The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-18

seen an arrest.
In Whitechapel, on a Saturday night,
I was one of a thousand that looked
upon two women fighting with their
fists on the sidewalk until both were
practically denuded. Then only did
several policemen, who were among
the spectators, put an end to the brawI,
and mildly requested the crowd to
move on. Had it happened in New
York there must have been dozen
cracked heads.
In Soho. again, I attended an anarch-
list meeting where the chairman called
for volunteers to assassinate the King
of England, and a majority of the au-
dience responded. When 1 told po-
liceman outside he only grinned and
said there would be time to look them
up when they did something. / have
no doubt he reasons that were all the
drunkards, brawlers and anarchists in
London were to be arrested the gaola
would not hold them. But still l feel
that the London Bobby" is consider
ably more intent upon managing the
traffic than quelling rows.
In speaking with members of the
force l learn that their two principal
grievances are promotion by favorit-
ism and lack of ambulances. OF she
former l am not competent to judge,
but every American that has seen an
accident in London can only marvel at
the latter. In American cities every
hospital is equipped with two or more
ambulances, many of them motor
vehicles, so that more than one call
may be answered at the same time.
A policeman or citizen merely sum-
mons one of these, and in a few min
utes a skilled surgeon arrives to at
tend the sufferer and bear him away.
Here, in Piccadilly, I have seen a
man with a fractured skull borne on
a stretcher by two men in blue, while
his life's blood dripped to the dust and
the rays of the torrid sun fell on his
bare head. At another time 1 saw a
bricklayer, unconscious from pain, be-
ing pushed along on vendors cart,
with a crowd of idlers following. The
policeman would not call an ambulance
because he said it would take an hour
to arrive. nor would be hire cab, as
the fare came out of his own pocket.
He also complained that he had to
the ambulance system OF London
seems to me not only inhumane, but
a menace to public safety.
When / say that the first sight of
London public house Jars an American
clear to the foundations, 1 put it mild
ly. 1t is a picture that he never for
gets. He believed that all the world
was like American, where, even in the
toughest mining camp of the West,
| womankind was excluded from the
bar, and this-women serving and buy
ing drinks over the bar-is startling.
The barmaid, in particular, shocks
him, because her occupation in Ameri-
ca Is held to be so mental that even
| the most hardened woman would hest
tate to be engaged in it. Neither
would she be seen entering bar
room proper from the pavement, and
the only persons Of her sex to do so
are the Salvation Army 'lassie" SELL
ing the War Cry. and the Sister of
Charity, asking aims.
AS for children, their association
| with the saloon is limited to approach
ing the back door to buy pitcher of
| beer for an evening meal, but in many
cases even this is forbidden. Indeed,
the law against selling to minors is
so strict in America that 1 have seen
one of our most famous Jockeys re-
fused a drink because the bartender
believed him to be under the prescrib-
ed age.
Such being the one institution, is 1t
| remarkable that the American should
gasp at the other, which furnishes the
soon familiar sight of men, women
and children mingling together on a
sawdust floor; while a chemical-haired
barmaid of strident voice serves the
drinks and helps to handy coarse jests
or oaths from this one to that?
OF all English mannerisms and hab-
it's, none is so readily noticed by an
American as that mechanical and soul
less Thank YOU which falls upon the
ear with the regularity of sea waves,
and seems to be the most overworked
expression in the British I5les. IT
j strikes an American as amusing, be-
- 49, -, rrrswl
the phrase only when he speaks ii
with more or less feeling as though he
meant it.
But here the expression lacks all sig
nificance, being repeated without oc-
CASTOR and always with a metallic, in
sidious accent on the last word, that
leaves you in doubt whether you are uI
against a parrot or a photograph. For
example, when a man returns my boots
in the morning he gives me no chance
to thank him, but steals my line as
though he were under obligations tc
me. Now, why should he thank me-
/ am sure / do not know, for it is GER
tainly no favor on my part to let him
clean my boots, and l should remember
him just the same on parting.
Again, when the waitress pours your
coffee she thanks you; when you leave
the table someone dittoes. and as you
take your hat and stick from the but
Ter he passes along that same ole
Thank you" But that is only the be-
ginning. You give the bushman a pal
try coin, and he is right back at you
with a ticket and Thank you" And
in short, you hear so many encores be-
fore the day is over that you decide tC
annex that phrase, become skillful ir
it's use, and defend yourself.
To this end you begin with the cigar
shop girl, who is pretty, amiable and
sympathetic; but, unhappily, does moi
understand. and slips in a "Thanh
you" Immediately on your choosing
some cigars. This is Encouraging. But
you bide your time, and hope to score
when the goods are delivered, and you
hand her the money. incidentally add
ing a slight pressure of the fingers. But
before the transaction reaches thai
point the cigar girl has interlarded g
whole series of Thank yous," and In
complete dismay you rush outside fol-
lowed by that now baneful echo, only
to collide with a tall man in white
spats, who has red face and gouty
foot. 1t is a relief to hear him say
something that sounds like-but is not