Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-20
ADay In Famous EppIne Forest An.
Client Hunting Grounds.
POET wAKEMAN's wANDEnINos
London East-Enders and Their Man
ner of Enjoyment Mt the Greatest OF
the Worlds Holiday Resorts---vast-
ness OF the Crowds.
lC0pyrisht lsoa. b. EDGAR !. wak.mnn.l

London. August .. lnto.
My first visit TO Epping Forest, prOl
ably the greatest holiday resort In th
world, was made In costerrnonger
cart 10 which | held proprietary interest
j had been for some weeks plying "a
subtle arts of the cOstcr with my goo
eoster friends, Slumpsy .lcm and his Wifi
Becky, and. | am proud to say. with ~
cellent success. We fought our way from
cOster poverty aud ignoniny 10 cOsir
atilucnce and aristocrrcy by a com
inercially wise distribution Of vegetables
fish, flesh and fowl. aud were now in q
way TO enjoy fruits Of sobriety, diligence
and thrift In wtil-earncd day Of recrra
lion and rest. without the grim outlook
beyond Of rem0rse trumpng with ".
sicely strides on the heels Of Al-considered
Joy.
Nothing could havo been more COM
pletcr or more tidy than our preparations
for the present event. at our habitatiOn In
Bell Lane. Jcm washed, oiled and
polished onr cart. rubbed the rusty cor.
oncts Of our secondhand harness. and
grpomed our spirited donkey, Bolivar"
until, M Jen justly remarked. "Tll
make their hryes ache 10 hObserYe this
ere turnout. bile me. 50 II viii. a
blOomin' wlconnt conduit match this 10.
no fear Becky had her hands aud
heart full in arranging her own get W,
whose observable component comprised
high-he,ded Shoes a secondhand velvet
gown which origi0nally never graced less
than the form of countess or u singer in
'the 'alls." and had massed forest Of
huge. waving ostrich plumes above her
richly oiled aud clouted bangs Of side aud
front hair. while my own immediate as
signment OF duty was to til thc hampers
against that delicious hunger which comes
10 all city foiL from day Of pleasure in
the woods aud fields.
l had what Jem called "a bloomin'
cary blanchy' aud ! used u. Two Of
our largest c0stcr baskets were our ham
pers IN these had slowed u meal
which Becky insisted was 'iit for Her
Majesty, Queen Victoria, Mt Hlscott."
There were juicy slices Of cold roast
beef and ajoint Of mutton 1 had found
al a snug public house in the Strand:
quarts Of shrlinps As sweet and pink as
as a new baby''s finger tips; dozens Of
sandwiches, hiding lovely slices Of
tongue; tender mackcrcl | had myself
grilled to crisp as brown as 4 FROST
touched maple leaf: RoQuef0rt cheese,
witch as Jcm truly said, "mndc Chcl-
dar turn green with enyy;" shadows Of
hentlsh strawberries, each as large M
a walnut and sweet as nectar. real pow
dered sugar. a pot OF ciutted cream rs
yellow "a gold, and three beautiful tin
spoons and saucers for their service
There were other toothsOme tid-hits
which wonld have done honor 10 The real
quality: along with cold tea ~ the Jug
full, and a few datk-looking chunky bot
tleS OF ale h tribute to lrms affection
for Becky and a cunning provision for
himself, for on this point he had ap-
feeling and wise Insight Into the social
reluiremcnts OF London East End
Watts the use" he said. with almost
tlnge OF bitterness in his sturdy plea,
watts the use OF leayin' out the wctf
real london lnay's no more good nj a
hontin, thOnt victim er M a bit. than
. COW 'thont runnin' water Wy, m all
them yer rich, dry whites Il crirkle
Hecky's coustitrshifn inter Lndlcrs nfnrc
night thout sup o wet. AT Amp
stead or Hopping, give CONAN wat
shes used ter. an plenty hpf Il. m no
i ,f9r, she'll make folks 'arppy w'crc she
Jem was a sight in his new "clobber'
Cleaning rows II buttons and stunning
kingnan.' Becky was no less a sight
IN her grand gown and feathers. BolIyor
was even more interesting sight Ia lis
nrek coat and wonderful decoration.
portion Of which comprised feathers wav-
ing from his trembling ears. a set of false
Wh.kers depending nom his shaggy chin,
with bright ribbons crossed and recrossed
about BIS niinble legs, and Sprat. a TINY
ooster lad without recorded ancestry. who
often accompanied Ms on our daily hawk.
" NuNrnlwes pnd slept ia our cart at
nlglt who Wac this Day 10 he'onr "corcl,,-
nhd Nnily combined, clad IN Jeni's every.
was a sight Of atouiiike habilitsicd mai.
holds.
Indeed we were altogether such n
sght that, as w finally sailed forth, the
uenl5ens OF Bei Lane, Sh0reditch. were
so pleased with our appearance and 40
enthusiastic over our various gracious
returns Of their hearty enc0mlums. which
included occasional showers OF hnld
pennies among the Bell lane rneamufin
youths, that Tits admiration for onr
spult III so gaily upholdiug the gallantiy
OF the thoroughfare was at length ~.
pressed IN enthusiastic cheers. These en-.
Outraged Sprat TO larrup bolivar far
beyond his wont or deserts The donkey
thereupon took most of his whiskcrs
anu NJ OF MS bit firmly between his
teeth Then, after lifting Sprat out of
MS temporary box with his nimhle heels.
nc siraightway broke into a fierce canter.
never checking his furious pace until M
ran head-forcmost into the old Stoke.
Newington church wall. After alighting
mere over each others heads, NE tooE
unle TO reassurc Bolivar of the pcacrfui
naturc OF cur expedition. read our ann
oitlous coachman highly-snicetl coster |
warming, made some slight repairs, gath |
erei together our distributed hammers
s. Iu 'nelr contents, and then proceeded |
Win greater calmness and clrcntnspce- |
non, but none the less merrily, un our
pleasant holiday. va S"s
A we 1ogged along at an easy rait In |
my nne May morning, there was much In. |
teregung 10 see and know through the |
nvuuih OF my coster friends sources Of |
information. While they quainfly fold |
my q this and that, 10 them familiar |
ou9ects along or upon the Midway / |
gave mem, IN Nturu, a bit of the Porcst |
history. Some OF these thinrs mn r.sders |
NAY VaIe 70 know as well as Jem AMI |
bevky and Sprat In ancient times h |
was known as Waltham forest, and In |
those days comprised 10000 acres il |
was exclusively used as the royal hunting
ground, with linost cruel foresters III |
charge who usually settled the cases al /
poachers with their darts srarecls
troubling the hard justices In Eyre win
until 1910, held their Justice se'it here 4,
the forest every three yesrS In ihtsr |
thought oiden tines the annual Epnlur |
hunt was one OF the flost fnmnus stilae |
hunts Of England. Even TODAY This |
ancient custom Is still observed by m. |
iQoslng, every Easter Monday, fat be- |
rlhmel stag, which antilles amiahiy |
about the fogesi, followed by lmndreds |
OF London quasi-hnntsmen, lot OF han |
py, friendly CUES. and perhaps ten thou. |
sand East lind rggamutiins who fan over |
each otfer meraily and maaly ia the |
great scramble through the shadowy |
forest glRdes-
Henry the Third was the frat soyer- |
eign TO giye the mayor aud citizens Of |
London the privilege of sporting IN the |
royal forest; and thus IL gradually grew |
Into vast cornman. But there were no |
Aa.tN -.