sleeper. To avoid, however, the possibility of miscarriage, order the “boots” to call you at the required time in the morning.

It happens, in numerous instances, that virtuous resolves are made overnight with respect to early rising, which resolves, when put to the test, are doomed only to be broken. Some years ago a clergyman, who had occasion to visit the West of England on very important business, took up his quarters, late at night, at a certain hotel adjacent to a railway, with a view of starting by the early train on the following morning. Previous to retiring to rest, he called the “boots ” to him, told him that he wished to be called for the early train, and said that it was of the utmost importance that he should not oversleep himself. The reverend gentleman at the same time confessed that he was a very heavy sleeper, and as there would be probably the greatest difficnlty in awakening him, he (the “boots ”) was to resort to any means he thought proper in order to effect his object. And, further, that if the business were effectually accomplished, the fee should be a liberal one. The preliminaries being thus settled, the clergyman sought his couch, and ‘boots ” left the room with the air of a determined man. At a quarter to five on the following morning, “ boots ” walked straight to “ No. Twenty-three,” and commenced a vigorous rattling and hammering at the door, but the only answer he received was “ All right !” uttered in a very faint and drowsy tone. Five minutes later, “boots” approached the door, placed his ear at the keyhole, and detecting no other sound than a most unearthly snore, he unceremoniously entered the room, and laying his brawny hands upon the prostrate form of the sleeper, shook him violently and long. This attack was replied to by a testy observation that he “knew all about it, and there was not the least occasion to shake one so.” “Boots” thereupon left the room, but somewhat doubtingly, and only to return a few minutes afterwards and find the Rev. Mr. as sound asleep as ever. This time the clothes were stripped off, and a species of baptismal process was adopted, familiarly known as “cold pig.” At this assault the enraged gentleman sat bolt upright in bed, and with much other bitter remark, denounced “boots” as a barbarous fellow. An explanation was then come to, and the drowsy man professed he understood it all, and was about to arise. But the gentleman who officiated at the hotel, having had some experience in these matters, placed no reliance upon the promise he had just received, and shortly visited “ No. Twenty-three” again. There he found that the occupant certainly had got up, but it was only to replace the bed-clothes and to lie down again. “Boots” now felt convinced that this was one of those cases which required prompt and vigorous handling, and without more ado, therefore, he again stripped off the upper clothing, and seizing hold of the under sheet, he dragged its depository bodily from off the bed. The sleeping man, sensible of the unusual motion, and dreamily beholding a stalwart form bent over him, became impressed with the idea that a personal attack was being made upon him, probably with a view to robbery and murder. Under this conviction, he, in his descent, grasped “boots” firmly by the throat, the result being that both bodies thus came to the floor with a crash. Here the two rolled about for some seconds in all the agonies of a death-struggle, until the unwonted noise and the cries of the assailants brought several persons from all parts of the hotel, and they, seeing two men rolling frantically about in each other’s arms, and with the hand of each grasping the other’s throat, rushed in and separated them. An explanation was of course soon given. The son of the church was effectually awakened, he rewarded the “boots,” and went off by the train. Fortune subsequently smiled upon “boots,” and in the course of time he became proprietor of a first-rate hotel. In the interval the Rev. Mr. had risen from a humble curate to the grade of a dean. Having occasion to visit the town of ——, he put up at the house of the ex-boots. The two men saw and recognized each other, and the affair of the early train reverted to the memory of both. “It was a most fortunate circumstance,” said the dean, “that I did not oversleep myself on that morning, for from the memorable journey that followed, I date my advancement in the Church. But,” he continued, with an expression that betokened some tender recollection, “if I ever should require you to wake me for an early train again, would you mind placing a mattress or feather-bed on the floor?”

                                 

BE IN TIME.

This will not be an inappropriate place to impress upon the railway traveller the importance of punctuality. The old adage of “Time and tide wait for no man” may be applied in this direction, only for the word tide read “trains.” The time of departure stated in the table is no fiction; the strictest regularity is observed, and indeed must necessarily be, to prevent the terrible consequences that might otherwise ensue. Therefore passengers, to insure being booked, should be at the station five minutes earlier than the advertised time of departure. The doors of the booking-oflice are usually closed at the time fixed for the departure of the train, after which no person can be admitted. It should here be observed that the clocks at the various railway stations are universally set and regulated by “ London time.” For instance, most of our readers are aware that when it is twelve o’clock in the metropolis, it is either earlier or later than that hour elsewhere, according to the distance from London, and the direction of the compass. Thus the clocks of a provincial town may point at five minutes to twelve, whereas it has already struck twelve in London, and the train appointed for departure at that hour has started, when the unmindful traveller thinks that he has still a few minutes to spare. Bearing this fact in mind, it will be wise, upon alighting at a provincial station, to note the difference between the time registered there and the London time, so that the discrepancy may be duly allowed for in the traveller's subsequent movements. Beware of placing too great a reliance upon the domestic clock; these are generally eccentric in their movements, and by some sort of fatality, when most relied on, most mislead. The reason why persons are late for the train, generally arises from an overweening confidence in there being “plenty of time;” the interval between starting for the station and arriving at it is too finely calculated, or too short a time is allowed for the performance of certain things.

We hope that we shall not be accused of a want of gallantry when we declare that when there are ladies in the case, it is absolutely necessary to allow a wider margin for the preparations for departure than is ordinarily assigned. The fair sex must complete their toilet to their entire satisfaction, whatever the consequences may be. It should also be remembered that they do not enter into the spirit of the straight-laced punctuality observed by the railway authorities, and if the time-table sets down the departure at 1.20, they instinctively read 1.45. In such cases, it is absolutely necessary to adopt some stratagem to insure being in time for the train; the precise modus operandi is left to the ingenuity of the traveller, and the opportunities that may present themselves.

