IT is hoped and believed that after
the frequent efforts made by our magistrates to train up and educate the
people of Glasgow in the way they should go, by placarding the walls of
our streets with the intimation—
"RIGHT HAND TO THE WALL,"
that things are, if not yet quite
what they should be, at least very much better than they used to be two
generations or so ago, as indicated by an observing spectator, as follows
"I soon made an observe, that the
crowd in London are far more considerate than with us in Glasgow—the folk
going one way keep methodically after one another; and those coming the
other way do the same, by a natural instinct of civilisation, so that no
confusion ensues, and none of that dinging, and bumping, and driving that
happens in the Trongate, especially on a Wednesday, enough to make the
soberest man wud at the misleart stupidity of the folks, and particularly
of the farmers and their kintra wives that have creels with eggs and
butter in their arms."
A word to the wise is enough, so as
to save the need of asking, "Wha are ye shoving?" as the midge said to the
elephant.