The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-04 00:00:00

Choice Localities.

The factious correspondent of the Racing Times
writes on the above subject as follows :
There are many streets, squares, lanes, and
alleys, blind and thorough, in the great metropolis
named during the long run of and after the four
Georges. A very celebrated yard in Lombard-street
was one of them, wherein stood for a series of years
the George and Vulture, one of the greatest hostels
of a past generation. There Mr. Pickwick took up
his abode, but, like most other quiet places, it has
since been converted by the mighty styides of
Mammon, aided by the demon of destructiveness,
into gigantic and heavily-rented chambers, club-
house, and offices, so that the ghosts of its former
patrons would recognise the scene of their for-
mer gaieties no more. It is not, however, of this
highly respectable and wealthy locality that I am
about giving anything further than a passing allu-
sion ; but to say that there is another George-yard
where vultures congregate in force in what still
remains of the ancient Snow-hill, situate between
the late lamented Smithfield and the broad mass of
ruins known as Farringdon-street or road. Here,
since they have been prevented by the city autho-
rities from polluting the larger thoroughfares, have
for sometime congregated as choice a collection of
London's dismal dregs as could be brought together
by any other attraction less than a public execution ;
but, strange as it may appear, there were occa-
sionally seen many persons of credit and general
decent appearance which rendered the contrast so
much greater.

The present entrance to this retired spot is
through a small short court, at the end of which is
a doorway, formerly a back way to the celebrated
Old George Inn. The Court, consisting of some
ten or a dozen houses, includes Polley's Hotel, a
couple of chandlers' shops, and a cat's-meat store and
mangle. The doorway referred to, which contains
only half a door, is now the sole way to get into the
yard, which is of a singularly dilapidated appear-
ance, in many respects resembling its owners,--the
London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company.
There are remains of stands for waggons and
cranes to lift goods. The sheds are roofless, and in
the left corner is the ancient hostel, and behind it,
in another large square space, the old galleried bed-
rooms, now gradually disappearing from the scene.
It is the spot immortalised by Hogarth, and, no
doubt, was a place of busy resort. The paving-
stones partake of the general ruin, for, instead of
being fixed in the ground, they are loose like the
pedestrians who tread on them.

Some of the most solvent of the smaller tribe of
bookmakers plied their calling, and not a few of the
still less important pickers up of half-crowns and
shillings stood against the posts and boards whereon
were nailed lists, as in the palmy days. A sinister
look now and then betokened a "Bobby," or de-
fective, sometimes speculating bona fide himself,
but oftener, looking out for victims of folly who
had drifted into difficulties. There was the usual
suppressed hiwa of voices—" Back anything, sir ?"
" I'll lay again so and so. Ten to one bar one," and
so on.

" What can I do for you, this mornin' Pipy ?"
was asked by a goodnatured-looking scamp, with a
card on his hat and another on a post. " I'll lay
agin the lot."

Pipy Peters had formerly been in the army
occupying the important position of lance cor-
poral, or full private, and after having passed
successively through a number of troub?esomc
operations ultimately was drummed out of
the regiment. He had been professional tout or
hanger-on at street lists for several years, and was
a real commission agent, that is to say, waited out-
side shop-doors and at the corners of courts for
sporting lads who could not get to the arena them-
selves, but hurriedly entrusted him with half-
crowns to invest according to special instructions,
or at his Pipy's discretion. His fee of 6d. in each
case mostly enabled him to scramble through the
day, but when he was instructed to back,
" dead'uns," or horses who could not, or were not
meant to win, of course he was plus the investments
which it need hardly be said he forgot to lay out,
but carefully reported the contrary.

