A Public Umbrella.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 57, 14 October 1890, Page 3

A Public Umbrella.

Mr Edward Bellamy’s idea of a “public umbrella,’’ or in other words, of covered footpaths in public thoroughfares, has been carried out in a new street, in Brixton, England. The new road starts from the principal thoroughfare of Brixton, and curves round towards the station, the covered pavement on each side being 10ft wide. The covering consists of a glazed roof, supported in front on light iron pillars standing at the edge of the pavement, and at the back attached to the houses just below the first floor windows.' The pillars are slighter and certainly less obstructive to pedestrians than the ordinary lamp post, and the whole strucpure is airy in design, and does not terceptably affect the lighting of the shop or house windows below. Numerous gas lamps are suspended from the centre of the roof to fight the pavement and the roadway.

At the annual meeting in connection with Dr Barnardo’s Homes, held in Alberts Hall, London, over 15,000 persons were present, who all paid for admission. Mr Spurgeon made an earnest appeal for money to assist in the good work; and £IBSO was collected—an average of 2s 6d a head, which is almost without record in the history of collections. There are now 3259 in the Homes, and the income is about £106,000 a year. Sixteen thousand children have been housed and fed, clothed, taught, and educated in these institutions, and most of them are now doing well in the world, Originally they were waifs and stravs about the streets of London.

The history of John Burns, the Socialist leader, who has been so much en evidence lately, has (writes our London correspondent) been given to the world. Wfe are told that he is of Scottish extraction, and his family boasts of the poet Robert Burns as one of its scions. When 10 years old he was forced by circumstances to go to work in a candle factory. After this he worked as page boy and rivet boy, doing a pot-boy’ work on Sundays. By-and by he became apprenticed to an engineer, where he remained until he was 21. Then, bis application for a journeymen’s wages being refuser!, he “struck,” and went off to another firm. Here he was employed at general engineering, end afterwards made telegraph working instruments. After some years hard work on the West Coast of Africa, where he had accepted an engagement, Burns settled down at Battery where he uqv? resides*