The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-06
Miss Burdett Coutts' Market for the
Poor.


An English paper says:-"Miss Burdett Coutts
has taken the initiative in an important enter
prise for the benefit of the poor in one of the
most destitute districts of London. A local act,
promoted in heN name, was quietly passed
through Parliament last session, the preamble
OF which sets forth that the opening of a market
for the sale of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat,
poultry, and other provisions, in convenient
position near Columbia square, Bethnal-green,
would be of great advantage to large numbers of
the laboring classes, and other persons resident
in that parish and its neighborhood. And fur
ther it recites that Miss Burdett Coutts is willing
to undertake the establishment OF such market
at her own charge, and to maintain it for the
use OF the pubic. No time has been lost IN
giving effect to the authority contained In the
act. A large piece OF ground has been set apart
tOr the market, and the buildings are already
sufficiently advanced to enable one to judge Of
the aspect OF the place when completed.
THE market is enclosed on each side by
range of Gothic buildings of an elegant but SUBJ
stantlal character. On the right and left is a
row of shops, twelve on each side with COW
cred way in front and dwelling-houses above.
On the Lorth side OF the market is the market
hall, containing twenty-four shambles, the
access to which Is by porch, above which rises
a clock-tower one hundred and ten feet high.
| The shops are supplied with every convenience
| in the way of cellarage, water gas, etc., and
the dwellings above are each complete in itself,
| and contain comfortable rooms, with wash
| house and Kitchen we'll ventilated and htted
| with every sanitary requirement. The area of
| tne market covers altOgelner ninety thousand
feet. The large open square will be set apart
| Tor stalls and barrows or all kinds, the admis-
sion tees charged on dealers being at very low
scale, suitable to the costermonger class who
conduct in so large degree the commissariat of
the poor.
This scheme will not only supplement the
house accommodation of the adjoining Coum-
bia Square, a large pile of model lodging
houses built a few years ago by Miss Coutts,
and now tenanted by numerous settlement of
laborers and artisans, bat will supply want
severely felt by the whole population of the
neighborhood-the want of a convenient mar
ket. Thesproject will also incidentally confer
another benefit on this quarter by opening up
a new street and otherwise improving the COM
munications. Although utility has been the
first object consulted in the plans of the mar
ket, and no effort has been spared to make the
fittings of the shops as perfect as possible from a
business point of view, Miss COutts has been
anxious that artistic effect should not be over
looked. The general appearance of the build
ings, with the lofty clock-tower in the centre at
the upper end, is very impressive. 1t is little
to say that this market will be the best in any
part OF London. Compared not only with the
spacious hdHes of Paris, but even with the mar.
kets in second and thrdrrate provincial toWn
in England, the metropolitan markets are one
and all simply disgraceful-smal, mean, over
crowded, and nconvenient in every way"