Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-11
AT THE WHITE HORSE HOTEL.
The Peculiar R Retreat o1 NIisers and
 Decayed Gentlemen.

The Peculiar Retreat of Misers and
 Decayed Gentlemen.
 London Letter in the Boston Heraldl
 'Desayed' Gas they say here, or as we would say reduced) gentlemen, with lorg, old-time coats and beaver hats brown and rusty with age. Showmen down on their luck, gamblers out of the way of luck, lawyers dropped from legal grace, travel CTS, loafers and sharpers, all these flock to the White Horse. There is a strange air of d-fellowship with the lot, who greet each other in this wise: 'sHello, old bloke!" Some men wear clothes s'all tattered and torn," others 1igged out in pitiful re- spectability, but alasl none are comfortably dressed in the house where Goldsmith once lodged. Many have look of state all nour- ishment, others appeared attenuated and blue from want of food. Yet, with all this, there is bagatelle atmosphere over all of Hive easy and die quick" At one table sits a jolly crowd of congenial spirits, with pew ter mugs full of brown stout The latter fluid buys much temporary happiness. It buys warmth and hospitality. At another table we find three merry old souls singing a "happy- go lucky" song, the while 8 fourth member of the group with glass of hot gin in his hand and two fre-pokers laid before
 
 sword dance. This happens at high noon In one corner sits small cobbler, with bro- ken hammer and few tacks, begging away at shoe too far gone to mend. Neat at hand huge man tries to repair, with painful pa- tienee, series of rents and rips in pair of trousers that would have been scorned by an "old clo'" dealer. Further on two men of about eighty years of age are enjoying a game of cards with most greasy, unwhole- If One of them is silent, intent the game. The other gables on about his travels. He has explored Africa, China and North and South America. On his left arm he boasts rattlesnake bite, on his right shin tarantu. Ia bite! He caps the climax by asserting that he was once the victim of a mad dogs bite and has had the hydrophobia He says he is eighty. He is an ancient mariner and a most ancient liar. All alone at one table sits man of Irving like aspect and general theatrical air. The table is filtered with rags, strings and rolls of cottons He ap- pears to be making rag doll of nearly ele- phant size. We ask the mans name. A by stander replies ''Why, lima 'e's Wallentine Wox; 'e's the great wentriloquist, and e's good un; e makes old woman out of them rags and paints the old woman's face on the back of his hand. Then e goes round to the pubs at night, stands in the cheers and makes the old woman talk for pennies. Oh! 'e's good un." Additional inquiry proved that this man is 8 very clever ventriloquist and prestidigitateur, who trav- els round the provinces in the spring and summer, spending his winters at the White Horse. His guestship is only a matter of lniserly economy though, for he has banked two thousand pounds, or ten thousand dol lars, as profits on his business. Another man is busy broiling penny herring the coals, but we find he has several snug thou sands He is a miser of mysterious history. No one knows how much he is worth, for his money is distributed about in several banks. It is only known of him positively that he once was well-to-do shopkeeper, who, fear ing to risk his gains in business, gave it up and has ever since lived the life of a miser and recluse. His breakfast is penny her. ring with no bread. His dinner is two pen nies' worth of beef, ha'penny potato and ha'penny biscuit. As he drinks neither tea nor coffee and has no supper, his food costs the small sum of fourpence day. Add to this beggarly amount sixpence for bed, and his entire living mounts up only to ten pence, or twenty cents day. He does not grant favors. He does not ask favors. If fellow ledger were starving he would not give him bread Rumor has it that he scornfully refused to help all own brother who was dying of starvation. The man thus described is about seventy years old, with bent form, pinched face and small furtive eyes. As he broils his herring he glances about like weasel, fearing he may be robbed. Once cooked he carries the mean little fish to distant corner, munching it as though ashamed of the performance After nightfall the White Horse is lively place. At eleven o'clock the fun waxes fast and flu rious. That is the hour most affected by the transients, and then they take their night cap of beer or spirits, usually the latter. By two the house IS fairly quiet, and wrapped in the arms of Morpheus are the dodgers at ten-penoe day."