Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-15
THEBR|T|SH WORKMAN
A Most Exasperating Person
to Deal With.
A BIT OF EXPERIENCE
AMERICANS LEAVE ORDERS FOR
CORONATION MEDALS.
Luncheon to the King and Queen Will
Probably Cost London
100000.

$e0,OOo.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON, October g. 1902
I do not Know anything more exasperat-
ing than the methods Of the British work
ing man and the methods of some Of the
British business houses. 1 have probably
written on this subject before, but 1 have
recently been going through a personal ex-
perience which makes the subject somewhat
keener and my grief more poignant. 1 do
not know If residence abroad makes
Americans heart more sympathetic toward
his own country and more laudatory Of its
ways of doing things, but certainly in most
cases absence does not tend to diminish the
love of home. 1t is quite possible that an
American who has lived in London for a
long time may exaggerate the ability and
smartness of his own people and make COM
parsons unfavorable to the British.
l have recently taken a new fiat and
moved into it after storing my furniture for
four months. Everything was arranged for
moving, and after several letters on the
subject 1t became thoroughly understood
what was wanted and day was appointed
for the hegira, the firm which had stored
the furniture moving me- Some ten men
were sent along to do the work, and the
vans with most of the things in them,
turned up at the appointed time. The fore
man of the establishment came along to
start the work going, but two of his men
privately assured me that he knew nothing
about moving, and that if 1 would leave 1t
to them they would see my things safely in.
The process started about 10 o'clock in the
morning. the foreman giving ME his word
that everything would be in and in it's place
by 3 o'clock in the afternoon. After about
half hour he went away, while the ten
movers YEARLY and slowly proceeded to
bring up the furniture stick by stick. There
was only one fight to go, but these worthy
fellows were so anxious not to hurt them
selves that one chair, few fire-irons bed
Stats made as big a burden as they cared
to carry at a time.
Refreshments Become Necessary.
After working about an hour there seemed
to be cessation of the procession, and on
seeking to learn the reason found that the
whole gang had gone off to the nearest pub
lie house for refreshment. After a hiatus
Of half an hour the men turned up again,
but as 1t soon began to rain off they all
went again to the convenient pub to wait
until the storm was over. I sent for the
subforeman who was bossing the job, and
after much persuasion got him to continue
the work. By this time two of the men
were so drunk that had to insist upon the
the other slept off the fumes of his beer on
one Of my sofas which remained in the van.
l rated the men very severely, and called
them drunken scoundrels,' whereupon
they worked considerably better. though my
wife was most fearful they would knock off
altogether. By o'clock I think one van
had been emptied, and then the heavier
pieces IN the second van were attacked In
this van was piano, and the chief foreman
before he went in the morning privately
advised me to send out for proper NOV
ers" to move this piece of furniture, as he
was quite certain his men didn't under
stand how to do it. l, however, refused to
do this and the men tackled it, nothing
loath, as they said their foreman was no
good and didn't know their capacities.
By 7:3O pm. our goods and cha ttels were
in the fiat, in some condition. piled helter-
SHELTER anywhere, the men having knocked
off once or twice more for what they called
drawn upon for the tea" 1 was so de-
lighted to get in in any shape, as l began
to despair of these men, that I presented
nine of them with half crown each II hes
itate to call it pourboire, as this word
would aggravate my trials of the day.. The
door had not been closed on them many
minutes when one of their number came
back to say that there were ten of them
altogether, and that they usually Jared
alike, eff I could my way, etc, etc."
This appeal was for the drunken fellow l
had to send away. l did not see my way,
etc, etc.
N OF the End OF 1t ALI.
You may think that We were moved
after this days experience, but for several
days afterward driblets of stuff forgotten
kept coming to the house. Now this stor-
ing and moving was done by one Of the
biggest firms in London. and one of the
best We had had estimates for the whole
thing before they moved out of our
old place, written and printed assurances
that everything would be done in the best
possible fashion, with all up-to-date
rangements. When demonstrated with
afterward over the general SloppneSs Of
their methods. and the absolute inexperi-
ence of their men, I received the politest
kind of letter from the firm expressing
their regrets, but hoping upon the whole
that I was satisfied and would add my
kind recommendation" to their already
long list Of testimonials" This was five
weeks ago, and the firm are still deliver
ing to me articles which they took away
to mend which their men broke We sre
not quite through with them yet but ex-
pect along by Christmas to get all our
possessions and be fairly settled. I have
a faint memory of those annual pilgrimages
middle-class families used to make in New
York and Brooklyn regularly every April.
1 think If these families had lived in Lon
don they would have found such movings
once or twice In a lifetime would have been
about all they could stand.
I could go on and relate more OF my eX
periences with this particular firm, who are
In a large way Of business of selling furni-
ture, household appurtenances and the like,
but I trust that the above will be sufficient
to bear out my opening statement about
London methods of doing business. We
have a joke in the United States about the
vagaries of the plumber and the trials a
householder is put to whenever his services
are needed. Multiply the trials caused by
the American plumber by about ten, and 1t
will apply to all British workmen Cor per-
haps I should say London workmen as I
have no experience of the country whom
you call into your house to do the most
trivial work.
Americans Order the Ofdcial Medal.
Many Americans who were over here for
the coronation have left orders for the OFF,
cial medal to be sent to them, and am told
by one jeweler that he has booked hundreds
of orders and Is still receiving others by
post from America. The medal, which can
be obtained in GOLD, silver or copper. will
be issued from the mint within the next
week or two. 1t will differ from most of the
previous issues in that 1t will contain the
bust of the king on the diverse and that of
the Queen on the reverse. Up to the reign
Of William " 1t was the invariable custom
to strike separate medals for the king and
queen. The first coronation medal was that
of Edward vi. for the medal of Henry VIII
which is sometimes spoken Of as a corona