Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-30
LONDON LETTER.
Old London being Improved" out
of Existence.
Many Places of Historic Associations
give way to Modern Needs.
Week Day Dining, Grill Rooms,
Luncheon Bars, Dining Rooms,
Restaurants, &c
Az INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE
/" DEMOCRATS FOREIGN CORES
PONDENT.

I<ONDONs 81. 1901
London, and to an American that
means the most interesting part of
London, is rapidly being i'm
proved out of existence. Already
there is little to muse over, and that
little decreases day by day. In my
short London experience Temple
Bar, the old house in Gray's Inn
Lane. good part of Cloth Fair,
and many other quaint old buildings
have been pulled down; even now
Jack Shepard's haunt in Mych St,
and Sir Paul Plndar's house in
Bishopgate ST., are vanishing New
gate, also, is doomed. The latest SEN
tence passed is one on Dolly's Chop
House, and it will fill many in all
parts Of the world with regret. The
] old house must 60, and modern
warehouse will take its place.
Dolly 5 Chop House, in Queens
Head Passage, off Paternoster- Row,
and almost in the shad. " Of St.
Paul's, survived the great fire Of
London in 1866. Scores of the best
known Of English names are asso-
ciated with it, and a glance at the
quaint old interior calls up visions
Of gold-laced coats and powdered
wigs In Queen Anne's time it was
called the Queen Anne's Head, and
+ it is supposed was kept by favorite
servant of the Queen named Doro-
thy, whence afterwards came the
name it has since been known by.
Ben johnson, Sir Walter Raleigh,
the delightful Pepys, and Queen
Anne herself have refreshed them
selves in the very room where to-day
! dined Oliver Goldsmith, Pope,
Swift, Addison, and Steele have
there discussed, and sold their books
over the "beeEteaks and gill ale"
In later times Thackery, Dickens,
AMI our own Charles Sumner were
wont to visit there. | suppose to a
disinterested person it seems a dingy
little chop-house which had best be
out Of the way, but to any one with
d thought for the past it must seem
almost too precious a relic to give
way to modern needs, no matter
how pressing they may be. | wish
that Washington Irving had visited
the place aud had left us his descrip-
ton of it. How perfectly would he
have pictured the old interior; its
low ceiling; its oak wainscoting
black with age, reaching half way
up the wall; its massive oak tables,
still good for another couple OF
centuries; its quaint projecting fire
places, one of them alasl with a mod
ern silver grill inserted in it, and
its smoke-tinted pictures, of which
one is the portrait of Dolly herself,
smiling and pretty, with a cap on
her head and waist up under her
armsl When the old house is no
more, | shall say to myself, once in
December | went there for the last
time, and chose q good chop, and
while it sizzled III the silver grill,
looked at Dollys portrait and had
visions Of many a ioyial company
and Of many an illustrious person.
j While | am OH the subject d
eating houses | may as well write Z
few words in regard to the prosait
method of week day dining which
falls to the lot of the man of business
in the city. There is no going home
to dinner; everyone lives from three
to twenty miles from his place ofbus
mess, and so is forced to dine at one
of the numberless restaurants, cafes
/ grill-rooms, luncheon bars, or dining
f rooms which are found in every
part of the city. Some of thes,
places are very good, but most o
them are neither good nor bad, anC
in going to them one feels as if tn,
eating of dinner was a systemati,
but disagreeablc habit, task rattle
than a pleasure From noon unit
two o'clock every place is full, an,
although Ill eatables are warmer anC
fresher, and you may get bette
cut between those hours, still thu
idea Of fighting for dinner is no
! pleasant. After two o'clock there i
plenty Of room but YOU have {,
face the probability Of everything
, you may fancy on the bill Of far
being "oll; still there is plenty Q
time, and you may order whateve
5 YOU like and wait until it is cooked
i for you are supposed TO spend at leas
one hour for your dinner. Some 0
the old city taverns are capita
I places to dine in. The very atmos
phere of them is suggestive of moth
5 ing but thoroughly conservative
English fare, roast beef, potatoes
cabbage, plum-pudding and Stiltu
cheese with good ale and stout t
2 wash it down with. You will fin,
, no French "kickshaws, and yor
will be waited on by a genuin
cockney, who will in a very friendl,
spirit advise you rs to what is goo,
! andwhat Is not; and whether the Join
: IS Just up, or whether there will be
fresh one up in 4 few minutes. |
you are i daily frequenter Of on
place. you must belong 70 on
! waiter. lie will always look out f.
J you. ami have a place ready, takin;
an almost fatherly interest in you
well-being, and feeling much con
cerned ii your appetite is not equa
to the fare set before you. He vii
bravely battle with the other waiter
: for Punch or the "Graphic" 70
E your benefit and will do all in hi
power to make you comfortable
Such is the old fashioned waiter il
the old fashioned house; but yer,
/ different is the modern waiter, tn
4 gentleman in evening dress VIII
. transtixes you with a stony stare
and until you get used to him an,
! his lordly way, makes you quak
: every time you address him; YER
different also is the French or Swis
. waiter, who seems to know instinct
lively what you want, and gets
: quietly aud with the least hustle an
ei trouble But | seem to have write
i more about the walters than til
dinner itself. probably because tn
dinner j. generally Of 80 little az
7 account. Before | drop th