141 / 374
DRINKS.
141
should
be
called
Old
Tom
by
the
publicans
and
lower
orders
of
London
has
sometimes
puzzled
those
who
are
inquisitive
enough
to
consider
the
subject
etymo-
logically.
The
answer
may,
perhaps,
be
found
in
a
curious
book,
called
"The
Life
and
Uncommon
Ad-
ventures
of
Captain
Dudley
Bradstreet,
Dublin,
r755."
Captain
Dudley,
a
government
spy
of
the
Count
Fathom
species,
after
declaring
that
the
selling
of
Geneva
in
a
less
quantity
than
two
gallons
had
been
prohibited,
says:
"Most
of
the
gaols
were
full,
on
account
of
this
Act,
and
it
occurred
to
me
to
venture
upon
the
trade.
I
got
an
acquaintance
to
rent
a
house
in
Blue
Anchor
Alley,
in
St,
Luke's
parish,
who
privately
conveyed
his
bargain
to
me
:
I
then
got
it
well
secured,
and
laid
out
in
a
bed
and
other
furniture
five
pounds,
in
provision
and
drink
that
would
keep,
about
two
pounds,
and
purchased
in
Moorfields
the
sign
of
a
cat
and
had
it
nailed
to
a
street
window.
I
then
caused
a
leaden
pipe,
the
small
end
out
about
an
inch,
to
be
placed
under
the
paw
of the
cat,
the
end
that
was
within
had
a
funnel
to
it.
"
When my
house
was
ready
for
business
I
inquired
what
distiller
in
London
was
most
famous
for
good
gin,
and
was
assured
by
several
that
it
was
Mr.
L
dale,
in
Holborn.^
To
him
I
went,
and
laid
out
thirteen
pounds.
.
.
.
The
cargo
was
sent
to
my
house,
at
the
back
of
which
there
was
a
way
to
go
in
or
out.
When
the
liquor
was
properly
disposed,
I
got
a
person
^
Whose
premises
were
burnt
down
during
the
Lord
George
Gordon
riots.
Dickens
immortalized
Langdale
in
Barnaby
Rudge,
The
distillery
^s
still
in
existence
at
the
same
place.