The sun., 1909-02-28
MEN THATDICKENSSKEICHED
OLD B4RGEMAN'S MEMORIES
or THE NOVELIST.


English Pawnbrokcrs strike Bernard
s-aw wants Doctors sociaiized
.'ishk Paid Performins Animals
sixteen Vacancies In the College
Of Cardinals Search for king Lo-
bensulab Treasure e-Tardy Relief
Ior Sufferers Frem the Earthquake
George Grossmith's Retirement.
LONDON, Feb. i7.-An afternoon paper
publishes q talk with an old Limehouse
barge master who tells how one man at
least on the river Dickens knew and wrote
Of 80 well considered the novelist to be
mo gentleman When the old barge
master was a youngster q Capt. Parera
was harbor master at Limehouse. 1t
vas Capt. Psrera who denied that Dickens
was q gentleman.
Napier Henry. the sea painter. used
TO sit on my barges for days painting the
view the old barge master is quoted.
'Parera said to him one day, That Mr..
Dickens is no gentleman, though he gives
me many cigar; his cigars are nearly as
good as yours OH said MIR. Hemy
.'He came down to make books, said
Parera. the same as you make pictures,
and he went away and put me in one OF
his books and called me "a mahogany
faced captain and an amphibious animal;
likewise my assistant, Joe. he put in his
book as "a bottle nosed person in glazy
hat" Do you call them the acts OF a
gentleman"
Another story OF Parera and Dickens
the old man told was as follows:
-Parera taught the boys in Lme'us
workhouse something OF sailoring by
means Of rugged craft standing on the
pavement in the yard. Dickens brought
some ladies and gentlemen down one day
for what he called a voyage to the West
indies Psrera was captain and the
hoys were the crew.
The captain wanted to give them an
order and stepped over the side OF the
craft to the pavement. Dickens came
running up with a life buoy and some
rope and shouted. Man overboardH He
flung the buoy to Parers and knocked him
head over heels. Capt. Parera swore
once more that Dickens was no gentle
man.
The old barge master remembered the
original OF Rogue Riderhood in Our
Mutual Friend; he was called Nasty
Dicky on the river
.One day said the barge master, 'Mr.
Henry and a son OF Capt Parera we're
Leaning over the hsrbor masters veranda
when boatman rowed up to the ladder
Of The Grapes for a drink with body
towing behind.
Have you read "Our Mutual Friend'r
asked Mr.. Parera. Yes? Do you remem-
ber the dongs OF the Bird Of Prey?
well, that's him, Nasty Dick is the
Bird OF Prey. He's got another!
Another meant another body.
Dick picked bodies up in the river and
Nrought them in for the usual Ave shllings
reward-that's the customary thing when
= body's found.
so Parera said Where did you find
IL? On the Point. on the mud What |
has he got?' Il don't know said Dick: !
il 1t had been dark I'd have run the rule |
,ver him Then Mr.. Hemy knew he was
indeed Rogue Riderhood.'
In his speech in the House OF Commons !
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Balfour, touching |
m the old age pensions said that he was
fairly staggered at the extraordinary and !
abnormal number OF the aged poor in !
Ireland, and he invited the Government
to make a thorough investigation into |
the matter There seems to be ample
ground for wonder on this point
A member Of Parliament, writing to the
Times yesterday. gives some ofifcial
figures which during the autumn session
we're supplied to htp in answer to ques-
lions in the House OF Commons. Put
shortly, this Ia what he wishes to have
explained:
Number OF persons In ireland of 20 years
and over. ................ .. $4,000
ut these there are 10 receipt OF poor law
relief. ...............,........ ......... 5000
Leaving the highest possible number Of
pen,ionsble persons st................... .issooo
ct the number OF claimants for pensions is 200 600
Nnd the number actually granted up TO
January iyas............. ........ .. 10000
An stigation will probably be
made into this state Of affairs by the
chancellor Of the Exchequer and will
probably bring some remarkable facts
10 light The member whose figures
have been quoted above says that 1T
ia estimated that between $4,000 and 20 900
persons Of all ages in Ireland are to-day
receiving old age pensions who are not
.paiified under the act II was declared
IN the lobbies Of the House OF Commons
ast night thet one OF the women to whom
an old age pension had been allowed had
,ince given birth to a child.
II was Monday night, the eve OF the
opening Of Parliament. and over thou
sand guests thronged the renovated Ad-
miralty where Mr.. and Mrs, Mckenna
we're holding the first official reception
Il the session. These thousand guests
Included scores OF the most prominent
pcople in society and politics. There
we're also present three women who had
tot been invited Needless to say they |.
we're militant suffrcgettes. i
They took no chances in a dirigible ,
alloon, as did one Of their number on .
the following day only to be blown toward
al instead OF Parliament. but put on ,
heir smartest evening frocks and drove
10 the Admiralty in a taxicab. In the
,hrong Of guests they passed through
Without difficulty and shook hands with I
Mr. and Mrs McKenna and the Prime |
Minister, then waited their chance, a
Al the first lull in the music one Of {
hem mounted chair and cried; MIR. c
McKenna, am Liberal woman on strike. I
viii YOU tell me as responsible Cabinet
Minister IL votes for women will be in 7