The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-01-26
FOURTEEN CENTS A DAY,
LOW COST OF THE FREEDOM or
ENGLAND'S METROPOLIS.

Cheap Lodgings in the City Of London.
Scene In the Kitchen OF Four Penny
Lodging House-Recipe for Pea Soup.
Misunderstanding.
have often been asked to give some
estimate of the cost of a tour through
England. Those who have written books
of travel have generally had plenty of
money and they have given no thought in
their works to readers Of limited means
who have great desire for the culture
that travel is supposed to bring, butywho
shrink from launching out because Of the
expense.
1t is to this large class that I address
myself. A recent writer has put forth a
book showing how Europe can be done on
fifty cents day. AS the phrase is in q
certain American game called poker, see
his fifty cents and will go him somewhat
better; in other words, will show him
how the freedom of the city of London,
for instance, can be had at a cost of about
seven pence day, or fourteen cents in
American money. This will include three
meals day and lodging at night. OF
course this is only intended for the capt.
talist class. Chicago. as everybody
knows, was once offered to man for q
pair of boots, but as the man didn't have
boots, he failed, to his unavailing regret
ever afterward, to invest in real estate
that ultimately reached much higher
figure. So If man has not the fourteen
cents day it is useless for him to read
the first part of this article. will have
pleasure in telling him further on how to
live on nothing day and enjoy the lux
ury of bath every evening as well.
FOURTEEN CENTS A DAY. s.,
An estimable friend of mine in London
that is, he lives in London during the
seasop-who is tramp by profession,
told me how a man with an income Of
fourteen cents a day could live surhptu-
ously, and he even invited me to go and
lodge and live with him, which is some
thing, regret to say, never had the
courage to do.
In all the crowded parts of London can
be seen signs which read lodgings for
single men, four pence night" There
are others at lower rates, but of course on
this tour, as I said before, we prefer to
live well rather than merely save money.
You pay your fourpence to a man at the
bottom of the stair, and until daylight
does appear the freedom of the house is
yours. There is large room called the
kitchen. A good sized fire burns at one
end of it, and at that fire you will find
some of the dodgers cooking their evening
meal. Ibelieve that in expensive lodging
houses, such as speak of, tin dishes are
provided, the rule being that the last user
corner.
AT the first dinner that ordered at
Delmonico>s, in New York, they brought
me so much of each dish that did not
wonder at the awful price charged, and
learned afterward that it is the custom
for two persons to go there together, and
each order is considered more than enough
for two. The tramps of London follow
this high toned precedent. On pea soup
guzzle four of them generally 60 in to-
gether, and the chances are that when we
enter the kitchen of the fourpenny lodg-
ing house we will be at once claimed as
partners in pea soup banquet. My
tramp informs me that the pea soup pre-
pared from the tramps' recipe is one of
the most sustaining things O man can SUBJ
sist On.
FOR FOUR HUNGRY MEN.
Here is the recipe and the cost of it, this
portion being enough for four hungry
men:
One penny's worth Of pea flour, one
penny's worth of bread toasted, one penny
pot herbs, carrots, turnips, leeks, parsley,
etc., half penny's worth onions, half
penny's worth of drippings.
This meal then comes to one penny each,
as there is no charge for fire or cooking
utensils.
Sometimes the tramps go in for the
luXurieS of the season and two make a
meal together. Here is the formula, and
in this case only two go together, so that
the expense is double the pea soup feast:
Half penny's worth of tea, half penny's
worth of sugar, farthing's worth of milk,
one penny three farthings' worth of bread,
one penny's worth of butter.
After the meal the crowd spends the
evening in congenial conversation, DIVERSE
fed often by fight, which the stalwart
keeper of the house quickly quells with a
club.
Up stairs the dodgers sleep in one large
room. Some of the places merely have
straw scattered on the floor, at other places
rough mattresses are provided. If you
have a penny on your person it will be
stolen before meaning. However, this
makes little difference, as stealing is ETH
quette in the Hotel de Tramp, and as every
one steals the general financial balance is
not seriously disturbed.
Of course it may be claimed that in this
article have studied the interests Of the
moneyed classes only. That is quite true.
In a future article will endeavor to show
how a man can go through England with
out any money at all.---Lpke Sharp IN De-
troit Free Press. =