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"[Holmes]
loved to lie in the the very centre of five millions
of people, with his filaments stretching out and running
through them, responsive to every little rumour or suspicion
of unsolved crime" -- Watson (CARD)
As
a private detective, Holmes had great need of updated
news. In Victorian England, papers often had morning
and evening editions. And, of course, as today, there
were daily and weekly papers. Among the daily evening
paper that Holmes read for information and used for
advertisements were the Globe, the Star, the Pall Mall,
the St. Jame's Gazette, the Evening News, and the Echo
(BLUE). Other
papers he occasionally used included the Morning Post
(a social paper, keeping tabs on royalty), Daily News,
and the Daily Telegraph (the first penny newspaper,
very popular among lower classes, and known for its
colorful style).
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Although
he could order up fresh editions of every paper
from his news agent when on a case, such as in
SILV (which
often created an "immense litter of papers"),
he subscribed to a select few (which appeared
to change during his career) for daily consumption.
From NOBL, ENGI
and CARD,
we know he (at various times) subscribed to the
morning editions of the Times of London, the Daily
Chronicle, and the Standard (SIGN)
as his sole continuous morning daily subscription.
He also likely continuously subscribed to at least
one evening paper, but which paper or papers this
was/were, is unclear.
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While
Watson generally followed social news, Holmes himself
admits that he reads "nothing except the criminal
news and the agony column. The latter is always instructive.”
(NOBL) The Agony
Column was the Victorian version of the classifieds;
and they were often used for many purposes, including
personals, passing veiled (and unveiled) messages and
codes, searching for items or persons lost and found,
etc. The name was derived from the distress implied
by the advertisements. Some examples of actual Agony
Column ads from the Times follow:
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Aug.
1, 1857:
Kalends.
-- Bird has flown. 400 miles east of August, 1854.
Thanks
Oct.
15, 1857
P.P.P.
-- SECRECY. No letter will either be shown or
given up, but destroyed directly after receipt,
if so wished by the writer, who may communicate
without fear.
Jan.
29, 1861
What
you wish is done. --W-- No--.
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June
20, 1861
SMUDE.
--Sah nettirw eciwt. Syats ta sih ecffio rof eht
tneserp.--June 19.
Apr.
25, 1870
HOTEL
- VIPER. Henceforth you will not find such easy
victims. --POLLAKY, 13, Paddington-green.
Oct.
27, 1869
AIXA.
--The Horseman dangerously ill. Search pass leading
to Mountain -- POLLAKY.
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No wonder Holmes kept tabs on the Agony
Column!
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