The New York herald., 1878-03-10
In American Tramp Makes a Pro-
fessional Tour Abroad.
A NIGHT AMONG THIEVES.
Low Life of the English Metropolis
Drawn in Black.
FIVE NIGHTS IN A WORKHoUSE
LONDON, Feb. 20, 1873.

LONDON. Feb 20, 1873.
Tho author Of those sketches Is thorougD bred
American tramp visiting London. and the following is
narrative OF his adventures In the streets OF the
English capital, told IN his own language
10 THE EDITOR or THE HERALD:-
Whom Que attempts 10 write about tho London poor,
he has n very large subject on his hands. II Is one
been treated by auicr pens than mine but so
standpoint, IRON what is called the higher walk oi
life They have gone TO the ohiccs OF the Poor Conn
mssioners 10 OBTAIN ssatistics visited worknouses
sud poorhouses rciugcs ana charitable institutions;
looked upoa the inmates and described them.
An obl,gng policeman informed me that The most
harmless into the station house Was TO get
drunk; tho penalty Tor the lrst onence would be a
Dgnt IN the station, 10 80 before the magistrate next
morning and be ned i've shlings be sent to break
stones Tor i've days. The next to beg. begging
aeing against the law aud the law beng most rigor
Cusy enorcea. chose the iormer method.
HOW BECOME A TRAMP.
sent my luggage TO boleI. tovk small sum OF
money in shlilinss snd started TORN. With my eye
liked dimly on the uncertain future proceeded 10
So, drun4-vcry drunk. was sosn assisted by few
ircnds which picked up 10 give the proceedings
satisfactorily 30. for before had fully accomplished
ahe matter my own way and TO NY own satsfac-
ti0n my assistants went back on me, Knocked me
Gown, took my low remaining shiilings anu left me
on the sidewalk The next thing knew was in
we're expcrs by tho extremely rapid manner they
buried along the slippery streets vi one ol tho
most slippery cities IN the world was soon the
cell; bus my solitude OF short duration, Tor the
Iron door opened TO Admit tho first OF that
succies ior whose sake WAS about 10 become .
martyr
He looked at me with half drunken stare for
moment and sad
:. swell, w'ais the matter with your"
Drunk"
"rIa.s 100 weak; yer tryiu' to take rise oss Of a
teller, know. Steahn'W
With that he threw himself down the only bench
And was soon perfectly at home-aseep. Before
lar were All right, but my selection Of The lime
unfortunate saturday night Is the very worst OF all
the magistrate does not on sunday. Therefore
y"u have rather unpleasant sabbath. This was my
cass. When discovered this fact IN the morning
and took cOld hungry ana sober Wow OF the situa-
lion was not happy My c0nfrvres, however, took II
mater OF every day. BUSINESS and one and all pro-
duced pipes ard proceeded 10 enjoy themselves.
BKEAKFAsT IN STATION HOUSE.
The sergeant came und ailcr daylight, and
kinoiy inquired alter health, tho llme
Burning us that II We had any money W. night order
break from tno coffee house over the way. told
him l had no money, at whcn ne facetionsly re-
marked that nothing was SO good Tor drunkard as
1nsting aud cold water TO my surprise my ragged
CompAnous ordered quite substantial breaktasIs, and
wnen II was bronght prouneed The money from the
queerest places. One had tue under side oil his wide
suspenders upholstered with pockets about largo
enough 10 hold shilling One had bali crown In
the lapel oi his vest Another took shining from
0ic iolds oil voluminous neckue
The latter turning 10 ine said, Mate, you've got
two coats on give one 10 The coffee boke and neil
Sell IT, and you can get bite anu lew bobs' bcsues."
cob with tramp is shining in the upper
world. My Overcoat wasSoon on ITS way TO tne pawn
spop aud VAS quickly III possession OF good break
last iouf .'bons" aud u tanner. A tanner Is SIX.
pence. The worth nbout f3 Ito.
SWIFT HANDED JUSTICE.
Monday morLing wo were up before His Honor,
who disposed Of US With rapdity that waa truly
astonishing | saw u policeman KISS n very tlrty
book. He then SAID something ! did not hear Tho
MAGISTRATE !a.t;.N answered 50 | dld hear-"bvo
u cell My former ADVISER had been Iried
Just before ana was again equal 10 tho occason1
QUE aud that coud change for one little poorer
and perhaps haif sovereign ia addition. Ny good
coat followed he overcost, and got IN exchange
very ragged aiair and ten shillings thus escaped
the stone breaking performances, which my adviser
conhdentlaIy Informed me was hard work, and he
knew. II so happened That he aud I'wcre Doth sum
moned IRON the cell to pay our noe about tho
time He AGAIN undd the voluminous Tie, in the folds
pi whcn. alter some careful man pulation, he found
. nall sovereign, which was the anoan Of his nne
OUT on THE STREET.
