scale those of Canada; in summer, it form- such an angle that they give the most pered a Sahara of dust, prodigiously like the fect mutual support, are joined to each great desert. Acres of the finest alluvial other by oaken dowels, and laid on a hard clay floated past the shops in autumn; in concrete foundation, presenting a level surspring, clouds of the finest sand were waft- face, over which the impact is so equally ed among the goods, and penetrated to divided, that the whole mass resists the every drawer and wareroom. And high pressure on each particular block; and yet, over all, throughout all the main highways from being formed in panels of about a of commerce-the Strand-Fleet-Street- yard square, they are laid down or lifted Oxford-Street-Holborn-raged a storm of up with far greater ease than the causeway. sound, that made conversation a matter of extreme difficulty without such stentorian an effort as no ordinary lungs could make. As the inhabitants of Abdera went about sighing from morning to night, "Love! love!" so the persecuted dwellers in the great thoroughfares wished incessantly for cleanliness! smoothness! silence! Attention was immediately attracted to this invention, and all efforts have hitherto been vain to improve on it. Various projectors have appeared-some with concrete foundations, some with the blocks attached to each other, not by oaken dowels, but by being alernately concave and convex at the side; but this system has the incurable defect of wearing off at the edges, where the fibre of the wood, of course, is weakest, and presents a succession of bald-pated surfaces, extremely slippery, and incapable of being permanently grooved. A speci men of this will be often referred to in the course of this account, being that which has attained such an unenviable degree of notoriety in the Poultry. Other inventors have shown ingenuity and perseverance; but the great representative of wooden paving we take to be the Metropolitan Company, and we proceed to a narrative of the attacks it has sustained, and the struggles it has gone through. "Abra was present when they named her name," and, after a few gropings after truth a few experiments that ended in nothing-a voice was heard in the city, that streets could be paved with wood. This was by no means a discovery in itself; for in many parts of the country ingenious individuals had laid down wooden floors upon their farm-yards; and, in other lands, it was a very common practice to use no other material for their public streets. But, in London, it was new; and all that was wanted, was science to use the material (at first sight so little calculated to bear the wear and tear of an enormous traffic) in the most eligible manner. The first who So long ago as July, 1839, the inventor commenced an actual piece of paving was explained to a large public meeting of noa Mr. Skead-a perfectly simple and inar- blemen and men of science, presided over tificial system, which it was soon seen was by the Duke of Sussex, the principle of his doomed to be superseded. His blocks discovery. It consisted in a division of the were nothing but pieces of wood of a hex- cube, or, as he called it, the stereotomy of agon shape-with no cohesion, and no the cube. After observing that," although foundation-so that they trusted each to the cube was the most regular of all solid its own resources to resist the pressure of bodies, and the most learned men amongst a wheel, or the blow of a horse's hoof; and, the Greeks and other nations had occupied as might have been foreseen, they became themselves to ascertain and measure its very uneven after a short use, and had no proportions, he said it had never hitherto recommendation except their cheapness been regarded as a body, to be anatomized and their exemption from noise. The fibre or explored in its internal parts. Some was vertical, and at first no grooves were years ago, it had occurred to a French introduced; they, of course, became round-mathematician that the cube was divisible ed by wearing away at the edge, and as slippery as the ancient granite. The Metropolitan Company took warning from the defects of their predecessor, and adopted the patent of a scientific French gentleman of the name of De Lisle. The combination of the blocks is as elaborate as the structure of a ship of war, and yet perfectly easy, being founded on correct mechanical principles, and attaining the great objects required-viz., smoothness, durability, and quiet. The blocks, which are shaped at into six pyramidical forms; and it therefore had struck him, the inventor, that the natural formation of that figure was by a combination of those forms. Having detailed to his audience a number of experi ments, and shown how the results thereby obtained accorded with mathematical principles, he proceeded to explain the various purposes to which diagonal portions of the cube might be applied. By cutting the body in half, and then dividing the half in a diagonal direction, he