Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-06-10
LONDON SANDWICH MEN.
One of Them Who Thought Life Csse OF
Freeze Out.


One of Them who Thought Life Case of
Freeze Out.
His name was John Fosh; his calling
sandwich man; face grimy; eyes black
and cavernous jaws lanterned; general
appearance gaunt; frame shivering with
two coats on his back, and bundle of
something-shirts call it. Fosh was an
old soldier, and has had five years
of odd jobbing-window-cl board
man, match vendor, hawker and decker.
He sticks to the boards when he can get
them Fosh was dining on air and
washing it down with lump of ice
when / met him in the Dark Arches
formed by Charing Cross railway bridge.
This is one of the favorite dining-rooms
of boardmen. If they have a penny to
spare they buy a penn worth of pea
soup at the kitchen in Ham-yard. SO l
understand Fosh to say.
''But, surely, Fosh you have a penny
over from the day before?"
''Not always. How is it when you
don't get no board for two days. Where's
yer penny then?'
$50 some of you were run in the other
day for trespassing on the kerbstones?"
''That's So And I've heard 'em say
as they'll do away with us altogether.
They told us this morning that they'd
pay no more fines"
''What does the law say?"
"1he boardman must keep in the gut
ter
"Then why don't your
ssWhy, the 'ansoms haims at us. They
think our toes is taSsits,' said Fosh,
gri1nly.
''Then you take to the kerbstones?"
SAY, we takes to the kerbstones, and
then the policeman e comes up and
warns us. And the swells complain,
and-well, it's the last job cap IL take
to'
''The last hope"
cay The very last"
''What pay do you get, Fosh?"
Zone and-two pence day, from
till $50 And luck them as gets pair
O. boards. Theirs always a fight for
'em. I'll tell you what it is. There's
too many of us in this ere world
'Well, how do you spend your one
and-two pence?"
''Fourpence for a doss Salvation
Army Horseferry road coffin bed and
leather blanket: but it's warm enough
the room is, with steam pipes. At night
you goes in and gets some coffee and a
bit of bread. When you goes at seven
in the morning you gets some more
coffee and bit more bread Them and
the doss is four-pence very good
| for the money"
''That's only fourpence."
''After we gets paid at $50 we goes
to shop knows and buys two penn
orth of cooked meat scraps and | take
these to the shelter. That's supper. It's
not much of sum. That's sixpence.
Then there's a penn orth of pea-soup at
lanyard. They give you good penn
i orth there. Seven-pence. Then there's
clothes. and bit of baccy runs away
with some of the rest, and bit for
day when boards is scarce"
! about clothes, Fosh. How much for
the outer coat?"
GA penny"
| 'Only penny"
| It was not half bad garment.
| 81 bought it from mate. He had six
of 'em."
'.The undercoat, Fosh; how much?"
''Three pence"
"And your shoes?"
| ssOdd ones. Picked up in borrow.
| Penny the right. Two pence the left. :"
''Some of you go to the lodging
houses?"
''That's so. They charge four-pence
| there, without bread and coffee. l don't
run to that. Some goes to Limehouse.
It's only three-pence there"
''What? They walk from West End
to Limehouse night and morning to save
penny"
That's so. To save penny"
''No boards on Sundays?"
81 sells matches. Buys 'em at six
pence a dozen. Sells 'em at shilling.
Made eight pence one Sunday"
GA bad winter this has been, Fosh?
Why, man, you're crying" X A
tear or two fell on Fosh's coat, and
were icicles before | had turned him in
side out No wonder Fosh found it cold
in his six penny suit. ''Tell, you what
it is, sir,'' picking off the frozen tear
with his dirty fnger-nails- was evil
GENTLY ashamed of it-''tell you what it
is, LIES like this ere weather. It's a
| FROST
You're in bad way, Fosh. What
are you by trader"
Fourteen years in the army. Out in
India all the time. Invalided home.
Never done no good since"
you've been five years trying to get
worlx?''
give years. Fights for boards; nights
in the open; casual wards; haymaking
and hopping IN the summer; hawking
matches. l can't go glimming; 1 amt
the cheek"
"Glimming?"
Opening lerridge doors, guvnor."
Fosh is right-"Theres too many of
us in this 'ere world. Life's frost"
Fosh says there are thousands like
him.-Pall Mall Gazette.
CARE OF THE EYES.
Some Good Advice Concerning These Dell
fcate Organs.
1t our young folks would only seri-