Untitled

Dunstan Times, Issue 3148, 18 December 1922, Page 7

London's tramway (service dates only front 18GJ, when George Francis Train laid the first lines from Marble Arch to Bayswater, Victoria, to Westminster, .'Mid Westminster Bridge to Ke-n----uington Gate (relates the "Daily Chronicle). The project met with lierce opposition from the 'bus proprietors, and Trami averred that, to prove his rails dangerous, tlic 'bus drivers were instructed to wreck their vchciles upon them. "They succeeded," he wild, "and there were many accidents of the sort. The excitement increased great I v with every foot of track laid down.'" Finally a boy was killed by a traincar, and Train was arrested and tried for manslaughter. He was acquitted, but feeling ran so high that a, hill to authorise tramways in the metropolis was defeated in Parliament, tlic rails had to be removed', and Londan had to wait until 1870 for a second attempt at a Ir;im service.

!(• is not generally known that a prize-fighter is buried in Westminster Abbey, Some lime ago in a lecture m London Mr ('. G. Webb referred to a remarkable arm on one of the groups of statuary near the north door of the Abbey. Mr Webb said people iniglit imagine that the arm in question was an exaggeration, but it was actually modelled from the arm of a verger at the. Abbey named John Burton, who was al-'o champion prize-fighter of England. Button was the Dean's verger, and he was asked on one occasion if he would like to bo buried in the Abbey. Burton, said ho would, and asked that the fact of his championship should be inscribed: on his tomb. To this the Dean consented, but the proposal wastoo much for the chapter, and Burton's tomb has a blank space on it in consequence.