Page:Notes by the Way.djvu/253

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NOTES BY THE WAY.
183

managed, it may be mentioned that when the staff arrived at eight o'clock in the morning of Christmas Eve, 1894, they found the premises burnt to the ground; but by half-past one the paper was out as usual, thanks to the duplicate plant and machinery at the office of The People.

Benefit from repeal of compulsory stamp.The benefit to the readers of The Globe of the repeal of the compulsory stamp, on the 15th of June, 1855, is clearly shown by the reference I have made to the official stamp returns. While the number issued to the paper in 1854 stood at 850,000, in the year 1856 the stamps amounted to only 260,000, thus showing how largely the paper was sold to those not requiring it for transmission.

It is a matter for sincere congratulation that a paper so ably conducted as The Globe should, after passing through so many vicissitudes, now be reaping its well-earned reward.

On the 1st of July, 1907, The Globe passed into the hands of a private company. Mr. W. T. Madge, who had been manager for forty years, retired at the end of last year in favour of his son-inlaw, Mr. Arthur Bellamy, and now devotes himself to the supervision of The People, of which he is part proprietor.


THE JUBILEE OF ‘THE FIELD.’

(January 1st, 1903.)

1903, Jan. 24.
Jubilee of The Field.
The Field, the first number of which was published on the 1st of January, 1853, was founded by Bradbury & Evans, the Jubilee of same firm being, as is well known, also largely associated with the founding of The Daily News, Punch, and The Gardeners' Chronicle. The first editor of The Field was Mark Lemon, editor of Punch from its birthday till his death. Shirley Brooks wrote its leaders, and on the original staff were Harrison Weir and Mr. Robert Soutar. A facsimile of the first number was given with The Field of December 27th, 1902. Its price was sixpence. It consisted of but sixteen pages, including advertisements, of which there were only fifty-six. Its first number.The first number contains one of Leech's spirited hunting sketches and two sketches by Ansdell. The advertisements tell us that ' Uncle Tom's Cabin ' is being played at Drury Lane as well as at two other theatres, that Madame Vestris has the management of the Lyceum, Charles Kean of the Princess's, Phelps of Sadler's Wells, Madame Celeste of the Adelphi, and Shepherd and Creswick of the Surrey. The Royal Polytechnic Institute is flourishing under the patronage of Prince Albert; and in a corner at the bottom of a column we find ' Mr. Albert Smith's Ascent of Mont Blanc.' John Chapman advertises The Westminster Review, and evidently intends to try to cut out the bookseller: " When payment is made direct to the publisher for a year in advance, four numbers of the Review will be delivered for 1l., or