Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-05-07

Sketches rsen zafs In 1iiiinssssss ana
Iettiocat Lane

Eetuooat Lane. a
providence Journal. BilIingsgate
'ne notorious fish market. is almost too
novel and lively place even for the
rambler with propensities favoring low.
tide life. The market itself and the
street leading to and from it, parallel to
the thames is indescribably Nasty Ms
the English would say. Sometimes YOU
pass through Billingsgate without hear.
ing any of the foul language for which
the place has become so famous, But
usually in the busy season of the dav
yon are more liable to hear LANGUAGE
which Is not adapted to the drawing.
ROOM 1t seems as though the tisb,
aongers had created an atmospher,
wherein they considered il impossible
70 effect bargain without Invoking tho
and OF profanity. Doubtless many Of
tue latest styles in the way of oc,.os ~. :
De trac d directly to GcilIingsgate.
Nothing c.ouId be stranger by contrast
'"--aa little confection stand which |
discovered one day right down in the
heart of that blasphemous community
Over the eernice was the legend
Whatsoever man soweth, that shall
he also reap" Below the counter was
another inscription; Our motto, Filter
your words" This wee lonely effort at
reform wes almost comical in its isola-
ton,
Alas for the modern disciples of
Dickens, Petticoat lane is fast becoming
"reminiscences. Indeed, it does not ex-
list In nafiie any longer, for its enter
prIsing citizens write their addresses as
Mlddlesex lane now. For long time
i seemed impossible TO purge the local
ity, but rigid police surveillance and
other causes have combined to effect
quite metamorphosis. One could al
most be sentimental enough to regret
this. There was something exlilarat-
ing in the pristine lswlessness of the
place. Never, / suppose, was there
more thoroughly rotten community any
where, and yet one which more COM
pletely baffied the police. 1t was as if
the inhabitants were in league with each
other, and operated always on the NUT
nal protection basis. You might saun-
ter down the street with watch in your
pocket, but there was little hope that
you could ever return with it, as crowds
could be called together at any moment
either for purpose of riAing an unwary
Strangers pockets or for the purpose of
baking the police. All these things are
still measurably true of the Lane to-
day
Sunday is the great occasion in this
part OF the city, and people who do not
lack In courage often make it point to
go around there at that time for
bargains. OF course tits presumed that
all the articles for sale are stolen prop
erty, but IL is impossible TO fax guilt
upon any one. From time ilnmemolial
the police have been in the habit of
making for "Petticoat lane" Gas 4 shall
continue to call 1t, rather than indorse
the new name) whenever any important
burglary las been committed. Know
ing the futility of trying to convict the
guilty party, they more often than
otheiw wise advise the loser TO b. ms
property back. Tie costliest gems and
articles of apparai are often TO be
obtained there for mere song. When
4 man has found" watch worth 500
he Is frequently quite anxious TO dispose
OF it as early rs possible, even though
he shall get but $40 or Sl5 for it.
The moment q stranger enters Petit
coat lane he is spotted by, the citizens,
the majority Of whom arc Jewish. If he
Is suspected OF being in search of some
man or some piece of property, up go
| two or three fingers, and the word is
passed along the lines by secret signal
system, so that every one is on tho look
out. III You purchase q silk handker-
chief, it is well fcr y GU to clutch it with
both hands until you are quite away,
else it will be pipped out of your pocket
and sold again before you have got a
block distant.
Petticoat lane Is great for its exchange
bargains alse Reg
A shroWd Representative of the needy
fraternity anreadily make living sim
ply by this process. Perhaps he is all
rags and tags"when be enters che Street
He divines the articles which the pro-
prietors are specially anxious to get rid
Of and piece by piece exchanges his
seedy outfit for similar but better pieces ;
and these again for pieces still better,
until at last he emerges from the further
endof the lane real swell.
The restaurants are also great feat
ure, You can get meal that certainly
lacks not in quantity, whatever may be
said of the quality, for three or four
pence. Sausages and potatoes constitute
amost popular dish, and may be purchase
ed in a score OF places at n pennya dish.
The street CRIES are. sies, also deteri-
Grating. Legislation has been aimed at
them rs popular nuisance, and those
which aforetime possessed much of al
most historical interest are now heard
no more. Some of the sing-song cries
by vendors of crumpets, water crosses,
brawns, shrimps, fruits and vegetables
are, however, quite plaintiye and strik-
ing. The milkman shouts Milk, hol'
and leaves the pint or qnart of each
III ~ NsaAl VI tAio Wv pAl WIG tttpA
step, to be claimed and taken up by
one OF the occupants when the people
are astir. The newsboys veil "Pipcrl"
Just as they do in every American city,
while beguiling the public into making
purchase. The beggars sometimes
try the sanctimonious racket and may
be seen singing II do believe, / now be-
iieve," Sc, or some equally pious hymn
in the intervals between their profane
comments on things about them and
their coarse soto yoce jests among
themselves. -. ss.-, 81.
The sweepers at the street crossings
sometimes make fair wages out OF the
tips which passing pedestrians are
pleased to bestow upon them. One,
who holds the fort at the top OF Regent
street. recently died, and an inventory
of his worldly wealth developed the
fact that he had accumulated about et9
by means of such quantities. There
we're sweepers ready to give 60 or 81
for the position.
When the double execution teok
place at Newgate last week l arose earls
and went down to see the black flag