The People of the Abyss

[smezenen]

Yes, Limehouse, thats exactly what I was trying to say but I didnt have the statisics and of course you stated it much better than I did, thanks for putting clarity into it .

[Limehouse]

Harry,
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement here. They would have had to be just the opposite of Mr. London’s claims or they would never have survived childhood to become adults. There is no doubt that the East End was a slum. So as evidence, look around at the slums of today, you will find sickness and disease, but you will also find some of the hardest people in the world. These people have lived in the worst possible conditions and survived. As the saying goes “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, it also makes you smarter.

More than 50% of children born and raised in the slums of the east end did not survive childhood at the time Jack London was writing. It is true that the stongest survived but it is also true that many thousands of men were turned away at recruiting offices at the start of WW1 because the the appalling state of their health. Recruitng officers (mainly drawn from the well-fed middle and upper-middle classes) were shocked at the state of some men. Sadly, many of these men were subsequently called up, despite their early rejection, because of the need to replace those dying in their thousands in the trenches.

Harry wrote: Anyone explain how persons brought up in these conditions could have forged and held an empire,the size of which had never been seen before.

The Empire was forged and held by administrators, educated in our public schools. They 'occupied and controlled' countries 'owned' by the British and made ample use of cheap local labour. The Empire was held together by the sweat of unpaid and poorly paid foreign workforces who rarely got to sample or enjoy the fruits of their labour.

[Robert]

They did make them tough. Any Briton who could survive the east end, the German army, and the British generals was either very lucky or very tough.

[smezenen]

Some comments on the title thread'People of the abbyss'.They are stupid and heavy,without imagination.It is incontrovertible that the children grow up into rotten adults,without virility or stamina,a weak kneed,narrow chested,listless breed.Neither as workers nor as soldiers can they come up to the mark,when England in her need,calls upon them.(Jack London.Chapter 19)
My reply.Twelve years later,in 1914,they enlisted in their thousands,and formed battalions that that were the equal of those of any country that fought in the first world war.
Whatever is true of london,in the way of poverty and degradation,is true of all England.(Jack London).Anyone explain how persons brought up in these conditions could have forged and held an empire,the size of which had never been seen before.

Chapter 24.Jack London writing of Commercial St,1902. It is rather hard to tell a tithe of what I saw.Much of it is untellable.But in a general way I may say that I saw a nightmare,a fearful slime that quickened the pavement with life,a mess of unmentionable obscenity.It was a menagerie of garmented bipeds that looked something like humans,and more like beasts.
So now we have a good idea of what Hutchinson,Barnet,Lusk,Aberline,Kelly,Eddowes,etc, would have looked like.How the hell did England survive?

Harry,
I wholeheartedly agree with your statement here. They would have had to be just the opposite of Mr. London’s claims or they would never have survived childhood to become adults. There is no doubt that the East End was a slum. So as evidence, look around at the slums of today, you will find sickness and disease, but you will also find some of the hardest people in the world. These people have lived in the worst possible conditions and survived. As the saying goes “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, it also makes you smarter.

[Mr.Hyde]

Mr.Hyde

Dave,
im already on step 6 but i'll wait for ya to catch up

JTR pretty much misinterpreted Step 9 as well!
Oddly,he was a Mason.Reckon he will be a member(possibly "founding member") of one Lodge and visitor to one or two-within the Spacial "thingy".Most likely a "teacher".
Likes-Carlyle and Spinoza.

[harry]

Some comments on the title thread'People of the abbyss'.They are stupid and heavy,without imagination.It is incontrovertible that the children grow up into rotten adults,without virility or stamina,a weak kneed,narrow chested,listless breed.Neither as workers nor as soldiers can they come up to the mark,when England in her need,calls upon them.(Jack London.Chapter 19)
My reply.Twelve years later,in 1914,they enlisted in their thousands,and formed battalions that that were the equal of those of any country that fought in the first world war.
Whatever is true of london,in the way of poverty and degradation,is true of all England.(Jack London).Anyone explain how persons brought up in these conditions could have forged and held an empire,the size of which had never been seen before.

Chapter 24.Jack London writing of Commercial St,1902. It is rather hard to tell a tithe of what I saw.Much of it is untellable.But in a general way I may say that I saw a nightmare,a fearful slime that quickened the pavement with life,a mess of unmentionable obscenity.It was a menagerie of garmented bipeds that looked something like humans,and more like beasts.
So now we have a good idea of what Hutchinson,Barnet,Lusk,Aberline,Kelly,Eddowes,etc, would have looked like.How the hell did England survive?

[Mr.Hyde]

Mr.Hyde

Dave,
im already on step 6 but i'll wait for ya to catch up

JTR was a bit short on step 8!

[smezenen]

Dave,
im already on step 6 but i'll wait for ya to catch up

[Mr.Hyde]

Mr.Hyde

Smezenen,
Fair enough.I wish you well.

Hi Harry,
I watched "12 Angry Men" and listened to Tony Hancock's parody.
smezenen and I are obviously considering instigating a 12 Step Pogram (sic).
Wanna be the first.
Really, only kidding mate.
Again,all the best,
Dave.

[harry]

Smezenen,
Fair enough.I wish you well.

[smezenen]

Harry,
Im not exactly the fit to fight paratrooper I once was. I am planning to use my spouse as a (lab rat) subject as well as myself. at this time of the year we dont have the vagrant population we will have in a another month or so but I will attepmt to find a few people to help. maybe my children and their friends. I dont have the equiptment to produce long digital videos. I can do pictures and short videos with my digital camera. The purpose of this experimant is not and im sure you will agree can never prove that people of victorian london slept in this way but is rather to figure out how they would have done it and show that it is a possibility.

[harry]

Smezenen,
You will be fair in your experiment.I mean,it will be the same kind of people that Jack London describes,and not super fit paratroopers.Old and sick people included.The down and out's of America,I hear there are quite a few there.No need for me to be there,Send me a video,say about 7 hours duration,and include the names of independent referees.I'll take their word.
Mr Hyde,
You can call me anything you wish,provided you prove you can do it.Fair go.
Nothing to see,
There were ,according to Jack London,38,000 people registered as living in doss houses,Check 'Children of the abbyss'.Jack London was in London,England,in the month of August,1902,and I have proved something he wrote to be definately false.And no,its not lying against ropes,it's sleeping draped over ropes.Again,tell me who was witness to the spectacle?It wasn't Jack London.He doesn't say he saw it,and how do you know what Mcarthy would have done? Does that answer your post.It seems the evidence against me is falling apart.What are they going to call you if you are wrong.

[Bulldog]

Hi smezenen,

I'm not really keen on sharing the rope, but since you won't be using your Southern California bed, I might be interested in renting it for four pennies a night.

Bulldog

[smezenen]

Harry,
Yes I figured you would want independent verification so i am inviting you to attend the experiment along with anyone else who would like to share my rope. I plan to start on monday night the 30th of march and continue until that friday. So folks if your in southern california next week and need a place to sleep im only charging twopennys.

[smezenen]

Sorry Khanada, I dont snore and I can prove that one. Why just last night I stayed up all night waiting to hear myself do it..............nothing not even one little snort