Perhaps the following anecdote may furnish a hint on this head:—A gentleman, engaged in commerce, had for a wife a lady possessed of every charm and nearly every virtue; there was one defect in her composition, however, which negatived many of her good qualities, and went far to disturb the domestic bliss which should have otherwise reigned - namely, an utter disregard of punctuality in the regulation of her domestic duties. Many were the cold looks, the harsh rebukes, the bitter rejoinders, and the sulky intervals which this one fault gave rise to. In due course of time the father of the lady departed this life, and among other heirlooms that reverted to her, was a clock which had literally served its time in the family. In the days of her early childhood, she who was now an unpunctual wife, had been led to regard this clock as a monitor who was to be implicitly obeyed. Hcr going to and returning from school, her bed-time, her play-time, her meal-time, were duly regarded as they were duly recorded. And she would no more have thought of questioning the fidelity of this Time’s chronicler, than she would the word of her parents themselves. Now, when this clock once more made its appearance among the household gods, the old feeling of veneration and regard returned, and asserted its supremacy as strongly in the bosom of the matron as it had reigned in the breast of the child. Forthwith every household duty was performed and regulated by this faithful indicator. The husband was not long in noting this new-born love of punctuality, nor slow in tracing the cause of it. He determined on profiting by it to the furthest extent, to compensate himself for many terrible disappointments hitherto experienced, and to make provision for any future relapse. He accordingly hit upon the expedient of privately putting on the clock a quarter of an hour, and keeping it thus in advance without his wife’s knowledge in perpetuity. This he successfully accomplished; and although occasional droppers-in sometimes ventured to hint that the clock was a little fast, and although every other time-piece far and near appeared by comparison to be slow, the good lady remained true to her horological faith, and to the latest day of her existence held the belief that of all the clocks in the universe, hers only was right, and every other wrong. It is needless to remark on the advantage which was not only reaped by the husband, but which accrued to the parties concerned by this harmless ruse.

To resume the thread of our remarks, there certainly cannot be exhibited a more ludicrous sight than that presented by a man vainly endeavouring to catch the train. If he be burdened by many packages, and accompanied by a wife and a numerous family of young children, the picture is considerably heightened. Under any circumstance, it is galling enough to make that frantic rush amidst the clattering of wheels, the barking of dogs, the jeers of bystanders, and the grim smiles of railway officials, and all this with no other result than to see the train you have made such desperate exertions to save, quietly steaming out of the station, to say nothing of the irksomeness of being imprisoned, perhaps, at some out-of-the-way station, for two or three hours, and the humiliation of being regarded and alluded to as “the party that was too late for the last train.” Even supposing that by a happy chance the train is just saved, the traveller is huddled into the first vacant seat without being allowed to exercise choice. He is very hot, flurried, and certainly not in the most amiable of moods. The probabilities are that he has lost or left something behind, or if he has not, he is under that impression, and is in a state of considerable agitation accordingly. Therefore we say, if you wish to start on a journey comfortably, or, indeed, if you desire to start at all—Be in time.

TRAVELLING COSTUME.

The dress which a person wears when travelling by railway, need not be an object of solicitude so far as fashion is concerned; the end to be achieved is comfort and ease. For gentlemen, the best costume is one of those suits now so commonly worn, made of the same material, fashioned in such a manner as to leave the body and limbs free and unconstrained, and the colour light, so as not to show the dust, nor require constant brushing; moreover, liberally furnished with pockets for books, newspapers, sandwiches, pocket-flask, etc. One of the most sensible articles of travelling attire is a shirt of flannel, which is much warmer than the linen or cotton shirt ordinarily worn, and does away with the necessity of frequent change of garment, which entails upon the traveller considerable expense and inconvenience. It will also be found a good plan in many cases to wear patent leather boots instead of the ordinary leather ones : they can be cleaned by the wearer himself with a little oil or milk, and are always at hand. A cap is preferable to a hat; but if the traveller be wedded to the chimneypot style of head-covering, he had better provide himself with a “gibus,” or compressible hat, which admits of being easily stowed away when not in use. It would be as well for the traveller to provide himself with an over-coat, no matter what the season, the weight of the garment being regulated accordingly. In our variable climate sunshine may at any moment be interrupted by rain; and even in the height of summer keen blasts and cold winds sometimes make themselves felt. To meet these contingencies, the secret, therefore, is to have an over-coat which is not heavy to carry either on the back or in the hand, serving its purpose when required, and not proving burdensome when no longer needed. Over-coats possessing these qualifications are made in great variety. It is of the utmost importance to keep the feet warm; this may be accomplished by a pair of lamb’s-wool socks and thick-soled boots, a pair of extra socks drawn over the ordinary ones, cork soles or strips of flannel placed within the boots. For effectually protecting the body against cold there is nothing better than a maud or shepherd’s plaid. For keeping away draughts from the legs a railway rug or wrapper will answer the desired end. We shall perhaps be excused for calling attention to a new material for wearing apparel which will possibly prove of service to the railway traveller; we allude to paper. There are now being advertised paper collars, paper shirt-fronts, paper Waistcoats, etc. The novelty is perhaps too startling to meet with general and immediate adoption; and besides the material is generally regarded as too fragile to be depended on. A gentleman presenting himself at the dinner-table with a white paper waistcoat washed into a pulp, would cut a rather ignominious figure; a shirt-front torn in the centre would somewhat awkwardly reveal the secrets of the bosom, and there would be something extremely undignified in dog-eared wristbands. In the matter of collars, however, there is not so much to object to. They will doubtless serve their purpose for the day, and inasmuch as their cost is not greater than the charge for washing linen ones, they will be found more convenient and equally as economical. The traveller thus provided with these, and with the flannel shirts previously referred to, may travel from place to place without being irritated by that somewhat uncertain and exacting class —the laundresses. As regards ladies’ attire, we dare scarcely enter within that penetralia. We may, however, be excused for recommending the use of a veil for protecting the face and eyes; and a general regard for comfort and convenience rather than appearances.

