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[-115-]
"DOWN RATCLIFF WAY"
IT
is now nearly twelve months since the Licensing Amendment Act became law, and
the main feature of it - that which relates to the half-hour extension of the
time until which public houses and beershops may remain open at night - was put
to the test.
As the reader may possibly be aware, the last-mentioned
indulgence was never demanded, never urged as necessary, never expected by a
proportion of at least nine out of ten of those to whom it was granted. A mere
hundred or so of tavern-keepers were at loggerheads with the authorities, as to
the desirability of keeping open their houses a little later than twelve o'clock
for the accommodation of people who chose to patronise places of amusement from
which the audiences - were not dismissed until that hour, when the Home
Secretary, by a device, as remarkable for its simplicity as for its boldness,
solved the mighty difficulty.
The surest way of winning the affections of a people is to
show respect for its homely, time-honoured traditions and maxims. The right hon.
gentleman, who was doubtless aware of the popularity of the old English saying,
"what is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander," shrewdly
judged that he could not go far wrong if he cut the Gordian knot in which the
publican's disagreement was bound, by declaring his conviction that what was
good for the Crown and Cushion, in [-116-]
the Strand, was likewise good for the Three Jolly Tinkers, in Brick Lane; and
that, to put an end to the vexed question, the shortest way would be to tar them
all with the same brush.
The purpose of this paper is an attempt to make known the
result of a personal inquiry into the working of the vast experiment in one of
the worst and lowest neighbourhoods in London, where the public-houses outnumber
the bakers' shops, and where gin by the "quarten" commands a sale of
three to one as compared with quartern loaves.
It has always struck me as being not a little remarkable that
those who regard it as their mission to preach against drunkenness and its
attendant evils should pay so little attention to a rich and extensive field of
material which lies all ready to hand - viz., the rieighbourhoods of Ratcliff
and Shadwell, at the east end of London. Were I to enlist under the banner of
Sir Wilfred Lawson, and be deemed capable and worthy of taking some sort of
leadership in the praiseworthy crusade to which that inexorable opponent of the
"demon Alcohol" is devoted, I would ask for a no more promising tract
of battleground on which to display my prowess against the enemy than that
discoverable between Breezers Hill, in St. George's Street, and King David Lane,
in the same thoroughfare.
The distance between the spaces named is probably not more
than eighty or ninety yards, but weeds in a neglected garden do not crop up in
ranker luxuriance than the public-houses and beershops within the boundaries
indicated. I am not certain, but roughly guessing, I should say that there are
at least five and thirty of those places here. Genteel society may well be
excused incredulity as to the existence of so many dens of vice and dissipation
licensed by law in these days of school boards and public libraries. They might
have been possible before gas and steam were enlisted to lighten the people and
expedite their advancement to perfect civilization : there could be no question
that such haunts were no rarity [-117-] when
Hogarth painted Gin Lane; but we are supposed to manage these matters very
differently in modern times.
Well, those who think so should go and see for themselves; in
no other way can they thoroughly comprehend how grave a mistake was made, when,
as a short cut out of the difficulties which beset this particular branch of the
Licensing Amendment Act, was resolved on the ingenious device of tarring the
whole body of publicans with the same brush by making the extra half-hour
universal.
It is generally agreed that the bane of drunkenness is never
so hideous as when it is demonstrated in womankind, and no illustration of the
disastrous effects of reckless indulgence in intoxicating liquors appeals to an
audience with such telling force as that of the once sober and well-conducted
female yielding by degrees to the terrible temptation until she at length sinks
to the condition of a gin-soddened poor wretch, lost to every glimmer of
self-respect, and capable even of starving herself and her children rather than
forego her only remaining enjoyment in life. Such a story never fails to move to
their inmost depths the commiseration and pity of those who hear it. It is no
novel narrative.. Almost every day it is repeated in some shape or other in the
newspapers; scarcely a morning passes but the "wretched woman" herself
appears at the police-court to answer for her misbehaviour. But, after all, she
is not by any means the extremest exemplification of the extent to which vice
and strong drink may brutalize and change the nature of a human creature.
