Charles Babbage, for those who don’t know, was an
English mathematician and inventor who designed
(but never completed) a mechanical device called
“the difference engine” which would carry out math-
ematical functions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage
But did you know that he also hated (nay, loathed)
street musicians? It’s true. He goes on about it for
some 25 pages in his book “Passages From the Life
of a Philosopher”. The pertinent chapter can be read
here, if you’re so inclined:
He also supplies a list of “instruments of torture
permitted by the Government to be in daily and
nightly use in the streets of London”, in which
are included the Flageolet, “Halfpenny whistles”,
Organ(?!), and, of course, the much-maligned
Bagpipes.
Yeah, I’ll bet he refused to return their baseballs and frisbees, too.
Ha’penny whistles, eh? Talk about inflation.
An interesting pairing with this is Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor published in 1857, just a few years before, in which journalist Mayhew paints a very sympathetic picture of London street musicians and other characters. Including Whistling Billy - the dancing whistler who appears as the logo on Clarke Sweetone whistles.
Billy’s story begins on page 199 at the bottom, and the chapter on Street Musicians on page 158.
Actually, I’m very sympathetic to the underappreciated problem of noise pollution. I say as at this very moment my neighbor is in the process of removing his concrete front driveway with jackhammers …
“Another class who are great supporters of street music, consists of ladies of elastic virtue and cosmopolitan tendencies, to whom it affords a decent excuse for displaying their fascinations at their own open windows. Most ladies resident in London are aware of this peculiarity, but occasionally some few to whom it is not known have found very unpleasant inferences drawn, in consequence of thus gratifying their musical taste.”
“Elastic virtue”: witty. But what are “cosmopolitan tendencies” and why are they a bad thing? And what are these “fascinations” of which he speaks?
I’ve bookmarked the section, and read about 5 pages…it’s just about the funniest read I’ve had in ages. This guy is a trip. I’m going to print off a copy to take to session…they’ll appreciate it.
Well, since Mr. Babbage isn’t around to complain, I’ll give it a shot anyway 