SUPPLY OF ETCETERAS.

It has been said that with a shilling, a piece of string, and a pocket-knife a man is prepared for any emergency. Without bounding our view within this narrow limit, we are of opinion that the possession of a few articles, comparatively trifling in themselves, is calculated to enhance the comfort and convenience of the railway traveller. Supposing the railway traveller to be provided—as we trust every railway traveller is —with a liberal supply of cash, there is even here a consideration as to its most available form. If the sum required be not very large, we strongly advise that it should be in hard cash, for this is readily transmittable. If notes must be necessarily taken, they should be of the smallest amount, as great difficulty and even expense is sometimes incurred in procuring change for larger notes. And even where the change can be given, it is in many cases withheld, because there exists a lurking suspicion that all is not right. Neither should a supply of small change be wanting, half-crowns, shillings, sixpences, fourpenny pieces, etc., ready for all calls and claims. When a traveller is unprovided with this comparatively trifling material, it is astonishing how liable he renders himself to overcharges and impositions; and frequently, rather than be put to annoyance and delay, he has to pay four or five times the value of an article or for trifling services performed. Before starting on a journey, therefore, we would advise that change be sent for, and a portion of it, comprising every variety of coin, placed loose in the pocket for instant disbursement. Every person of ordinary thought and observation should carry with him a pocket memorandum book; many incidents may occur well worthy of note, many items of information may present themselves which should in no case pass by unrecorded. And here we would impress upon the reader not to be afraid or ashamed of using such a book, and not to trust too implicitly to memory to retain all that is seen and heard. If in an ordinary railway journey, say from London to York, a passenger were to jot down actual observations, and passing impressions, he could not fail to be surprised and pleased hereafter with the fund of profit and pleasure he had thus stored up. No person should travel by railway without having his card of address about him; setting aside the painful catastrophe of an accident, there are numerous emergencies when this simple voucher of respectability and personal identity is calculated to play an important part, and in the absence of which, it is just possible for a person to be regarded with suspicion, treated with indignity, and, for a time, even deprived of his liberty. The most immaculate of railway travellers may bear an unfortunate resemblance to an accomplished swindler who once came by the same route, or be the very counterpart of some notorious offender, “wanted,” in the Hue and Cry. True, the possession of a card of address would not be in itself sufficient evidence of innocence and respectability, but this would go far to establish the truth, and, taken in connection with corroborative testimony, would probably clear up all doubts. Occasion frequently arises for despatching a written communication at some point of the journey, or before the traveller is fairly established in his quarters. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to procure writing materials, postage stamps, etc. As a provision against such emergencies, it is to be recommended that the traveller carry in his pocket-book three or four sheets of note-paper folded within as many envelopes, and with postage stamps affixed; these, with a pocket-pen and a small inkstand so constructed as not to allow the ink to escape, will place it in the possessor’s power to write a note at any moment, and to despatch it through the next post-office arrived at. When it is borne in mind how frequently such emergencies as these arise, how important it is that they should be immediately attended to, how small the bulk of the articles mentioned, how easily procured, and how handy at all times and all places, we need offer no further apology for laying some stress on this matter.

CONVEYANCE TO THE STATION.

The railway traveller will seldom experience any difficulty in meeting with a conveyance to take him to the station. Omnibusses, cabs, flys, etc., customarily journey stationwards couformably with the departure and arrival of the various trains, while in the streets of London, and other large cities, a vehicle is always within hail. If a person has little or no luggage, a seat in an omnibus will answer his purpose, but if his packages are numerous, then it will be necessary to have a cab or a fly. The squabbles between drivers and their fares upon alighting are matters of notoriety, and generally follow as a matter of course. But this is especially the case when a person is conveyed to a railway station, for the cabman well knows that ninety-nine persons out of a hundred prefer paying the excess of fare to missing the train, which they are likely to do by contending against the overcharge. The most satisfactory plan is to bargain with the driver before setting out, telling him exactly how many persons and packages there are, so that he may have no pretext for claiming extra fare. But if this be not done, it should be known that at most stations there is exhibited a table of fares, calculated from several points, and if this fail in affording the desired information, the policeman, or head porter on duty, will generally be able to throw a light on the matter. In any case, be prepared with the exact amount of the fare, for cabmen resemble, in this particular, Goldsmith’s Village Preacher, who

“ Ne'er had changed, nor wished to change.”

If you have but a short time to reach the station in, be careful to choose a cab with a fresh-looking horse attached to it, and not one where the animal, either from deficiency of nutriment, or excess of labour, is in such a drooping condition as to render him obviously unequal to the contemplated task. The Hansom cabs are generally the most expeditious, but Clarence cabs are best adapted for quantities of luggage. If you determine upon walking to the station, allow yourself a few moments’ grace beyond the bare time required. Observe, also, not to take any short cuts, unless you well know the road, for such attempts at bridging the distance frequently end in extending it, and sometimes result in losing the train. If you miss your way, or are in doubt, press the first intelligent lad you meet with into your service, and for a few pence he will cheerfully conduct you to the wished for goal. In cases where persons reside some miles from the station, and where the passengers and luggage are sufficient to fill two or three cabs or flys, it is a very good plan to charter an omnibus expressly for the journey; this will not prove any more expensive, and infinitely more convenient. If your effects are very numerous and bulky, sufficient, for instance, to fill a van, the railway company, on being written to, will despatch one of their vans to your address, and in this, the goods will be packed by the company’s servants, and conveyed just as it is on to the rails of the line, where it will be either attached to the train you travel by, or to some other train, according to special arrangement. This will prevent much loading and unloading, expense, damage, loss, and confusion. In the course of his peregrinations, the railway traveller may find himself in some out-of-the-way place, where no regular vehicle can be obtained to convey him to the station, and this contretemp is aggravated when the time of departure happens to be early in the morning; in such a dilemma, a mail-cart, a marketcart, or some such conveyance, may come to the traveller’s rescue. And this knowledge may be gathered at the village ale-house, the grocer’s, the postoffice, etc.