Were I in pursuit of the commission above hinted at, I would
undertake with one cast of my net in the sea of infamy which flows between Ship
Alley and Gravel Lane to bring to land fifty petticoated specimens, the least
vicious of which, compared with the ordinary draggle-tail drunken woman of
London streets, shall be of jet black, as it were, compared with mere grey. Not,
however, as illustrating the prostrating effects [-118-] both
as regards mind and body, of inordinate indulgence in publicans' goods. The
female of the locality in question is seldom seen dead drunk, as it is termed.
Such a condition is almost impossible to her. She is far advanced beyond the
weakness of succumbing easily to the influence of intoxicating fluids-if she was
ever subject to it, which is doubtful-bred and suckled on gin, as she probably
was, and weaned on gin and bitters. It requires a pen far more graphic than mine
to adequately depict this modern Black-eyed Susan, whose prey mainly is men
whose "follow the sea." It is marvellous that even spoony "Jack
ashore" can discover anything in the least attractive in her. In language
and manner she is as coarse as a coal-whipper, and the guiding principle of her
shameful existence seems to be to make known her contempt and abhorrence of all
that is modest and womanly.
It is no exaggeration to say that there are many hundreds of
women of which she is a type, the daily and nightly business of whose lives it
is to prowl about this delectable neighbourhood, seeking whom they may beguile
and plunder, and it is equally true that it is chiefly at the public-houses and
drinking-shops that they mature their plans for robbery. I do not mean to say
that the publicans who keep these houses knowingly permit felony to take place
on their premises; but it is absurd to suppose that they are not perfectly well
aware that the women who swarm to their bars, and their concert rooms, and their
dancing saloons, have no other object in view besides that of "picking
up" and despoiling the weak-minded individuals who are so unfortunate as to
fall into their clutches.
These women are the mainstay and support of half the
public-houses hereabout. They go out in search of plunder of nights as
systematically as did the foot-pads and the highwaymen of olden times. They do
not resort to one tavern or dancing room and there spread their nets for chance
corners; such a plan [-119-] would be by far too
slow, uncertain and unremunerative. It is as with every other kind of fishing,
this "fishing for flats," - there is never any certainty as to the
particular spot at which spoil may most plentifully abound. There may be an
equal spread of it from the Pickled Herring to Paddy's Goose, or at may all have
shoaled into one lucky corner; therefore it behoves all who would share in the
take to be vigilant and on the alert. And vigilant they are. They pursue their
investigations, these flashily bedizened and painted prowlers, with as cool an
eye for business as do the night patrols in garrison towns, who look in at all
the taverns in search of drunken and skulking soldiers. It might be imagined
that such a proceeding would lead to quarrelling and contention, but it is not
so. There really does seem to exist a certain sort of honour amongst these
creatures which leads them to respect the laws of the chase, and should a pair
of huntresses, - they usually go in couples, - succeed in snaring a victim,
possession of the prey is never disputed even by the hungriest of the unlucky
pack. No; twenty times an the course of as many minutes, the easily swinging
doors of the dancing-room may be thrust open showing a head and shoulders, and a
pair of eyes keen as those of a fox, but that is only to see how business is
going. At these Ratcliff houses its fluctuations are rapid. There may be next to
nothing doing in a dancing-room one hour and the next a gang of shipmates
perambulating the highway may fall in with another gang, and they all turn in at
the first tavern that comes in their way, offering instant employment to a
greater number of wreckers that may happen to be on the spot. Should this be the
case, the head and shoulders above mentioned are promptly followed by the full
skirts, if not, if there appears to be no more than a fair proportion of
plunderers to the to-be plundered, the head and shoulders vanish as suddenly as
they appeared, and betake themselves elsewhere. They have no time to waste;
every half-hour is precious, especially when the night grows late, [-120-]
and those to be beguiled become more and more helplessly drunk.
