The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-09

and requires cooking from Friday morn-
inc uniiI saturday noon, when Il IA soid 10
become dish it for the gods. Its lpgre.
diepts are beefsteak, mutton anu Deei
kidneys, oysters, lsrbs, mushrooms, etc,
an Ola podrida tempting 10 appetite,
tickling to the palate, and so much sought
that little of 1t ever finds Its way Into the
basket or can OF the alms-asker. As the
pudd.ng hour approaches, wags and wis.,
soges Of the press, writers OF truth and nc
tiou. barristers with briefs and others who
are briefiess. followers Of the muse, parlia-
mentary adtators, and others, assemble In
the ANTIQUE halls OF the dingy old Cheese
and wait like children OF one family Tor
dinner IN be served. Their mouths water
as "A steaming odor, suggestive OF tne ricn
treat in store for them, enters tnr luhcn-
and drinking-rooms aud lnVitingIy WARTS
them to prepare for pudding Mnen Tue
dish ie declared TO be ready 10 ser,e oo.n
motion ensues. Walters In fuii-uress us
appear up the stairs and hurry hlther anu
tbither, aud some moments OF suspense
and fear follow lest in the handling anu
lifting their precious freight the carriers Oh
the pudding may dropit. It's on record at
the Cheese that some years ago, on tWo vi
three occasions, the main LIT OF tue
nrecious burden tripped on the stairway,
and. falling headlong to the bottom, landeo
in the middle OF the larks, oysters, Kidney
and steak, and made the place hldeous Win
Its wells. white the lookers-on were re-
minded OF the astonishment OF the nursery
rhyme king when the "fourand-twenty
blackbirds baked in pie" began to war
BILE. A long breath OF relief Is taken when
the mammoth pudding has been placed IN
nosition i'm the limch-room. Exercise OF
patience Is then necessary on the part OF
those who do not find room at the flrst
table: but each hungry man knows that
he must be expeditions. and soon all are
supplied. The Cheese is as popular now as
Il was a century ago. and bids lar 10 De
popular resort for another century at least.
One other place Of conviyial resort on
Fleet street, though OF an entirely different
character from the Cheese, is the Discus
sion forum. which at night is frequented
by many strangers as well as by the regular
patrons. The Discussion forum is "con-
seryatiye house "-that is to say, there is a
Of conservative ideas among
those who maintain the place, and the
topics which are trea.ed by the occupants
are ms vigorously grdsped and handled
by those who leave their siXpences al
the forum. An old man named Ross
is the presiding dignitary OF the estab-
lshment. and he acts and conducts the
as would the speaker OF
Commons. II is said that Ross was class
mate OF Premier Gladstone; that III their
Younger days Ross was much the brighter
lad. but that Gladstone's rapid strides left
his school-felOw far behind. Ross is a
Conservative because Gladstone Is Lib
eral. He is paid anywhere from % 10 80
shillings a week for occupying the chair
Of the forum. The subjects which are
discu ,sed each evening are bulletined at
the iorum-entrance, 50 that he who passes
NAV read and the disputant who opens
the nights argument receives TWO or
three tankards Of beer, OF glasses OF
jameson, in consideration OF his efforts.
Many of the Younger barristers and law stu
dents have acquired no little practice in the
forum. and quite often arguments rs solid
and interesting as might be expected OF
real commOners are heard there. The dr.
cussions frequently wax warm, and speak
ers are interrupted with cries OF "Ques-
ton Question !" " Chair Chair :" "Or-
der !" "Shame :" "Go onl" Hear
Hear 4" etc. The writer was present one
evening not long ago when speaker called
an opponent his feeble-minded. il not
idiotic, friend" 1t is expected that those
who are entertained by these discussions
aid i'm making business profitable, and are
not welcome visitors unless they literally
patrOniZe the bar.
A once curious and attractive resort was
" Dirty Dicks" establishment, on Bishops
gate street, Without. The story OF Ma
thaniel Bentley's dirty habits and dirty
store has found its way into magazine,
and school-bOok, and been read
all over The world. Strangers from near
and far never felt that they had thoroughly
done London without calling at Dirty
Dick's.v Bentley was a character early in
the present century, aud he died IN 1909 at
Musselburg, Scotland; but the old stores,
with their cobwebbed ceilings and walls,
moth-eaten garments, skeletons OF dogs,
eats, and rats, have undergone great
change since the building was rem0delled
in 1870. Quite a numDer OF the skeletons
have been preserved, however, and are
still attached TO the wall back of the bar in
the retail cellars. The old set OF rules for
which the establishment was noted is still
These rules are as follows:
No person ia to be served twice.
No person TO be served I in the least intoxicated.
No error admitted or money exchanged after
leaving the counter.
No improper language admitted.
No smoking allowed.
APPENDED to the rules is the following
special notice: "The shop being small diff
ficultv occasionally ARISES in supplying
customers, who will greatly oblige by bear
ing in mind the good old maxim When
YOU are in place OF business transact
your business and go about your business
Closed on sundays" The 90. ID. Gel
lars " are patronized not only by men, but
also by women. | visited the basement a
short time ago, when it was fairly crowded
with men and women. | observed two
men at the bar drinking quart Of "bit-
terr between them out OF the same
while others were having inca.
sures OF Scotch, Irish, port, or sherry, each
II which would make at least two good
ordinary drinks. The women were OF
several nationalities, including English,
Irish, and Hebrew. A discussion arising
among them as TO the necessity for some
legislation which Parliament had consider
ed at It's last session, the daughter OF Re-
Decca was tainted on her religion, and
battle at close quarters seemed imminent,
until one OF the employees OF the establish
nent stopped hostiIities by removing the
female. The I'D. ID. Cellars"
have lost much Of their novel attraction
since the building was altered, and the WIS.,
tor who has heard nothing about the
changes and improvements experiences dis
appointment when he discovers that the
estoons OF cobwebs and the queer old 20
illogical museum are no longer a part OF
he establishment. Very different from
a Dirty Dicks" in character and historical
-eminiscence is old Crosby Hall, also on
Bishopsgate street, popular resort OF the
Eastern Central district. The building it.
,elf has been identified with the history OF
England Crosby Hall was erected i'm i4B6