Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-01-15
CURIOUS LONDON CLUBS.
Peculiar Social Societies to De Found in
the East End of the Metropolis.

| the East Enu OF the Metropolis.
A short tour through the East End
of London has convinced us that tho
clubs thereabouts are equally as singu-
lar rs the curious contests held in that
quarter,
One Of the most amusing is Tho
Judge and Jury. This is society
formed for the purpose of trying mock
charges among its members, and is
usually held in the parlor Of some con-
venient public house once week in
the winter months, and at stated In
tervals at the present time. Stepney,
Limehouse, Whitechapel, Spitaliields
and other typical East End localities
all have their Judge and Jury.
The charges are always of a most
outrageous as well as humorous do"
scription.
Many years ago bird fanciers' clubs
were much in vogue, but there arc
very few in existence now.
One of these was for the purpose of
relieving a brother bird-catcher when
in distress of a peculiar kind.
The law only allows birds to DO
caught at certain times of the year,
and representatives of the lime and
twig found laying down their bait out
OF season were subject to severe PEN
alties.
A weekly payment of three pence
or six pence TO the funds of the soci-
ETY. was sufficient to secure prompt
payment of the penalty if caught thus
infringing the law.
Another club. peculiar to the bird
catching fraternity, was once n rec
ognized institution, and We believe,
although it is not conducted on such II
large scale nowadays, that interested
parties still meet and talk the matter
over in a small way.
The members are known as The
Canaries, and the latest idea or dodge
discovered in Transforming the humble
sparrow into more aristorratic bird
changing its coat to another color was
discussed and experiments made on the
table.
1t was said, too, and on good
authority, that these men were in the
habit of further experimenting on the
birds by piercing them with red hot
needles in order to make them sing
better, but one of the oldest dealers in
Bird Fair assured the writer that this
latter experiment had never been done
to his knowledge.
You will find in the East End clubs for
pickpockets and their brethren. clubs
for beggars, who mass their takings in
the way of victuals together and par
take of meal from the same dish;
but one of the most curious is the
Teapot Club.
This society is supported by tho
frequenters of cheap lodging houses,
whose limited exchequer will allow
them to occasionally partake OF tho
fragrant cup.
The teapot OF the lodging-house par
lor is the common property Of the ten
ants, and in many Of the houses
woman has it given into her charge,
while those who wish for a mug OF tea
every evening can have the same guar
anteed on payment of from Id to I'D
per week.
With the subscriptions from the
dodgers "siftings" at Is per pound, are
purchased and brcwed accordingly.
A club, too, exists in the East End only
open tc men who have met and con-
quered some recognized champion in
the pugilistic world; but among some
OF the most curious we are inclined to
number those devoted to gambling for
such small stakes as permit lads to
enter the arena of speculation and
lose.
There are scores OF these places in
London. When standing at Spital-
fields Church you are within easy
reach of dozen of such haunts, and
we are now about TO eD;er an East End
saloon. London Tid-Btts.