The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-02-09
LONDON'S ODD CORNERS.
A VISIT TO THE REGION THAT IS
UNDER LONDON BRIDGE.
There Is As Great Bustle Below the
Famous Viaduct As Above It-Modern
Commercial Life Mingled with Ancient
Land Marks without Incongruity.
Special Correspondence.

| three flights Of which descend TO the waters
edge, the last flight widening where the
second terminates, an ornamental plaster
marking the end of a stone wall. Behind
this pilaster Noah Claypole stood concealed
and listened to Nancy as she betrayed, for
| Oliver Twists sake some part of the conf
| ienre Of Fill Sykes, and the picture comes
| clearly to mind as one pauses here Tor
memory no less real than history has to offer.
Looking from London bridge on a bright
morning-and let it be understood that
bright Is a purely relative term, meaning
simply morning less given over to mist and
shadow than those that make up the chief
| part of London days-there is u scene buster
| than ANYTHING even the busiest harbor of the
busiest city elsewhere has to Offer
This from above. From below, he who
ventures into row boat, and threads the mys-
| teries Of the river from the dark piers on for
| such distance as he will, findsnO less tumble
at end than beginning.
Once and once only will one dare such ex-
perimcntal cruise, and back swiftly as may
be to solid land again, content to study river
life from the piers, or even from the bridge
itself Watching the swift passage of tiny
st iamboats or tho slow WEAKNESS # barges,
one sees moving at times among them n
snail boat, which is apparently master of
any situation in which it finds itself The
barge pauses midway and enters into mys-
FERROUS colloquy; the wheelmen on the
steamboats, seem inclined to do the same;
sailors pause in their work and look over the
sides of the vessel, and here and there a rope
goes down and comes up with a steaming
something Sailors, stovedores, coal whip
pcrs, corn pOrtors, and the army of workers
on shore and water share the common inter-
est. IL is not "bumboat," for their day
was over long years ago, the "bumboat" of
the past being simply form of water ped
ding, the boat going out to meet incoming
ships, loaded with such articles as would be
needed after long voyage. There are old
sailors in Chelsea hospital browsing away
the few days left to them, who after some
disabling disaster in battle, bought a license
to run "bumboat," and made such living
as might be from tho selling of small wares
Steam ended this business, and the bum
boat degencratQd into the beerboat, this too
having nearly had its day But with the
chilly mists of early autumn the purlboat,
which in summer has given itself chiefly to
beer, ginger and otherwise, finds purl de-
mand that does not vary till summer comes
again.
The purl man, too, must have a license,
and requires TO be rather man of capital to
set up in the business at all, as boat, cans
license, etc. mean something like $40 ex-
penditure or $50. "Purl" in the beginning
of the Seventeenth century, was simply beer
or alo into which NORWOOD had been in
fused for medicinal purposes, and the river
men drank it as an antidote to fog and chill.
How it degenerated to its present form his
tory saith not but the purl of today is simply
beer warmed nearly to boiling point and
favored with gin, sugar and ginger. The
purl man must have other gifts than power
to blend these ilavors perfectly. He must
not only know the river, but now to manage
his boat in all circumstances, for between
tho crowd of craft in the pool" and the con-
slant shooting past of steamboats, he has
many chances every hour OF seeing his DO i
crushed like an egg shell. Old sailors once
monopoli2cd the work, but it is now chiefly
| in the hands Of younger men who have fol-
lowed some employment on the river until
accident has bcfallen them, and they have
chosen this as easier than continuous work.
What is the purlboat like and how does
tho purl man live! Right here by London
bridge pier is the answer A sturdy young
fellow whose right foot is missing, and who
tells his story with little laugh at the end,
as If three months in the hospital were rather
a good joke. On the whole they may have
been, for to be certain of warmth and album
dant food is not always the Norkmans share
in midwinter. He had been q "coal whipper,n
a name given to tho unloaders of coal ships,
whose work is frightfully hard as we'll as
dangerous, many being injured by the fall of
heavy Jumps of coal or by falling from the
plank into the hold of the vessel In his case
falling lump had crushed the foot, and as
gangrenc set in three operations were neces-
sary before he could be discharged, cured.
when | came OUT he said, ~ didn't
know what I'd do or which way to turn. l
admit thought I'd come out at ALL but that
I'd be toes up in Stepney churchyard an
grinning at the lid Of an old coffin. But
they got me through somehow, an mo wife
would ave it was to live, an so / did: an n
neighbor o mine, waterman, advised
purlboat, an helped raise the money for me,
an purlboat it is, an no better one on the
river. The trades dyin' out. There's one
man lives in is boat the year through.
There's hoops like them as gypsies uses, and
'es fastened them to the side of is boat, an a
talred canvas over en-, an there he sleeps,
an no one comm after rent, once his license
is paid. | amt single nor wouldn't be, an
goes omc nights, but faint bad way. If
1T wasn't for credits I'd do well enough It's
them that eats up profits. Want to see low
we fits up boat' Step along here. ma'am,
an mind not to slip on that step 4 slips a
thing thatll scare mo tue rest O me life, see
ing twas slip brought the lump down on
me. Hero you are, maam.n
The boat was n sliiif, short but very broad
in order that it might be less likely to can
size in the swell of steamers. In the stern
was set a frame on which stood two 'spins. "
otherwise small casks of beer, each holding
eighteen pots. \ long necked tin bottle
held the gin. An iron irepan was secured
i'll the bottom of the boat, holes in the side
for the admission of air, and the smoke from
it isaS much part of his advertisement as the
bell which is rung at intervals to announce
his approach Various measures are scat
tered about, and a black pot for heating the
beer, and with this equipment the owner can
clear from pound to pound and a half u
week
81 don't drink myself, as did when was
a coal whipper,' the young man says, ar
ranging his measures in a pile. BLESS your