The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-16
IN THE LONDON CROWD.
The Welcome to the City Imperial
Volunteers,
From the London News.)

tfrofn inc LONDON NeWs)
| AS night came on the crowd became
more animated and more noisy, and it was
| clear that many who had been disappoint-
ed OF the excitement of the procession had
turned to the public houses for an artifi-
ciai substitute. A sandy haired old Scotch
man had made fiddle out of a long cigar
box, with roughly shaped chunk of fire
wood as a neck. and although he was so
drunk that he could hardly stand, he was
playing Sally in Our Alley" The notes
were so faint that they could only be heard
half yard away, and they came at long
intervals, for he only attained them by
thoughtful experimental lingering. fes
tive young woman from East London, in
a Gainsborough hat. with rich plumes Of
heliotrope ostrich feathers, stood behind
the helpless old creature and affected to be
winding him up. while small circle of on
lockers shouted with laughter. Red, white,
and blue horns and trumpets became brisk
ly marketable, and began 10 balch forth
their hoTrid groans amid the cataract of
laughter which swept down the streets,
like the strange beast voices that some
times intrude on festive scene in Wag-
ner's music. AS dusk came on these trump
cts and horns were formed into professions,
which kept up continuous din, like the
sound OF the pibroch as 1t begins to strug-
gle out Of chaos into musical expression.
Pore old Krooger got him at last"
sounded the high pitched voice of fair
haired woman merchant Of ample proper
tons. and soon an indiarubber bladder eff
gy of the late President. which had to he
blown up to be seen and then squealed as
the wind CAME out. contributed to the mad
medley Of noise.
Gradually darkness descended. and the
streets became checkered with patches of
brilliant illumination, with interspaces OF
impenetrable gloom. and the fun became
fast and furious. Promiscuous kissing was
carried on to an even greater extent than
in the recent carnivals and on Mafeking
Day. Evidently the popuace, having got
over its shyness at the novelty of the
thing, begins rather to like it, Groups OF
young volunteers and apprentices strug-
gled about among ths crowds. kissing ev-
cry woman and girl they could get at. and
passing the choicest prizes on to their
companions. No unescorted woman had a
chance Of escape and she would be fortu-
nate II she were not bodily seized and run
Into court or side street. there to be
half-sufiocated with kissing. Shouting
would not have been OF the slightest use.
FOR in that maclstrom of yell9 and shrieks
hundred pigs might have had their noses
hinged without anyone noticing their pro-
tests. Red lights were thrown among the
crowd. and even into passing cabs. at the
Imminent risk OF setting some one on fire.
The mad carnival reached its height be-
tween 10 and II o'clock but was continued
with diminishing force hut greater Wild
ness far into the early morning. Budding
barris'ers sailed from their chambers and
win city clerks and suburban swelis fol-
lowed the example of the noisy hobble- de-
hoys who had given the lead and not few
who encountered each other In Saturdays
crowd will be- charv of abiding to the fact
when next they meet.