The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23
A HOLIDAY AT YARMOUTH.
How the Historic Town Looks with So
000 Visitors Within Its Limits.
A Place Where Dickens Found Many Of His
Characteristic Stalwart Beachmen
and Their Capacity for Beer.
Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
LONDON. Aug. 13.-Sitting by the great sea
that washes the shores Of Holland and East
Anglica or, in palmer words, lounging on the
beach at Yarmouth, l have been dipping into a
very interesting work on Great Yarmouth by
John Greaves Nall, whose glossary of the local
dialect and provincialism has sent my thoughts
wandering far away from this interesting and
historic city, the most populous watering place
on the east coast of England, and the head
quarters of the herring fishery Mr.. Nall
instances as among the best examples of so-called
Americanisms which are chronological relics of
this English district the following round dozen
that were East Anglican long before Columbus
discovered the new world as ''cave in" "chaw
MP" "whitte," "diggings," ''sq uatters," "tarna-
tion,' ''cute," ''snags," kind O slick,
'Redger and ''rle." In 'The Great
Pink Pearl" new farcical comedy which
I saw recently in London, the supposed Ameri-
can millionaire kept up the diaectic character
istics of the nationality by continually exclaim-
ing darn my skin" and ''you bet" 1 dare say
these vulgar expressions can be traced home to
The old country, since l discover in Mr.. Nails
glossary "I1l be darned-an Essex oath of wide
currency in America" You will find that
Dickens, in 'David Copperfeld," consulted the
old dictionaries and modern glossaries for the
local dialect which he uses so effectively in
dialogues that have made Great Yarmouth
better known in America than its real history.
Victor Hugo, as I recently suggested, must
have written "L'Homme Qui Ritz with techni-
cal dictionary Of navigation at his elbow. SINH
lsFly, Dickens. it is plain, had all sorts of
glossarles at hand when he wrote David Cop
per6eld." Here is an illustration: 'Beein; a
home-a place to be inf I could but git a
bsein, can fisherate for myself" That is from
Woods Suffolk Words" This is from Dickens
David Copperfeld": ''Theerfur, faint my inten-
tons to moor Miss Gummidge long with them,
but to find 'beein for her, where she fisher
ate for herself"
There are two Yarmouths in England: First,
this historic fishing city and port on the east
coast second Yarmouth in the Isle Of Wight.
1t IS this first Yarmouth We are discussing, and
in eontradistinction to the other place it is called
Great Yarmouth. 1t is here I am taking rest,
spending vacation. 1t is 120 miles from Lon
don. and l can run up to the modern Babylon in
IN hour and threeq quarters by the Great Eastern
Great Yarmouth is not fashionable watering
place. Mayfair does not patronize it. My Lord
Tomnoddy and Lady Azure de We're do not honor
it with their presence. The snob and the tuft-
hunter are consequently absent Neither do the
'Arries of London swarm here and make night
hideous The plutocracy of some of the great
provincial cities come here and the prosperous
middle class find it to their liking. A few rich
swelis sojourn by order of their medical to
get braced up with the pure, strong, fresh air of
the sea. If you are physically sound and have
no bronchial troubles, you will find that Great
Yarmouth is the healthiest place in England.
Dickens said as much for it in this respect
as Thackeray said for Brighton. You may probe
tke characters and tastes, the likes and dislikes
and moral constitutions Of these two illuStrious
men from their associations with Brighton and
Yarmouth Brighton in the season is Mayfair
by the sea: Yarmouth in the season is still the
home Of the Peggottys and playground of the
middle classes of some inland cities Thackeray
would have been wretched in Yarmouth. Even
its history was out of the lines of his artistic
sympathies. He would have found no inspira-
ton in the occupation of its people, and in say
ing this am casting no reflection upon Thack-
erays humanity; his sympathies ran in direc
tons that were foreign to the nature of Dickens.
Yarmouth is a city of the people who gather the
harvests of the sea. Brighton is a city of pleas
ure; the residents are chiefly lodging house.
ekeepers, and tradesmen whose harvestS are
visitors jaded with the gayeties of the London
season. Thackeray would find Beckey Sharp
at Brighton Dickens would meet any day
crowd of his favorite types at Yarmouth.
During tie civil wars of the days Of Charles,
Cromwell commanded in this district and tradi-
ton has it that the death of the King
was resolved upon at the home of John Carter,
in this place. 1t is more than likely Cronwells
son in law Ireton had authority in the garrison
for the Parliament Bradshaw had a home in
Yarmouth; Miles Corbet Il member of Par
hament for Yarmouth; Barkshead military
general Scroope was a visitor here, and these
men all sat rs judges at the trial of Charles.
When tho King fell his friends in the Yarmouth
corporation We're turned out and Cromwells
son, the Lord Henry" was elected High Stew
ard at Yarmouth. When the Protector died, the
most sycophantish address of the time was the
Yarmouth Endorsement of Richard Cromwells
succession. But at the restoration the vengeance
OF The Merry Monarch" fell promptly upon
Yarmouth The corporation was purged its
address to Richard Cromwell blotted out the
charters of the town were surrendered. and the
King nominated his adherents to the chief
Offices. Miles Corbet and Barkshead who had
fled to Holland, were hunted down and hanged,
drawn and Quartered at Tyburn The famous
diarist Pepys, in recording their Deaths says
they all (Okey was one of them) looked cheerful
al the gellows, but hear they all die defend
ing what they did to the King to be just, which
is very strange The courage of martyrdom in
a rebel rouudhead would seem strange to the
dear old royal bootblack, Pepys.
But am here at Yarmouth on a bank holiday.
when London. Sheffield. Lincoln, Manchester,
Norwich and other cities run cheap trains TO the
east coast, and this seat of the herring trade is
crowded with 1000 people in addition to its OWL
10000 The result is twenty four hours of pan
demonium. l. would amaze you to see the
esplanade anu beach. There is nothing like it
in America Along the seaport are series of
Of VhaU h,ilt OF
stone and brick Here and there is comfort
able little hotel. The sidewalk and road in
front are of stone and macadam. Below the
road and sidewalk is a shady beach. On the
esplanade the visitors who have come by the
cheap trains are riding madly on ponies, donkeys
and trieycles: they ga!lop and plunge along be-
tween carriages filled with fathers and mothers
and the more staid and steady of the excursion