Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-10-16
The Worlds Largest City Is Ever
on the Verge of Famine.
COULD BE EASILY STARVED.
II Supplies From Abroad Were Cut OF
For a Few Weeks Death Would
Ravage the Great and Wealthy Me.
tropois-Sources of Its Provisions.

immensely is the cause of its utter de-
pendence. II supplies were cut of
from without 1t would starve to death
in few weeks.
1t is the richest city in the world
1t has palatial shops. thousands Of
stores and countless warehouses. but
1t produces practically nothing in the
shape Of foodstuff. 1t Is like a great
baby that has to be fed by its mother.
the world. and the produce Of the world
flls the mouths Of its 100000 inhab-
itants.
By the rail. the river and the road
all that Londoners eat and drink ID
brought to them. and. three-Quarters Of
it all is conveyed in ships from abroad
Until the beginning Of the nineteenth
century London had no docks. Today
they cover an area Of twenty-five miles.
and wheat from the United States.
Russia. Canada and the Argentine u
disgorged into their granaries from the
holds Of ships like 10 much sand
Many Londoners have never seen the
docks. but two loaves out Of every
three that they eat are made from the
grain that comes to them through those
docks.
Most Of the grain ships berth in the
Victoria docks. but since they are so
necessary to the city's welfare they
have the right to moor at any quay in
the port Of London. a privilege no 9th
er vessels possess.
The London butchers never cease to
sound the praise of English beef and
mutton. but they sell little that is real
~ English. All the cattle that are
shipped to London alive pass ashore
at Deptford into the market which
stands on the site of the dockyard
where Peter the Great learned ship
building. Every animal is inspected
by government official, and those that
are in any way diseased are killed and
cremated straightway.
Cattle come by train from all parts
of the kingdom to the Metropolitan
cattle market at lslington, travelling
through the night. and on Mondays
and Thursdays the market opens at
dawn and continues till 3 o'clock in
the afternoon. The cattle that are
sold are driven to the slaughter houses
and killed. and the meat is on sale at
Smithtield early next morning
At 2 o'clock in the morning this
market is ablaze with light, and the
streets in the vicinity are blocked with
railway vans. At o'clock the sales.
men are in their places. and soon aft.
erward the buyers from the big shops
arrive, and the sawdust strewn ave.
nues Of red and yellow carcasses are
thronged
Smithfield's daily supply Of beef and
mutton is about 1000 tons, but only q
fifth Of this meat is British. and much
Of the mutton comes from New Zea.
land via the Victoria docks.
The county Of Kent Is noted for its
fruits and vegetables. but London
would be unable to satisfy its craving
for green stuff without the aid of 9th.
er countries The miscellaneous vege
tables annually brought into England
from abroad are worth close to $1,000.
600
There are several markets in the
metropolis for such warpS-SpitaIfplds
the Great Northern potato market and
the harrington fruit and vegetable
market bur the bulk Ut the apples
oranges lemons. unlnn> POTATOES and
other roots that are brought from
France. Italy. Spain and Algiers lind
their way from the docks OF COvent
Garden in common with the nome
grown fruit ann Vegetables which
reach London from al! points VI tht
compass II, boxes ana BASKETS pleG
high on hiiIItWrlng vans
Most uf the market Gardeners sci
| their OWN wares a, the tiari!en
while the foreign stuff i >oId NJ anc
ton Fn, "no wears this pi:r. M.
been the premier nlarE.t ~ i.n;i,i"n TO-
vegetables. fruits aiii bowers am,
there are trims VIII" nave traded be
Meath its giH>> root tot .tii-ra tons
Some OF the fish that feeds London
is landed on il toatins lluntUon AT the
river front of Biiling>oate market. and
at a very early hour in the morning
Vic IL ne -tEt utOu ISL
ing smackS from the North sea. little
open bargeS loaded with fish that ha We
been lightered from larger vessels in
the docks and clumsy looking Dutch
galiots loaded with cells which are en-.
titled under charter granted by
Queen Eliza beth to sail up the Thames
and moor below London bridge.
The railway companies convey TO-.
600 tons Of fish from different parts Of
the coast in the course Of year, while
the boats convey $1,000 tons. The
tolling Of big bell announces the
opening Of the market at 5 o'clock, and
thereafter the fshmongers are busy
buying. and the fish porters In their
long smocks and fat topped hats sour
~ from the stalls to the carts bearing
fish boxes on their heads.
The provision business is network
of commerce in itself. but there Is a
big daily distribution throughout Lon.
don. because without 1t London would
have to live on dry bread. meat and
vegetables. New York Press.