Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
IN LONDON.
Ax0sb THE WAREHOUSES; .F TIE
METROPOLIS.
The Great Storehouses of Ivory,
Spices, Wines and Other Pro-
ducts of All Chimes.

tcpeclsl correspondence OF the RECoRD-UEI0N.
LONDON, February 16, 1889.
In no way could we gain SO perfect a
conception of vast, incalculable wealth as
by visit to the docks which border part
of the Thames and makes good-sized
harbor for London right in the heart of
the city.
The buildings make no pretensions to
architectural beauty, but their massive
plainness impresses the visitors more than
any ornament could do. ST. Katherine's
Docks, which are near the Tower, cover
about twenty-five acres, half of which is
water. The cost of these docks alone was
near 100000, and the site was occupied
by some 200 houses and was the home of
$4,000 people. The earth removed to
make the basins was used in raising streets
and making squares in the metropolis.
These docks we're built in 1928 and at that
time would hold in the storehouses
10000 TONS OF GOODS.
OF course the way to St. Katherine's
Docks was muddy and nasty-all ways in
London are-and the streets about the
Tower, with the heterogeneous mass of for
eigners, had the air of Castle Garden,
making me feel as if | were in the neigh
borhood of that famous dumping ground
which we offer the world for its refuse
Orders having kindly been given me by
some well-known houses to visit all the
floors and taste all the wines in all the
docks, found no difficulty in passing
through the Custom House doors and up a
wet lane to an enormous building. On
the first floor, called the Ivory floor"
1.-THE elegance which the name suggests is
not in the reality, were
HUGE PILES OF TUsKs AND TEETH
From all parts of the world One pile
composed of old tusks of elephants had
been brought from Africa, where they had
been lying in the desert sands for thou
sands of years, the man in charge said, but
| thinks hundreds of years must be nearer
the truth These were not much weather.
worn, only at the base where the enamel
was naturally thin, they showed that
roughness which a cows horn shows after
a year Of exposure with us. The rainless-
ness OF the desert had spared them from
decay, but the polish they had acquired
from the constantly-working sand was mar
Vicious. These tusks were the first pieces
OF ivory had ever seen which could not
he suspected of the crime of "celluloidism"
The wonderful durability of ivory was
proved by their age and their color. A
few feet from the base in the largest tusls.
and proportionately in others, they be-
come solid, aud this part has the most
vslue, being
USED FOR THE ARTS IN CARVING
And for the turning of billiard balls; all
the bits left over are utilized in some wav.
coming to us in many familiar shapes.
The thin part or hollow part of the tusk is
cut into combs or brush handles and from
the pieces which are left from these are
turned knitting needles and crochet hooks
buttons eat up what ever is left over, and
after the smallest buttons or beads have
been Gu. out there is little left save dust.
which, mixed into paste with some
qulcklydrying liquid, may be used for
making toys or cheaper articles Veneers
a. thin "a waiess are made, and these
show to the best advantage the beautiful
texture Of the bone. The Asiatic ele-
lhaDis smaller tusks, the walrus' and
creature, has its representative pie, duly
marged End ticketed and under bonds
Ssvera! rDinoceri had given their share to
HE collection, and were, believe to
finally appear i'll America between the
rnty lips oi our ererioyely, Dever-fading
woDen OF course ! gave the suaid dian Of
t.iS great wealth a little tip--a case where
/ tAinl: il is better TO give than TO receive
!. Ill . .. e e.. l
here ii IS difficult to keep financial euui-
lfTium. The floor above was devoted to
spices, The sweet perfumes of which were
noticeable on the ivory floor la hags
woven from palm leaves were
STORES OF GLOVES FROM PENANG,
Such as ! have never seen before, large
and full, and strong enough to disguise tie
name of 4 hundred of those men we q,
to see" in the theaier lobby. Some of
these cloves had burst into bloom before
being picked, and the center was mass OF
iine sepsls, III place OF the well-known
smooth little knob. Great quantities of
tbs powerful spice come from Zanzibar,
au,3 the Two, Penang and Zanzibar cloves,
are ibe best known in the market
from China comes bark called cacia.
or accacla which has the perfume and
taste of cinnamon. being, indeed, sold
under that name and more extensively
ussd, on account of its cheapness, than is
the genuine article, which is brought
from Ceylon. The real cinnamon bark is
found in much smaller and closer-roled
strips, being packed in so solid mass as
TO feel ike one block of wood. In the
dock nov are over $4,000 cases of this
valuable product
HUNDREDS OF CASES OF NUTMEGs
Were being unpacked and their contents
sorted, the decayed nuts being thrown
away and the remainder being collected in
cases according to size. Some nutmegs
were quite as large as small hens egg,
and would bring at first price $500 case;
three specimens of these best nuts were
given me, and their delicious flavor and
fine grain gave no resemblance to the hard,
woody little things found in our grocers'
shops. Even the man in charge of this
floor spoke of the unenviable reputation
our good State of Connecticut has earned
in connection with this fruit, but he said
he did not believe it could be carried on,
though he did not doubt that the Ameri-
cans wouldtryit. Leaving ST. Katherine's
Docks and passing some quays, which would
pt StOu ihOueis lOT the SedWdil AT Dan
Francisco, glimpses of large, iron steam
ships unloading their cargoes of Oriental
and African produce are had, while brass
buttoDed Custom-house men stare at you,
as at home, with that peculiar air which
makes you feel yourself criminal of the
irst degree.
THE LONDON DOCKS,
In Mapping, are soon reached; they were
opened in 1906 and enlarged in 1858, and
like those of st. Katherine's are sur
rounded by tall and gloomy warehouses,
where goods held in bond are stored. Here
is the tobacco dock and warehouse, the lat
ter occupying five acres and holding $4,000
hossheads OF tobacco. The most interest
ING part of this division was the great
oven or kiln bearing the strange name of
the Queens Tobacco Pipe, where all the
damaged tobacco which is not worth hay
ing duty paid on, is burned. | saw boxes
Of tea on which the three pence pound
which our ancestors refused to pay, is still
collected, enough to make big hole in
L "a y