THE FORGOTTEN COAT.

A GENTLEMAN about to start from Birmingham to London had nearly forgotten his great coat. The servant was accordingly scolded by her mistress for neglecting to place the coat in readiness, when the girl replied, with the most perfect simplicity and naïveté, "Lawk, mum, were ud a bin the matter if he'd agone without it; we cud a send it arter him by the lectric tellyrave."

WONDER WORKED GRATIS.

COLONEL GREENWOOD says, "On Thursday evening last, I bought a two-year-old colt at Newmarket, and rode him myself that night to Cambridge, sending the greater part of my luggage by a friend to the station. On Friday morning, I embarked my young charge in the 10-41 up-train; but having some difficulty in persuading him to be of the party, I forgot my portmanteau in the consequent hurry. I mentioned my omission to the guard at Bishop's Stortford; he gave me a pencil and a sheet out of his memorandum book, on which I wrote, 'A portmanteau, directed

Cambridge station, to be forwarded to London.' The clerk at Bishop's Stortford said he would telegraph the message, and assured me that I should receive my luggage by the next train. When I arrived in town, the superintendent hastened with me to the electric telegraph. The question was asked, 'When will -'s portmanteau be for

warded?' The immediate reply was, 'By the two o'clock train.' 'What have I to pay?' 'You are a passenger, and with a horse?' 'Yes.' 'There is

nothing to pay, sir.' The question and answer conjointly travelled about 120 miles before my young one was disembarked; and I only have to express my gratitude for the miracle of civility worked for me gratis."

SUDDEN ILLNESS OF A FATHER COMMUNICATED TO A FAR-OFF FAMILY.

IN October, 1847, the mayor of Yarmouth was suddenly seized with a fit in London, from which it was thought he would not recover. In a few minutes, the information was transmitted to his family, at Yarmouth, 146 miles distant, by the Eastern Counties wire, and they reached him in London by an early train.

TAKEN AND TRIED IN A TRICE.

THE following instance of speedy justice, through the medium of the electric telegraph, speaks volumes for the efficiency of that invention, as applied to the purposes of detecting crime : A characterless fellow committed a robbery at Derby on a Friday: information of the circumstance, together with a full and correct description of his person, and also of the property stolen, was forwarded by the electric telegraph from Derby to Rugby at eight

o'clock on Saturday morning. Inspector Faulkner, of the London and North Western Railway Company, watched the arrival of the next train (11 a.m.) from Derby, when he saw the suspected person in one of the carriages, and took him into custody. He was taken before the magistrates at Rugby, on Saturday morning, when sufficient evidence was adduced to cause them to remand the accused till the arrival of one of the inspectors of police at Derby, to which place he was conveyed the same evening. On Monday evening, he was taken before the magistrates at Derby, when the prosecutor identified as his own the property found upon the person of the prisoner, who was accordingly committed to take his trial for the robbery. The quarter sessions being held the same day, the case was preferred before the grand jury, who returned a "true bill." The prisoner was then put upon his trial, and convicted, being sentenced to six months' hard labour. The learned Recorder, in passing sentence, made some excellent remarks upon the efficiency of the electric telegraphs in detecting offenders, and trusted that they would be universally adopted on railways. He hoped that the present instance would be made as public as possible, since it was highly desirable that it should be generally known what a formidable instrument offenders had to contend against.

COLLECTING TAXES BY THE TELEGRAPH.

We have yet to know, in our "great metropolis," the everyday uses to which the telegraph is being applied

D

in Paris. In the beginning of 1847, a system of telegraphs was in formation round Paris, between each of the Octroi stations, where the city dues are collected at the several barriers; thus establishing between them a rapid and direct communication.

LOUIS PHILIPPE AND THE TELEGRAPH.

IN 1844, Louis Philippe, struck with the success and surprised at the progress that the great electric missionary was making in England, America, and Germany, appointed a commission of scientific men, who reported very highly of its advantages. Accordingly, a royal ordonnance was issued, giving a credit of 240,000 francs for the establishment and trial of the telegraph in France.

AID TO AN INVALIDED LAWYER.

A SOLICITOR to the assignees of an estate in bankruptcy being unable, from illness, to leave Southampton, sent up the grounds of opposition through the wires. They were reduced into writing at Nine Elms, and forwarded by express to Mr. Smith, of Serjeant's Inn, who tendered them to the Commissioners; Mr. Smith stating, for the edification of the court, that on one occasion he had a message from Southampton reduced to writing, and delivered at his offices, in seventeen minutes after the communication had left Southampton!

A similar illustration of the importance of the

invention occurred not long since. An important trial was in progress at Liverpool, the success of which actually depended upon some legal papers which were in London. A message had been sent the preceding day from Liverpool, requesting that the papers should be immediately sent down. When the narrator was at the central telegraphic station in Lothbury, they had not arrived, for there came up a hasty message from Liverpool, saying, "The papers have not arrived: what are we to do ?"

FRANKLIN'S ELECTRICAL FEAST.

IN 1748, just a century ago, Dr. Franklin and some friends proposed to hold an "electrical feast" on the banks of the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia. It appears that Franklin and his party were chagrined that they had hitherto been unable to produce anything from electricity of use to mankind; and the hot weather coming on, when electrical experiments were not so agreeable, it was planned, somewhat humorously, to put an end to them for the season, by a party of pleasure on the banks of the Schuylkill; whilst the following were among the feats proposed at this philosophical banquet. Spirits were to be fired by a spark sent from side to side, upwards of half a mile, through a wire in the river. A turkey was to be killed for the dinner by an electric shock, and roasted by the electrical jack, before a fire kindled by the electrified bottle. Finally, the healths of all the famous