We lei. ihe gloomy ABODE o. Jus.ics together net
In life On which friends arc made. / followed
the lead Of my new companion, VINO threaded back
anu speed. but spa.e never u word. Your genuine
tramp Is what Artemus Ward would call a reucent
''cuss." Tramps talk but little aud seldom luugh,
ana never Call each other by their proper names;
those they know well arc ''mates;" all others are
Stokes"
We at last brought up before rusty old building In
. narrow, damp court, The door OF which pusned
open by my mate, and We entered a famous drinking
p,acethat rs, famous among tramps ana thieves. 1t
was comfortable place on that cold, wet mornng,
~ was Il low one AT one cnd o the room was par,
presided over by man and girl; at the opposite
end a hugo coal fire; the middc OF the floor
occupied by rude tables and benches About twenty
y ople were present eating. drinking ana smoking
huge, aebauched looking female slapped my onductor
Oh the back and asked where he picked up that
"biokc," pointing 20 me- He pushed her aside AMI
said was mate of his, which seemed 10 raise me at
once IN tho eyes oil the community. SDoving a par
o. half-grown girls from aoie, who repaid us with
GA hs We took seats and ne called Tor Two pnts of
"nsli and halt" Quite comey young girl, but very
ragged aud dlrty came ~ ana askeu him II he wanted
tosst rnytu,sg He turned to me aud said :,
Bc took IL threw IL up IN the arr caught IT 10 her
mouth aud went out. she soon returned with abun-
dance of material and III short time the pork
broicd before the ire aud must say never relishsd
any hing more than reshed that bread, bacon and
the "naii anu half" beg Al to iae that was verify
a tramp, Tor The ood ana warmth made comfort
aOie ana NJ hons. Having nnishcd our repasl my
companion produgcd Irom The mysterious pockets OF
his cothins black pipe, which he proceeded 10 MI
Aad hgut 10 the most profound silence. l sum-
moncd our bread and bacon Hebs AMI gavo her three
pence 10 buy me pipe and tobacco. Aher It's arrival
I was IN the land OF dreams. And Why noif II
Ia true had a pawnbrokers shabby coat upon my
b.cx 4 was surrounded oy ihisves, hariats aud tho
rin-ran oil Lonaon, but they all seemed 10 wish me
we'll For hall an nour dreamed strange dreams
there. Had been surrounded by the highest and
most refined la tho land; had the rude table been OF
mahogany; had the ruder bench become cushioned
ssair had tho TIN dish changed To costly emma
and The iron knife 10 silver, the mind could
not have rotod aad rcveled as II did amid The
World calls the degraded and deDasod. While we re-
NAMED my conrade was taken aside several times or
ponsulLAon, ana II easy TO that he WAS tramp
oi no common order Al last Knocking the ashes
from hts p'pc, ne said Come, mate" VIZ sahed
Ally by back streets; wo however AT length struck
ln,o moro respectable locality, ana Knew by the
pames OF the streets that We were crossing the city
proper suddenly stopped surprised--thero bs.ore
me, surrOuDGed close on every sIae by streets ami
houses designed ony for business and utility, roso
sti ucturo designed tor other purposes.
PAUL's CATHEDRAL.
IL was ST. Paups. Ny companion, seeing me stop
suddenly stopped also, anu peerng curi0usly into
my face, asked;-
'.W hat ~ A. mste--wnnt DO you sec2n
We crossed London Bridge, anu soon brought up in
bn obscure street where We eaiered house, plunged
INTO a cellar and found ourselves ~ a room similur
W the had formerly entered except mat tnerc
was par. This the sittlng room ana kitchen
bf cheap lodging house. l gave the keeper six
pence, which entitled me 10 a bed Tor Two nights,
rovm and to cook AZ lis Dres--for every
pus In cheap Logging houses cooks for himself
Ny comrade went u shell, toox down Dox, and TAX
Nag lnerefom teapot, Two cups tea and sugar, pro-
D,eded " make tea waile was despatched 10 con.
Trnient butcher snop to procure mea,, outer and
bread. on my return bs played the part OF COOK aud
Tia u we'll Ia thls room were about twenty persons