New-York tribune., 1879-09-03
HAUNTED LONDON.
LIZZIE HExAM AND LADY pEDLoCk.
IN LrMEHoUsE EoLE-TuE SIX JOLLY FELLOWSHIP

below the Tower-a stretch of filthy water. In
which rubbish is forever floating up and down with
the tide IN ths black shadow OF grimy warehouses-
where Dicken must have been almost "a much at
home as the nondescrpt semi-marine characters bv
whom the shores are inhabited II is the region of
the Docks. between Wrapping and the Isle of Dogs,
On the Surrey side. "near to that part Of the
Thames on which the church at Rotherhithe abuts.
where the buildings on the banks are dirtiest
and the vessels on the river blackest with the dust
Of GOLFERS and the smoke of close-built, low-roofed
houses" was once the maze of losthsome buildings
occupying the uiuubank of jacobs Island" de-
scri5ed forty years the of the death of
Bill Skies in oliver Twist On the Middlesex
side. little further down stream. is the Shiny and
low-iying locality called Lmehonse Hole. Ii was
from the police station in this quarter that the nov
elist often started his night with the river
police. When Inspector Bucket set forth with
Esther Summorson to hunt Lady Dedlock,
they first to this quarter. "A man
yet dark End muddy, in long, swollen sod
den boots and hat like them. called
out Of boat ana whispered with Mr.. Bucket. who
went away with him down some slippery steps-as
if 10 look at something secret that he had to show
They came back, wipins their hands upon their
coats, after tuTnIng Ov something wet In this
quarter again lived Rogue Riderhood aEd CATER
Hexam. Here occurred the Harmon murder
which lays the foundation for the novel and here
stood /" The SIX Jolly Fellowship Porters public
house ruled by the severe Mas Abby Peterson.
took a ste amboat one day al Westminster
Bridge and after voyage of fory minutes or 50
landed near Limehouse Hole, and followed
the river streets both east aud west. IL was easy
enough 20 trace the course of Mortimer Lightwood
and Eugene Wrsyburn. they walked under the
guidance of RIderbood through the stormy night
from their rooms in tho Temple four miles away.
past the Tower and tho London Docks. and down by
the slippery waters edge to Limehouse Hole. when
they went tc CATER iexIa'S arrest and found
him drowned, tied 10 hs own boat. TIE strictly
commercial aspect OF the Docks-the London Docks
above and he West India Docks below-shsdes OF
hy slight degrees into the black misery Of the Hole
The warehouses are succeeded by hoat-builders
Sheds by private wharves where ships al hidden.
TO Iheir huls behind walls and close fonces, thrust
une expected bowsprits over the narrow roadway
by Vineyards: bv marine store-dealers and Durvey
to al the aud fcilieS OF seamen and then
by . variety of strange establishments which il
would be hard 10 classify. Close by yard piled
up with crates aud barrels Of secondhand
bottles. was large brick warehouse devoted TO the
purchase and sale Of broken glass. cart loaded
with that commodity stood before 1.-The door. and
men with scoop-shoyels were transferring II into
barrels. Ar inciosuTc of one or two acres. in al
out-oi. .hc-way street, might have been the original
1s the dust-yard that contained Boffn's Bower cx-
cepr that BDflus Bower was several miles distant.
Oh the northern outskirt of London. string OF
carts. full of miscellaneous street and house rub
bish. al called here by the general nailc # dust
were waiting their turn To discharge. Ih,re was
mountain Of this re fuse at the enl OF the yard and
parry Of laborers. more or less impeded by two
very active black ho-s. were sitting and sorting IT,
~ .f hn f-cf
were visible at the sides There were huge accu-
mutations OF broken crockery ana Of scraps Of tin
and other metal, and Of bones. There WIS quantity
of stable manure and old straw. and heap. large
a. tw0-story cottage. of old hoops stripped from
ca. ks and packing cases. never understood. until
/ looked into ,hi, yard how there could have been
80 much value IA the dus, mounds az b tins
Bower.
Gradually the streets became narrower. wct,cr.
dirtier and poorer Hideous little alleys led dowB
to the waters edge where tue hlgh tide splashed
over the steps. l turned into several OF them,
and always found two or three muddy men loung-
ing AZ tno bottom often foul and inrtive boat
crept across the field of view. The character of the
shops became more and more difficult to define.
HeIea window displayed a heap of sailors thimbles
aud pack-thread: there another set forth array
OF trumpery glass vases or basket OF stale fruit.
pretexts perhaps Tor the disguise vi leaving
shop" or unlicensed pawnbrOkers' establishment,
out OF winch 1 expected 10 Miss Pleasant Rider
hood come forth. twisting uD her back har' as
she came. At q place where the houses ceased and
an open space left free prospect of the black and
bad smelling river there was an old factory. disused
and riined Ike the ancient mill which Gatier
Hexam made bis home. aud Lizzie told The fortunes
Of her brother in the hollow by the fire
turned down muddy aley, where twelve or
fifteen placards beaded BODY FOUND were pasted
against the wall They we're printed FORMS filed
in with pea. Mr.. Forster tells Us in hIs life Of
Dickens that it was the sight Of bills of this sort
that gave the first suggestion OF "Our Mnfual
Friend" At the end of the alley was 4 neat brick
police station stairs led to the water, ana several
trim boats were moored there. Within the station
could see an officer quietly busy 1t his desk,
if lie had been sitting there ever Dickens
described the Night Inspector with pen and ink
and ruler posting up his books IN whitewashed
Office as studiOuslr II he were IN monastery on
the top Of mountain. and 10 bowling fury of a
drunken woman were banging herself against q
cell-dOor in the back yard at hIs elbow hand
some young fellow in uniform. who looked like a
cross betwt a sailor and constable, came out
and asked very civiily II he could be of 30
"Doyou know said !, where the station that
Dickens describes in Our Mutual Friend'f'
Oh. yes, sir this is the very spot III was the
old building that stood Just here this IS new cne
but it has been put up In the same place"
Dickens often went cut with your men in the
boat. didn't hei"
Yes sir, many a night in the old times"
DO you know the tavern which is described in
the same book by the name of the Il" Six Jolly Eel
lowship Porters ~
No, Er don't know that, ut least lot By that
name ! dare say It may have been pulled down,
for a lot of warehouses have been built along here
and the place IS very much cLanged or II may be