Liverpool, England, April 22.
"One evening, accompanied by a friend, I took a walk into the White Chapel district. We were determined to see the worst part of city, and I think we succeeded. We met one of the constables, who kindly offered to go with us through some of the most dangerous streets and alleys. He pointed out to us three of the places where the unfortunate victims of Jack the Ripper were found, and also showed us a lodging house in which seven hundred men and women lived, four hundred of whom were habitual criminals. We came across a drunken woman on the street, with bare head and dishevelled hair, The officer ordered her to move on, when she turned on him, such a shower of billingsgate as I never heard before, so he moved on with her and we were left to find our way as best we could. The streets swarmed with dirty, poverty stricken men, women and children, a good portion of whom were drunk, or partly so. The saloons were crowded more with women and children than with men. "Rushing the growler" was very popular with all classes. One of the streets was literally lined with all sorts of fakirs, for about a mile. Some disposed of their wares by various games of chance or by lottery, others sold them at auction.
By the way, the word "billingsgate" originated from the great fish market of that name, where the language is not as well selected as it might be."
