Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-08
A HAND TO : MOUTH EXISTENCE
Fares Badly in Comparison With
His American Brother.
LONDON COSTERMONGERS

serves his British cousin for his midday
past he probably would munich his own
luncheon next day with more contented
heart and wonder why in the name of sense
Engiishm,n were called betf-caters.
The British laborer gets precious little
meat of any kind and. so far as can be
determined by a series Of observations OF
him. the chances are about even that he
fills up as best he can on bread and tea for
breakfast. bread and cheese for lunch and
bread and vegetable and beer for his
evening meal. That Is one reason why the
British workman does not accomplish as
much in a day as his American cousin.
Throughout England. but especially in
London, the general rule is the samoa re-
raIrka bly, thin diet compared with that of
thu corresponding section of American so
Ciety.
Any one willing to penetrate the depths of
City Road Deptford or Battersea. visiting
one or two Of the frnwsy supply stores
and watching the crowd of unkempt wo-
men around one of the cheap bGtcHers
stalls by the curb. can soon determine what
are thu few and almost inyaridble items
OF the daily menu in The homes of the hard
working poor. but 1t is much different to
gain even an idea nf the food taken by the
uOu-laboring. shifting nomads. who form
the slum population and whose typical home
consists OF four foul walls. Il crippled table
and two or three decrepit chairs. filthy
mattress thrown on the floor forming the
bed used by the whole family; two or three
bIackened tin cooking utensils piled hap
hazard by dingy Srate-and the whole
place soaking with ddmpLess-
..They Don't Eat Nothing"
For information upon this subject l went
to one Of the inspectors employed by the
London county council. the body which has
set itself the task of demoiiShing and re-
building the London slums. He was man
whose duty brought him constantly in touch
with ali sorts of London poor. good and
bad more especially bad
Why. bless You. he answered, having |
more regard for conciseness than for syn |
tax. they don't eat nothing-that is. so lit |
tie that it passes for nothing They live |
ON drink, not food. They think more of
four ale and gin than of all the things to
eat that there are You know what their |
homes are like. Well, when he can't get |
trusted any longer at the public house or |
when the landlord says he'll surely boost |
him next week for the four-and-Sixpence of |
rent they owe the hlIsoandll go down along |
the docks. maybe get job unloading a |
steamer and work until he gets enough to |
buy the drink for a quiet season. When |
the woman of the family hasn't got any
thing left to- put up at the pawn shop !
J. rapS she'll find bit of work fur combing |
or FASTING labels on match boxes, or some |
thing. and in that way she'll have enough |
u keep her a-goln' at the pub for another /
spell
Have to "Pinch" Their Meat
Most often such people don't have any
regular meals at all, but, II they do, gen.
orally it's just bread and tea-that's the |
stock food for British poor folk-bread and |
tea If there's anything else. it's generally |
'drippin-youH see it on the costers carts |
the fat from boiling down bones, you
know, and 1t costs about twO-peDce the |
pound Real meat is rarity with them, |
and they mostly gets it only when one of
the kids !Inches a bit of chop or some |
thing off a butchers cart he's Passing |
or maybe the old woman will light on a |
leftover piece of steak where she finds |
81.
a garbage or right in the gutter
They have a tea kettle. of course and |
besides that. about their only cooking uten- |
sill is quart pot that the public house !
hires out To it's steady customers They
pay penny on it, and when the bottoms !
worn out get another, and that's their |
saucepan. Sometimes. If they've had luck |
during the week. there may be real meat !
TO dinner on the Sunday. flank of beef !
or a briSket-that'S the cheapest part of I
III" animal-and to buy that they hang !
around until just the last minute on Sat
Jr'iay night. before the butcher closes up |
when he's just giving meat away rather |
than keep 1t in the safe over Sunday. and |
81 she'll get a pound for three ha'pence OF |
less. and they'll have 1t next day with !
= raps carrot or two. You can take it !
from me. those things all they get |
pretend to know
Same Old Tea Over Again.
An Endorsement of this not-too- glowing |
statement came from a woman worker at |
one of the Salvation Army's 'slum posts" |
In the heart of the poverty stricken district !
called Borough"
"Adjutant Allen also first mentioned a |
combination of tea. bread and cheap mar |
garine or ''drippns'' as the staple diet of
the poor adding that the tea was boiled !
over and over again. Many and many a |
Family. she said. goes weeks without /
tasting meat With such people "a good !
dinner means piece of mutton costing |
TWO cents land smelling as If it hadJ few !
potatoes and perhaps some cabbage. The |
woman of the family hardly ever has a !
stove. but only their small open CRATE on !
which 10 cook. and even if she had proper /
utensils would be put to il to prepare a |
relishable meal. for nearly all these women !
have been factory girls. who married with
out knowing the first principles of house |
wifery-
such women Will buy nothing whatever
in advance, but go to the grocery as they |
would to their cupboard. buying tea for |
instance. two or three times a day In al |
most every detail Of their lives they live in |
the present hour. family will put in and !
take ont of pawn every week the same set |
OF garments. which the pawnbroker |
regularly advances. say sixteen shnings |
charging fourpenCe for the accommodation |
so you can estimate what respectable |
outlay they make every year merely for |
the satisfaction of having a weeks money |
ahead
Hit-or-MisS Housekeeping.
Among these families food becomes an |
actual currency. the wife and boys of one |
family doing homework or running errands |
for another in better circumstances and |
accepting something to eat payment |
Some of these ransack ash cans, others !
buy tn, broken food that the cheapest type |
OF restaurant has TO sell At some seasons !
OF the year fish is cheaper than meat, and |
threepence will buy plaice or herring
large enough to make meal for a small
family.
often the mother of such a family is a
then.
siOnal burst Of good humor she makes no |
pretense of serving meals In her home
and the children live either on the food |
they can find OF steal. upon the doles
Of sympathetic neighbOrs charitable or
CARNATIONS. But usually the slum mother
is fairly well meaning. and she would do
better if her man were a more lavish
proytder. But he, being simply the boy
street lOafer grown up. has no trade and
even when willing to work can find only
occasional and nl-pad jobs. But usually
ne drinks hard. carrying even his meals