Ward & Lock's descriptive and pictorial guide to the Isle of Man ...

34 Guide to the Isle of Man.houses of various grades abound. In Victoria Street is alarge Wealeyan Chapel, and near the foot of Prospect Hill ahandsome building occupied by DumheWs Banking Company.The Gaiety Theatre is nearly opposite. A short distance upthe hill, on the left hand, is Athol Street, and as that is athoroughfare of considerable importance, we must give it alittle special attention.At the corner of Athol Street and Prospect Hill, formerlystood a building known as St. George's Hall, which wassometimes a theatre — Mrs. Siddons and Kean, we read,occasionally performed there—at one time a Roman Catholicchapel, at other times a Congregational chapel, an auctionroom, and a printing oftice. The building was long since pulleddown and new premises erected, the upper part of which, aspacious room, has been converted into a billiard saloon.A little way up the street, on the left-hand side, is the PostOffice, with which all visitors will desire to make an earlyacquaintance. A short distance farther on is the Court House,a handsome building, having a portico with Corinthiancolumns. It was erected by the Isle of Man District Orderof Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. The Oddfellows' Hall, asit was then named, was afterwards a theatre, and when newlaw courts and public offices were required, was purchasedby the Government. The High Bailiff's office, where a recordof the title-deeds of all real property in the island, and themortgages thereon, is preserved, and the Police Station, arein this building. The two branches of the legislature methere until a few years ago, but now sit in a new building atthe corner of Fi7ich Road, a fine thoroughfare on the oppositeside of Prospect Hill. Near the Court House, in Athol Street,are the offices ofthe Insular Board of Education, the ManxLaw Society, and the Manx Society for the Publication ofNational Documents. St. James' Ilcdl (used for concerts,lectures, &c.), a Public News Boom, the Isle of Man BankingCompany, and the publishing offices of two newspapers, thelile of Man Times and Mona's Herald.Athol Street is the legal centre, the Lincoln's Inn or theTemple (on a very small scale, of course) of Dougla-s. Almostevery other house bears the name of Mr. So-and-so, " Advocate,"vv'hich means a lawyer, not exactly a barrister, noryet a solicitor, as English folks understand the terms, but acombination of both, entitled to conduct cases in the islandcourts. Another Manx peculiarity is conspicuous here, as inother parts of the town, and indeed in Douglas generally—the frequent repetition of the same surname, and that