obtained a figure— In December, 1839, about 1100 square yards were laid down in Whitehall, and a triumph was never more complete; for since that period it has continued as smooth and level as when first it displaced the Macadam; it has never required repair, and has been a small basis of peace and quietness, amidst a desert of confusion and turmoil. Since that time, about sixty thousand yards in various parts of London, being about three-fourths of all the pavement hitherto introduced, attest the public appreciation of the Metropolitan Company's system. It may be interesting to those who watch the progress of great changes, to particularize the operations (amounting in the aggregate to forty thousand yards) that were carried on upon this system in 1842:St. Giles's, Holborn Foundling Estate Hammersmith Bridge St. Andrew's, Holborn Jermyn Street Old Bailey Piccadilly namely, a quarter of a cube-in which, he |tion to these drawbacks, its cleansing was observed, the whole strength or power of totally neglected; and on all these acresistance of the entire body resided; and counts, it offered an excellent point of athe showed the application of these sections tack to any person who determined to of the cube to the purposes of paving by signalize himself by preaching a crusade wood." Such is the first meagre report against wood. Preachers, thank heaven! of the broaching of a scientific system of are seldom wanted; and on this occasion paving; and, with the patronage of such the part of Peter the Hermit was undermen of rank and eminence as took an inte- taken by Peter the Knight; for our old acrest in the subject, the progress was sure quaintance, the opponent of causeways, the and rapid. sworn enemy to granite, the favo er of Macadam, had worn the chain of office; had had his ears tickled for a whole year by the magic word, my lord; was as much of a knight as Sir Amadis de Gaul, and much more of an alderman; had been a great dispenser of justice, and sometimes a dispenser with law; had made himself a name, before which that of the Curtises and Waithmans grew pale; and, above all, was at that very moment in want of a grievance. Sir Peter Laurie gave notice of a motion on the subject of the Poultry. People began to think something had gone wrong with the chickens, or that Sir Robert had laid a high duty on foreign eggs. The alarm spread into Norfolk, and affected the price of turkeys. Bantams fell in value, and barn-door fowls were a drug. In the midst of all these fears, it began to be whispered about, that if any chickens were concerned in the motion, it was Cary's chickens; and that the attack, though nominelly on the hen-roost, was in reality on the wood. It was now the depth of winter; snowy showers were succeeded by biting frosts; the very smoothness of the surface of the wooden pavement was against it; for as no steps were taken to prevent slipperiness, by cleansing or sanding the steetor better still, perhaps, by roughing the besides several noblemen's court-yards, horses' shoes, many tumbles took pace on such as the Dukes of Somerset and Suther- this doomed little portion of the rod; and land's, and a great number of stables, for some of the city police, having probably, which it is found peculiarly adapted. in the present high state of English morals, The other projectors have specimens little else to do, were employed to count principally in the Strand; that near the the falls. Armed with a list of these acciGolden Cross, being by Mr. Skend; that dents, which grew in exact proportion to near Coutts's Bank, Mr. Saunders; at St. the number of people who saw them-(for Giles's Church, in Holborn, Mr. Rankin; instance, if three people separately reportand in the city, at Gracechurch Street, ed, "a gray horse down in the Poultry," it Cornhill, and the Poultry, Mr. Carey. The did duty for three gray horses)--Sir Peter Poultry is a short space lying between opened the business of the day, at a meetCheapside and the Mansion-house, consisting of the Commissioners of Sewers for the ing altogether of only three hundred and City of London, or the 14th of February, seventy-eight square yards. It lies in a 1843. Mr. Alderman Gibbs was in the hollow, as if on purpose to receive the river chair. Sir Peter, on this occasion, tranof mud which rolls its majestic course from scended his usual efforts; he was inspired the causeway on each side. The traffic on with the genius of his subject, and was as it, though not fast, is perpetual, and the great a specimen of slip-slop as the streets system from the first was faulty. In addi-themselves. He requested a petition to be VOL. II. No. II. Newgate Street, eastern end 18 read, signed by a Mr. Gray, and a conside- have ascertained, by careful examination and rable number of other jobmasters and live-inquiry, that in places where wood paving has ry-stable keepers, against wood pavement; and, as it formed the text on which he spoke, we quote it entire :"To the Commissioners of Sewers "The humble