The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-09

endeaVor to convey them home. II 10
not an uncommon sight.
This district into which I strsyed by
accident must not be taken for q slum, or
some lost and doomed section. 1t is
merely a sample Of acres on acres OF
homes In mighty London. II 10 guarded
we'll, and ones purse and head are per-
fectly safe. On every third or fourth
corner stands the policeman, tall, hand
some, Well.uniformed and obliging. But
one looks in vain for the huge school,
house, with its cheerful yard, which is to
be found everywhere in Germany and
America in vain for some picturesque
corner where fountain, a cathedral and
a massive portal inspire the soul with
their beauties in vain for some elegant
home which demonstrates that the work
man has made progress and is happy.
The shops are mean and shabby; a
market place, although clean, has an un-
inviting air; the butcher boys scrub the
shelves with soap and water, but the
meats and fish are 80 arranged that one
revolts at the thought of partaking Of
them. Faded women in shabby gowns
and plated straw hats wander disconso'
lately about with baskets, Chatiering,
while unwashed children cling bowling
to their skirts. Lodging houses with
mysterious entrances announce therein
bed and board on small signs, as if the
proprietors were too modest to atfront
the public eye. The coffee house is
plunged in gloom. There are even little
half curtains to exclude such light as
might by chance have Crept in had the
windows been left unguarded. Here and
there is a little foreign hotel" around
whose doors dried and wizened old men
in snuffy coats hover with anxious air
like sea gulls about steamer. These
are the drift of exile and of crime-refu-
gees from a dozen Climes-broken
branches from the parent trees, strayed
into the London whirlpool and carried
round and round unit it is time TO go
down Every one in all this labyrith of
streets seems to have little money to |
devote to one object, and that object is
beer. The air is redolent of beer. Beer
Is the god of the locality. Its praises are
set forth in flaming posters. And II there
we're huge building anywhere in the
vicinity, would wager that it is a brew
,ry. On damper and colder night than
he usual foggy and chilly ones, the
INDUCES in "hot beer" With
uch wretched consolation do they exc
,ut their sunless and miserable lives.
There is no color in any of the faces Of
he people OF the section, unless 1t be the
bloom bestowed by drink. A dull pallor
8 set upon the cheeks. Early death is
written upon hundreds of brows. But
he most disCouraging feature is the con-
ent which it is easy to discover on every
usage. These people know no better
existence, and they consequently care
or none better. For them no lecture
course exists in which they can be in
tructed and fascinated; church is a
,ague formality, good enough for wealthy
ok, but not worth much to the poor;
he theatre is a pleasure which they take
,reedily, when they are not too tired by
heir long days work to 60 to it; but
heir main idea of enjoyment is the
ratification of the grosser senses. And
heir seems no restraint upon them the
are without safeguards, and are
of their degradation a large
lumber of the men are brutal, thought
ess, Indifferent. There is talent, per
laps genius, among these toiling folks
,ut one may readily fancy that it is sti-
led, stamped out by the hideous sur
At night there are schools,
lone too many, alas and there is the
Royal Polytechnic" which these peo.
lie might attend if they chose, but they
annot spare time from the theatre and
ubliC house to attend more advanta-
eous places.
The workman and workwomen are
arely comfortable, and nearly always
ook shabby, but their lot is paradise as
with that of hundreds of that
ection who are the slaves of poverty.
hat they live at all is a mystery and
low they live is quite past finding out.
'he last atom of their self,respect has
ong since vanished, and they beg as
eadily as they spend the proceeds of
heir beggary for drink,
To emerge from such section as this
lto a paratively bright thorough
are like Oxford or Piccadilly, is almost
tartling. The contrast is painful. If
he Prince of Wales ever rebuilds Lon
on when he comes to the throne, he
ill do we'll to provide homes for the
oor workmen to wrest them from the
oughs in which they have been 80 long
nat they begin to feel it natural to re-
lain there.