LONDONERS AND LITERATURE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 67

LONDONERS AND LITERATURE

£From Our Own Corespondent.j LONDON - , June 23. The idea of naming the new County Council paddle-steamers after great men associated, with the history of London is an excellent one, but it presupposes a knowledge of local history which comparatively few Londoners pos* sess. Heieby hangs a taie. xi pedestrian on the river-bank was watching a little procession of four of the new steamers near the opposite shore, and managed to discern the names of Ben Jorison and Charles Lamb on the prows of die two leading vessels. But owing to defective eyesight he had a difficulty in making out the names of the two which followed. Turning to two well-dressed men of the middle-class, who were also* vatching the passage of tne new craft, he asked them for their aid in determining the names. They readuly deciphered them for him as “Gibson” and “Alleyn” respectively. But they generously vouchsafe some little further information. "Those names, Ben Jonson, Charles Lamb, 'Gibson, and -Alleyn,” one of these -ustruccors remarked with deliberation, Tare names of the makers of those steamers. Bach! builder puts bus own name on his boat.” The speaker’s companion, so far from questioning this ingenious explanation of the mystery, supplemented it with the comment that it was a very fain provision for the London County Council to> hare made.