The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-04-03
LONDON SANDWICH MEN.
One of Them Who Thought Life Case Of
Freeze Out.


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 iobbing-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 thoy have a penny to
spare they buy penn'worth of pea
soup at the kitchen in Ham-yard. So l
understand Fosh to say.
'But, surely, Fosh, you have penny
over from the day before?"
mot always. How is it when you
don't get no board for two days. Where's
yer penny them"
$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.
| 1hCy 10 AAOA hAAG why -
pay no more fines"
What does the law say?"
"Ihe boardman must keep in the gut
ter"
"Then why don't your
"Why, the 'ansoms haims at us. They
think our toes is targitS," said Fosh,
grimly.
'Hrhen you take to the lSerbstones?"
CAV, 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 II take
to-"
"The last hope"
cay. The very last"
"What pay do you get, Fosh?"
zone and-two pence a day, from 0
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 doss, Salvation
Army, Horseferry road, a coffin bed and
leather blanket; but it's warm enough
|
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-and very good
for the money"
That's only fourpencc."
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 a sum. That's sixpence.
Then there's a penn orth of pea-soup at
lanyard. They give you a good penn
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 coat?"
"a penny
"Only penny?"
1t was not half bad garment.
81 bought it from a mate. He had six
of EN-"
THE undercoat, Fosh; how much?"
"Three pence"
"And your shoes?"
"Odd ones. Picked up in 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.
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 EN- at six
, pence dozen. Sells 'em at a shilling.
7 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-he was evil
, IDENTIFY ashamed of it--"tell you what it
. is, life's like this ere weather. It's a
] frost"
| lou IC III pdu ~uNs OolA' w hoe
5 arc 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
z worll?"
, Five years. Fights for boards; nights
in the open; casual wards: haymaking
and hopping IN the summer; hawking
{ matches. 1 can't go glimming; 1 amt
the check"
{ "Glimming?"
, Opening l1erridge doors, guvnor."
, Fosh is right-''There's too many Of
us in this ere world. LIES frost"
Fosh says there are thousands like
. him.-Pall Mall Gazette.
The Silk Pctticont in Vogue.
Sham skirts are trimmed in front
) two broad breadths of material hang
u straight down the back, attached t.
these being strap which was formerly
used for carrying the train upon the
1 arm. By the means of this strap the
skirt is held up, a little to one side, anc
! ! 10! the browning glory of woman''