The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-12-16
LIFE IN BIG LONDON
SOME OF THE THINGS AMERICAN Wis
IToRS SOON LEARN.

Tu1xun8 at FIRST NO BOOtblack
Stands In British Capital-WOmen
Cannot Clean Windows.
Americans sojourning 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
bis journey retired early at his lodg
ings, but was kept awake until mid
night by the unaccustomed and con-
tlnuous blowing Of whistles, which sNg-
gested to his drOwsy brain that letter
carriers were calling every few min
utes at 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 were 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?'
The English are too polite to laugh
In ones face, but suppressed smoker
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 four wheeler"
Cabs are essential to London, where
Anticipated stages are the only means
of going in many directions, and they
| serve as express wagons as we'll as
conveyances. Few persons send their
baggage ("luggage," 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 baggage covered hanson
! bowls along two or three ragged and
dirty men or boys may be seen running
beside it. If any distance is to be trav-
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 on 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 a bOotblack out
side his own home for his morning
| ''shine." Shoes are generally polished
| in the house by the maidservant, if
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 their
coat sleeve, have foot boxes at the
chief intersections of the principal
thoroughfares and ply their trade for
ers They are seldom patronized by the
London householder.
One of the first inquiries made by
Americans who settle in London is for
| q washerwoman. 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 laundry. The result is that
| Americans, accustomed to the weekly
visit of the family washerwOman at
home, find their laundry bills not a
small item of expense on the other side
Of the ocean.
| householder in London who asks the
maidservant to clean the windows.
Indeed, ma'am, I'd be arrested if l
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 disobeying
the regulation is fine OF IS. SO men
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 serv-
ants.
Most of the small London shopkeep-
ers and their assistants take half hol-
iday on Thursday instead Of Saturday,
as in New York, the butchers closing
up Tuesday afternoons. This practice
causes inconvenience to newcomers I'M
| til guarded against by early purchases.
! New York Tribune
| A Sickly Diary.
CT ook here old chap, I'll give you