The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-24 00:00:00

A DONKEY SHOW

Under the heading, "Costers' cattle," theDfrily 7'tlegraph
of 3fondaY, had an article by "One' of the 'Crowd," frota
which we make the following extracts
:
The varieft and independence about a costerm,onger's
life are su lent to account for the affection with
which the brethren of the peripatetic barrow cling to
their useful and honourable profession. To have a
donkey and a " dicky " of one's own and be able to
trundle along merrily to market in the morning be-
hind a well-fed, well-groomed, and spirited little moke,
going at about eight miles an hour without touch of
whip— this-is legitimate pride and pleasure. Even a
locomotive can't possibly go anywhere but where the
rails are laid for it, whereas with the neat little coster's
barrow which brings flowers and fruit and vegetables
to market the owner can do anything he
pleases. Wherever there is a road, whether it be
the road from Whiteeross-street to Covent-gar-
den, or all round the suburbs, or out to Epping
Forest on a holiday, the obedient little donkeys will
trot if only their masters bid them, on business or
pleasure. All that is wanted is a high road and
somebody willing to buy the edible commodities
which Neddy pulls along behind him. Like other
people, costermongers have to work hard, and must
make money to support themselves and families;
one of the most important ' members of the family
being the donkey, pony, or cob that serves them
so well and so faithfully for no payment, except
a feed of oats once or twice a day. "What do
you give him to eat?" I asked the proprietor
of one of the "Follies," " Neddies," " Kitties,"
or " Tommies " that figured in great abundance in
the programme of the prize show held last week
at the Foresters' Hall in Clerkenwell-street. "A
peck o' corn and some chaff, or else ' mixture,' " was
the owner's reply—" mixture" being apparently a
luscious compound of all that donkeys love best to
devour, oats and chaff figuring largely among the
ingredients. " Lor' bless you, sir," went on the
caterer for the needs of this happy quadruped,
"often and often's the time that I'Nre gone without
half my supper to give more to that there animal ; "
and I must candidly acknowledge that the animal in
question looked as if he had not been stinted in diet.
Itis perfectly astonishing what a difference dressing and
combing and proper feeding will make in a donkey's
appearance—and not in his appearance only, but in
his temper and disposition. " Groomin' does 'em as
much good as a meal o' wittles," said my coster-
monger ; and .the donkeys and ponies exhibited on
Tuesday certainly bore out the statement. They
looked so sleek and " full " and sprightly and spirited
—some of them almost came up to the famous enco-
mium pronounced by the Ramsgate donkey-man on
the merits of his unparalleled beast, who was—so he
assured Mr. Cymru Tuggs—" three parts blood and
the rest corn." lam not aware who first started the
bright idea of holiday shows and prize-givings to the
best animals that the costermongering fraternity
could produce; but whoever it was is undoubtedly a
benefactor to-the cause of kindliness.

The show at the Crystal Palace some years ago was
originated by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, and Tues-
day's gathering was presided over by the Earl of
Shaftesbury, who has done so much to help on the
G
aims of the olden-lane Costermongers' Mission, with
which his lordship's name is honourably associated.
. . . It is only fair to the costermongers—a class of
men often unjustly run down—to say that they have
responded with z'eal to the efforts that have been made
to better the condition of the animals whose lives are
in their hands, and that the moment they recognised
the truth that kindness to animals is wisdom as well
as duty, they have, in the great majority of cases,
treated their beasts with. humanity that, even from
a business point of view, has been amply repaid to
them by the result. Donkeys, it is .well-known, are
most intelligent animals. Their voice is against them;
but there are plenty of stories which show that in
cleverness they greatly surpass that more respectable
quadruped, the horse. . . •
It was worth going miles to see the gathering of
costermongers, their wives, and children, met together
on the occasion under notice for a tea-drinking and
distribution of prizes, and the -show of ponies and
donkeys held under the auspices of the Golden-lane
Mission and Costermongers Society. There were
about sixty horses, ponieE, and donkeys, all ranged
round the spacious yard, while a good band in the
centre lent the charms of music to wile away the
beautiful summer hours, before the judges went their
round to decide on the merit§ of the dumb com-
petitors. These arbiters were Dr. Franklin and Mr.
Sermon—the latter a veterinary doctor, while the
whole show was under the management of Mr.
Orman, the honorary and energetic superintendent
of the mission. What, perhaps, interested the visitor,
to begin with, were the titles of the animals exhi-
bited. The dominant name among the donkey tribe
was certainly "Tommy," varied with a liberal
number of Kitties," and " Jennies," " Pollies,"
and "Neils: " while one exhibitor rejoiced in an
animal bearing the rather far-fetched appellation
of "Young Melbourne." No explanation could be
given by its keeper of how the animal had come by
the title ; and whether the quadruped itself or its
original owner hailed from Australia, whether he was
christened as a rival of Derby winners, or whether the
name was given out of pure undiluted "cussedness,"
the catalogue did not state. "Paddy" as may be
imagined was an Irish donkey, one of the prettiest
and neatest little animals in the whole ground, worth
a good deal over £lO, and decorated with bright
purple harness. All or most of the animals wore gay
rosettes on their foreheads or tied under their ears.
"she don't mind what roads she goes on," said Paddy's
master, with pardonable pride; "she can go on all
roads, she can." . . .

lam forgetting the ponies and the cobs. "Tommy
the Stepper," "Plunging Tom," "Polly," "Kitty,
"The Rat," "Charley," "Robert the Devil," were
some of the names with which these useful animals
had been christened. "The Rat" at once attracted
my attention, inasmuch as its age was seventeen
summers, and it had a child seated in great happiness
upon its back. It looked as quiet as a lamb, in spite
9f the fact that its next neighbour was trying to bite
its nose every now and then; and taken altogether,
the condition of the costers' ponies did credit to the
care and attention of those who had charge of
them. . . . 'The nature of the prizes to be given to
the winners was kept a secret until the arrival of
the noble president on the scene. It is interest-
ing to see the affection with which Lord Shaftesbury,
veteran philanthropist and prince of the profession, is
regarded by these itinerant tradesmen, who perform
so useful a function in so unpretentious a manner.
His lordship is a costermenger, and proud of the title,
and when some time ago he bought his barrow and in-
scribed on it the letters, "KG. and C."—Knight of
the Garter and Costermonger—it was these Iv.),
Golden-lane colleagues of his who presented him with
the donkey to draw his modest equipage. Altogether,
the show, and the tea, at which over three hundred costers
and their wives sat down, and the subsequent meeting,
were brilliant successes, and no doubt can be enter-
tained of the good that is done by such practical
lessons in kindness and the proper treatment .of the
lower animals. Humanity is a thing which is• never
thrown away ; it "blesses him that gives and him
that takes," making the man happy with the con-
sciousness of duty performed, and the brute beast
contented and ready for the labour which is required
of it. Thoughtful observers came away, with a new
regard for donkeys and barrow-men, from the qter-
tainment which it has been my privilege to chronicle.