The Washington times., 1903-11-21


dens, has been studying smoke deposits
on vegetation. ana. according 10 his
calculations. no less than six tons Of
solid matter, consisting Of SCOT and
tarry hydrocarbons are deposited every
week on every quarter OF a square mile
in and about London. This is squiva-
lent TO twenty-four tons per week 70
the square mile. From the cornice be-
low the dome of St. PauPs Cathedral
was recently taken a solid deposit Of
crystallized sulphate Of lime. This de-
post had been formed by the action
of the sulphuric acid in the atmospher
upon the carbonate Of lime in the stone
And this sulphur.c acid in the at
mosphere is constantly being breathec
by the London workmen through al
the days and nights of their lives
Effect Of London Smoke.
1T is incontrovertible that the chill
drcn grow up into rotten adults. with
out virility or stamina, weakened,
narroB-chested. listless breed that
crumpies up and goes down in the
brute struggle for life with the invad-
ing hordes from the country. The rail-
way men. carriers. omnibus drivers
corn and timber porters. and all those
who require physical stamina are
largely drawn from the country, while
in the Metropolitan police there are
roughly, 1900 country born. as against
1890 London-born.
SO one Is forced TO conclude that the
Abyss is literally one huge man-killing
machine, and when 1 pass along the lit
tie Out-of-the-way streets with the full
bellied artisans at the doors, ] am aware
of a greater sorrow for them than for
the $4,000 lost and hopeless wretches
dying at the bottom Of the pit. They.
at least, are dying; that is the point
while these have yet 20 go through the
slow and preliminary pangs extending
through two and even three genera
tons"
Victims Are Helpless.
A point which Mr.. London makes
strong by frequent repetition is that
most Of these unfortunate people at tn
bottom of the Abyss are not there BY
heir own fault; at least. their fault IS
not extraordinary. not great enough to
merit such retributiOn. Many Of those
whom we met had simply grown old ana
unable to work One had been a porter
until famed by accident. Others were
simply out OF work and looking hard
for It. Very few seemed TO be OF the
class we hear described as the profess
sional tramp. The author tells OF man
after man who was able to earn a living
until. as he expresses il, the thing hap
pened the thing by which he lost his
job or was crippled or went 10 the
smallpox hospital. OF fell out Of favor
with the little tin god who happened to
preside over his particular fate A1isfor,
tune, we all know. is usually punished as
ment hurls a man into depths Of degra-
dalton which ruin his body and stunt
his soul, II does seem as if the justice
OF God had been more than satisfied,
and that the Injustice Of man might
have something to- do with the clrcum>
stances.
Convictions for Crime.
A list OF convictions for crimes and
misdemeanors quoted by Mr.. London is
interesting A girl was sentenced TO six
weeks at hard labor for having secured
room or false pretenses. that Is, she
said she had employment when she was
in reality out of work. A man, sixty
two years old. was sentenced to four
months for poaching. A young man,
who made an unprovoked and brutal
assault on an old man Of seventy was
fined 81 IS Cd cost. 4 man who had
kicked his wife and beaten another
woman and assaulted an officer, at
tempting TO strange him. and inhict-
ing serious injury, was punished BY a
six weeks sentence. From this Mr.
London argues quite reasonably that
under English law flesh and blood are
cheap.
Plenty of Proof.
Lest wIseacres and ignorant folk
should accuse him OF having discovered
a mares nest or exaggerated evils. Mr.
London has taken the precaution TO
quote from the writings OF many other
investigators. among them Stopford
Brooke ana Thomas Huxley He Is not
the first TO thrill with Indignation and
horror over the conditions in which
thousands Of human creatures are com
PEELED to live; nor will he in all proba-
bility be the last. Socialists and clergy
men and sociologists and scientists have
seen and admitted the horror of these
conditions. But Jack London has the
gift OF making other people see. He
has not proved himself a great imagin-
alive writer. He has displayed no
striking originality Of invention. unless
il be in The Call OF the Wild" his
matchless dog story. But he can tell OF
what h. has seen and known; he can
weld these experiences together with
words ike sledge hammers and make
a book that people will read. and that
is what he has done IN THE People OF
the Abyss" (New York; The Macmillan
Company