New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
DICKENS'S LONDON
Another Landmarks Going-Muc.
Still Remaining.
London. October .

hoIporh IS now IN the last stage of dec,a
and is awaiting the doom Of deno,itio. ''sncs
the site has been auctioned off. Tba -.
who have been turned out on the exnIr,+,1
the leases have tried to profit by the ~
associations OF the dingy structure wi,b =
English Balzac. PlaCards in the ufndo,.
nouncing the removal OF the restaurant
other site around the corner. the saIa - :,
old mahogany bar and fixtures and thu A..
sitiOn Of the site refer to 1t as the asRe5 -
and landmark In Dickens Land: and csr,.t-.
it must have been familiar object in the -.
elist's time. for 1t was directly opposite - -
old time Furnivalrs Inn. where he lived vb.-
he was writing "Pickwick." and where tbs -,
scenes of his married life. subsequently refs.
TO in David Copperheld,' occurred. Tba 80
storied tavern with its rows Of square windo,,
and narrow entrance to the interior com. =
Barnard's Inn. was not a picturesque ob,.,
like Staple Inn. with its gables and Ia,b-..s
plaster front; and there is no evidence tba, :.
was impressed by it's dignified or eecentri, -
pect- The tavern was the dingy screen for
of the nine Inns of Chancery. but 10 bas
affection for il, as was evident from, IT,
temptuous description OF it in "Great Evn...-
tions" as the dingiest collection of sb.ss-
buildings ever squeezed together in 4 rarL 80
-ha-N
Pip was living there with Herbert Poc..t -.
Joe Gargery paid visit TO the quarter .,s
marked that he would not keep pIr ,,..,
Dickens's descriptions Of the court bebir5 -
wicket gate, the trees. the snudge eov.,.s
houses. the sparrows and the dust hole, a..
dismal as those Of the quadrangss NJ s,,,I.
Inn near by in Edwin brood" and o..
House" are delightful The advertisers A.,
character when they drag them in
Nobody knows how old the condemned ..,.
really is. One Of the conjectures which 7 s.,.
seen IN print dates IT back to the at.s,+, -
tury. when the Holborn front with the uro7.-,.,
behind it was bequeathed by Dean Mackxor-b
to the chapter OF Lincoln Cathedral IN rs,nr,
for masses for the repose OF his soul. tn.
dlngy structure Is apparently eonfounded with
the site, for II has the appearance OF an stgb
teenth century construction. although II Is ur5v
enough to justify a larger measure OF antiquitv
There have been long term leases. to which II,
preservation In dilapidated condition has bse,
due. for the properties behind It were purchased
by the Mercers' Company over twenty year,
ago and converted into large and hourfship,
school In Dickens's time Barnard's. one OF tia
two subsidiary ChanCery inns OF Grays Iar. va,
in the final stage OF neglect and decline. and
there was tavern in front OF It. with gateway
| leading 70 the dining hall and the melancholy
/ little square which Mr. Pip compared 10 a far
burying ground The MERGERS Company subss-
quently restored the old dining hall for the uss
of schooIbOys and constructed two large brick
buildings behind It, with class and study rooms
| The approaches from Holborn have been uu-
| slightly. but the empty spaces have been filed
| with substantial modern structures and ths
/ quarter has been greatly improved by sanitary
reforms The shabby old tavern and the quaint
dining hall alone remain from Dickens's tina
In recognizable form FurnivaIrs. ThaTssS
Lyons. New and Strand inns. which he vas
accustomed 70 pass in his walks. have bean
demolished Staple Inn has been saved through
the sentimental altruisrn Of a prosperous insur-
ance company. and remains as charming NOOK
with its secluded courts. plane trees and old hall
with the clock, as it was when he made II tbs
promenade OF the meditative Nir. Snagsby, the
home OF Mr.. GrewgioUs and the ~beaastals
country OF Rosa Budd.
The Identification OF Baruards Inn Tavern,
which is now on its last legs and beyond hops
OF underpinning. with any place Of entertain
ment mentioned in ''Baruaby Rudge'' Is cloudsd
with suspicion The MaypOle IN Chigwen re-
mains 10 this day memorial OF Dickens's power
CT observation as a realiSt; but the other inns
have either vanished or have never been salts
factoriIy identified The Whitechapel district
Will be ransacked in vain FOR a glimpse Of the
Black Lion. which Mr. John WHlet favored
with his patronage when he went UP to London.
and where Dolly Warden had her happy reunion
with her faithful lover after his return from
the American war. The Boot where the con-
spirators of the Gordon riots met at the os1S
OF the Founding Hospital has been as hard to
find as the Golden Key IN Clerkenwell whe7e
the honest locksmith lived. not far from ins
Charterhouse or Mr.. Stages cellar in the Bar
bican. Tho tavern at Barnards 5 shines with an
and smoky light as a reflection OF the Red Lamp
or any landmark definitely described by DickenS'
1t fronts upon HoIborn. through which -
rioters rushed in their descent upon NeWgalS
and is not far from the distillery and otnsE
buildings which were burned IN the Gordon riOts'
1t was the starting point Tor many Of the no'es,
lists walks when he was studying faces aAA
takins note OF queer signboards and GusiA,
houses: and in the narrow lanes and erooAs'
streets leading from IT on either side OF Hoi'
born ne found homes for some OF his taVoll'
characteristic. TulkinghOrn. Mrs. CAMP 1oH'
Westlock Poll SWeedlepipes. Traddles. MIS- 'e-
laby and many more. The old dining nan -
Barnard's and the gables OF Staple Inn VII "
main as landmarks Of Dickens's Land IN HO'.
born, and the grimy. ugly tavern near R''''
Lane will not be seriously missed.
When the lapse of time and the marcn OF ~.
provement are considered it is amazing 'H-,
so much of DIckens's London is left Inc %
taverns which were SO prominent festui7
the scenery OF "PickwiCk.' have gone Win -
stsgo coaches and posting routes; and one iH1.'
go far afleld TO the Spaniards IN Hamps1s1.'
the Kings Head at Chigwell. the Great W.
Horse at Ipswich. the Bull at Rochester anu =
Leather Bottle at Gotham 70 have picture
the old fashioned Inn which he loved to eeSei-~
with effective realism. The Marshalsea wv