Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-13

Special Correspondence
T ONION, Feb. Safer having met
| w. PETIT Ridge once or twice re-
| Gently. curiosity led me to turn
up the helpful English Who's
Who with the object OF discovering
what this novelist Of side streets (to
use his own EXPRESSION, had named as
his fayorte recreation. ] found II
given, Enthusiastically, as roaming
east OF Aldgate and south which, 1t
may BE- explained is the squalld local
ity where the author Of Lost Property
and "A Son Of the state finds most
of his characters ! do not think, now
ever, that this really is PETIT Ridges
faVorite recreation 1t is like him not
10 say IL, but any one who knows him
well would tell you that this consclen-
tious Interpreter OF the London 'coster
undoubtedly finds his greatest pleas
ure In doing things for needy children.
lie is at IL all the year round, but OF
late has been so especially active IN
the interests Of the poor Riddles, as
he would call them, that II Is doubtful
II he has found time to do any literary
work at all. only few days ago, !
heard of him as the presiding genius at
a lavish tea for blind children at
Essex han, at which over 100 sightless
little folk from various institutions
were filled with good things, Last sat
urday PETIT Ridge and some other menu
bers Of society TO which ne belongs
saw to II that nearly 1000 children from
the slums visited an east end 'panto-
mime" and were RECALLED with cakes ana
oranges. and from a morning paper !
learn that on Thursday next, the author
will give a reading from his own works
in aid of the Association for Befriend-
ing Boys"
PETIT Ridges literary work is In con-
slant demand over here. His latest
hook, up Side Streets has done es-
peclally well, and probably 1t is only
because the charm Of his stories Hes
SO much IN the accuracy Of their local
color" that he Is comparatively little
known IN the United States. Among
his closest friends are II G.. Wells, w.
w. Jacobs, and jerome X. Jerome ana
his wife, from a visit to whose winter
home I'm Brussels PETIT Ridge returned
only short time ago
with the ways Of youths, like his
here "Erb,' who drive parcel vans, ana
OF east and north London characters
generally. Pett Ridge has grown eX-
ceptionally familiar through spending
practically all his time In their COM
pany. At the thcater you Will find him
in the pit" and / imagine he always
travels third class on the Under
ground" lie even lives up IN froWsy
camden ToWn--a district that
seems all tram lines and fried
fish ord undertaking shops. His bachc-
Ior quarters there are snug and sur.
prise after the stairs you climb TO reach
them, but fancy the author has seen to
II that both the char-woman who
does for him and the sloyey VINO al
mlts his frequent visitors from the out.
or world are both absolute types, and
good for untold copy" Perhaps 1t Is
what he has seen Of child life In London
while wandering east Of Aldgate and
south" that has made the novelist so
keen about Frightening their lot by
every means IN his power. His services
always can be had when II is Ques-
ton of charity for the benefit Of the
real Icor and II was only few weeks
ago that | saw him acting as auction
eer nj bazaar TO help needy girls, He
is az witty In speech as he Is In print,
and Kept the crowd amused and stimu-