Captain B, a man of restless energy and adventurous spirit, emerged early one morning from a hovel in a distant village, where from stress of weather he had been compelled to pass the night. It was just dawn of day, and within an hour the train he wished to go by would start from the station, about six miles distant. He had with him a portmanteau, which it would be impossible for him to carry within the prescribed time, but which he could not very well leave behind. Pondering on what he should do, his eye lighted on a likely-looking horse grazing in a field hard by, while in the next field there was a line extended between two posts, for the purpose of drying clothes on. The sight of these objects soon suggested the plan for him to adopt. In an instant he detached the line, and then taking a piece of bread from his pocket, coaxed the animal to approach him. Captain B was an adept in the management of horses, and as a rough-rider, perhaps, had no equal. In a few seconds he had, by the aid of a portion of the line, arranged his portmanteau pannier-wise across the horse’s back, and forming a bridle with the remaining portion of the line; he led his steed into the lane, and sprang upon his back. The horse rather relished the trip than otherwise, and what with the unaccustomed burden, and the consciousness that he was being steered by a knowing hand, he sped onwards at a terrific pace. While in mid career, one of the mounted police espied the captain coming along the- road at a distance; recognizing the horse, but not knowing the rider, and noticing also the portmanteau, and the uncouth equipment, this rural guardian of the peace at once came to the conclusion that this was a case of robbery and horse-stealing; as the captain neared him, he endeavoured to stop him, and stretched forth his hand to seize the improvized bridle, but the gallant equestrian laughed to scorn this impotent attempt, and shook him off, and shot by him. Thus foiled, the policeman had nothing to do than to give chase; so turning his horse’s head he followed in full cry. The clatter and shouts of pursuer and pursued brought forth the inhabitants of the cottages they passed, and many of these joined in the chase. Never since Turpin’s ride to York, or Johnny Gilpin’s ride to Edmonton, had there been such a commotion caused by an equestrian performance. To make a long story short, the captain reached the station in ample time; an explanation ensued; a handsome apology was tendered to the patrol, and a present equally handsome was forwarded, together with the abstracted property, to the joint owner of the horse and the clothes-line.

To be continued.  We hope you remember John Gilpin from a few weeks ago.

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No 20

MISCELLANY No 20

VICTORIAN TRAVEL

A very brief Introduction by Philomathes:

In contrast to our rollicking 1838 jaunt by stagecoach with Mr Jorrocks  we now present this useful, if rather serious -- it will go on for another six weeks – guide to travelling by railway in 1862.  By this time the period of intense development of the British railway system had happened, most places in the land were close to a railway line, and the great British public were just beginning to use the train, having until now not strayed more than a few miles from home (mainly because their family members all lived nearby and they didn’t know anyone who lived further away).  But the Victorians needed to know The Right Thing To Do, in this case the Right Way To Travel, and travel by train was a serious business, as we shall see...

THE RAILWAY TRAVELLER'S HANDY BOOK. (1862)

PART 1

A FEW PRELIMINARY REMARKS

THE extension and ramification of railroads throughout the habitable globe, together with the daily increase of railway traffic, are matters of notoriety. Most persons undertake a journey at least once in the course of the year, and it is no exaggeration to state that every man, woman, and child may be ranked as a railway traveller. Nay, more, there are those who pass the greater part of their lives in a railway carriage, flitting incessantly from one station to another, and only breaking off their travels at night, to resume them on the morrow. If, therefore, railway travelling be so general, and railway travellers form so numerous a class, it may be reasonably anticipated that a work touching upon the comforts and discomforts, the conveniences and inconveniences of locomotion, will meet with universal acceptance and approval. Especially when it is considered how valuable is even one of these practical hints or suggestions, of which some hundreds will be found in this little volume.

In order to render the work more easy of reference, it is divided into three periods: BEFORE THE JOURNEY—ON THE JOURNEY—AFTER THE JOURNEY. This arrangement will admit of any special item of information being lighted on at once; while the natural order which the various items take will render the manual a never-failing remembrancer and referee, from the moment the railway traveller conceives the idea of his journey until he has accomplished it.

At the outset of our task we are desirous of bespeaking the special attention of the various classes of railway travellers, by a few remarks which may prove individually applicable, and favourably dispose each class towards the objects of general interest.

BEFORE THE JOURNEY

BUSINESS TRAVELLERS.

COMMERCIAL travellers, and others who pass a great portion of their time on railways, would succeed in deriving much valuable information during their progress by dint of observation and inquiry. There are certain ins and outs of railway travelling which do not appear on the surface, but which are nevertheless intimately connected with its working. These matters, although of little moment to the occasional traveller, are worthy of being ascertained and treasured up by him whose movements in life may be said to be regulated by a railway time-table. It is impossible to define what we mean more intelligibly than by calling them wrinkles. For example, some one train may be more comfortable to travel by than the others: it may be less crowded, and carry a better class of company than ordinarily ; or the carriages and general accommodation may be of a superior kind. Innumerable hints of a similar nature may be gleaned, and chiefly by placing one’s self in communication with stationmasters, guards, porters, and others connected with the line. Through the same medium much: local information may be obtained, which will serve as some sort of guide to commercial operations. For instance, a traveller arrives at a place he has not hitherto visited, he wishes to find out a certain class of traders in the town, but he is totally ignorant of their names, addresses, or extent of business. The railway officials connected with the station have probably resided in the neighbourhood for many years, and in a few moments they could furnish every particular. In doing this they need betray no confidence, nor step aside from the straight path of duty, while the alighting passenger would be materially benefited by these few minutes’ colloquy. There are numerous other suggestions tending to the economizing of time and money, the avoiding of inconvenience, and the enhancing of personal comfort. These may be gained by the business traveller making up his mind not to miss a single opportunity of inquiry and observation, and not to be backward in reducing them to practice.

