The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-04-16
LONDON SANDWICH MEN.
One OF Them Who Thought Life Case .
Freeze Out.

sandwich man; face grlmy: 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-cle board
man. match vendor. hawker and decker
lie sticks to the boards when he can get
them. Fosh was dining on air and
washing it down with a lump of ice
when met him in the Dark Arches
formed by Charing Cross railway bridge.
| This is one Of the favoritc dining-rooms
of boardmen. If they have penny to
spare they buy penn worth of pea
soup at the kitchen in IIam-yard. So !
understand Fosh to say.
but, surely. Fosh. You have 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 them
| so 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?"
"Ihe boardman must keep in the gut
ter"
Then why don't you?'
| why. the 'ansoms haims at us. They
think our toes is targits," said Fosh
grimly.
Then you take to the kerbstones?"
"Ay. we takes to the kcrbstones, 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-"
1.-The last hope
lay. The very last"
What pay do You get, Fosh?"
..One and-two pence day. from Q
till $50. And luck them as gets pair
o boards. Theirs always fight for
'em. III 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 doss. Salvation
Army. Horseferry road. a coffin bed and
leather blanket: but it's warm enough
the room is, with steam pipes. At night
you goes i'm and gets some coffee and a
bit Of bread. When You goes at seven
in the morning you gets some more
coffee and a bit more bread Them and
the doss is four-pence-and very good
for the money"
THAT'S only fourpence."
After we gets paid at $50 we goes
to a 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 sixpenee.
Then there's penn'orth of pea-soup at
lanyard. They give you good penn
orth there. $ ven-pence. Then there's
clothes. and bit of baccy runs away
with some of the rest. and bit for a
day when boards is scarce
About clothes Fosh. How much for
the outer coato"
a penny
"Only a penny?"
1t was not half bad garment.
Il bought it from mate. He ha / six
Of EN-"
1.-The undercoat, Fosh; how much?"
''Threc pence"
And your shoes?"
.Odd ones. Picked up i'm a 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. / don't
run to that. Some goes to Limehouse.
Its only three pence there
WHAT They walk from West End
to Limehouse night and morning TO save
a penny?'
That's SO. To save a penny"
No boards on Sundays
Il sells matches. Buys EN- at six
pence dozen. Sells 'em at shilling.
Made eight pence one Sunday"
| a bad winter this has been, Fosh?
Why. man, you're crying" 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 finger-nails-h was evil
IDENTITY ashamed of it--''tell you what it
is, lifes like this ere weather. It's a
| frost
You're In bad way, Fosh. What
are you by I adeo'
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
work."
Five years. Fights for boards; nights
in the open; casual wards: haymaking
and hopping IN the summer: hawking
matches. l cant go glimming; / amt
the cheek"
"Glimming?"
Opening kerridge doors, guvnor."
Fosh is right-''There's too many of
us in this ere world. Life's FROST
Fosh says there are thousands like
him.-Pall Mall Gazette.