s generally cross the wagon
roads by bridges; but wherever the two kinds of roads intersect each other
on a level, travel on the latter is interrupted by gates and watchmen, who
permit no one to pass while a train is approaching the crossing. Thus
every railway crossing in Europe is superintended day and night by
watchmen. These watchmen are noticed by signal-bells, at the departure of
every train running in the direction of their crossings. Under such a
system, accidents are impossible. Even the doors of each "compartment" are
barred by the conductors before the trains are dismissed, and will not be
opened by the conductors of the next station, until the train stands
still. The tickets, besides containing the ordinary matter on tickets in
this country, have also the price printed upon them.

Some of the stations of the Old World, are buildings of extraordinary
beauty and magnificence.

The grandest structure of this kind, is, probably, the station (Ger.
_Station_ or _Bahnhof_, Italian _Stazione_) of Stuttgart. Among many
others, might also be mentioned the stations of Paris, of Turin, of Milan,
and of Rome; but the Great Western Station of London, lakes the palm of
those all, for magnificence, beauty and convenience combined. What the
station at Clapham (seven miles above London) looks like, I do not know,
but it is said, that from 1,000 to 1,200 trains run through it every
twenty-four hours! What multitudes of people must be streaming over the
platforms and past the windows of the ticket-offices of such a station,
every day! At Birmingham and at Crewe, where 300 and 500 trains pass
daily, the swarming thousands remind one of _floods_ and _inundations_,
but how must it look at Clapham?

July 7th, 3:40 p.m. Leave Birmingham for Stratford on the Avon (pron.
[=a]'von).

Chapter IV.

Stratford-upon-Avon.

Arrived at 5:00 p.m., July 7th. It had been my intention to pay this place
only a brief visit, giving but a glance at "The Poet's" home and
birthplace, and then start on foot for Coventry; but I soon found that
Stratford possesses more charms than I had anticipated. Shakespeare's fame
has an influence over his native town, that is simply marvelous.

The thousands of tourists that come from every land, and from every clime,
_to see the scenes that the poet saw, and breath the same air that he
breathed,_ make the place one of the most popular resorts of literary
pilgrims, that can be found anywhere.

The