The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-07-19
From the Illustrated London Times.
The Ashes of London.


From the Illustrated London Times
The Ashes of London.
As the ground was covered with snow, auC
the weather so bittery cold that had the mer
curry in the glass grown six degrees taller
freezing point would still have had the star
of it, was in doubt whether Mr.. Dodd',
"climinators" would be at work. SO intima
ted to the "var,l foreman ," a. whose house
called one morning at the extremity OF tn,
year. AS, however, that polite person pro
nounced that - nothing, Bat rain licked EN-,
buttoned up my great-coat, while he lit hi
pipe and rolled up the sleeves of his blu,
guernsev, and we set Off
There are several yards connected with
the establishment; but the one wanted wa.
that devoted to dust. and found it between
the stabling department and another Sc
apart for the reception of monstrous slopcart.
and all else pertaining to scavengering. The
dust-yart was. SO near as | could guess
about hundred and fifty feet wide and sev-
enty broad, one end opening on the main
street and the other to the Regent, Canal
Flanking one side of the yard were Il score OF
so of uprclr'i dus'curt>. aad on the other side
extending almost from the outer gate to tn,
waters brink. were greet mounds If ordinary
dustbin muck; and in the midst Of the mounds
literally, 50 that II many cases part on!y o!
their bodies were 1isIDIe-were thirty or for
" women and girls. In view of the canal
the surface covered with big slabs os yellow
icc,-wIth a ra>p!ns north wind blowing con.
tlAuousl Y through the yard. and with frost
and slow everywhere 70 b, seen. :here sat
the " hi.l-womcn, s,r!s Of sixteen and old
danes OF sixty. cicl holding before her a
sieve As .ar-e as the top o: sma.i loo-tsb!c.
III winch she dex.erolsiy ' caught the huge
,Aoveltul supplied by the feeder, al! as busy
As bees, AID 4, cheerful.
AS body, the trmales ev;nceI. bv their at
tire. little .astc and less pcrmed.,ation IN
deed, IN most cases they presented an appear
ancc @. having cfl".ru through 4 bunI.s O;
rags, tr1s,lnS entirely 70 chance As to the par,
OF Il from winch their heads NIGH, emcr,e
II IS on.y ju,t, hcN"'rr, to mention that the
.2ore remarks a?pl. chiefly to elderly par
les. ladies wao had oytiycd the tr;yolil.t> e
youth; bat .naidens there wer" much more
>cruputoIs ring ne bonu, tiu..v trinme,,
and ts>u!pna y OF their .rlu,, revealing
trtsses pp!u. Y ok. aHd evenly par, l.
Respecting tn.> latter ..ature, ne a!y.I..,.,e
a;tatnn, - Ii5ut hair wa. manifest in all
case, tn, n,r,,lo WIS as ,,I,;,I, I;s.;.:.l.
bI,.as Gu,t ''u. h..,,,.,,, ,wr I'','"
whereas with ladies of raven locks a. that
vas Observable w.,u { inter ,n,.j =, ,,ss,.
we of the system of Grajrso. .n,tr,,,;,ri L,.
oar forei:,h,r, and ,,i,o me s.., >, .,,,c;,;
alleys Most Of the !,ciie, wor, co,r,.. e.,
scrltss .o,rs. and all OF them great lacc.un
boots, such as carmen wear. and grea. s,ck.
cloth aprons. such as few carmen would care
to be burlrne.. Win.
Convers.ac af,,1warl WI, , gs,,.,.,.,,, -, =,
the employ of the firm. sad \, III y ,L'.,
exist is marvellous. They ar. mere t5rs. w..
ter morning., before h..t L,n.!on have left
their beds. and tn,y s-gy h.~.. ,lI d,rL !
,uo,o,, they hay, SAM. >,,. ~. Lr,,I fa-, J..
fore they come and something NOR. when
they se, home; tne,',. need. for al thew o..
to eat between times :. b,rir. vnr.b &c,
t.oniny. Meat IS entirely an, of w.. o,..,;o,,
\ lot o. them club toc.thcr and ,h.,'. ,,,I..a
o'clock one makes u tr.. of hr.,.,, o,,l I,r,,...
an old krttle-:ul of wctn fen pnJ ,.is r;.L
slice or two of b. cad. or =, mast bor-;,,>, :.
their dinner. wear IN and ra.r,,,.- r., p
nj them. however sucb = 10y, .OS !
never enter ores mind. have been amnno
f.ctorv-workers and mjIl-banJs an, ,,.rl *,
garden women and "as>i>t,,,s" ,t c;,,. ss,,h
n,hmcnt,, bu, | never ye, ,,... ILL.,. aes'
maze laborers lookinr :, ,b,r,.,,,J, iaI,L,.
and Jolly. Every on'. was 81, .,'sr,' ,.(',s"
rosy and laughing and ,in,;n, as ,bonn,, :,
were capital fun to rrovsl smrr- ~. raf.,so
of the town out in ,h,. onor V. S;ho-a
air, bleak and wi,b.r;r- Tbo l.,s, E,,aI,.
looking Of the company was cornuIent l,iy
aged aboot fifty, and witb b.r laws h,rnJ
round with red ray. h,, oyor Sb. r,s NO.,
80 poorly but that she nufFad ,vav AZ = b;Is.
Gus little pipe with m a,,a,i,c and wb;cb
without taking her hands ron, +hc s;eve sba
dexierousiy shifted to the corner Of her month
so AS to admit of her swnI,;rr t,,a cborrs of
the ditty, ea,her-lungcd youn, Ir,hwoman
was at the time singing.
have since asc-rtained T am thank.
ful for the discoverv-tnat nv impressions
as to the neaithiness of these toilers amonc
filth and ashes were not erroneous have
DIR. Guys authorit, .or STATING that desnite
their constant and imms,!iate contact with the
most Ioathsome refuse, they are among the
healthiest OF our working DonnI,tion The
medical authority in question states them to
be "a healthy ruddy-complexoned race-,be
healthlest set of men | have ever seen. do
not think, whether in town or country. such
another body Of men could be brougb, to-
gether except by selection. |, is not go;ng
too far to assert of them that, if III. comnars
ison were limited to the inhabitants of Lon
don, or our large towns. no score of ssl.cted
trades nen could be found to match tbp aame
ru,,hor of I,,.,,,o,, l.o,,,,L. !,