An hour after ten is worth, to these man-catchers, more than
two hours in the early evening, and it may be easily understood how inestimable
is the half-hour after midnight, which is now vouchsafed them. And what amount
of compensating advantage can be shown to balance the evils for which in
Ratcliff Highway and its neighbourhood, "the extra half-hour" is
responsible? There are no night factory hands, no railway travellers, no
play-going folk in this quarter of the town to whom facilities for obtaining
beer or spirits, after twelve o'clock, would be a convenience. Could it be
tested, it would probably be found that out of every sovereign which passes over
the bars of the hundred or so public-houses to be found between Cable Street and
Limehouse Church after midnight, at least nineteen shillings is expended in
drink for those who are already drunk at the instigation of the merciless shes,
whose successful further attacks on their pockets and property mainly depends on
the condition of helplessness to which their victims may be reduced.
It is a marvel that, under the circumstances, the
neighbourhood in question presents as a rule, and even up to the time when the
public-houses and beer-shops close their portals, a comparatively orderly
aspect. It is not unlikely, that if the various grievances which I have herein
endeavoured to point out, were brought under the notice of the police
authorities of the district, they would declare that they were exaggerated, and
argue that if the place were the pandemonium it is said to be, to keep the peace
there, as undoubtedly it is kept, would be impossible. But it must not be
forgotten that, though undoubtedly a great deal is due to the excellent
discipline and vigilance of the constabulary force, at least so much as regards
avoidance of absolute outbreak and rioting, is attributable to the peculiar
system of business adopted by the dancing-saloon and concert-room proprietors
themselves.
[-121-] Never were truer words
uttered than those constantly in the mouth of the publican, that a drunken man
is his greatest detestation, and never did spoken sentiment so nakedly betray
the debasing influence of the liquor traffic. The publican hates a drunkard as
he hates the gout or any other inevitable result of excess; the man for him is
he who is able and willing to sit or stand, and swig and swig until his last
shilling is exhausted, comporting himself, meanwhile, as a jolly fellow should,
and so setting a noble example to all who behold him, and finally walking off
with his prodigious swallowings, as insensible to their influence as the beer
barrel or the gin vat which originally contained them.
The keepers of the dancing and singing rooms "down
Ratcliff-way" share in the prevailing abhorrence of their class, for the
objectionable persons who cannot drink like a pig without appearing as one, and
take well-considered precautions against unpleasant results likely to arise
therefrom. They employ their own police. By way of example, let us take the case
of the Prussian Flag in Ship-alley. The Prussian Flag is probably as largely
patronized as any public-house in the neighbourhood, to which is attached a free
dancing-room. The nature of its business considered, it may claim to be regarded
as a thoroughly well-conducted house, and it is evidently understood by those
who frequent it that its managers are persons who will stand no nonsense. On the
ground-floor there is a spacious and scrupuluously clean bar, and the bar space
in front is partly occupied by a bagatelle-table for the innocent amusement of
those who have neither taste nor talent for dancing. The dancing-room is
upstairs.
On the occasion of my visit I was for a few moments in doubt
as to the way to it. But while I was hesitating there came down a flight of
stairs in the far corner two magnificent females, the one in a skirt of
maroon-coloured velvet, and with a coronet of gold and pearls, and with a yellow
"bandanna" [-122-] temporarily
covering the broad expanse of shoulders, &c., which the extremely
"low" body of her dress left bare. The other lady either was, or
affected to be a daughter of Scotland, and wore a plaid silk dress, with a broad
scarf of similar material crossing her bosom and fastened with a brooch at her
hip. They were both hot and perspiring from recent exertions and had evidently
retired from the festive scene in quest of refreshment. They passed the bar,
however.
"Going to have a drop of brandy, Beller ?" remarked
a hawk-eyed young fellow with a hook-nose and a meerschaum pipe, and who was
drinking at the bar.
"It won't run to it just as yet," replied Beller,
ruefully.
Seated on a corner of a table by the door was an old fellow
with a basket containing something covered with a cloth, and approaching him one
of the gorgeously attired females asked him for a "penn'orth," whereon
he put aside the cloth and disclosed a tin pot full of peas boiled and still
smoking hot. A "penn'orth" was a small saucerful, peppered, and well
soused with vinegar.
"A penn'orth for you too, miss ?" asked the old man
to the syren in tartan.
