A new main line railway is surveyed

From this newspaper 150 years ago. – The advent of November has brought forth more than the usual crop of new railway schemes.

In every part of the county – in the northern and eastern portions at least – surveying stalls are busily engaged, and plans are being got out for the 30th proximo. Last year considerable interest was aroused by what was believed to be a London and North-Western proposal to run a new trunk line of railway through the county. This scheme was not sufficiently matured, however, for last session, but this year it has been revived, and the survey is now being pushed on. From what can be gathered the main line is to commence at Leeds and pass via Wetherby, Easingwold and Helmsley, up Bilsdale to Stockton-on-the-Tees. The county is one, although in the heart of the North-Eastern districts, quite unserved by railways. The trunk line would cross the Church-Fenton and Harrogate, the York and Knaresbro', the Great North of England, the Malton and Thirsk, and the Stokesley railways, and by a tunnel through Ingleby Bank would divide Cleveland into equal parts to join the West Hartlepool system, thus gaining access to the great iron, coal and shipping interests of the north. At Helmsley it is intended to form a branch by way of Kirby Moorside and Pickering (crossing the Malton and Whitby line) to Scarbro', thus commanding every one of the iron-yielding valleys of the northern moorlands, and traversing the whole length of Ryedale. The total length of this project is fully 100 miles, and in some parts the country traversed would be very difficult, but the estimate is stated to be £1,500,000, or £15,000 a mile. This line, if obtained, would afford a route for the southern lines to the north and to Scarbro', totally independent of the North-Eastern system. The possession of the great ironstone field and the coast traffic is, however, a vital matter to the North-Eastern Company. This company proposes to meet the invaders by a circular line commencing from Malton, the great focus of their Eastern systems, and traversing Ryedale by what is known as the Salton-ridge to Helmsley, Kirby and Pickering, a line of some thirty miles, over an almost flat country, serving all the iron valleys, and costing not more than £8,000 per mile. This line, in connection with the existing North-Eastern system, would effectually serve the district, and would prove, it is generally thought, highly remunerative. The survey is being pushed on. On the Cleveland side of the moors the ironstone wants are to be met by a North-Eastern extension to Lofthouse.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. – Private Henry Wood, until the outbreak of war a constable stationed at Ainderby Steeple, has returned home, after being wounded in one of the many battles which have taken place near the River Aisne, and the Northallerton representative of the "Darlington and Stockton Times" had an interview with him on Thursday. Private Wood, who is in the 1st Scots Guards, received notice to join his unit on Wednesday, August 5th, and went to Aldershot the same day. On Thursday, August 13th, with the 1st Division (about 4,400) he set sail from Southampton, and arrived at Havre on Saturday morning between four and five o'clock. Even at that early hour the whole of the inhabitants were astir, and gave the British troops a most hearty reception, the windows being crowded with faces, and the people flocking out and heaping upon the troops gifts of fruit, sweetmeats, flowers, tobacco, cigarettes, cigars etc. The soldiers proceeded to a rest camp on the outskirts of the town. Wood believed it was the intention to rest there for five days, but on the next (Sunday) morning they received instructions to return to the town of Havre on Monday morning. They did so, and proceeded by train for about 200 miles up the country, until they reached a place called Grandring, a small village near the Belgian frontier, where they were not very far from the site of the battle of Mons. They waited at this place until Sunday morning, expecting to go into action at any time at Mons. At four o'clock on Monday morning they retired from this village. The weather was for the most part fine, terribly hot during the day, with heavy cold dews during the night, but generally it was very favourable for marching; the men were in good spirits, and swung along to their songs, including, of course, the general favourite, "It's a long, long way to Tipperary," and the regiment being Scotch there were Scotch songs – "Annie Laurie," "Mary of Argyle," "I love a Lassie," etc. This was a great retreat, in which Wood's regiment came back again through France. They did not go into action until August 23rd.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. – A five-day working week for shop-workers and a five-day trading week for shops in Stockton High Street and neighbouring streets were two resolutions adopted in principle by slender majorities at Monday's meeting of Stockton and District Chamber of Trade. It was also agreed to circularise all members of the Chamber asking them for their views and the possibility of convening a meeting of all the town's traders is to be further considered. The president, Mr F Taylor, pointed out that the trading was already in competition with industry where a five-day week was the accepted thing and it would be essential to make some attractive offer to attract or retain staff in shops. Mr I T S McCarthy said he felt that the five-day week was not only a commendable thing but would also be inevitable although it appeared at present that the whole country was divided over the question. He thought it could be said that the larger companies would fall into line with whatever the Chamber was to decide. Mr Taylor said he believed the majority of shop assistants would like a Saturday off work although in Stockton the proprietors seemed to think that it would be preferable to close for the full day on Thursday, which was already half-day closing. He fully realised that if the five-day working week for staff came about and trading went on as usual it would mean higher overheads and cost. To close for a full day would also mean there would be difficulties for deliveries from manufacturers, especially those who delivered from long distances.