The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-30

Sudden, some'ow, there didn't seem to be any money There was cheques-they was a bit of paper written on, and they was jes as good as money-jes' as good if they come from customers you knew. Then all of sudden they wasn't. I was lef with three of 'em and two I'd given change. Then it got about that fivepun' notes were no good, and then the silver sort of went off. Gold you couldn't get for love or-anything The banks in London 'ad got 1t, and the banks was all smashed up. Everybody went bank rup. Everybody was thrown out of work. Everybody"
 He paused, and scrutinized his nearer The small boys intelligent face expressed hopeless perplexity.
 That's low it 'appened," said old Tom. He sought for some means of expression. 'gt was like stoppin' clock" he said. Things were quiet for bit, deadly quiet, except for the airships fighting about in the sky, and then people begun to get excited. remember my lars customer the very lars customer that ever I 'ad. He was a MT. Moses Gluckstein, a city gent and very pleasant and fond Of sparrowgrass and chokes, and e cut in-there 'adn't been no customers for days-and began to talk very fast. offerin' me for anything 'ad, anything, petaties or anything, it's weight in gold. ID said 1t was little speculation e wanted to try. ID said it was a sort of bet reely, and very likely ed lose; but never mind that e
 
 e said. B said I'd only got to weigh it out and ed give me his check right away We'll, that led to bit of a argument, perfect respectful it was, but argument about whether check was still good, and while e was explaining there came by lot of these here unemployed with great banner they 'ad for every one to read-every one could read those days-'We want Food Three or four of lem suddenly turns and comes into my shop.
 "iGot any food? says one.
 No, says, not to sell. wish ad. But If ] lad, I'm afraid I couldn't let you have it. This gent, es been offerin' me'-
 "Mr. Gluckstein e tried to stop me. but 1t was too late
 What's e been offerin youe' says a great big chap with 'atchet; what's e been offerin' you? ad to tell.
 Boys, e said, 'ere's another feenancier!' and they took i'm out there and then, and 'ung i'm on lam'pose down the street.
 "E never lifted a finger to resist. After toe on i'm e never said word"
 Tom meditated for space. First chap l ever sin 'ung!" he said
 Then there was strikes and Social. ism, things I never did old with, worse and worse. There was fightin' and shootin' down, and burnin' and plunderin' They broke up the banks up in London and got the gold. But they couldn't make food of gold. 'Ow did we get on? Well, we kep' quiet. We didn't interfere with no-one and no-one didn't interfere with us. We 'ad some old 'tatoes about, but mocely we lived on rats. Ours was old 'ouse, full of rats and the famine never seemed to bother 'em. Orfen we got rat. Orfen, But moce of the people who lived hereabouts was too ten. der stummicked for rats. Didn't seem to fancy em. They'd been used to all sorts Of fallals, and they didn't take to 'onest feed, ing, not till it was too late. Died rather.
 Tt was the famine began to kill people. Even before the Purple Death came along