PLEASURE-SEEKERS.

WE will suppose a person about to start on an excursion, unpledged to any particular route, and solicitous only of obtaining the greatest amount of pleasure for his outlay. In such cases, it would be an excellent plan to collect the various excursion schemes put forth by the railway companies. To compare the advantages offered one with the other, to note the several stopping-places on the route, and if these be not familiar, to glean, by aid of guide-book or gazetteer, some knowledge of the places themselves, together with the objects of interest by which they are surrounded. Thus, the cost of the trip, and the privileges to be enjoyed, may be ascertained with. something like reasonable certainty. With regard to pleasure seeking, it may be observed that each person has his peculiar notion of what pleasure is. Most of us plead guilty to a hobby, and nearly every man has a predilection for some sport, amusement, or pursuit, which he follows at every opportunity, and enjoys with greater zest than all others. The geologist with his hammer, the entomologist with his hand-net, the botanist with his microscope, the angler with his rod, and the sportsman with his gun—each presses forward with an ardour unaccountable to his neighbour, and in the prosecution of his particular enterprise finds an enjoyment which he would neither forgo nor exchange. The opportunities for indulging in any special diversion will be found to favour particular localities. These facts are duly recorded in topographical works, may be readily referred to, and will thus put the pleasure-seeker in possession of a certain amount of capital to start with. In like manner the mere sight-seer may ferret out in what direction are to be found the largest store of curiosities and marvels, on which to feast his wondering eyes.

HEALTH-SEEKERS.

Lord Byron declared that the most exquisite of human enjoyments consisted in being borne swiftly through the air on horseback. Dr. Johnson, when being whisked along the highroad rapidly in a postchaise, turned to his travelling companion, Boswell, and exclaimed with a jubilant air, “Sir, there are few things in life better than this!” Following up this theory of sensation, we are tempted to declare that the being whirled through space at the rate of thirty or forty miles an hour is most pleasurable in its effects. To the over-wrought brain, or the overstrained mental faculties, to the toiler who has sunk into a state of exhaustion, this rapid locomotion acts as a most agreeable fillip. Nor is this to be found alone in the journey itself; the bustle of the station, the incidents of the platform and waiting-room, the chance chat in the railway carriage, all tend to arouse the faculties, and to impart to them a freshness which they lose in silent and persistent labour.

But there is a possibility of carrying this beyond due limits, as the following incident will show:

A gentleman in a delicate state of health was recommended by his physician to reside by the seaside. Having business in London which required his frequent attention, he determined upon selecting Brighton as his residence, so as to be within easy reach of the metropolis. The South Coast Railway runs a train to and from Brighton and London—a distance of fifty miles—in an hour and a quarter. Of this train the gentleman referred to arranged to avail himself twice a-week. After a few days’ sojourning at Brighton, his health became greatly improved. On the first occasion of his going to town, however, he was seized with a violent headache, which grew worse as the day wore on, and which, after his journey down, left him in such a state of pain and prostration, that he was obliged to seek his bed immediately on his arrival at home. The next morning he had partially recovered, and in two or three days he regained his former improved condition of health. On his second visit to town, he was tormented with the same kind of violent headache, succeeded by an equal amount of prostration. Nature and the beneficent sea breezes once more revived him, when on the third occasion of a journey to London, he was attacked by precisely the same symptoms as on the two previous occasions. He now thought it time to make known these facts to his medical adviser, who was not slow in discovering the peculiar relation in this instance between cause and effect. The simple truth was, that the performance of a journey of a hundred miles within so short a space of time, and at such a rapid pace, had too greatly excited the nervous system, and had otherwise disturbed the functions of a delicate organization and a debilitated frame; and the force of this conclusion was afterwards made apparent by a cessation of the headaches with a discontinuance of the journeys. To the jaded and toilworn, therefore, we would say, close your books, leave the desk, fly the study, hasten to the nearest railway station, and take a return ticket for some twelve or fifteen miles. On arriving at your destination, scud down the green lanes and across the fields, setting out at a brisk pace and maintaining it until your return to the departure station in a couple of hours’ time. The journey homeward will appropriately cap the achievement; which, although we do not vaunt as a panacea for all the ills of life, we nevertheless declare, from experience, to be one of the very best repairers of health and restorers of spirits.

SEASON -TICKET HOLDERS.

When a person makes up his mind to reside at some place accessible by railway, there are several circumstances—supposing him to be a man of business and a frequent traveller—which it would be important for him to investigate. In the first place he should ascertain upon what terms a season-ticket can be procured, for virtually the railway fare is a part of the rent, and therefore ought to enter into the calculation of the probable cost when taking a house under these conditions. Secondly, he should learn the times of arrival and departure, so as to make sure that they are conformable both with his commercial and domestic arrangements. Next, he should glean whether the trains are habitually punctual or unpunctual. To a man of business the arrival of a train even a few minutes behind time is apt to prove of serious consequence. In most Government oflices the employees are compelled to “sign on,” as it is called, when they arrive in the morning; and as the hour strikes, a line is drawn across the book of entry, thus obliging all who come after to place their signatures below this line. By this simple arrangement the names of late comers can be gathered at a glance. When this occurs a few times only, and at distant intervals, it is usually visited with a fine or a mild reproof, but a frequent repetition of late arrival brings down upon the head of the offender condign punishment, and sometimes results in dismissal. In ordinary employments, this want of punctuality in commencing the duties of the day is regarded as one of the worst traits in the character of a man of business, and greatly tends to shake the confidence of the employer. Even in cases where a person is responsible only to himself, this detention is always provocative of annoyance, and is frequently attended with loss.

