left in it, to continue his search throughout the windows of all forms, handles, steps, &c., train. The inconceivable number and variety so accurately, that they could mop a coach of the articles which he collects we shall clean in the dark;-and probably they often shortly have occasion to notice. Fourthly, go through these motions when they are above the searcher's head, on the roof, and asleep, just as King Richard III. in his following him very closely in his course, dream called for his horse and for linen banthere sits up aloft' a man called a 'strap-dages-just as the sleeping orator ejaculates per,' whose soul duty it is, on the arrival of portions of his last speech-and just as an every train, to inspect, clean, shampoo, and equally tired out-stretched fox-hound during refresh with cold-drawn neat's-foot oil the the night occasionally convulsively kicks luggage-straps, which, in consequence of with his uppermost hind leg and yelps aloud several serious accidents that have occurred when he thinks of the view he got of Refrom their breaking, are now lined inside nard as he first gallantly broke away from with strong iron wire. It is the especial gorse. It may possibly not be known duty of this inquisitor to condemn any to some of the most fashionable of our readstraps that may be faulty, in order that they ers that among moppers' there exist the may be immediately replaced. same gradations which so distinctly separate As soon as these four simultaneous ope- other classes of society. A first-class rations are concluded, directions are given mopper' would on no account demean himby the station-master to remove the up-self by mopping a second-class carriage, and carriages from their position, that the rails in like manner a 'second-class mopper' only may be clear for the arrival of the next attains that distinction after he has for a suftrain. At this word of command a pilot- ficient length of time been commissioned to engine, darting from its lurking place like a mop horse-boxes and common luggage-trains. spider from its hole, occasionally hisses up After the passenger-carriages are all to the rear of the train, and drags it off bo- washed and dried, they are minutely exdily into a siding. The usual mode, how-amined by one or more of the foremen of ever, of getting an in-train out of the way is the coach department, who order off to their by the assistance of various unnoticed turn- adjoining establishment any that may retables, upon which portions of it are stand-quire repair. Those that remain are then ing. By these simple contrivances the visited, lastly, by the duster,' who enters carriages, after being unhooked from each each carriage with a cloth, a leather, a other, are rapidly carried off into the sid-brush, and a dust-pan, with which apparaings, where they are arranged, according as tus he cleans the windows, wipes the woodthey may afterwards be required, among work, brushes the blue cloth seats, sides, the five sets of rails which lie between the and backs-and when this operation is conopposite platforms of the arrival and de- cluded the carriages are reported fit to departure trains. No sooner, however, do part, and accordingly are then marshalled they reach this haven, than a large gang of into trains for that purpose. strong he-housemaids, clattering towards Lost Luggage Office.-At a short disthem in wooden shoes and in leather leg-tance from the terminus of the up-trains gings rising above their bony knees, are there is a foundling-office, termed the Lost seen advancing; some with mops in their Luggage Office, in which are received all hands, others with large chamois leathers, articles which the passengers leave bewhile others are carrying on their shoulders hind them, and which on the arrival of a yoke, from which are suspended in equi- every train are brought by the company's librio two pails. From pipes on each side searcher' to this office. The superintendof these five sets of rails water is immedi-ent on receiving them records in a book ately drawn off, and the busy operation of a description of each article, stating on washing then begins. Half a dozen dusty, what day, by what train, in what cardirty-faced, or rather dirty-bodied, carriages riage it arrived, and by whom found. All are simultaneously assailed on each of their luggage bearing an address is kept about sides by wet mops flying up, down, and forty-eight hours, and, if during that time. around in all directions. The wielders of no one calls for it, it is then forwarded by these, be it noticed, are so skilful in their rail or other conveyance to its owner. vocation, that while they are talking to their case it bears no address, if not inquired 'pailers' they with great velocity continue after, it is after a month opened; and if to mop round the wood-work of the various-any clue to the owner can be found, withshaped plate-glass windows just as vigorous-in, a letter is addressed to him. If no clue ly and as accurately as if they were looking be found, the property is kept about two at them; indeed, it is evident that they years, and has hitherto been then sold by know the position of railway-carriage doors, auction in the large coach-factory to the In Company's servants-a portion of the pro- of men's hats, another of parasols, umbrellas ceeds being handed over to the sick-fund and sticks of every possible description. for persons who have been hurt in the ser- One would think that all the ladies' retivice, and the remainder to the Friendly cules on earth were deposited in a third. Society' among the men. It having, how-How many little smelling-bottles-how ever, been ascertained that a few of the many little embroidered pocket-handkerRailway men who had spare cash purchased chiefs-how many little musty eatables and the greater portion of these articles, it has, comfortable drinkables-how many little we understand, very lately been determined