New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-20

sounds-accordlng 20 me games lucy VI
,r--of I'm low, and Peds high 70 ana .
mes game" Fifteen four and lash Of FIVE
| may remark it is curious that costsrmonge's'
who can neither read nor write, snd who nave no
knowledge Of the multiplication table, are skiltul
in oil the intficscies and calculations OF cri50age
There is not much quareling over the CARDS, III
less strangers play with them, and then the cos
termoDgers al take part one With another, fairly
or unfairly.
It has been said that there is close resen-
blance between many Of the characteristics of a
very high Glars, socially, and a very loT class
Those who remember the disclosures on trial
few years back, ss 70 how men oil rank and
wealth passed their leisure 10 cart-playing-
many Of their lives being one continued leisure
can Judge how far the analogy holds when the
card.passion Of the ccstermongers 10 described.
"Shove halfpenny' is another game played by
them 20 is Three up" Three hafpennies are
thrown up, and when they fall all "hesds' or all
tails" it is mark and the man who gets the
greatest number oil marks out OF a given amount
three or FIVE, or more-wins. Three.up' is
played fairly among the costermongersi but IS
most frequently reHorted 70 when strangers are
present TO make a pitch, which is, IN PLAIN
words, 10 cheat any granger who is rash enough
to bet upon them. " This is the way, sir said
an adept 10 me " bless you, / can make them
fall as / please. If I'm playing with 10. and
stranger beta with Jo why, OF c0urhe, make 10
win" This adept illustrated his skill to me by
throwing up three halfpennies and, five times
out of six. they fell upon the floor, whether he
threw them nearly 10 the ceiling or merely to his
shoulder, all heads or al tails The hsfpence
were the proper cdrrent coins-indeed, they were
my own; and the result is gained by peculiar
position of the coins on the fingers, and peculiar
Jerk in the throwing There was amusing
manifestation of the pride Of art in the way in
which my obging informant displayed bis skill.
"Skittles' is another favorite amusement, and
IL H.. nn
best players in London. The game is always for
beer, bat betting goes on.
A fondness for "sparrlng" and "boxing' fingers
among the rude members of some classes OF the
working-men, such as the tanners. With the
great majority Of the costermongers this fondness
ia still as dominant as it was among the higher
classes" when boxers were the pets of princes
and mobiles. The sparring among the costers ls
not for money, but for beer and "a lark "a con
venient word covering much mischief. Two out
of every ten landlords whose houses are patronl
zed by these lovers Of the art Of sefdefense,
supply gloves. Some charge 2d. night for their
use; others only 3D. The sparing seldom con
tinues long, sometimes not above quarter OF an
hour for the costermongers though excited for
while, weary of sports in which they cannot per
sOnelly participate and In the beer shops only
two spar at time though Fifty or sixty may be
present The shOrtneBs OF the duration OF this
ptstime may be one reason why it seldom leads
reeb," and the winner is the man who gives the
first "noser;' bloody nose however is required
10 show that the blow was vertibly a nOser. The
cOstermongers boast Of their skill in pugilism as
well as nj skittles. 1--WE are all handy with our
fists said one man, and are matches, ay and
more than matches, for anybody but regular box
ers. We've stuck TO the ring, too, and gone
reg lar 10 the fights, more thar my other men"
Twopenny.hops' are nue. escorted to by the
costermopgers, men and woneu boys and girls.
At these dances 0ecorum is sometimes, bat not
often violated. THE women" was told by one
man, doesn't show their necks as I've seen the
ladies do in them there pictures Of high life in the
shOp. winders or on the stage. Their Sunday
gowns, which is their dancing gowns, amt made
that way" At these hops" the clog hornpipe
is often danced, and sometimes q collection is
made 20 insure the performance Of first rate
professor Of that dance; sometimes, aud more
| frequently II is volunteered gratultousy. The
othe% dances are jigs, fash jigs"-hOrnpipes in
fetters-a dance rendered popular 10y the success
of the acted "Jack Sheppard '-polkas, and cOun-
the %oeb ssGs are az y
unknown to them Sometimes they do the "pipe-
dance" For this q number of tobsccO-pipes,
about dozen, are lsid close together on the floor,
and the dancer places the toe Of his boot between
tie different pipes, keeping time with the music
Two Of the pipes are arranged rs cross, and
the toe has 10 be inserted between each of the
angles without breaking them. The numbers
present at these hops vary fcOm 30 TO 100 OF
both sexes, their ages being from IA TO 49, and
the female sex being slightly predominant as to
the proportion of those in attendance. At these
"hops" there lie nothing of the leisurely style Of
dRnCing-bRlf a glide aud half q sklp-but vigor-
ous, lsborOus Capering. The hours are rom half
past eight to twelve sometimes to one or two ia
morning snd never later than two, as the cOster-
mongers are early risers. There is sometimes
good deal Of drinking some of the young girls
being often pressed 10 drink and irequ emily yield
ing 10 the temptation From II 10 II is spent
in drinking az hop the youngest men or lads
present spend the most especially in that act Of
Of cOstermOnger pOliteness-" treating the gas"
TIE music ia always fiddle, sometimes with the
addition Of harp and a corDopeAn. The band is
provided by the costermoDsers, 70 whom the as
sembly is confined bat during the present and
The last year, when the cOsters earnings have
been less than the average, the landlord has pro-
vided the harp, whenever that instrument has
added to the charms OF the fiddle. OF one use TO
which these hops are put have given al &C
count, under the head OF Marriage"
The other amUsemeuts Of this class THE com
munity are the theater aud the penny concert,
AID their visits are almost entirely confined to
the galleries OF che theaters on the Surreyslde-
the Surrey, the NiStoria, the Bower Saloon aud
lbut less frequently Astley's Three times
week is sn average attendance At thealers and
dances by the more prosperous costermongers.
The most intelligent man met with among them
gave me the following account he classes nm
self with the many, but his tastes are really
those Of an educated man Love ami murder
suits as best, sir; but within these few years l
think there a a great deal more liking for deep
Tragedies among rs. They set men a thinking
but then We sl consider them too long. OF Ham
lei We can make neither end nor side; and nine
out Of ten Of us-Ay, far more thai thst-would
like it to be confined t. the shost scenes, and the
funeral, ard the killing of at the last. Mqc5ett
woold be better liked II V was only the witches
and the fighting The high words in q tragedy
we cal jas breakers and say e cent tumble 10
that bsIrikin. We always stay 20 the last, be-
cause we We paid for 1t al. o. very few costers
would see tragedy out If sny money was re-
turned 20 those leaving alter two or three acts.
We are toud Of music. Niger music was very
much liked among Us, hut It : stale now. Flash
s0pgs are liked, and ssilors Eongs, aGd patriotic