The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-08-19


poachers with their darts, scarcely troub-
ling the hard justices in Eyre. who, until
1910, held their justice seat here in the
crest every three years. In later
though still olden times. the annual Ep-
ping hunt was one of the most famous
stag-hunts of England. Even to-day this
ancient custom is still observed by I'M
looslng, every Easter Monday, fat, be-
rlbboned stag, which ambles amiably
about the Forest, followed by hundreds
OF London quAsi-huntslnen, lot OF hap
py' friendly ours and, perhaps, ten thou
SAND East End ragamuffius who fall over
each other merrily and madly in the
general scramble through the shadowy
forest glades.
Henry III. was the first sovereign to
give the Mayor and citizens of London
the privilege of sporting in the royal for
est, and thus it gradually grew into vast
common. But there were no legally de-
hned rights. By 1871 suburban encroach-
ments and Enclosures had extended so
rapidly that less than 1000 acres of Ep-
ping Forest remained. \ great popular
agitation against diminution followed
ms resulted In the corporation of London
under authority of an Act OF Parliament,
ana at an expense, to the present time, OF
about three-q uarters of million pounds,
by purchase of immortal rights and
olner procedures, recovering several
thousand acres which had been incIosed.
ne entire area, amounting to about 5000
acres, which stretches away TO the north
east OF London on the western border of
Essex, from Nanstead to the town of Ep-
ping, distance Of about twelve miles.
was publicly declared forever free to the
people" by the Queen, who appeared at
the crest in person, before concourse
OF Iully 100000 LOudoners, on May Is,
1857. Since that time portions of the tract
have been measurably beautitied and i'm
proved, but the chief glory of Epping
Forest is in its actual primeval character.
Scarcely an acre of It's surface has ever
been touched by spade or plow Old Ro-
man camps are within it shaded by the
Seli-same trees which clustered about
them nearly 2,UO0 years ago, and the turf
upon the earthwork where Boadicea.
Queen OF the Iceni, was defeated by Suet-
onius, with $1,000 Britons slain, since il
received that mighty feast of blood, save
for the prodding of antiquarlans, has
never been disturbed.
At Chingtord, on the western slope OF
the Forest, we gave Bolivar as famous
sta5ling as could be found; left Sprat to
bring on the hampers at reasonable
hour to the woods between Queen Eliza
beth Lodge and Connaught Lake. and
set out tor genuine cOster's enjoyment OF
the Forest. Back towards London, for
several miles, we had only seen patches
OF woods and cOppices to our right. Here.
at Ciingiord, the real Forest begins
Jem and Becky, already within its &C
customed spell, pressed forward to its
nights with increasing speed, outstretched
hands and radiant faces, and as | saw
them far in advance, could not but think
OF the old prints OF Pilgrim when his bur
den fell,
We were at once in the thickest of it.
not of the Forest, but of the mighty
throng. Avenues upon avenues OF east
Enders stretched in every direction. 1t
was now alter noon, the Saturday half
holiday, joyous, glorious day withal,
and 1t seemed that from all ways leading
from London and near outlying towns.
great tides OF humanity came sweeping
ON, each one greater than the one before
it, and all finally merging at the edge OF
the woods and over the open spaces in
seethlng masses OF motion and color. II
was like the action of incoming seatides
breaking upon shallow, shingIy beach,
No one can understand the compIexitv.
the lrrepresslollity, the vastness of Lon
don holiday crowd until the greater nor
ton of these l0O,0 900 or 100, 600 souls can he
seen here at glance moving upon and
almost storming this ancient Epping For
est en- masse. Far back as the eve can
reach hundreds upon hundreds of out
traps and gigs, Whitechapel omuibuses
millers' and butchers carts, brewers
vans and costers' carts, are moving to-
wards you, around and between which
countless thousands of folk afoot. concen-
trating from highways, from lanes and
from tootpaths across the fields. are
massed in seemingly ineXtricable confu-
sion. For an instant there is sometime
like terror in such a scene. | cannot tel
why, but in it and through it, l again saw
what l looked upon, all but thirty wears
ago. when Sherman's cruel edict enDtied
Atlanta of all its people, and left thei,
homes in flames.
But those were faces set and white
these, bright and rubicund and broad
with endless smiles. And in this respect
your London outer differs from all othe,
folk on earth. No matter whether he bf
great or humble, the moment his face is
turned towards the fields or the sea he is
bundle OF quIveriEg sympathies, re-
sponsiYe IN kind to every form of nlirtb
TO the most vagarous incident or accident
of situation or condition, and gives bacL,
an hundred fold every kindly look that
nature can be bestow. He may be rough
and uncouth in what he says and does
but he has left all care behind. and
makes ia every moment of his holiday
hours, even in untoward exigency and
defeat, place for unctious mirth and
hearty cheer.
What are the amusements of this yast
army of men and women and lads and
lasses? Chiefly in wallowing-and use
the expression literally-in the sun and
shade of Epping Forest. Thousands
upon thousands have brought their ham
pers or baskets as we have done. Then
in great splatches of color they group and
heap themselves in wriggling punches o.
enjoyment over field, upon brae. in COO
recess, in shady avenue, upon grassy
meadow, in deep wood glade, and actin.
ally wallow in the ancient Forest turf and
soil. They wander and stroll and lear
and race and shout and sing and dance
and turn hand-springs and somersaults
and cavort and plroutte, and act like hal
mad folk, just as they do at HampsteaC
Heath, while the bands roar and tn,
crowds halloO, and mounted police anC
Forest verderers, look on with benigt
smiles al the unrestraiued and unrestrain
able enjoyment. Turn where you may
from CIingiord, six miles north to En-
ping, or from Beak Hill, three miles cas-
TO Loughton, the same wild scenes O
physical and mental abandon and elatior
are repeated. Ten thousand children ar,
chasing butterflies like exultant natural
lists. More than ten thousand lads ar,
swinging from hawthorn limbs. shouting
from the dumped tops of pollard oak =
OF routing Tue DlruS IfOm lOttleSt horn
beam branches, while the surface O
every lake and pond is shut from sigh
by thousands more wading among lille
and reeds, or floating in boats upon thei
face.
In great open spaces every manner O
game and diversion known to Enplisl
fields or streets, or holiday resorts, is pro
ceeding in perfect bedlam of roarin,
from the touters and managers of a vas
collection of Nanity Fairs. You will se
skittles, football, cricket, wrestling anC
putting the-stone. Ever glorious Puncl
and Judy are omnipresent and scream