bills, important little notes, and other very henceforward to sell the whole of this pro- small secrets each may have contained, we perty by auction exclusively to the public; felt that we would not for the world have and as the Company's servants are not al- ascertained; but when we gazed at the lowed to be purchasers, they can no longer enormous quantity of red cloaks, red derive any benefit whatever from lost property, which must often be of inestimable value to its owner, and which they therefore should have no interest, direct or indirect, in concealing from him. shawls, red tartan-plaids, and red scarfs piled up in one corner, it was we own, impossible to help reflecting that surely English ladies of all ages who wear red cloaks, &c., must in some mysterious way or other be powerfully affected by the whine of compressed air, by the sudden ringing of a bell, by the sight of their friends-in short, by the various conflicting emotions that disturb terminus of the Euston Station; for else how, we gravely asked ourselves, could we possibly account for the extraordinary red heap before us? A second ledger, entitled Luggage Inquiry Book,' is kept in this office, and, if the articles therein inquired after have not been brought in by the searcher, copies of the description are forwarded to each of the human heart on arriving at the upthe offices where the lost luggage is kept; for by the Company's orders all luggage found between Wolverton and London is without delay forwarded to the latter station, all between Wolverton and Birmingham to Of course, in this Rolando-looking cave Birmingham, and so on. there were plenty of carpet-bags, gunIt is possible, however, that the above cases, portmanteaus, writing-desks, books, orders may not have been attended to, and bibles, cigar-cases, &c.; but there were a therefore, as a last resource, the superin- few articles that certainly we were not pretendent of the Lost Luggage Office at Eus-pared to meet with, and which but too ton Station writes to 310 stations on forty-clearly proved that the extraordinary tertwo lines of rails to inquire after a lost minus-excitement which had suddenly causarticle, be it ever so small, and if it be at ed so many virtuous ladies to elope from none of these stations a letter is then addressed to the owner, informing him that his lost property is not on the railway. In the office in which these ledgers and letter-books are made up are to be seen on shelves and in compartments the innumerable articles which have been left in the trains during the last two months, each being ticketed and numbered with a figure corresponding with the entry-book in which the article is defined. Without, however, describing in detail this property we will at once proceed to a large pitch-dark subterranean vaulted chamber, warmed by hotair iron pipes, in which are deposited the flock of lost sheep, or, without metaphor, the lost luggage of the last two years. Suspended from the roof there hangs horizontally in this chamber a gas-pipe about eight feet along, and as soon as the brilliant burners at each end were lighted the scene was really astounding. It would be infinitely easier to say what there is not than what there is, in the forty compartments like great wine-bins in which all this lost property is arranged. One is choke-full their red shawls-in short, to be all of a sudden not only in "a bustle" behind, but all over-had equally affected men of all sorts and conditions. One gentleman had left behind him a pair of leather hunting-breeches! another his boot-jack! A soldier of the 22nd regiment had left his knapsack containing his kit ! Another soldier of the 10th, poor fellow, had left his scarlet regimental coat! Some cripple, probably overjoyed at the sight of his family, had left behind him his crutches!! But what astonished us above all was, that some honest Scotchman, probably in the extasy of suddenly seeing among the crowd the face of his faithful Jeanie, had actually left behind him the best portion of his bagpipes!!! Some little time ago the superintendent, on breaking 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, 651. 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 he had left his hat-box at an by the branch-rail close to the north side of hotel at Birmingham that he had made no inquiry for it at the railway-office. Parcel-Delivery Office. Besides what is termed 'the goods traffic,' or the conveyance of heavy goods in luggage-trains, the London and North-Western Railway Company have for some time undertaken to forward by their passenger-trains, to the various stations on as well as beyond their lines, light parcels, for the conveyance and delivery of which, charges, of which the following are a sample, are made : For parcels under 12lbs. weight :- For distances under 160 miles s. d. 1 0 1 6 From London to Durham, Carlisle, or 0 The above charges include porterage and delivery of the parcels. In London, however, the delivery is limited to within three miles of the General Post-office, or say six miles from Euston Square. The mode in which the business of this department is conducted at Euston Station is briefly as follows: the parcels-office, a porter, who, assisted 'A paper for Hancock, of light. -, out 8d. light. weighs (he puts it into an index scale at his right hand, and in about three seconds adds) 26 pounds. 