Another consideration is, the distance at which the place of business is situated from one terminus, and the place of residence from the other. For if the interval between these two points is protracted, it follows that the getting to one from the station will occupy more time than is consumed by the journey itself. Nor is the distance alone to be regarded; the means of conveyance should be inquired into, both as regards the cost and the dependence that can be placed upon them. Finally, it would not be amiss to ascertain whether, upon extraordinary occasions, the company would be disposed to accord the privilege of a special train, as when, for instance, a party was made up to visit the theatre, or other entertainment terminating after the time of departure of the last ordinary train.

TRAVELLERS IN GENERAL.

But whatever be the motive which impels a person to undertake a journey, whether it be love, law, business, pleasure, politics, or self, all render themselves for the time being amenable to the same regulations, subject to the same wants, and susceptible to the same ameliorations. Glancing at these in their natural order, and assuming the intending traveller to be sitting in his room a day or two previous to his departure, turning his future movements over in his mind, the first things which will commend themselves to his attention are those useful publications known as

RAILWAY GUIDES.

Of these, there are two in common use—the A B C and Bradshaw. Both are published on the first of each month, and both contain the latest alterations in the fares, times, etc., up to the moment of going to press. Generally speaking, these alterations are not material, and the guide for one month might in the majority of cases be made to do duty for another. Still the possibility exists of a change having been made; to be prepared for which it is as well to possess the publication of the current month. And, by the by, when the purchase is made, the date on the cover should be referred to, in order that a guide of the time past may not be bought in mistake for one of the time present. The A B C Railway Guide is, as its title imports, a work easy of reference,  the names of the places being alphabetically arranged, and the times of departure and arrival, the fares, etc., being so clearly given as to prevent the possibility of a mistake. It is, however, chiefly adapted for the use of persons who have only to proceed direct from one point to another,  without being doomed to thread the labyrinth of branch lines, junctions, etc. Bradshaw—the wellknown Bradshaw—is the other guide taken into the railway traveller’s confidence. This work contains a mass of information compressed into the very smallest compass, but on that account, and by reason of various signs and symbols having to be made use of, it is not so easy of interpretation as it might be. This fact has given rise to innumerable witticisms on its unintelligibility. And we must confess, that although we are acquainted with a few of the initiated to whom Bradshaw is as easy as A B C, we have never yet met with a lady who did not regard it as a literary puzzle, while the majority of the sterner sex have failed to master its intricacies. Knowing by experience the great value of this vade mecum, and desirous that others may equally appreciate it, we will endeavour to furnish a key to some of the most prominent difficulties, in a few brief suggestions which may be collectively termed  “How to read Bradshaw.”

1. When you are searching for the name of a place, refer to the alphabetical index at the commencement of the guide, and you will be directed to the appropriate page.

2. To ascertain the time of departure from, or arrival at, any place, run your eye along the figures which cross the page in a line with the name of the station.

3. When a train passes a station without stopping, it is indicated by two dots, thus ..

 4. When a train stops at some given point without proceeding further, it is notified by a thick black line -, or by the word “ Stop.” If any train be shown below in the same column, it is an independent one.

5. The course of the main line is denoted by thick marks down the right hand side of the station columns; deviations or branches are indicated by thin lines.

6. A thin line in the middle of trains, thus \, represents a shunt, and is intended to show the continuous route of the traveller.

7. Wave lines, thus MW, have a twofold use; first, to direct the eye into the next train, and, second, to show that passengers do not travel past the stations opposite to which the wave line appears.

8. The various letters, as a, b, c, etc., occasionally met with in the tables usually refer to explanatory notes at the foot of the page.

9. Through routes, steamboat, omnibus, and coach communication in connection with the trains, will be found towards the end of the guide, after the tables of the ordinary lines.

Finally, beware of mistaking the up-trains for the down-trains, or vice versd. Be quite certain that you have learnt the proper time of arrival or departure, and refer a second time to prevent the possibility of error. Ascertain beyond doubt that the train you intend going by stops at the station for which you are bound; all sorts of exceptional cases are mixed up with many intermediate stations, and the ordinary routine is departed from in reference to market-days, and other local exigencies; Much valuable information respecting hotels, boarding-houses, apartments, etc., in the various towns in the United Kingdom, will be found scattered through the latter portion of the guide. The glowing terms in which nearly every proprietor speaks of his establishment must not, of course, be interpreted literally. Nevertheless it is something to ascertain the names and whereabouts of these temporary homesteads; and in these days of extortion and anti-extortion such notifications as the following are worthy of being treasured in the memory; for example, “ No charge for candles at this hotel.” “A fixed charge for attendance.” “A list of refreshments exhibited in the coffee-room.” “Visitors are not expected to take wine,” etc. etc.

PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY.—PACKING, ETC.

