The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-04

hAoh has ndQ or continues to nave II
peculiar form of ruffianism The Unit
co States is particularly rich in it
varieties of ruffians, and this is owin
TO the cosmopolitan character of gu
population The Bowery tough, tn
Baltimore plug, the San F'rancisc
hoodlum, with the special varieties t.
De found not only in our large cities
out IN our mines and on our Sparsely
Settled mountains, are differentiated b!
environment, but they have, in com
mon, a defiance of law and contemp
Tor all the Droprieties that make FOL
good citizenship.
The Whitechapel outcast, the Pa.
riSian sneak, the Valparaiso cutthroat
and the unmitigated beggar and thie1
OF Naples, with his prototypes in al
the Mediterranean towns, are fellows
whose existence is a curse, and whose
destruction, if they left no successors
would be blessing to hi anity. But
low and degraded though these crea-
lures are, the meanest of them is a
model of manliness and type of Chi
valric nobility compared with the Au-
stralasian larrikin.
A gentleman in Melbourne, Australia,
gave me this etymology of the word
larrikin," and as it seems reasonable
origin / am willing to accept it: In the
carly days when the gold fields of the
colony of Victoria attracted to Mel
bourne the worlds Adventures, law
lessness was the rule and the authori-
ties OF the capital city had their hands
full keeping their own citizens as well
as their visitors in order. One night an
Irish policeman arrested two drunken
law breakers but whenl the next morn
ing, he came to give his evidence before
the magistrate, his anger against the
prisoners had softened into compassion
Sure. yer honor" he said, the byes
wasn't so bad at all. at all.
What did they do?" asked the ma
gistrate.
'Nothin', sorr. except that they was
just larrykin'' larking.
well, I'll give them a week as larri-
kins,' said the judge; and with this
the distinctive name of the worlds
most contemplate outlaw and black
guard began.
Although formerly part of New
South Wales, the people Of Victoria
pride themselves on the fact that their
territory was never a penal colony,
and that they should not have an
hereditary tendency to vice. New South
Wales was a penal colony, and it is
said that some of the best citizens are
descendants of the convicts. The re-
cords, that might settle this, We're, we
think, very wisely destroyed, but it is
claimed that while many rich and eX-
Wet ancestors. that the laTrikin is the
direct and legitimate product of this
element.
But, no matter where the thing origi-
mated, it has spread with alarming
vigor over all Australasia It is most
in evidence in the cities, but this type
of ruffian fiouriSheS from the hamletS
of the coral fishers in Torres straits
and the gulf of Carpentaria, to the
pastoral hills and the beautiful valleys
of Tasmania.
But the Eden of the larrikin is New
South Wales, and the queenly city Of
Sydney is the place in which he most
abounds, and which he largely occupies
if he does not largely control. The eli
mate of Australia-and the variation is
not SO great as the area might imply
is particularly conducive to the devel-
opment of the ignorant, shiftless, home
less ruffian of the larrikin type. The
beautiful parks, of which the Austral-
ian cities are so justly proud,are robbed
OF their advantages to the peaceful
citizen by the fact that the larTikin
makes them his loafing place by day
and his camping place at night. Food
is cheap, and the opportunities for pur-
loining it unlimited, SO that these crea- !
lures manage to eat without labor and
TO keep strong without toll.
AT first the larrikin was regarded as
a pariah, but universal suffrage and |
the democratic spirit which is stronger |
in these colonies than in the United |
States, has made him a peer and a fac !
tor to be reckoned with in all political |
contests If the larrikin ever felt |
ashamed of the name, that time is in |
the past Now he is not only proud of |
being a larrikin. but he announces the |
fact to the world by wearing, whenever |
he can get the means to justify his |
taste, a distinctive costume, ana his |
female counterpart, the larrikineSs,
distinguishes herself in the same way,
though her dress is not so pronounced.
Those who have seen Chevalier in his
Coster costume can form good idea
of the dress of the Sydney larrikin. A
tunic covered with buttons. a collarless
shirt with a gaudy neckerchief. soft
gray hat and tight-hipped- bell-bot-
toned trousers, make up the distinctive
uniform of the IarrIKin. His female
COMPANION, whom he calls ma donah,
probably from the Italian madonna,
dresses. save as to the head, which is
usually bare, in loud prints and with
barbara fondness for glazing reds
These people have not only a dis
tirct costume, of which they are proud,
but they are fast developing a distinct
patois. that is particularly rich in per-
versions vulgarity, and profanity
that would shock the soul of the most
confirmed religious sceptic.
The larrikin works by hts. In 1and
where every village has its race track,
and racing so occupies the thoughts of
HE people as to seem like a great ma
.jonal industry, this outlaw fiourishes
IN the vicinity of stables, and is ever !
st1-ikingly in evidence at all the race
courses. from the private run at Bondi, !
q the great annual event of the Mel
bourne CUP" which comes off every
and ranks next to the Eng {
ish derby and the French Grand PriX, l
n the worlds races
About +he ''publics" or bars, the larri- {
rim and his Vulgar-voiced consort are I
,fatn 10 be found. At times he rises to Y
he dignity of a landlord or a jockey. c
n the first instance he is ever at odds a
Win the law. and in the last he is al S
vavs; regarded as a purchaSable factor. V
T moi in open defiance the larrikin GER [
ainIv lives in undisguised contempt V
ar the law and its servants. If the f
all ever meant a degradation to him t
-. dow is past. His education is not q
oyorIefe till he has won a prison garb. O
MS the saTIs and the penitentiaries o
: the colonies while he is in health, L
nd he crowds the hospitals and aims il
a,lses in disease and old age. a
Unlike the American tough, hcodlum "
:. ,sasnerado the larrikin never carries s.
onceaIed weapons, but he is none the t
&c reckless of life, and cruel in his in N
+jncts Although descended from W
800 and virile race this creature is d
-ssa,,tiaIlv cowardly. If he attacks a II
ooref,,l citizen to secure booty or to a
'.afifv malice. he fights by surprise, b
-. 10 chance for resistance. and in :.