"Ain't got the coin," as briefly she replied;
"I'm goin' snacks with Poll," which she did, for Poll having devoured
half the peas handed the saucer and the leaden spoon to Bella, who disposed of
them in three mouthfuls, and after this economical refection the ladies made for
the stairs again, I following in their wake.
The dancing-room, if not lofty,
was spacious - sixty feet by thirty at least, with, at the far end of it, a
refreshment bar resplendently painted, and gilt with looking-glass panels. At
the end nearest the door was the space set apart for the musicians - a
contrivance in shape and size closely resembling a corn bin perched up against
the wall, and containing the performers, four in number, artistes of the street
musician [-123-] type, and who wore their caps and
hats and took advantage of their short spells of rest to smoke short pipes and
regale on beer from a quart pot. Above the heads of the musicians, dangling from
nails in the wall, were four or five gorgeous hats and bonnets, the property of
as many female frequenters of the room, and who with a praiseworthy regard for
coolness as well as economy, preferred to disport themselves with their tresses
unencumbered. Of the tender sex present, with a few exceptions, they were all of
the Poll and Bella sisterhood, in flashing silks and satins, and with bare arms
and shoulders; but one and all, and there must have been at least fifty of them,
of exactly the stamp as regards manner and language as though they were cast in
one mould. The same brutal, expressionless mouth, dead to everything but the
intaking of brandy and gin and the outletting of foulest blasphemy, the same
transparent mask of abandonment to the fun in progress, and through which
unmistakably and invariably appeared a restless impatience of all frivolity that
impeded business, and the cold, calculating sharp look-out for the main chance,
and which was no more quenched or even tamed by the measures of strong drink,
swallowed at the expense of the victims marked as fair prey, than fire may be
quenched with oil.
As for the male dancers at the Prussian Flag, it s more
difficult to describe them even than the women. In one respect only was there a
striking family likeness amongst them, and that was that they were all drunk, or
nearly-jolly and devil-may care drunk as the inebriated sailor as a rule is. A
strangely mixed company, and presenting a picture well worth the attention of
the clever artist daring enough to paint it ; quite a theatrical scene. The
painted and tricked out women as before mentioned, and the men of almost every
country and climate under the sun. Lithe-like Italians, quick as cats and lively
as kittens; bronze-complexioned fellows, with dull, jet black lank hair and
bright red coral earrings, copper-coloured men, [-124-] whose
complexion was sickly yellow, and full black Africans grinning with delight, and
perfect pinks of politeness as regards their behaviour to the ladies, and each
one, although the heat of the room was stiflingly oppressive, wearing about his
throat a bulky woollen wrapper of a gay colour for warmth sake; all there, and a
dozen others beside, to say nothing of the "white folk," the
spare-ribbed, hatchet-faced Yankee, the broad-beamed, heavy jowled German, and
the true British mercantile tar, who, to do him justice, was rather more drunk
than everybody else.
There was no attempt at ball-room attire as regarded the
gentlemen. By far the greater part were dressed in that broad ship rig, and a
few cases were to be seen of individuals who were so indifferent to, or defiant
of ball-room proprieties as to appear in their great deck boots, but no one
interfered or remonstrated with them. The "M.C's" certainly did not.
Indeed, I am not quite sure that they were entitled to be so styled. "O.
P.'s" would best apply to them, those initials standing for "officers
of the peace."
There were four of them, long-backed, broad-shouldered young
fellows, with their shirt sleeves rolled back above their elbows, and who acted
as waiters, and who when not so engaged took each a seat at the corners of the
room, and blandly smoked their pipes and looked on. But their business embraced
something beyond looking out for and executing the orders of customers. A lady
sitting in company with a huge Norwegian, whose shaggy hair, as he rested his
tipsy head on the table, was dabbling in spilt rum and water, was seen while
playfully patting his hand, to be endeavouring to relieve his little finger of
the thick silver ring which adorned it.
"Stow it, Emma!" called out one of the vigilant
waiters.
"It's on'y a lark," pleaded the young woman,
coaxingly.
