The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-01-15
FAMOUS FOGS
Aa>-------OF LONDON
Trom the chicago rimes-Herald.

From the Chicago Times-Herald.
London, January 4.-Americans are
apt to think that London is all
ways wrapped in fog. or at least in a
mist thick enough to be very much the
same thing. This is a mistake. Though
the atmosphere here cannot be said to pro-
duce at any time the champagne effect
that Thackeray experienced when he pass
ed Sandy Hook, there are, nevertheless,
many superb winter days when a man who
is well buttoned up feels many "a crowded
hour of glorious life" Not long ago, how
| ever, we had one of the real old-fashioned
fogs, during which the individual makes his
way along the crowded pavements by keep
ing close to the Illuminated shop windows,
or if on the outside by tapping the edge of
the sidewalk with his umbrella after the
| fashion of a blind man.
While passing an hour in the Temple
chambers of barrister who has more
| friends than clients, we looked out in the
| darkness at o'clock p M, and a visitor
| remarked that something might be done to
| relieve the gloomy monotony. What should
| 1t be? 'Wait till o'clock said the host,
land you'll see fun enough when people
| are working their passage home to dinner.
| Some lawyer friends of mine, who are as
| idle as Eugene Wrayburn have what they
| call their business offices in this building,
| though they reside in Belgravia. One of
| them is a hunting man and keeps three or
| four beagles in town, for the purpose of
| hearing them give tongue when he takes
| them out for exercise in Battersea Park
| on Sunday afternoon. But his finest efforts
| are reserved for just such emergencies as
| this.
1.-THE dogs are brought up here at 5
| o'clock and kept quiet for an hour or so.
| One of our men straps red herring close
| to his shoe and walks rapidly down the
| Strand far as Charing Cross, when he
| turns over to Trafalgar Square and passes
| the National Gallery on his way to Pail
| Mall. He then goes on Piccadilly as far as
| Hyde Park corner, where he crosses the
roadway under the Duke of Wellngtons
| monument and comes back to Charing
Cross on the other side of the street. He
| then proceeds to Belgravia along Parlia-
ment street and Buckingham Palace road,
| and when he reaches his lodgings he ties
| the herring to the ratings, takes the under
| ground railroad and joins us here. One
man remains with the dogs until the trailer
| appears and reports that all's ready.
| Meanwhile, about dozen of us have
| gone ahead and taken up positions at reg
| ular intervals all along the line, to watch
| the effect upon bewldered pedestrians. The
| poor fog-buried citizens get out of the way
| very quickly, 1 can tell you, but they
| hear the baying of the hounds long way
road. If you wish to see the fun be sure
and turn up here before half past at the
| latest"
| In due time my friend located me on the
| steps of the National Gallery, and as
waited for the beagles 1t struck me as
somewhat of dangerous practical joke to
| play off on the queens subjects The pave
ment was slippery, and it required the
| greatest care to make ordinary Roadway.
| Men with flaming torches were walking IN
| advance of omnibuses and carriages. while
| pedestrians had the greatest difficulty in
| passing safely from one lamp post to the
| next. The grumbling Britisher was in his
| grumpiest mood, and if ever there was an
| occasion upon which lynch law could be
| justified it was now.
| While moraizng thus heard afar off the
| deep-mouthed music of the dogs. BY the
| hurrying to and fro of the torches I could
| see that eastward as far as Charing Cross
| the passengers had been seriously dis
/ turbed. The fog grew thicker and muddier
| with the wild chorus of profanity. Women
| rushed for safety up the steps of public
buildings, followed by men who removed
| comforters and lowered coat collars for the
| purpose of expressing their sentiments with
| more emphasis and exuberance.
what on earth can this mean?" said a
| burly traveller who stood next me in the
| middle of closely packed crowd. I ven
| tured to suggest that it might mean blood
| hounds on the track of escaped prisoners.
| "Bloodhoundsi" he repeated scornfully;
"why, these dogs are just ordinary beagles
| who think they are on the trail of fox or
| hare They must have broken loose from
| some kennel, though why the devil they
| should make for Trafalgar quare passes
| understanding"
| But on came the dogs at racing pace,
| driving the people helter-skelter out on the
| roadway. The scent was strong, so that
| the hounds kept their noses almost parallel
| with their shoulders and boWled along as If
| this sort of hunting were the merest frolic.
and the darkness, making night hideous
| with their song of triumph.
| We had arranged a rendevouz at Vic
| toria station between and 8 O'clock and
| when the men appeared they were all in ex-
| cellent spirits The fashionable portion of
| the city had been kept lively for an hour
| or So and, best of ALL the dogs had had a
| good bit of exercise While waiting for
| supper one of the conspirators wrote up an
| account of mad dogs having broken loose
| on Pail Mall to the CONSERVATION of the
| people and the obstruction of traffic. He
| made copy for the different morning pa
pers, but the item never appeared. The
| story was evidently too much like fake,
| and as the evidence had not been sworn to
| before a justice of the peace, notary public
| or police magistrate, each manuscript was
| put in the waste basket. So 1t may be per-
| ceived that with patience, perseverance and
| beagles you may find fun in a London fog
| CURRENT FUN.