The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-07
IN POVERTY CORNER.
A Queer Nook in London Where
Poor Actors Gather.
THE SIGHTS AND SCENES THERE,
The Resurrection of Interesting Correspond
ence Between Junius Brutus Booth and
His Wife-Of Covent Garden.

LONDON, Nov. u, 1S90.-TSpecial cor
respondence of The HERALD. On the
Surrey side of the Thames, just beyond
| where poor people and others of moderate
means dwell. The classes mix and mingle
il the struggle of life and many a good
story OF right and wrong, laughter and
song, folly and daring is gathered be-
tween the end Of the bridge and the rail
ROAD station bearing the same name, not
| half a mile beyond. Along the streets of
this locality there are rooms for rent in
nearly all the houses, and men and women
who are study live in them, from the
seedy professional of vague ambitions to
/ the speedy girl who is doing the best she
can for herself.H Now and then member
OF parliament who has little money has a
room in this locality with his breakfast
cooked over an oil stove for pound d
week so and is quite comfortable. In
other words, this section is peopled with
/ that range of humanity with whom econ
Cmy is necessity and the actual wants of
life are often missing, 1t is Just such a
community as Dickens would revel in while
in search OF
PICTURESQUE CHARACTERS OR QUAINT
DoINGs
if the London of Dickens still existed, but
it does net. Nearly all the old places about
which he wove such wonderful stories
have changed their power and purpose for
the better, save the Seven Dials or St.
Martins church.
Poverty Corner is the center Of this To-
cality filled with strange beings. The ia
tersectlons of York and Waterloo roads
forms jS n Cri,1-
the tip of each Of the four corners, and
many more in the locality where those
who congregate there, divide their pint
of bitters with the less fortunate of their
kind or drink it alone. Under the rail
road bridge just beyond "the Duke of
York" swell gin mill, is a fish market,
where the children OF the very DOOR gather
after the days sales are over, ask for Two
pennies worth of fish, and get all they can
carry home. There are dozens of queer
hooks and phases of existence in all direc-
tlons, where strange scenes are enacted,
in that rude and intensely interesting
drama, which is played there so earnestly
with change OF bill every hour in the day
and night for many tunes those who are
seeking bread, either by their work OF
their wits, nave no place to lay their heads
and make the arches of the bridges their
home.
is therefore the resort of many, but it is
chiefly and popularity known as the meet
ing point for the humber class of actors
who are seeking places in the music halls
and the lower occupations on the stage
There are dozen or more theatrical and
musical agencies in the vicinity where
these actors and actresses gather, hoping
often against hope for even a chance to
show what they can do. They are poor
many very poor, not worse of than in many
other avocations, but the fight for place
is very hard here where there are so many
begging for chance to be heard. There
, are no conditions or surroundings like it in
the United States, but just after tn season
closes Union Square, about Fourteenth
street, will give one faint glimpse of it
but it is very faint. because Just beyond
Waterloo bridge the poverty of the stage
: of London seems to gather, never relieved
by the sight of prosperous actor OF
actress as Is often found on the Rialto il
New York. About il o'clock
THIS SINGULAR CROWD
assemblies They sleep late when the,
sleep at all, and with or without breakfas
the conditions are the same. They FIRE
!, quently divide their last penny's worth O.
beer with each ether and keep in wonder
fully good spirits considering what they
endure. Among them there is every sor
of talent. Chorus man, song and dance
ballad singer and specialists of every class
Sometimes hundreds can be found there
and especially lust before the HOLIDAYS
when the Christmas pantomime5 are beinl
put on, the number increases and a manager
can get almost all the people he wants o
any kind or description by giving the wore
to one of the numerous ''nawks'' who act
, as rmiddleman between these folks anC
those who wish to employ them.
The beginner is a prominent anC
unique character among this throng which
does the minor work OF the boards. His 10
3 is a very hard one and he waits and beg
2 for a chance to show what he can do ant
{ these chances are not numerous. Tit
agent hears him and if he thinks well of i
he goes to a manager and asks for hear
ing for his client. This is done in tn
music halls by what is called an ''extr;
y turn" The ambitious young person is pu
on for trial some night and the fact an
nounced by big placard, This is motto
q to the audience that it is to decide his fate
z If the verdict is favorable one he gener
+ ally has a sure road to an engagement, if
is unfavorable he is Kissed off the stage AM
t his career generally ends in the chorus, OF
the street or doing the provincial towns
/ Naturally
MANY UNIQUE CHARACTERS ARE FOUND
among this class. and much talent come
. from the curious throng that takes i
5 poverty corner" OF course they are a
r improvident lot and their earnings at bes
are small. Want is constantly starin
9 them in the face, and sharpening their wit
i so that even the most casual observer ca