"Lark or linnet you stow it, or I shall have to show you
[-125-] down stairs," returned the waiter,
civilly but firmly; and with a snarl and an oath the young woman desisted.
Shortly afterwards there were signs of a sudden row. A lady
taking offence at her partner's-a black mm-stinginess, had forcibly expressed
her indignation by punching him in the face and cutting his lip, whereon the
other black men who witnessed the fracas hurried up to the rescue, and there was
all at once a tremendous commotion and flourishing of fists. But before one
might count twenty the four agile waiters were on the spot as well as two of the
musicians out of the corn bin - the flute and the cornopean, and able-bodied men
both, and in a jiffy all the coloured party were hustled down stairs and out of
the house, and in less than five minutes the four waiters had resumed their
corners, the flute and cornopean had returned to their duties, and the trifling
interruption was forgotten in the delights of the mazy dance.
As the night advanced the dance grew mazier though, to the
sober on-looker, possibly less delightful, for then it was that the
hard-featured, keen-eyed women, who as before remarked, appear well-nigh
invulnerable to the tipsying effect of wine and spirits, plied their victims
with heavier and more frequent doses of potent liquor, so that they might render
themselves utterly helpless into their Lands to be led captive to the infamous
dens which abound in the neighbourhood, there to be plundered at leisure.
It may be said as regards the question of the extra half hour
that in the case of the man who recklessly abandons himself to drinking all the
evening and up to twelve o'clock at night, he is not likely to be much the worse
for an extended indulgence of thirty minutes; and this may be so with men whose
capacity for swallowing intoxicating fluids is reasonably limited; but as a rule
the seafaring individual is not of this class. As long as he can stand he will
go on drinking, and his "sea legs" remain faithful to him after his
reason has gone by the board [-126-] or very
nearly. By twelve o'clock he may be drunk, but could if he were then left alone
find his way home to his decent lodging house.
It is the broadsides of liquor, as it were, which are poured
into him in his then crippled condition which undo him and lead to his becoming
the stranded wreck we so frequently hear of: but not a tenth as often as if we
heard all-invariably plundered and sometimes barbarously treated.
And how about the decoys - the cold-blooded pirates who,
under false colours and in rich array, lure him to his ruin? Grateful, indeed,
are these inexorable harpies for the "extension of time," which has
been graciously conceded to them, in which to follow their abominable
avocations; but, poor wretches, it is not them who reap the benefit. They are
not birds of prey, tree to enjoy the spoil, which by hook and crook falls into
their possession. They are as a rule no more their own mistresses than the silks
and laces with which they are so gaily bedecked, are their own property. Their
gay plumage is only lent to them to go a hunting in. It belongs to the odious
male and female wretches who own the dens to which helpless drunken men are
beguiled.
Let any one who doubts this pay a visit to Ratcliff or
Shadwell any morning, say at noon. That is an "off-time" at the
various sailors' drinking places and dancing saloons. The foolish Jacks who are
ashore are still abed sleeping off the effects of the over-night's spree, or
those that have beer, cleared out have skulked off somewhere penniless and
ashamed; but the public-houses are not without customers. About the still dirty
bars flock the splendid creatures I have endeavoured to describe, but bearing no
trace of being the same, except for the paint with which their dirty faces are
still smeared, and the burnt cork and pencilling which by daylight render more
repulsive the expression of their bleary bloodshot eyes. Their gowns are
draggletailed and tattered, their hair [-127-] in
greasy loops and ropes about their ears from which the tawdry earrings are still
pendant. They meet to drink glasses of raw gin, by way, as they say, of a
"freshener" after the ball-room fatigues of the previous evening, and
to brag of the money and valuables it was their luck to "make" out of
those who last night fell into their clutches. And when the day declines and the
gas is ablaze again there they will be found, Bella and Poll, and their thousand
wicked sisters, haunting the dancing saloons or prowling from public house and
seeking whom they may devour, with no man seeking to hinder them, nay, cheered
by the kindly dispositions of the rulers of the nation who have ordained that
their hunting grounds shall remain open to them half an hour beyond the time
their absurdly squeamish predecessors thought quite late enough.