Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-09-02
LONDON LETTER..
Life in the Worlds Metropolis
A Bank Holiday.
From our Lond on Correspondents.

/ request was received some time
since, and in the meanwhile l have
been wondering whether l had suf-
ficient courage TO undertake such a
task. | find however that curiosity
steps in where courage might per-
haps fail me, and the longing to see
myself III print pushes aside all
scruples, and makes me commit my
self without consulting inclination,
time or the material to write about.
Not long ago ! felt equal to writing
volumes about London. but it is an
old story now. and all its charm of
novelty is pretty well rubbed off for
me. Besides at this time of the
year, when the so-called season" is
over, and every one is trying to get
out of town, it seems particularly
dull aud uninteresting, and is on the
whole subject to be avoided. Eng
lish news, political or otherwise, is
also poor material, for by the time
my letter reaches you any news |
may have written will be anything
but news. For instance, only few
hours ago Mr. Bradlaugh, in attempt
ing to get into the house Of commons
had his coat-tails torn, and was very
badly treated. BY this time you
know as much about it as [ do.
fear there is nothing to write about
but the last bank holiday and how
| spent it. 1t ought to be an inter
esting subject to an American, for a
general genuine holiday is unknown
in MS own country.
Sir John Lubbock, | believe, set
aside the first of August as a bank
holiday, and coming as it does at a
most welcome time, it is even more
generally enjoyed than Easter or
Whit Monday. In London the we'll
TODD people who can not get away
to the seaside for a few DAYS, make
point of staying at home on such
occasions, and some philosopher a
few days since stated that to spend
bank holiday in bed was the proper
way. The lower classes however, do
not think SO, and on Monday last
they turned out all in their best
clothes" in such numbers as to make
one think four millions very low
estimate for the working classes Of
London. All of the trains, tram
cars and buses were monopolized by
them; the parks and places of
amusement were crowded; and the
public houses, as usual at such times,
were in a state of siege all day long,
especially at the jug and bottle" en-
frances.
The fine weather in the morning
Of course attracted many to the
country and seaside, and it was to
one Of the nearest of the seaside re-
sorts, Southend-on-Sea, that I betook
myself, anxious to get away from
London sights and smells-I could
not escape entirely however, for at
least three thousand Londoners Wis
tied the same place. Fenchurch st.
to Southend is probably a two hours
ride, and not the most attractive one
in the world-for Essex is a dismal
country at best, and the southwest
ern part of it has to harbor the
greater portion Of London's soap,
match, and other sweet-smelling fac
tories Then Crosse 4 Blackwell
manage to perfume several square
miles of it with their vast onion beds
and pickle warehouses. Barking,
Tilbury, Gravesend and Purtleet are
Of course only names to YOU, but
are after fashion interesting water
side places, and it was past these,
and a great many queer little villages
slowed away in odd corners of the
Essex marshes, that the train went,
finally coming to something very
much like the sea and quite as re-
freshing, the More, the silent high
way Of the world At last came
Southend, and on getting out of the
train such a pleasant smell Of win
kles, wilks and shrimps greeted me.
From the station to the beach was
like running species Of gauntlet Of
coster-mongers. The beach itself
was as crowded and the people as
amusing as though | had been at
Ramsgate. There was a genuine
bank holiday crowd in attendance,
and AIRY with his concertina was
everywhere. Owing to his lately
developed ;estheticism he was more
attractive than ever, as he had bios
somed forth in scarlet or bright blue
lawn-tennis hats, and also bore Jap
anese umbrellas and fans. While
Hemma sang her .Lardy dab" he
appropriately sang Hes got 'em
on" American artists from the
Broadway" were anxious to take my
picture on the sands, little savoyards
played cradles empty" for me.
Gipsey women wanted to tell my
fortune, and fair maids from the
Borough were loud in their entreaties
that l should take shy and bring
down a fine koky-nut for the mis- !
sus. AT least three-quarters of a mile |