As somebody once said somewhere, " A change
came o'er the spirit of my dream." I only quote
from memory, and the owners of capital found that
the more they put down in the yard the less they
were likely to take up, and so the civic autho-
rities, who generally lavish their substance in
absurd investments, were resolved that the betting
fraternity should once more, if possible, be driven
thence to exercise their calling in another locality,
which resolve was hastened by some brutal fellows
grossly maltreating an unoffending constable in
plain clothes, and a champion was enlisted by call-
ing a green-grocer, or herbalist, in the vicinity, to
whom the spot in question was not by any means
a nuisance, it not being even within sight of his
house, nor had he any interest to serve, except the
dogmatic one of seeking to meddle with other per-
sons affairs and omitting to mind his own business.
This gentleman, "Topper" by name, entered into a
negotiation with, and finally succeeded in taking
from, the eminent railway company aforesaid, the
OIL George Yard, at a rental of nothing per week,
and then assumed the right of dealing with the
place, and so shutting up all access to the un-
lucky hotel, posting up a notice that all persons
found trespassiag on the premises would be prose-
cuted according to law, and began fencing off with
a few old barrels and some wire, a portion of the
area which, as the tenant of the George considered,
was a gross interference with the liberty of the
subject, totally uncalled for on such a holding, and
resisted the proceeding accordingly. The opinion
of the City justices having been taken they dis-
missed the summons, so that Topper took nothing
by his motion. In the present aspect of affairs,
therefore, the ancient yard is still open for the
exercise of al fresco betting. The George itself is
a nice roomy place, and the curious antiquarian
may look with a longing eye at the wretched Van-
dalism which is quietly wiping off the civic
map some of the spots consecrated to the
glories of former days. If the stray reader
will proceed to Snow-hill, enter the coart
and walk straight up into the enclosures, he will
find ample space to contemplate, especially if he
goes in an afternoon, when the exciting scenes of
external betting are over. The host is a very intel-
ligent Yorkshireman, and has a moderate stock of
all sorts of good things on the premises. It happens
to be, while it lasts, the very place which prudent
persons would favour with a wide berth; I mean by
this that the class known by the term have generally
very little to do with racing speculations, but by no
means deny that there are many parties indulging
in the harmless practice of backing their own judg-
ment who are equally as prudent as others. It
follows that a greenhorn may have been a silly and
a betting man, and, in the course of time, becomes
a wiser and a better man, regulating his investments
by the certain standard of experience. The most
scrupulous personage need not be offended at enter-
ing the Old George, where there are large printed
notices that betting is strictly prohibited within
its precincts ; and he may probably take his lun-
cheon in comfort at old-fashioned tables, instead of
the modern improvements of standing up in front
of long bars, without cloth or cleanliness, and known
as " sixpenny uprights." The excitement of the
outer ring may be deemed an agreeable addendum,
not without a practical lesson or two of the manners

and customs of the strangest of all miscellaneous
classes, who generally contrive to get a livelihood
of some kind without the necessity of continuous
labour. Vendors of various articles of commerce,
from Birmingham jewellery down to paper collars,
mix with the spectators. All kinds of certainties
may be had on a trifling outlay, and if any Pas°
is disposed to entrust ready cash to gentlemen
who return after the event, he willhave a °bane°
of getting the product, assuming that his predic-
tions have been based on correct principles. The
Christian names of many betting men are ex-
pressively indulged in with playful brevity, and
they are freely ventilated as reliable personage!:
I have not any acquaintance with them, nor should
I dream of investing any of my small surplus caps"
tal either in backing horses, or in shares of public
companies, particularly finance or hotels. Each °f
the latter is commonly based on fraud, and the pro'
moters are little or no better than the welcher W
gets his victim's deposit, never intending, under any
event, to part with principal or profit. Both classes
seem to prey with much the same motive, and the
result may be calculated with unerring certainty.
The City of London, who can expend a million
sterling in spoiling the finest of its thorough"
fares for some little comfort for the future
race of London horses of labour, and al's°
'throw away nearly a hundred thousand pounds in
a new roof to their ancient hall, may probably leairde
the betting fraternity alone, provided they eau flu
some retreat apart from the public streets, taking
care to exercise a supervision by seeing that no
breach of the peace is committed, and suppressing,
brutality such as was recently practised in the spot
under notice, and for which the perpetrators me'
with proper punishment. To do this would be a
graceful piece of toleration towards a class who, in,
the course of time, by the advance of civilisation would
improve in their habits, and the old George-Yard'
or a locality of the kind, seems to be the Place
where the humbler followers of Tattersall's may
may perform their minor transactions, and where
members of that celebrated institution condescend
to act as commission agents.