Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-03

ger should go at ~ o'clock on Sunday night and
remain till 2 or O'Clock on Monday mornirg.-
Then. after few hours rest, he ought to be there
again at daylight, and remain till clock Smith
field by night presents one of the most extraordi
| nary scenes ever witnessed, and such as no pen
can adequately describe. large proportion OF
stock arrive in the neighborhood of London on
SATURDAY; and kept over Sunday in the fields pre-
pared for their reception. The cattle here get
little rest and rereshment after their long journey,
and here they are visited by the salesman prepnra
tory to their appearance in the market. About
midnight on Sunday the different detachmenis. al
most treading upon the heels uf each other, be-
gin to make theirway through the winding streets
| to the market place. As these detachmens come
from all sides Of this wilderness of houses, and
all directing their steps TO common centre, 1t fire.
qaenly happens that they intercept each other like
hostile parties in the various urnines. Then comes
the conflict; the driving of thousands of sheep in
to their several pens, the asserting and tying up of
thousands of cattle, driven into state of phrenzy
by the men and dogs1 the giles ofthe drove to
keep their own, the occasional leaping of the bar
rlcrs the yelling of men, the barking of dogs, the
believing of cattle, the bleatng of calves and
sheep, form altogether concert utterly indescri-
babe. ..
All now seems confusion. When the day dawns
however, everything is found in order; all the diff
ferent parties found at their respective posts;
and the immense business is transacted with de-
| spatch and precision quite remarkable. By 3 in
the afternoon, not animal is to be seen, and but
few traces left of their having been there at ALL
average sales oil catte per week Is about 35UU;
| OF sheep $4,000; of calves 400; and of pigs about
600. Smithfeld market occupies something like
or acres of ground in the very heart of the CITY,
Nepgdte Market is the Largest IN London for
dead meat, principally beef and mutton. 1t lisa
curious fact that this range of buildings was for
lnerly literary institution or college, lnStaad Of
| food for the mind, it furnishes food for the
| body. large proportion OF the meat exposed for
sale here is killed in the country; but there is also
much killed in the slaughter houses of London
In consequence of the violence police, the Saugh
ter houses are kept remarkably clean. The blood
goes a once into the common sewers, and the offa
is.carefuly removed. Not the slightest ordor is per
ceptible 10 offend the senses. The beef mu ton and
lamb here are generally OF the best quality. South
down and Leicester sheep are generally preferred,
though the small Welsh mutton is most esteemed for
| its exquisite flavor.
The business of this market, also. is transacted
principally through the medium of statesmen. This
market is for wholesale dealers only the meat is
sold by the stone of 8 lbs.
| Leaden Hal. market also is open for The sale OF
beef and mutton but The chief article of produce
disposed of here pork, poultry, eggs and game.
The ammount of these articles here collected and
disposed of almost 'surpasses belief. Take for in
| stance that of eggs. Five vessels engaged in
the egg trade between France and England. TIL, Sc
| vessels have been known to bring 10 London, and
chiefly TO this market, 300 tons of eggs in one yeai.
They are packed III cases ten to n ton, each case
containing from 1000 to 1900 eggS-in all about for
| ty million of eggs.
1t is estimated that about S3,Oco,O 900 are paid
annually for eggs landed at Liverpool and Bristol.
| from Ireland. great quantity of these eggs go
TO London. Again, i'll thel apparently unmportunt
article, feathers, it is stated good authority that
the yearly importation into England from Ireland
| reaches the amount OF two millions and half OF
dollars.
Large quantities of dairy fed pork and poultry
are sold here, AMI command high prices, Cheese
| and'butter are sold Ia n considerable amount
| Skins and leather form an important article of
| cOnmerce here, and also several other items Of
agricultural produce.
| COrent GdrLen Market is the largest in London
FOR fruit, flowers and vegetables. The word Gov
ENT is a corruption Of Convent, this place being
formerly the garden of the convent, and connect
ed with the establishment OF Westminster Abbey.
The whole square contains about five acres OF
ground. In the centre is the market house. The
chief arcade is lG feet wide, with shops on each
side fitted up i'll handsome manner Here are
displayed the finest fruits and flowers, in season
and out oil season. The prices asked for fruits and
flowers, IN this arcade is no criterion TO form an
opinion from, as 10 the prices in the market, Us
most OF the things exhibited here have been grown
in greenhouses. We have known three rpe
cherries 10 sell for 1885, apples and peaches for 81
cents apiece; gooSeberreS ut one dollar and sew
| enty-fvc cents quart. The reason was, they
were all grown in hot-houses, and probably were
the only ones 10 be met with, at that season. in all
| London. In the proper season, these and all 9TH
or fruits, can be bought very reasonable The out
slte stalls are for vegetables and the conmuner
| sort of fruit.
Covent Garden presents an interesting spectacle
on market day. At O'Clock in the morning when
the wholesale business commences, the streets and
avenues leading 10 the market are literally cram
med with vehicles of every description, conveying
trusts and vegetables TO and from the market. Ali
the small articles such as gooSeberries, currantS,
peas, beans, new potatoes apples, &C., are brought
in baskets-cabbages, lettuccs, carrots rhubarb
&C., in bulk.
| The market gardens in the neighborhood of Lon
dom send immense quantities of vegetables to
| COvent Garden. A single grower has been know
10 send in one day 1900 bushels of peas in the
pod, and seven or eight loads of cabbages averag-
| ing $500 cabbages per load. From The same farm
another season, 1900 baskets OF sprouts were sent
i'll one day and in the course of the year, 5000 10
| COCO tons of potatoes
RaSpberrcs and strawberries are brought in
small baskets; each basket holds about one and a
hall plnS. These are usually brought long diStaIl-
ceS on the heads OF women. Is is said, many of
| these women walk twice TO market in day, with
a heavy load of fruit on their heads from places
or miles distant.
1t is All interesting sight 10 See the poor Irish
women and girls sitting in long rows, Smelling peas
We have seen from so TO 100, all busily at work,
apparently as happy as the Queen. The price
paid for Smelling it two cents per quart, and some
| OF them will Shell ~ quarts day. The peas are
| frequently sold ready Sheled to hotels and some
private houses, at IS cents quart.
SsThus the reader will perceive that, although
London contains more than 100000 of human
beings, there Is at present lack of the means of
subsistence London, il is true, has suffered great
| ly by famines in former years, yet, with her nu-
merous railroads, steamboats,, and other means of
communication with all parts of the world, this is
not likely TO be the case again.
|
For the Wheeling lntelligcnccr.