'A paper for Jones, of out 4d. A paper for S. on Avon (the porter never As fast as this chanting porter drawls out his facts the chief clerk records them, convulsively snatching up at each change of station the particular book of entry which belongs to it. Another clerk at each exclamation hands over to a porter a bill for the cost of conveyance, which he pastes to every parcel. For all articles declared by The superintendent of the department sits the first porter to be light,' by which he in an elevated room, the sides of which be- means that they do not exceed twelve ing glazed enable him to look down on his pounds weight-(by far the greater number right and left into two offices, both of which are of this description)-the charge on the communicate on the south with the street paper to be affixed is ready printed, which by which parcels arrive from or depart to effectually prevents fraud; but where the various parts of the metropolis, and on the weight exceeds twelve pounds, or where north side with a branch railway leading any sum has been paid out, the charges are into the main line. The floor of one of unavoidably inserted in ink. The velocity these two offices is generally covered with with which all these little parcels are articles which 'have just arrived by rail booked, weigh-billed, placed into handfrom all parts of England, Ireland, and trucks, wheeled off to their respective vans, Scotland; that of the other with parcels to packed, locked up, and then dispatched be despatched by rail to similar destina- down the little branch-rail to the main line, tions. In the daytime the down parcels are on which is the train ready to convey them, despatched from the office in the break- is very surprising. While witnessing the waggons of various passenger-trains, and operation, however, we could not help obthe following locked-up vans laden with serving that the Company's porters took small parcels are also forwarded every about as much notice of the words 'Keep night: this side uppermost,' Coach Department.-The new carriages for the southern division of the London and North-Western Railway are principally built by contract in the city by Mr. Wright, who also supplies carriages for other Eng lish railways, as well as a great number for, had appeared half hobbling half trotting Germany. The Company's establishment from under the archway of the Red Lion, at Euston Station, which is therefore prin- the Crown, or the Three Bells, before which cipally for the maintenance of carriages of the traveller had from a canter been almost various descriptions running between Lon- suddenly pulled up, to receive various don and Birmingham, consists of a large bows, scrapes, and curtsies from the landarea termed the Fieldt,' where, under a lord and his rosy-faced cap-beribboned wife. covering almost entirely of plate-glass, are But, although we could all accurately deno less than fourteen sets of rails, upon scribe our own enjoyments, and, like Johnwhich wounded or spare carriages lie until son, expatiate on the delightful sensation' doctored or required. Immediately adjoin- we experienced in what we called fast traveling are various workshops, the largest of ling, who among us ever cared to ascertain, which is 260 feet in length by 132 in or even for a single moment to think of, the breadth, roofed with plate-glass, lighted by various arrangements necessary for watergas, and warmed by hot air. In this edifice, ing, feeding, cleaning, and shoulder-healing in which there is a strong smell of varnish, all the poor horses whose brilliant' perand in the corner of which we found men formances we had so much admired ? busily employed in grinding beautiful col- Whether they slept on straw or on stones— ours, while others were emblazoning arms indeed, whether they slept at all-what was on panels, are to be seen carriages highly their diet-what, if any, were their enjoyfinished as well as in different stages of repair. ments-what were their sufferings-and, Among the latter there stood a severely lastly, how and where they eventually died wounded second-class carriage. Both its-it would have been deemed exceedingly sides were in ruins, and its front had been vulgar to inquire; and so, after with palpiso effectively smashed that not a vestige of tating flanks and panting nostrils they had it remained. The iron-work of the guard's once been unhooked from our splinter-bars, step was bent completely upwards, and a tender behind was nearly filled with the confused débris of its splendid wood-work --and yet, strange to say, a man, his wife, In a similar way we now chloroform all and their little child, who had been in this 'Where they went, and how they fared, 6 Oh no! we never mention them!' carriage during its accident, had providen- kindly feelings of inquiry respecting the tially sustained no injury! Close to this treatment of the poor engine-drivers, fireimmense warehouse we found a black-men, and even of the engine that has safely smith's shop seventy-five feet square, lighted conveyed us through tunnels and through from the roof with plate-glass, containing in storms at the rate of thirty, forty, and occathe centre a large chimney, around which sionally even fifty miles an hour— there were simultaneously at work fourteen forges, blown by a steam-engine of seventeen-horse power, which works machinery and in fact scarcely do we even deign to in two other shops. As, however, we shall look at them. Indeed even while in the have occasion to describe the Company's train, and especially after we had left it, we coaching establishment at Crewe, we will should feel bored to death by being asked to abruptly take leave of the details before us. reflect for a moment on any point or any CAMDEN.-The Locomotive Engine.