memorial of your memorialists, humbly showeth,-That in consequence of the introduction of wood pavements into the City of London, in lieu of granite, a very great number of accidents have occurred; and in drawing a comparison between the two from observations made, it is found where one accident happened on the granite pavement, that ten at least took place upon the wood. Your memorialists therefore pray, that, in consequence of the wood pavement being so extremely dangerous to travel over, you would be pleased to take the matter into your serious consideration, and cause, it to be removed; by doing which you will, in the first place, be removing a great and dangerous nuisance; and, secondly, you will be setting a beneficial and humane example to other metropolitan districts." been laid down continuously to a moderate exHolborn, Oxford Street, the Strand, Coventry tent-viz. in Regent Street, Jermyn Street, Street, and Lombard Street-it has fully effected all that was expected from it; it has freed the streets from the distracting nuisance of incessant noise, has diminished mud, increased the value of property, and given full satisfaction to the inhabitants. Your petitioners, therefore, beg to urge upon you most strongly a compli ance with their request, which they feel assured would be a further extension of a great public good." In addition to the petition, Mr. Fernie, who presented it, stated "that the inhabi tants (whom he represented) had satisfied themselves of the advantages of wood pa. ving before they wished its adoption at their own doors. That inquiries had been made of the inhabitants of streets in the enjoyment of wood paving, and they all approved of it; and said, that nothing would induce them to return to the old system of stone; that they were satisfied the number of accidents had not been greater on the wood than they had been on less serious character and extent." the granite; and that they were of a much Sir Peter on this applied a red silk handkerchief to his nose; wound three blasts Mr. Gray, in addition to the memorial, begged fully to corroborate its statements, and said that he had himself twice been thrown out by the falling of his horse on the wood, and had broken his shafts both times. As he did not allude to his legs and arms, we conclude they escaped uninjured; and the only effect created by his observation, seemed to be a belief that his horse was probably addicted to falling, and on that wild horn, as if to inspire him for preferred the wood to the rough and hard the charge; and rushed forth into the midangles of the granite. Immediately after dle of the fight. His first blow was aimed the reading of the stablemen's memorial, at Mr. Prosser, the secretary of the Mea petition was introduced in favor of wood tropolitan Company, who had stated that pavement from Cornhill, signed by all the in- in Russia, where wooden pavements were habrants of that wealthy and flourishing dis- common, a sprinkling of pitch and strong trict, and, on the principles of fair play, we sand had prevented the possibility of sliptranscibe it as a pendant to the other :Orlando Furioso was a peaceful Quaker compared to the infuriate Laurie. "Your petitioners, the undersigned inhabit-"The admission of Mr. Prosser," he said, ants of the ward of Cornhill and Birchen Lane, " beg agai to bring before you their earnest request, tha that part of Cornhill which is still paved with granite, and also Birchen Lane, may now be paved with wood. ping. proves that, without pitch and sand, wood pavements are impassable ;" and fearful which the Prosser with two s's, was presswas it to see the prodigious vigor with "Your petrioners are well aware that many ed and assaulted by the Proser with only complaints have been received of the wood pav- one. Wonder took possession of the asing in the Poultry; but they beg to submit to semblage, at the catalogue of woes the imyou that no repor which have been, or which passioned orator had collected as the remay be made, of the accidents which have oc-sults of this most dangerous and murdercurred on that small spot, should be considered as in any way illustrave of the merits of the ous contrivance. An old woman had been general question. From its minuteness, and its run over by an omnibus-all owing to slope at both extremities, it is constantly covered wood; a boy had been killed by a cab-all with slippery mud from the granite at each end; owing to wood; and it seemed never to and that, together with the sudden transition have occurred to the speaker, in his antifrom one sort of paving to another, causes the silvan fury, that boys' legs are occasionally horses continually to stumble on that spot. broken by unruly cabs, and poles of omniYour petitioners therefore submit that no place could have been seleced for experiment so ill buses run into the backs of unsuspecting adapted to show a fair result. Since your peti- elderly gentlemen on the roads which contioners laid their former pection before