Most persons appear to have an instinctive horror of “ packing-up.” Some are happily in a position to depute the business to others, but by nearly all the process is avoided until the very last moment. The consequence is, that things are hastily thrown together pell-mell, without any attempt at order or arrangement; dresses are rumpled, coats are creased, linen soiled, rough articles are brought into unseemly contact with the delicate, the dirty associated with the clean, to say nothing of tricklings of ink, and streams of oil, which are apt to escape from their ill-secured receptacles. Our first piece of advice is, that railway travellers should confine their luggage within as narrow limits as possible, not encumbering themselves with a number of useless articles, or with such as may be obtained at the point of destination as readily as at home; to take, in point of fact, only the necessary and the indispensable. The Romans gave the name of impedimenta to their baggage—a word which pretty clearly interprets both ancient and modern opinion. The gallant General Sir Charles Napier declared that the only equipment required by an Indian officer comprised a second shirt, two pairs of socks, and a tooth-brush. But although few would be inclined to subscribe to the latter scanty outfit, there cannot be a doubt that the traveller who is able to carry his luggage in his hand is a comparatively free man, while he who has many packages to look after is, for the time being, a slave. It should be also borne in mind that extra luggage entails extra expense; every trunk, portmanteau, or bandbox, carries with it a certain charge, and can scarcely be touched by the tips of strange fingers without having an impost levied upon it. There are numerous instances, however, where large quantities of luggage cannot be escaped. In such cases it would be advisable to adopt the following course: Classify the articles in such a manner that the same sorts shall have separate boxes or distinct places assigned them. Thus, pack all the heavy articles by themselves, or dispose them in the bottoms of the boxes, etc. Place all the articles not required for immediate use by themselves, and those that are so required by themselves. Carry the articles which you will need when you reach your journey’s end, such as night-dress, brushes and combs, etc., in a travelling-bag, so that you may be spared the pain and labour of uncording and unpacking at a moment when it goes sorely against the grain. Attach to the inner side of the lid of each package a list of the various articles which such package contains; then number each package, and finally make a memorandum of these lots, with their corresponding numbers, in your pocket-book, so that when at any time you require a particular article, you can, by referring, at once determine where such article is to be found. If you are solicitous about the exterior of your luggage, envelop it in canvas, the pulling and hauling, the pitching and tossing, the friction and jostling, which packages are subjected to in travel, to say nothing of the paste-brush which the railway porter impartially applies to the effects of Patrician and plebeian, are not calculated to improve the appearance of polish or paint. When packages are corded, they should be corded tightly and securely; in such cases, the cordage is regarded as the legitimate medium for lifting and carrying; therefore, if it be loose, or the knot insecurely fastened, prepare yourself to see your package lying smashed on the ground, its contents strewn in every direction, and the porter gazing at you with the cord in his hand, and a reproachful look on his features, for having supplied him with so treacherous a holding. The directing of luggage is a matter of no small importance, carelessness in this particular frequently causing the miscarriage of packages. The name and address should be written legibly, and in a bold hand. Observe, also, that the name of the place should be in larger letters than the name of the person; and however much this may offend our selfesteem, it must be borne in mind that in the hurry and bustle of departure, the destination is what is first required to be known, the owner being a secondary consideration. When address labels are attached by tying, they should be of leather, parchment, or some such untearable material. One may frequently note a strip of writing paper, with the superscription traced on it in microscopic characters, the said strip partially strangled with twine or thread, and tenderly attached to the handle of a package; an arrangement that may answer the purpose of indicating the ‘birth-place of the embryo lupine in a garden plot, but ill adapted for the rough usage of the railway station and the exigencies of the luggage van. Cards of address, fastened on by tacks, are not to be recommended, for the cards are apt to be torn away by contact with other packages, leaving the tacks standing alone as monuments to the memory of the departed. The best plan is to paste the labels on to the luggage, as they will thus more certainly retain their position; for this purpose adhesive labels are prepared and sold, which have only to be wetted and applied in the same way as postage stamps. To avoid confusion, and to prevent things being mis-sent, it is advisable to remove the labels having reference to previous journeys. As a crowning precaution, it would be as well to place the name and destination of the owner of the luggage inside as well as outside, so that in the event of the latter being destroyed, a clue to the claimant may be furnished. The number of articles which are constantly travelling out of their legitimate course, through carelessness in the matter of address, exceed belief. Some curious stories could be told of railway travellers and their luggage chasing each other half over the United Kingdom by some unhappy mischance, never happening to reach the same place together; so that the “Adventures of Japhet in Search of his Father,” or “Coelebs in Search of a Wife” are but tame and uninteresting narratives compared with “Tomkins in Quest of his Trunk.”

TRAVELLING EQUIPAGE.

There are, perhaps, few things upon which human ingenuity has been brought to bear with such force as travelling conveniences. The distant traveller and the tourist, the family man and the bachelor, he whose means and desires are unlimited, and he whose resources are circumscribed, and whose requirements are few, has each been considered. Many of us can remember the clumsy and cumbrous trunks and boxes of a bygone period, rendered clumsier and heavier still by outworks of brass-headed nails and bands of iron. Also those extraordinary carpet-bags, in which nothing could lie flat, and from which everything emerged in a dreadfully dilapidated state. Mais nous avons changé tout cela, and now travelling trunks, portmanteaus, bags, etc., may be had in every conceivable variety of make, shape, and size. For family purposes, a species of large trunk has been invented, which, when its outer covering is removed, resembles a chest of drawers, partaking, indeed, of all the convenience of that well-known article of household furniture without its cumbrousness. Trunks there are, also, of a smaller size, divided into compartments, affording facilities for arranging the wardrobe, and for separately placing away each article of dress. Of portmanteaus there exist a great variety, some on a large scale, and substantially made, so as to approach nearly the genus trunk, others with collapsing propensities, enabling the capacity of the receptacle to be considerably extended when occasion requires, and materially diminishing the bulk when not in use, by which means it becomes a large or a small portmanteau according to the contents. Another portmanteau is made of a size to admit of its being placed under the railway seat, and has the handle placed in such a manner that it may be easily carried by the owner. An equal amount of ingenuity has been displayed in connection with travelling bags. There is one of a hybrid nature, being a travelling bag upwards and a portmanteau downwards, proving as convenient as the latter, and as portable as the former. Another kind of bag is made to open square, enabling the articles to be placed in on a firm basis, and not coaxed or jammed in sideways, as in the ordinary bag.

