The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-12-27
LIFE IN BIG LONDON
SOME OF THE THINGS AMERICAN VS.
iToRS SOON LEARN.

SN0
Puzxling at First No Bootbiack
Cannot Clean Windows.
Americans so%journing IN London are
often puzzled in their first few hours
there to account for the frequent blow
Ing of mouth whistles in their vicinity,
resembling the blasts OF sound with
which the New York postman accom-
panies the delivery of mail. A Yankee
who arrived in the British metropolis
one summer night greatly fatigued by
his Journey retired early at his lodg-
ings, but was kept awake until mid
night by the unaccustomed and con-
tinuous blowing of whistles, which sug-
gested to his drowsy brain that letter
carriers were calling every few min
utes Mt the adjoining houses.
AT breakfast the next morning lie re-
marked that he had often heard Of Lon
don's frequent mail deliveries, but he
had never supposed there were so many
Of them as he had heard the previous
evening.
"HeardI" inquired his seat mate.
Yes; didn't you hear the postmen
blowing their whistles every few min.
utes until after midnight?"
The English are too polite to laugh
In one face, but a suppressed snicker
went around the table, breaking into
audible laughter as another New York
er, who had been in London twenty.
-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 hanson,
two Il four wheeler"
Cabs are essential to London, where
Anticipated stages are the only means
of going in many directions, and they
serve rs express wagons us well as
c%onveyances. Few persons send their
baggage ("luggage," 1t is called over
there In advance to railway station or
steamer pier. A cab is called at the
last moment, II the cabman puts
trunk or valise on the roof Of his vehi-
Gle. IL 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 baggage covered hanson
bowls along two or three ragged and
dirty men or boys may be seen running
beside 1t, If any distance is to be trav-
ersed, 1t will be noticed that some Of
these drop behind one after the other,
while others take their places. They
are runners" usually men on their
"uppers," who earn an occasional shil-
ling by following cabs to their destina-
lions and carrying the luggage upstairs
for thea arriving passengers.
1t would not occur to the average
Englishman to seek q bootblack out
side his w home for his morning
"shine." Shoes are generally polished
in the house by the maidservant, If
II lacks valet or footman, and the
bootblack stand is ~conspicuously abb
sent from The British capital. Boot
blacks, often aged men, bearing the
label Licensed Messenger" on their
coat sleeve, have foot boxes at the
Chief intersections of the principal
thoroughfares and ply their trade for
the benefit Of transients M foreign
crs. They are seldom %patronized by the
London householder.
One Of the first inquiries made by
Americans who settle in London is for
a w~asherwoman. But it is soon found
that this useful person Is not to be
had. Very little washing is done at
home or taken out by washerwomen
in London, all the soiled linen being
sent to a laundry. The result Is that
Americans, accustomed to the weekly
visit Of the family washerwoman at
home, find their laundry bills not q
small item of expense on the other side
of the ocean,.
A surprise is in store for the new
householder in London who asks the
maidservant to clean the windows.
Indeed, ma'am, I'd be arrested If 1
did," explains the girl as she refuses
the task. And, sure enough, it Is learn
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 d~isobeying
the regulation is a fine of So. So men
employed as porters in furniture stores
and similar shops earn many odd six
pences and shillings by spending their
weekly baif holidays as window clean
els to ~householders lacking men serv-
ants.
Most Of the small London shopkeep-
ers and their assistants take q half hol-
iday on Thursday instead Of Saturday,
as in New York, the butchers closing
up Tuesday afternoons. This practice
causes inconvenience to newcomers III
til guarded against by early purchases.
New York Tribune.