you, theytinue under the protecting influence of It was generally supposed in the meeting that the friend here alluded to was either Mr. Joseph Hume or the ingenious gentleman who furnished Lord Stanley with the statistics of the wheat-growing districts of Tamboff. It was afterwards discovered to be a Mr. Cocker Munchausen. Twenty-four millions of money! and all to be laid out on wood! The thought was so immense that it nearly choked the wor thy orator, and he could not proceed for some time. When at last, by a great effort, he recovered the thread of his discourse, the penny-post boys, (a relation-" we guess"-of the deceased H. Walker, Esq. of the Twopenny Post,)-who had broken his leg on the wooden pavement. The au thorities had ordered the lads to avoid the wood in future. For all these reasons, Sir Peter concluded his speech with a motion, "That the wood pavement in the Poultry is dangerous and inconvenient to the public, and ought to be taken up and replaced with granite pavement." "As in a Theatre the eyes of men, After some well-graced actor leaves the stage, granite or Macadam. He had seen horses | wood, an outlay of twenty-four millions of mofall on the wooden pavements in all direc- ney must be incurred!' tions; he had seen a troop of dragoons, in the midst of the frost, dismount and lead their un-roughed horses across Regent Street; the Recorder had gone round by the squares to avoid the wooden districts; one lady had ordered her coachman to stick constantly to stone; and another, when she required to go to Regent Street, dismissed her carriage and walked. The thanks he had received for his defence of granite were innumerable; an omnibus would not hold the compliments that had been paid him for his efforts against wood; and, as Lord Shaftsbury had expressed his obli- he became pathetic about the fate of one of gations to him on the subject, he did not doubt that if the matter came before the House of Lords, he would bestow the degree of attention on it which his lordship bestowed on all matters of importance. Working himself up as he drew near his peroration, he broke out into a blaze of eloquence which put the Lord Mayor into some fear on account of the Thames, of which he is official conservator. "The thing cannot last!" he exclaimed; "and if you don't, in less than two years from this time, say I am a true prophet, put me on seven years' allowance." What the meaning of this latter expression may be, we cannot divine. It seems to us no very severe punishment to be forced to receive the allowance of seven years instead of The benevolent reader may have observed one; the only explanation we can think of that the second fiddle is generally a little. is, that it contains some delicate allusion louder and more sharp set than the first. to the dietary of gentlemen who are sup. On this occasion that instrument was playposed to be visiting one of the colonies in ed upon by the worthy deputy, to the amazeNew Holland, but in reality employ them- ment of all the connoisseurs in that species selves in aquatic amusements in Ports- of music in which he and his leader are mouth and Plymouth harbor "for the known to excel. From his speech it was space of seven long years"-and are not gathered that he represented a district supposed to fare in so sumptuous a manner which has been immortalized by the genius as the aldermen of the city of London. of the author of Tom Thumb; and in the "The poor horses," he proceeded, "that are present unfortunate aspect of human affairs, continually tumbling down on the wood when a comet is brandishing its tail in the pavement, cannot send their representatives, but I heavens, and O'Connell seems to have been will represent them here whenever I have the deprived of his upon earth-when poverty, opportunity" (a horse laugh, as if from the distress, rebellion, and wooden pavements, orator's constituents, was excited by this sally:) are threatening the very existence of Great "But, gentlemen, besides the danger of this Britain, it is consolatory to reflect that unatrocious system, we ought to pay a little attention to the expense. I maintain you have no der the guardianship of Deputy Godson, right to make the inhabitants of those streets to Little Britain is safe; for he is resolved to which there is no idea of extending the wood form a cordon of granite round it, and keep paving, pay for the ease and comfort, as it is it free from the contamination of Norway called, of persons residing in the larger tho-pines or Scottish fir. "I have been urged roughfares, such as Newgate Street and Cheap- by my constituents," he says, "to ask for side. But the promoters say, 'Oh! but we wood pavement in Little Britain; but I am will have the whole town paved with it'-(hear, hear.) What would this cost? A friend of adverse to it, as I think wood paving is calmine has made some calculations on this point, culated to produce the greatest injury to and he finds that, to pave the whole town with the public. "I have