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

5ou-n again each one resting on the others should
ers. A peepshow with battle scene IS .. of
its coster audience, and atavorite past :. e,b,.
ing With cheap theatrical swords. o., ga bow.
ever, true to each other, az .,orld ; coster who
is the hero OF his cour rail- III and 60 to hospital
the whole ',s the :ahabisaDts of his quarter viii
visit hira on the Sunday and take him presents OF
var'c,os articles so that he may live well"
Among the men, rat-killing is favorlte sport:
They will enter nc old stable, fssten tho door and
then turn out the rats Or thew fad out S me
unfreoueuted ard, snd at night time build up a
Dit with sppe.case boards, aud lighting up their
lamps enjoy the sport. Nearly every eostef 10
fond Of dogS Some fancy them greatly, and are
proud Of making them fgh. II when out work
ing, they see a handsome stray whether he IS
"toy" or sporting dog, they whip him uP-many
Of the clsss not being gerry particular whether tne
animals arc stray or not y
Their dog fights are both cruel and frequent. IL
is not uncommon 70 see a led walking with the
trembling legs Of dog Ahverng under bloody
handkerchief that covers the bitten and wOanded
bodv Of an snimal that has been figuring at some
match" These fights take place on the sly
the tap room or backyard Of beer shop being gen
orally chosen for the purpose A few men are let
into the secret, and they attend TO bet upon the
winner, the police being carefully kept from the
spot
Pigeons are "fancied" to a large extent and
are kent in lath cages on the roofs OF the houses
The lads look upon visit to the Red house Sat
tersea, where the pigeon shooting takes place, as
a great tire az. They stand without the boarding
that ipcloses the ground and watch ortbe wound.
ed pigeons 10 fall, when violent scramble takes
place among them, each bird being valued at 3D..
or I'D. So popular has this sport become, that
some bows take dogs with them trained 10 retrieve
the birds and two Lambeth cOsters attend regu-
larry after their mornings work with their guns,
toshoot those that escape the shots within.
A good pugist is looked up to with great admit
ration by the costers and lighting IS considered 10
be necessary part of boys education Among
them cowardice in any shape is despised rs being
degrading and loathsOme; indeed the man who
would avoid fight. is secuted by the whole ofths
court he liyesin Hence Il is important for lad
and even 2 girl to know how 70 work their lists
welF-as expert boxing is called among them
If ccster man or woman is struck they are
obliged 70 fight When a quarrel takes place be-
tween two boys, ring is formed, and the men
urge them on TO have It out for they hold that 1t
is wrong thing to stop battle as 1t causes bad
blood for life whereas if the lads fight 1t out they
shake hands and forget all about it. Every body
practices fybtng, and the man who has the largest
and hardest muscle is spoken Of in terms OF the
highest commentator 1t is often said in admi-
ration of such a man that be could muzzle half
g. dozen boobies before breakfast.
To serve out policeman is the brsvest act by
which costermonger can distinguish himself.
Some lads have been imprisoned upward CT
dozen times for this otiense and are consequent
lv looked upon by their companions as martyrs.
When they leave prison for such an act, a sub
scripton is Otter got up for their benefit. In their
continual warfare with the force they resemble
MANY savage nations, from the cunning and treach
cry they use. The lads endeavor TO take the un
suspecting "crusher" by surprise, aud often
crouch at the entrance of a court until police.
lrAn pAsges, when a stone or a brick is hurled al
him. aud the youngster Immediately disappears
Their love of revenge, too, is eXtreme-ther
hatred being in no way mitgsted by time they
will wait for months, following policeman who
has offended or wronged them, anxiously looking
out for an opportunity of paying back the injury.
One boy, / vas told, vowed vengeance against n
member Of the force, and for six months never
allowed the man 10 escape his notice. At length,
one night he saw the policeman in a row outside
public house, and running into the crowd kicked
him savagely, shouting at the same time; New,
YOU b, I've got you at last When the boy
heard that his perse cutOr injured for life, his
ioy WINS very great, ard he declared the twelve
months imprisonment he was sentenced 10 for
| the offense 10 be " dirt eheaP." Ti'0 "LYio -
| the court where the lad resided sympathlsed With
| the bow and vowed to a man. that had he escaped,
! they would have subscribed pad or two OF dry
| behring's, to send him into the country until the
affair had blown over, FOR me had shown himself O
"pldcky one"
complaining. To finch from expected suffering
is scorned and he who does so is sneered at and
told TO wear gown as being more it to be a
woman. To show a disregard for pain, lad,
when without money, will say to his pal Give
US penny, snd you may have punch at my
nose They also delight in tattooing their chests
and arms with anchors, and figures Of different
kinds During the whole of this painful opera
ton, the boy will not finch, but laugh and joke
with his admiring companions, as ii perfectly at
ease.
" THE HoRTcULTURIsT, edited by A J.
DowNING March. This Journal always contains
good deal Of readable matter in addition to its
instructive discussions on the culture Of fruits and
flowers. The Letters from England by the Ed.
tor, new in the course publication, present many
agreeable descriptions of rural and domestic life
in that country. One or two passages rom the
latter in the last number will bear reprinting:
ENGLISH RAILWAYS.
The last word reminds me that l must say
word or two here about the English railways In
point OF speed / think their reputation ont runs
the fact. | did not find their average with the
exception Of the road between Liverpool aud
LOndOn,l much above that OF our best northern
and eastern roads They make for instance,
hardly 90 miles al hour with the ordinary trains,
and about SO miles an hour with the express
trains But the perfect order and system with
which they are managed the oblging cvility Of
all persons in the employ ment Of the companies
to Travellers and the quietness with which the
bushes Of the road is carried on, strikes an Anne
ricsn very strongly. For example, suppose you
arc on a railroad at home YOu are about to ap
proach S small town. where you may leave and
take up, perhaps twenty passengers. As soon
a. the town IS in siglt the engine or its whistle
begins t. scream oUt-the bell rings-the steam
yhizzes-snd she train stops Dat hurry the
way passengers in rush the new corners. Again
the bell upgs, the steam Whizzes, aud with
noise something between screech ard yell,
but more internal than etber-a noise that deaf
ems the old ladies' delights the boys and frghtens
al the horses, Oft rushes the acknowledging
and yelling over mile or NO OF country, before
IL takes breath for the like process at the next
station.
In On Enelsh railway Won seldom hear the