New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-06
HAUNTED LONDON.
STROLL WITH Mr.. WELLER AND A SEARCH
FOR MRS CAMP.
THE WHITE Fart IyN-DoCroRs' CoyMoYs-cHAS-
CEKY LANR-IHE HOWE OLE Mrs. GAMP.

LONDON, July 13.-The Borough Highest begins
Mt the Surrey end of London Bridge. 1t has been
for centuries the great road to the Southern
ties. Along this highway the Canterbury Pilgrims
travelled to tie shrine of Thomas Beckett. Over
IFS pavement still rumble all day long the heavy
country wagons. The chief hop-market is close al
hand The shops and taverns are furnished forth
for the accommodation of farmers and carriers and
a queerY mixed flavor of town and eOun-
try Is dIffused through the whole region. 1t has
been a district of taverns for more than
five hundred years. The Tabard Inn, mentioned by
Chaucer, was built in 1900 and stood until 1876.
Destroyed then by fire it was replaced by an exact
counterpart. and when that torn down in 1873
IL transmitted the venerable name 70 a degenerate
dHnking-shOp which now atfrOnts the eyes on one
or the High-st. corners. But other old inns re-
main as they have been for hundreds OF years.
There are four or five within half a mile Of the
bridge, picturesque and rambling hOsteries of the
pattern Of The Iabard, with timber galleries
ming along two or three sides Of a rough-paved
court, where plays were acted in Shakespeare's
tlme The George Inn, which certainly existed IN
1904. and nobody knows how much earlier was
built according to its original plan after the fire OF
1875 and is still standing venerable in spite Of its
shabbmess, poverty and dirt; the front toward the
street is entirely changed but the nrer court pre-
and che Kings Head are Others of the same class.
In front of the latter building Of yellow stone Is
going up, but passage through it to the old
tavern. On the right as | issued from this passage,
found long ge of irregular buildings contain
ing the coffee-roOm Of the inn, and beyond that
" The Kings Head Tap the appearance Of which
certainly belied the promise of comfortable beds
inscribed upon its front. Although it was July,
fire was blazing in the dark tap-roOm. Several
countTymen were in there drinking, and smart
looking young man was coming out IN haste, WHIP
ing his mouth. The galleries characteristic of this
class of house built of very heavy timbers at
The Kings Head, and closed in with attices.
a little further along the HI gh-st.. in the midst
of row Of new OF modernized shops, found
gateway like that of The Kings Head, and over it
a lantern with the sign of " The Old White Hart"
Here stood the tavern mentioned by Shakespeare
The White Hart in Southwark" l'Henry VI."l-as
the abode of Jack Cade. and although that house
was burned IN 1869 and again in 1915, IL rebuilt
in the STYLE and the present structure is about
200 years old. 1t was to this inn that Mr.. Alfred
Jingle brought Miss Rachel Wardle after the flight
from Diugley Dell, and here we first made the
acquaintance Of Mr.. Samuel Weller. Pick
ing my way down the muddy passage,
saw before me almost the very scene which the
pencil Of " Phlzr drew for US so many years ago.
On the fright hand side Of the court, in brick
building dingv but modern, the tavern appeared to
be still dong a fair business. printed placard,
announcing that the establishment would soon be
sold at auction boosted of Its valuable country
TOM its situation, and its old repute. The wooden
galleries, in two tiers, still to be on the
left hand side Of the court and across the end Oppo
site the entrance, with the doors and windows of
the old bed-chambers opening into them and stair
cases communicating with the yard. Apparently
they are no longer connected with the tavern, but
are used for separate tenements. satternly
woman leaned over the baustrade, Just where /
thought " the bustling andlady of the White Hart"
ought 20 have been calling to Sam Weller to "clean
them shoes for Number Seventeen directly"
loaded country wagon stood in the court exactly as
in the familiar picture. dirty lane, where old
man was pretending to do something with a hoe to a
quantity of black mud, approach the stables
in the rear Some buildings there had recently
been demolished but accommodation enough
seemed 20 have been left. An empty stage-coach
stood IN the yard, and the stamping Of horses was
heard in the stalls. The rooms under the side gal
lery have been turned INTO bacon-curing establish
ment. A friendly and rather spruce person, of
horsey appearance, who was about stepping into a
light two-wheel cart after some refreshment at the
bar remarked to me that curing bacon was very
dry work. and that | could not do better than 90 in
and look at the process
At the White Hart Inn. Mr.. Samuel Weller gave
Mr. Jingle the remarkable account Of the customs
of Doctors Commons. where his eminent parent
was nvelgled by one Of the :" two porters as tOuts
for licenses into taking ont permit from the
Archbishop of Canterbury TO marry the widow
Susan Clarke of the Marks o. Cranky. DOrkng.
Naturally, when / left the inn | turned
toward st. PauPs Churchyard, and there, in
the midst of a of modern shops and warehouses
found the low archwsy which sam described.
Nothing about it is changed. There, as in tine time
Of Plckwick, still sit just within the entrance the
historic "touters'; and | almost laughed aloud
when cove in white apron" touched his hat as
walked in, saying License, sir lcenseir and in
spite of my answer that l had no need of such
document seemed disposed to argue with me that /
really ought to have one. Very sober and Od-fash-
ioned offices they are all around. ana Of the
most sombre Of them is that appropriated to the
Yicar-Gene of the Archbishop Of Canterbury, n
modest inscription on the doorp0sU lntlnating that
Mr. John Hassard is the official IN charge.
Quiet Droods over the drowsy little inclosure. The
rattle of carts and omnIbuses in the great thorough
fare outside reaches Doctors Commons as a sub
dned hum; | could hear the pattering of a gentle
ram; and all the soft and various sounds were
blended in harmony with the voices of choir
boys practising IN neighboring building. l
passed out through a gateway opposite that by
which | entered a second "touter' in white |
apron There were TWO Of them at Doctors Com |
mons even IN Jing,es timel, renewing the offer Of
assistance in the matter # license with even |
greater pertinacity than the first; aud after much
devious sroling westward | reached-I hardly |
know through whas network Of absurd alleys-the |
Fountain Court Of the Temple, where dull build |
ings Of blackened brick look down upon one of the
most charming spots IN all London. The rain had
ceased; the nodding trees and flowers sparkied IN