The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-06-17
d. MAS BRuKE
in LONDON TOWN.
New York P1stJ


London is the Mecca OF aspiring
poverty; like Oliver Twist. the forioTE
but hopeful mortal bends his thoughts
towards that whirlpool where identity
is lost in the activity and the sl1mov
OF possibility. Those who come with
in the circle seldom re1ppear. How
beautiful the hop fields 0i Kent seem
/ in memory. how infinitely peaceful the
PARKWAY lines OF the Devon coast.
These thoughts came late: - a
young man who had worked his pass
age from America on a cattle ship.
and was eager 10 forget the misery of
/ the voyage in any sort OF work that
might be found in the great. busy cen
| ter OF human activity.
The mist hung low and clammy As
he passed over the c!lder paths 81
Deptford.
lis this the way 20 London?" ne
asked a laborer. "Ay. my lad. you're
! a Yankee. bent you Ten miles Is 4
long distance for 4 hungry man To
travel on foot: he looked longinEly ut
the crowded trans that ratified past
him. and jingled the two silver dollars
in his pocket. He learned later that
he might have ridden the whole way
in a working mans omnibus for two
pence.
Ii was Z O'Clock. and as ne came
into the outskirts of the city. the
light OF the long rows of cpen-air
| booths. crowded with vegetables.
meats. pastry. and all manner of edi-
bles. served 10 accentulte his feeling
OF faintness. lie went into money
changers shop and bartercd his two
coins for seven shillings sixpe1ce. and
then bought 4 cup OF chocolate and n
Bath bun. which took the keen edge
from his hunger.
He toilsd on for two drcary hours
through the fog, which distorted ev-
erything. Some OF the cattls-bosses
had recommended a boarding house TO
him and diiatei At length on its
charms. and by half-past eight he saw
GARDENERS Scotch House looming up
before him. and ne knew that Ne had
not much farther TO 60. y short dis
tance beyond it Commercial street
branches off from Commercial Road.
and the Victoria Home. No. :, for
workingmen. stands near the corner of
that street and he famous ps.ticuat
Lane.
1t was not a nice locality; il re-
minded him more OF the east side in
New York than anything he had so
far seen; drunken men and women
We're abundant. and ragged children
carrying pals OF beer were iostled
about by the pedestrians. The old
and smoky corner building 10 which
he was directed impressed him gloom
lily. the windows were crustei with
dirt. and slouchy men skunk into the
basement through 4 low doorway.
He followed one OF them and entered
the house and found himself = : C.
mented cellar, where benches were
crowded with the riff-rlff OF The lis
trict.
There was a small counter near ;he
entrance, where bread. marmala1e and
soup were dispensed az trifiing cost;
on the opposite side, huge crate fire
resembling n tlacksmith's forge, enG-
bled those who wished TO cook then
own meat and boil their own tea; the
atmosphere OF ne place was stuffs
and unsavory, bit when one Is ex'
hausted and hungry il is not difficult
to ignore refinement and cleanliness
Everything mus: bow before the grea
necessity OF food
One OF the inmates. with a youthful
face and shifting eyes. accosted aim:
You're from American
Yes"
Come over o. 2 cattle boat"
Yes"
so did l; had supper"
- No"
Any money"
| "A little
' Come ont .a.1 the Lane ard II
show YOU where 20 buy grub cheap"
The young m-a followed his inter
locutor 20 The ;7-ch-li, Babel of Pet
tieoat Lane.
"Ha'penny worth tea" unused hi
guide. taking q r-offersd sixpence. Il
ha'peuHy: ha'psuay brown sugar is
, penny. four k!prers, three ha'pence
, makes two ha'asnce ha'penny, ans
bread and butter Is fourpence. Her
we are"