New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-23


LONDON, Aug. 25.-Going ont Of st. Mary Axe
into Houndsditch, you will find, almost directly
opposite the east side of the latter horoughfare,
a shallow tagged court, much wider than such
places usually at this crowded end OF London.
II was a fine, bright Sunday when made my visit
to this famous locality. The solemn quiet Of the
business quarter through which had passed began
to he disturbed rs / approached Observation-Disclosures
trench into which they cast dead dogs. and now q
region Of very-much-aive Hebrew shopkeepers-by
street cries. and the babble of many voices and the
hustle of a moving crowd. The whole population
was abroad Young men with prominent features
and conspicuous satin cravats were letting them
selves ont of the closed warehouses and hurrving
off to suburban paradises on the Thames for
days outing. Corpulent DANES In loose calico
wrappers and with hair carefully pastered, were
gossipping on the sidewalk. Young women.
of the ford style, displayed their charms
for the benefit of casual clerks from Bishopsgate
and oungers from Whtechapel. At the corners of
the court l have mentioned there was brilliant
display of cheap carpeting disposed like banners.
chairs and sofas hung high in air. hearthTugs fut-
terng In the breeze, and red cotton pockehandker-
chiefs spanning the roadway like particularly suc
cessful aurora boreais. The movement Of the crowd
tended toward this spot, and ! soon fornd myself
swept into the current.
At the bottom Of the court appeared flight OF
three four stone steps. leading mp 20 wide. low
and dIngv structure, looking like cross between
n cheap market-house and country railway station,
Across the front was the inscription. "Phrs Build
Ings; Clothes and General MART; and at one side
was sign-board intimatIng that the public could
find rest and refreshmcnt at the neiGhhoring
"Monienore Arms" II il through Pills Buildings
that you enter ono Of the strangesl places in Lon
don.
II IA said that on bright Sunday Won may see
here in network of houses lanes, and alleys, no
less than three miles Of old clothes dare say that
Is true but although spent great deal of time in
Rag Fair confess that never had the courage to
60 to the end Of II. found the first building fitted
up with rough counters. shelves racks and trays for
the accommodation of various classes of dealers.
Thousands of calico dresses dangled from aloft mt
first sight giving the impression that about an acre
of the lovclest of Houndsditch had simultaneously
committed suicide. Mems coats and trousers were
heaped upon planks laid across trestles. A noun
tain Of old hats rose IN one corners and in another
voluble Young Hebrew. with n brush and bottle
of backing was working as if for dear life, 70 give
n presentable appearance TO load Of dreadful old
shoes snatched. one would say. from the cutters
and dust bins. Hero. however, was only the begin
ming of the Fair. The building has several faces,
opening into courts and alleys, all crammed with
cnst-off apparel and these communicate with other
sheds like the first Over their fronts il painted in
LARGE letters Entrance 10 the Exhibition Clothes
Exchange" One quarter of the mart Is devoted to
n somewhat freshcr class Of wares; for here are
cheap rinkcts the poores sort Of mi alton jewelry,
the most gorgeous OF coorod handkerchiefs, and 80
many pairs of suspcnders that II would seem TO be
habit in Houndsditch to have all pantaloons made
too big in the waist The articles displayed in this
quarter being. so to speak, new, and consequently
rateahle at some certain commercial value. were
not in great request for the frequentcrs of Rag Fair
love the excitement of desperate and protracted bar
ganinc-an intellectual exercise only TO he enjoyed
in its perfec ion when there means Of deter
mining what the goods in dspute are worth, or
whether they ere worth anything mt all. The adj
vent of a possible customer threw the whole shed
into commoton. A Young lady with very heavy
eyebrows and red cheeks. who stood In bower of
prismatic handkerchcfs. addressed me in the tone
Of Jenny Wren addressing Fascination FledGeby.
GOOD morning, this morning. young man." she
said then, as did not yield TO soft persuasion,
two muscular mothers in Israel tried sterner
means and Selling me, one by the cOat-tnil.
he other by the arm, began TO pull with all their
might owed nv escape, after short but severe
struggle to the lucky accident of divided counse.s
among the adversary, for while one tired to drag
me into shilling cravats, the other PIT forth her
strength on behalf of red stockings, ana between
them got away and fell into the arms of male
dealer in suspenders. " Buy 'em" shouted the man,
fcrcely, shaking n bundle of them in my face
" why don't you buy 'em You aren't frightened
of 'em are you ~ shirt, military jacket. pair
of red pllsh small clothes and whole row of
gowns, were in turn commended tony attention. as
the very things appeared to need
The most remarkable part of Rag Fair. however,
is not the Clothes Exchange" proper which is
held under roofs but the much more extensive.
crowded and Dewildering mart In the adjoining
streets aud lanes. Petiicoa-lane. which gives III
name to the Whole Fair, il called MiddleseX-st. on
recent Official maps, but il retains Its Old desgna-
ton in common use. THIS is the centre OF the sun
dav traffic. Gravel-court, Sandys-row, Irpe-yard,
Frylngpan-aley, Parridge-cOurt, are some OF the
other passages, foul and narrow, which are gwen
IN To this curious business. Nearly all the trans
actions are conducted in the dirty open street but
there are many small shops besides, incredibly black
and vile in whose dark recesses commodities OF
some humble sort are kept for sale-l certainly can
not SAY are exhibited Wherever the court is WIDE
enough YOU will find an untidy Jewess seated on
the ground amidst heaps of goods. piece of sail
cloth OF "A fragment of an old awning, beng spread
upon the muddy cObble-stOnes, becomes the sole
substitute for shop aud counter One dame saw
surrounded by odd stocking which she was clam
orously Offering 10 the public at the rate of Two
pair the bob" Another was display ing on the cloth
around her a variety of much-worn dresses. of
coars, quality but snowy pattern, which may have
done dut, in a music hail Of the lowest class.
third was debating with possible purchasers the
value of sundry secondhand chemises; and fourth
had ba.ricaled herself within double circle OF
shoes aud CATERS mostly cracked at the Sides trod
den at the heels esky at the solos and iniirm as to
fastenincs, but all nowly polished IL the piles OF
mems clothing there were scarlet uniform coats
(shed perhaps by desertersl. and livery SUITS and
ao,vcrod cratopne wastcoats worn by negro min