seen twenty horses down on the sion, acknowledge the comfort derived wood pavement together (laughter.) I from it. Sir Peter Laurie asserts that he am here to state what I have seen. I have is continually receiving thanks for his agiseen horses down on the wood pavement, tation about wood paving, and that an omtwenty at a time-(renewed laughter.) Inibus would not hold the compliments he say, and with great deference, that we are receives at the West End. Now, I can in the habit of conferring favors when we only say, that I find the contrary to be the ought to withhold them. I think gentlemen case; and every body who meets me exought to pause before they burden the con- claims, Dear me! what can Sir Peter solidated rate with those matters, and make Laurie be thinking about, to try and get the the poor inhabitants of the City pay for the wood paving taken up, and stone paving fancies of the wealthy members of Corn-substituted?' So far from thanking Sir hill and the Poultry. We ought to deal Peter, every body is astonished at him. even-handed justice, and not introduce into the City, and that at a great expense, a pavement that is dirty, stinking, and every thing that is bad."-(laughter.) The wood pavement has now been laid down nearly three years, and I say here, in the face of the Commission, that there have not been ten blocks taken up; but had graIn Pope's Homer's Iliad, it is very dis- nite been put down, I will venture to say tressing to the philanthropic mind to reflect that it would, during the same period, have on the feelings that must agitate the bosom been taken up six or seven times. Your of Mr Deputy Thersites when Ajax pass-books will prove it, that the portion of graes by. In the British Parliament it is a nite pavement in the Poultry was taken up melancholy sight to see the countenance six or seven times during a period of three of some unfortunate orator when Sir Ro-years. When the wood paving becomes a bert Peel rises to reply, with a smile of aw- little slippery, go to your granite heaps ful import on his lips, and a subdued can- which belong to this commission, or to nibal expression of satisfaction in his eyes. your fine sifted cinder heaps, and let that Even so must it have been a harrowing spectacle to observe the effects of the answer of Mr. R. L. Jones, who rose for the purpose of moving the previous question. He said, "I thought the worthy alderman who introduced this question would have attempted to support himself by bringing some petitions from citizens against wood paving (hear.) He has not done so, and I may observe, that from not one of the wards where wood pavement has been laid down has there been a petition to take any of the wood pavement up. What the mover of these resolutions has done, has been to travel from one end of the town to the other, to prove to you that wood paving is bad in principle. Has that been established? (Cries of 'no, no.') I venture to say they have not established any thing of the kind. All that has been done is this-it has been shown that wood pavement, which is comparatively a recent introduction, has not yet been brought to perfection-(hear, hear.) Now, every one knows that complaints have always been made against every new principle, till it has been brought to perfection. Look, for instance, at the steam-engine. How vastly different it now is, with the improvements which science has effected, from what it was when it was first introduced to the notice of the world! Wherever wood pavement has been laid down, it has been approved of. All who have enjoyed the advantages of its exten be strewed over the surface; that contains no earthy particles, and will, when it be comes imbedded in the wood, form such a surface that there cannot by any possibili. ty be any slipperiness-(hear, hear!) Do we not pursue this course in frosty weather even with our own stone paving? There used to be, before this plan was adopted, not a day pass but you would in frosty weather see two, three, four, and even five or six horses down together on the stone paving-('Oh! oh!' from Mr. Deputy Godson.) My friend may cry 'oh! oh!' but I mean to say that this assertion is not so incongruous as the statement of my friend, that he saw twenty horses down at once on the wood pavement in Newgate Street, (laughter.) I may exclaim with my wor thy friend the deputy on my left, who lives in Newgate Street, When the mischief did it happen? I never heard of it.' I stand for. ward in support of wood paving as a great public principle, because I believe it to be most useful and advantageous to the public; which is proved by the fact, that the public at large are in favor of it. If we had given notice that this court would be open to hear the opinions of the citizens of London on the subject of wood paving, I am convinced that the number of petitions in its favor would have been so great, that the doors would not have been sufficiently wide to have received them." ་ Mr. Jones next turned his attention to |