- person connected with it. We have thereConsidering how many fine feelings and fore, we feel, to apologise at least to some good feelings adorn the interior of the hu- of our readers for intruding upon them, in man heart, it is curious to observe with bringing betwixt the wind and their nowhat facility we can put them all to sleep, bility' the following uninteresting details. or, if they won't sleep, stupefy ourselves, at As soon as an engine has safely dragged any moment when it becomes inconvenient a passenger-train to the top of the incline at to us to listen to their friendly admonitions. Camden Station, at which point the coupAll the while mailing, coaching, and post- ling-chains which connected it with its load ing were the fashion, every man's counte- are instantly unhooked, it is enabled by the nance beamed-every person's tongue gab- switchman to get from the main line upon a bled freely as it described not only the pair of almost parallel side rails, along which, splendid rate' (say ten miles an hour) at while the tickets are being collected, it may which he had travelled, but the celerity be seen and heard retrograding and hissing with which no sooner had the words' First past its train. After a difficult and intricate turn out been exclaimed by the scout, passage from one set of rails to another, adwho vanished as soon as he had uttered vancing or shunting' backwards as occathem, than four horses in shining harness sion may require, it proceeds to the fire-pit, over which it stops. The fireman here befall the road along which he travels, but opens the door of his furnace, which by a over which he has not the smallest control. very curious process is made to void the The greatest hardship he has to endure, red-hot contents of its stomach into the pit however, is from cold, especially that propurposely constructed to receive them, duced in winter by evaporation from his where the fire is instantly extinguished by drenched clothes passing rapidly through cold water ready laid on by the side. Be- the air. Indeed, when a gale of wind and fore, however, dropping their fire, the rain from the north-west, triumphantly drivers are directed occasionally to blow off sweeping over the surface of the earth at their steam to clean; and we may further its ordinary rate of say sixty miles an hour, add that once a-week the boiler of every suddenly meets the driver of the London engine is washed out to get rid of sediment and North Western, who has not only to or scale, the operation being registered in a withstand such an antagonist, but to dash book kept in the office. After dropping through him, and in spite of him to proceed in his fire, the driver, carefully taking his fire- an opposite direction at the rate of say forty bars with him, conducts his engine into an miles an hour-the conflict between the wet immense shed or engine-stable 400 feet in Englishman and Eolus, tilting by each length by 90 in breadth, generally half full other at the combined speed of a hundred of locomotives, where he examines it all miles an hour, forms a tournament of extraover, reporting in a book what repairs are ordinary interest. wanting, or, if none (which is not often the As the engine is proceeding, the driver, case), he reports it correct.' He then who has not very many inches of standingtakes his lamps to the lamp-house to be room, remains upon its narrow platform, cleaned and trimmed by workmen solely while his fireman, on about the same space, employed to do so, after which he fetches stands close beside him on the tender. We them away himself. Being now off duty, tried the position. Everything, however, he and his satellite firemen go either to proved to be so hard, not excepting the entheir homes or to a sort of club-room con- gine which was both hard and hot, that we taining a fire to keep them warm, a series found it necessary to travel with one foot of cupboards to hold their clothes, and on the tender and the other on the engine, wooden benches on which they may sit, sleep, or ruminate until their services are again required; and here it is pleasing to see these fine fellows in various attitudes enjoying rest and stillness after the incessant noise, excitement, and occasional tempests of wind and rain, to which—we will say nothing of greater dangers-they have been exposed. and as the motion of each was very different, we felt as if each leg were galloping at a different stride. Nevertheless the Company's drivers and firemen usually travel from 100 to 120 miles per day, performing six of these trips per week; nay, a few run 166 miles per day-for which they are paid eight days' wages for six trips. But to return to the engine which we just left in the engine-house. The duties which the engine-driver has to perform are not only of vital importance, the driver has carefully examined it, and but of a nature which peculiarly illustrates has recorded in a book the report we have the calm, unpretending, bull-dog courage, described, the foreman of the fitters' comes indigenous to the moist healthy climate of to it, and examines it all over again; and if the British Isles. Even in bright sun- anything is found out of order, which, on shine, to stand-like the figure-head of a reference to the book, the driver has not reship-foremost on a train of enormous ported, the latter is reported by the former weight, which, with fearful momentum, is for his negligence. A third examination is rushing forward faster than any race-horse made by Mr. Walker, the chief superincan gallop, requires a cool head and a calm tending engineer of the station, a highly heart; but to proceed at this place in dark intelligent and valuable servant of the Comor foggy weather into tunnels, along em- pany, who has charge of the repairs of the bankments, and through deep cuttings, locomotive department between Camden where it is impossible to foresee any ob- and Tring. If HE detects any defect that struction, is an amount of responsibility has escaped the notice not only of the which scarcely any other situation in life driver, but of the foreman of the fitters, woe can exceed; for not only is a driver severely, betide them both! and occasionally without mercy, punished While the engine, with several workmen for any negligence he himself may commit, screwing and hammering at it, is undergobut he is invariably sentenced personally to ing the necessary repairs, we will consider suffer on the spot for any accident that for a moment a subject to which Englishfrom the negligence of others may suddenly men always attach considerable importance, |