Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-04
The SlHlMS of London.

Correspondence of the Philadelphia telegraph
Last week had to undertake an expedition
into an unsavOry East End neighborhOod in
search of stolen dog, who had been found
by gentleman of the dog stealing persuasion,
and was to be restored to his lawful owner in
consideration of certain modest sum of cur
rent coin of the realm. The locality lay be-
tween ShOreditch and Bethnal Green, and
could not help thinking, as l stumbled through
the dark, narrow alleys and lanes, where even
the police dare not venture after dark. what a
hot-bed the place would prove for any disease
to flourish in, once it took root there. Piles of
vegetables and animal filth INSTRUCTED the mar
row thoroughtares: swarms of dirty. scOwling
women and children, who looked as if
they had never been washed since they
were born. infested the place, and no
doubt would have picked my pocket
over and over again had 1 not taken
the precautiOn to denude myself of everything
valuable before venturing into such question
able neigh5orhood. The only money | had with
me was two sOyereigns-the ransom for my
canine pet-which ] carried in my hand. On
turning out of the main street, with my guide.
who was the disinterested 'friend" of the gen
tlemen who had found the "dawg." a friendly
policeman warned me not to go farther; but on
my guide assuring him that 1.-The genllnan war
only arter his dawg, land that lit wasa square, "
l was suffered to proceed by the Bobby" who
Z.
evident doubts as to the propriety of permitting
any one to penetrate farther into such an I'M
wholesome quarter. Truly One-half of the world
does not know how the other half lives. l must
say that was treated with certain amount of
thievish honor, and my confidence was in no
way misplaced.
l duly paid the "two quid." received my
"dawg," and was recOnducted in safety to the
confines Of civilization: but if live thousand
years shall never forget the aspect OF the dis
frnf frnv rcNI, fop ,,&A
AFFECT misery, surpasses anything my magma
tiOn had previously conceived. Children Of both
sexes. from the tOddling infant to youths OF
twelve, were tumbling about the dirty streets
and playing around the heaps of filth in state
of absolute nudity; and a single article of ap-
parel satisfied all the requirements of decency
felt % nine-tenths CT the adm. <emale pOpula-
ton. l saw one black proved gipsy-loOking
girl OF twenty cross the street on visit to an
opposite neighbor with the utmost sang
t'o1d, in the costume of Eve before the fall,
and man-apparently sailor. drunk or
drugged-lay prone across the sidewalk. with
his head pillOwed on a heap of rotten cabbage
stunps. III a similar light and airy costume. The
actual temperature was perhaps not higher than
Is or 500. but the damp muggy condition of
the atmosphere which frequently obtains
during English summer weather. aided to the
close. ili-ventilated state of the crowded courts
and alleys, and the stencil arising from the
putrld animal and vegetable refuse lying around
NoS IOO IiuCll even stEOl1 stomach
and constitution. Injured to most varieties of
climate and smells.
The house where my dog was found was a
fair sample of the locality. The "fancier' rented
the ground floor, which consisted OF two rooms
the front one kind or store filled to overflow
ing with birds and dogs. rabbits, ferrets and
other live stock. In the back room he, his wife,
three children, and ummyfied-looking old
dame-the grandmother, l believe-lived, ate
and slept In the cellar below resided what is
90 q tn0f Sc ,notv, ov,.Sf IoHt s.,
man who purchased horse flesh from the
'knackers," boiled it, and retailed it in skewer-
fuls for the use of cats. He not only carried on
his savory business, but lived, in the under
ground hole with his wife and five children. The
second and third floors of this warren were
rented by two other families aggregating seven
teen human beings; so that there were in all no
less than thirty men, women and childnn living
or rather existing-in this frightful place
What with my friends live stock. the cats meat
and the bouquet" from thirty unwashed indi-
viduals, it may we'll be imagined that the per-
fume was not that Of "Araby the BEST"