Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-11-30
LIFE in BIG LONDON
SOME OF THE THINGS AMERICAN VS.
iToRS SOON LEARN.

Frequent Blowing of Cab whistles
PuxAIins at First No Boothlncl
Stands In British CupituI-Women
Cannot Clean Windows.
Americans sojourning in London are
often puzzled in their first few hours
there to account Tor the frequent blow
ing of mouth whistles ia their vicinity.
resembling the blasts of sound with
which the New York postman accom-
Danies the delivery of mail. \ Yankee
who arrived in the British metropolis
one summer night greatly fatigued by
his journey retired early ut his lodg
ings, but was kept awake until mid
night by the unaccustomed and CON
tinuous blowing of whistles. which sng-
gested to his drowsy b.';lin that letter
carriers We're calling every few min
utes ut the adjoining houses.
At breakfast the next morning he re-
marked that he had often heard of Lon
don's frequent mail deliveries, but he
had never supposed there We're so many
of them as he had heard the previous
evening.
"Heard?" inquired his seat mate.
Yes: didn't you hear the postmen
blowing their whistles every few min
utes until after midnight y
The English are too polite to laugh
IN ones face, but a suppressed smoker
went around the table. breaking into
audible laughter as another New York
1a 1,uI 7
four hours longer than the new arrival
explained glibly:
why, those were cab calls you
heard. Every London house has a cab
whistle One blast brings a hansom
two four wheeler"
Cabs are essential to London, where
antiquated stages are the only means
of going in many directions, and they
serve as express wagons as well as
conveyances. Few persons send their
baggage Csluggage," it is called over
there) in advance to railway station or
steamer pier. A cab is called at the
last moment, and the cabman puts
trunk or valise on the roof of his vehi-
Gle. If ones parcels are numerous a
four wheeler or omnibus is employed.
On arriving with luggage the same
method is used to carry it to ones
home or lodgings
AS the Luggage covered hansom
bowls along two or three ragged and
dirty men or boys may be seen running
beside it, II ai4y distance is to be tray
ersed, it will be noticed that some Of
these drop behind one after the other.
while others take their places. They
are runners" usually men Oh their
''uppers,' who earn an occasional shil-
ling by following cabs to their destina-
tons and carrying the luggage upstairs
for the arriving passengers.
1t would not occur to the average
Englishman to seek q bootblack out
| side his own home for his morning
Shine" Shoes are generally polished
| In the house by the maidservant. il
| one lacks valet or footman. and the
| bootblack stand is conspicuously alb,
| sent from the, British capital. Boot
| blacks, often aged men, bearing the
label Licensed Messenger" on thei;
| coat sleeve, have foot boxes at the
| chief intersections Of the principal
| thoroughfares and ply their Grade for
| the benefit Of transients and foreign.
| CTS. They are seldom patronized by the
London householder.
One of the first inquiries made by
| Americans who settle in London Is for
a wasllerwoman. But it is soon found
! tllat this useful person is not to be
had. Very little washing is done al
home or taken out by washerwOmeli
in London. all the soiled linen being
sent to a laundry. The result is thai
| Americans, accustomed to the weekly
visit of the family washerwoman nj
home, find their laundry bills not a
small item of expense on the other side
of the ocean.
A surprise is in store for the new
householder i'll London who asks the
maidservant to clean the windows
Indeed, ma am, I'd be arrested if !
did" explains the girl as she refuses
| the task. And, sure enough, it is learn
4 ed that owing to accidents to women
! cleaning windows from the outside the
authorities have ordained that women
| must not risk life or limb at window
! cleaning. The penalty for disobeyine
the regulation is Il fine of So. So mel
. employed as porters in furniture stores
and similar shops earn many odd six
pences and shillings by spending Their
weekly half holidays as window clean
ers to householders lacking men sery.
ants.
Most of the small London shopkeep
ers and their assistants take a half hol
iday on Thursday instead Of Saturday
as in New York, the butchers closing
up Tuesday afternoons. This practice
causes Inconvenience to newcomers un
til guarded against by early purchases
New York Tribune.
A Cautious Statement.
4 More reserved in its wording than
most epitaphs is one in Derbyshire