It almost seems as though " the thinking" just now is being done by our American cousins, as they have " few very big enterprises on hand for the improvement of this London of ours. An influential English-American syndicate has just been formed with the object of erecting a huge block of buildings on American lines on the north side of the Strand, at the corn -r where the new street has been cut which runs int" Holborn. Application was last Tuesday made to the County Council for a 999 years' lease of the ground, and archifectural drawings accompanied the application, showing the style of build. ings it is intended shall be erected. The estimated cost of them is two millions sterling; they will be built of steel and seven stories high. If the scheme is carried out, it is stated that the building will contain about 6,000 rooms, all replete with every modern convenience, and will be the largest and _handsomest thing of the kind in the world." Its erection will take about two and a half years, The ground floor will be built suitably for banking or insuran e companies, and the upper floors for offices of various kinds. Mr. Charles Yerkes, the Amer'can millionaire, has, according to the Daily Mail," made arrang aments for the construction of a new underground railway which is to ran under the present District. Railway; the object being to run express trains at short intervals between Earl's Court and the Mansion House which shall call at the stations en route alternately and thus save considerable time. The matter has been under discussion for years, but now, ae-erding to this report, it seems within a measurable distance of fulfilment. In he meantime, the Central London R: ilway have announced their intention of continuing the "Tube" line to Liverpool Street, and thence y way of Gracechurch St., Cornhill, Cannon St., the Strand, Piccadilly and Hammersmith to Shepherd's Bush, its present terminus. This will be a great undertaking, but a most popular one, as it will considerably relieve the trafic above ground in its most congested part.
The New Postage Stamps, bearing the image of the King's head, are to come into use early in the new year. The portrait of his Majesty is from a design by Mr. Emil Fuchs, the sculptor. The profile faces left like that of the late Queen on the stamps now in use. The head is enclosed in an oval, with leaves on the left, and a branch of oak on the right. Above is the Imperial Crown, surmounted by cross and ball. On either side of this, in the form of an arch broken by the crown, are the words Postage and Revenue" in white letters; at the foot of the stamp its value also in white letters. The penny stamp is to be deep shade of unson, and the half-penny one green as at present.
At the various Art Galleries the autumn season is usually a busy time. This year, though there is nothing especially notable on view, still there are rious interesting pictures to be seen. At Agnew's "The Stolen Duchess" is drw i respectable crowd of admin ent in one day and was greatly surprised at the smallness of the picture. 1 expected something far larger and more imposing. I heard some-one say that formerly it used to be larger, but it was cut down in America and all the pieces had not been joined on again. Everyone knows the subject so well from the numerous prints and photographs of it that description is needless. One had a feeling that there was nothing original in the work; it wase exactly like the copies which were old friends.
At the New Gallery the Society of Portrait Painters are just now holding their annual exhibition, and very good work isto be seen. I thi was most struck with the wonderful vitality of the contributions sent in by the ran, G. F. Watts, R. 4., who has no less than seven pictures on the walls, all recently painted. Some of the foreign work is very fine, especially the head of an old man (Mr.' George Thompson) by Louis R. Denchars. It is painted in most masterly style.
At the Society of British Artists quite the most ambitious and telling exhibit. is Mr. Caley Robinson's The Tata Morga It shows the dream maiden for whom the youth has dared so many perils and wounds. His head and one of his feet are in bandages, but one forgets the perils through which he has passed when one sees the rapt express sion of the face, full of imaginative power—a man who would be after Miss Marie Corelli's own heart, or so it seemed to me.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.