As travelling bags are put into requisition more generally than any other kind of travelling gear, it will not be amiss to describe a bag recently introduced, which is made to contain the various toilet requisites, as well as articles of attire, and which possesses the combined advantages of compactness and portability. This bag is constructed to open in such a manner as to present the whole of the fittings standing erect in the centre, leaving the sides free. By a simple contrivance it is further made to open at the bottom. On two boards or standards are displayed the fittings; the boards, being supplied with a long hinge and handle, may be lifted out of the bag, and made to stand firmly on a table; the sides then lying flat, are in a convenient position for packing. The inner parts of the sides are provided with strong flaps, and also strong elastics and fasteners, to confine any article packed under them. One side of the bag can be opened to the bottom, leaving the other side still upright. The bag can be used without the fittings, the whole interior being then available for packing besides the flaps. It is also supplied with a new form of handle, the ends of which slide in grooves, thereby allowing it to lie quite flat on the top of the frame. From bags we come to a species of knapsack, which is generally strapped on to the back, but being fitted with a handle on the top it may, when not used as a knapsack, form a convenient substitute for a travelling bag. Haversacks and wallets come next in order, these are made to contain a change of linen, toilet requisites, etc., and are slung across the shoulder by a strap. For persons who are going short journeys, or who intend to pedestrianize, this is, perhaps, the best kind of travelling appendage that can be conceived; it renders its wearer at once independent and easy. He can go from place to place without being importuned by touts and tag-rag. He enters an inn, and leaves it without any of that parade or sensation which even the smallest of travelling bags appears to engender, and he can always have whatever he requires ready at hand, and soon becomes so accustomed to his general burden, as to be scarcely aware that he is carrying anything at all. Dressingcases are designed of every form and variety, and in keeping with the utilitarian spirit of the age, are also made to combine with the customary portmanteau or travelling bag, the articles being so disposed as to fill up vacancies which would otherwise remain unappropriated. Another convenient form of dressing-case is that where the toilet requisites are spread, if we may so term it, on a strip of leather, and are then capable of being rolled up into a small compass. Nor have ladies been forgotten in the matter of travelling equipages. There are ladies’ wardrobes, ladies’ portmanteaus, ladies’ compendiums, ladies’ bonnet trunks, etc., each admirably adapted for the various purposes to which it will be put. The travelling receptacles chosen, and the luggage packed, the next consideration is—

FIXING THE TIME OF DEPARTURE.

In answer to the question whether it is better to travel by day or by night, we should say that much depends on the constitution and temperament of the traveller. It is decidedly imprudent for a delicate person to expose himself to the night air, which to some extent he must do, however securely the doors and windows of the carriage may be closed. Nor can the deprivation of the usual night’s rest be conducive to health. For although, in some exceptional cases, there are travellers who can sleep as soundly on the railroad as in their beds, the majority of travellers, in spite of every effort, fail on procuring any slumber beyond that homeopathic amount familiarly known as “ forty winks.” But setting aside the drawback of broken rest, some persons maintain that there are certain recommendations which render night travelling preferable to travelling by day; one is, that people are, generally speaking, more sociable, the darkness and stillness of night appear to dispel that distrust and shyness with which English travellers habitually regard each other by day, so that the journey is made agreeable by conversation and the interchange of courtesies. To the very timid, another recommendation is that there is less chance of collision, the line being comparatively clear, and extra precaution being taken to prevent the possibility of accident. Some persons prefer starting by the last. train at night to the first train in the morning, because the excitement attendant on the journey, and the dread of oversleeping themselves, entirely breaks up their night’s rest, and renders them in a very unfit state to set out upon their travels. If the day be chosen, the hour of departure should be regulated, to some extent, by the time of arrival. It is very awkward, for instance, to invade the domicile of a country friend in the middle of the night, and owing to the absence of suitable arrangements it may prove equally unpleasant to the invader. In cases where the traveller is bound for some across country place, and has to depend upon a public conveyance to transport him to his final destination, he should assure himself that the omnibus, coach, or fly, will be at the station to meet the train he travels by; and on extraordinary occasions he may secure the attendance of a conveyance by a polite request, either by post or telegraph, being forwarded to the superintendent of the station at which he intends to alight.

LETTERS OF ADVICE, ETC.

When the traveller is about to visit an hotel or lodging-house, he will insure a comfortable reception by writing a letter, a few days prior to his departure, to the proprietor of the house he intends staying at, instructing him to prepare certain rooms, and make such other arrangements as may be necessary, it would be as well if the letter were posted in sufficient time for an answer to be received before the day of starting, so that the traveller may be assured of his arrangements being carried out, or in the event of it being impossible to comply with his request, that he may be made acquainted with the fact. Even when the visit is about to be paid to a friend, where there is always a welcome, the proposed visit should be notified, to save inconvenience to all parties. There are very few people who like to be taken by surprise, and the usual exclamation of, “If I had only known that you had been coming,” is sufliciently indicative of the disappointment felt. Should you require a ladies’ carriage, a horse-box, or a carriage-truck, write to the station-master a day or two previously, as they are not always to be had at the moment. In cases of invalids, or decrepit persons, it would also be as well to write to the station-master, or other authority, beforehand, to endeavour to secure such conveniences and comforts most favourable to the sufferer‘s infirmities. At the same time it should be borne in mind, that although there is every disposition on the part of the different railway companies to be as considerate as possible, still they cannot be expected to confer special advantages on individuals, to the detriment of the public interest and the general working of the establishment.

To be continued

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