Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-12-21

I
the market is "laid OUT" the coyered Ynv.
are rooted and arched with meat, the narrow
lahes arc hedged with it; there arc groves o.
poIk, thickets of mutton, and, allowing foui
vi lhe huge quarters to every bullock--an
ordinary and reasonable allowance--more
ANIMALS OF that kind than in life could have
louuu browsing on Mitcham Common. All
cuts oi prime parts too At ordinary times
are freely exposed for sale every part of a
neast, from his tail to his snout, you may
see heads of sheppard sleeps ''ir0tters, u
anu heels OF the bovine species in heaps hip
nigh, the tails Of oxen in punches, and the
ln,esllhal n, parts Of sheep, pigs, oxen and
caves burdening by the hundred-weight
mighty hooks screwed into posts and beams.
nero IS none OF this on Christmas eve; all
is cleanliness and propricty There is saw
uusl on Tue market stones and white cloths
on the butchers boards, and clean aprons
anu sleeves on the butchers selves, and the
butchers are rosy and the meat is rosy, and
the gas Hpouts out with Jolly hum. There
are three or four hole.and corner taverns
attached to the market One of them, a low
erowned-looking edilice the red-curtained
9oors OF which arc approached by three
DOWNWARD steps, greasy, murky looking
hostel enough in general, but this evening
all aliye and beaming with extra gas.iets,
and holly festooning the frowsy ceiling, and
big bunch of mistle-toe impaled To the
middle post behind the bar to which tho
Oid Tom" tap is attached, and against
winch the bnr-mad leans and chats with
the customers in the intervals of business.
Egg hot from five till twelve" is the legend
on the wall, and it being now five and past.
frequently the red curtaincd door swings TO
and fro, and with watering mouths sly butch
er men slip in, and with satisfied mouths sly
bulcher-men slip out, brushing their lips
with their blue sleeves, and hurrying back
to their stalls. They'd nap it, If their mas.
ters caught them at il, only the best of il is,
lhe masters take care not to catch 'cm at it,
so long as they take no more than is good
ior them, knowing the sort OF evenings work
they have before them.
And now the trade begins Swarming in
at the lanes and alleys come the buyers. in
some few cases singly, but in pairs, as a
RUE, man and wife; and the number of their
children may be estimated with tolerable
accuracy from the size Of the market basket
the latter carries--hundreds of them. thou
SANDS OF them until there is scarcely elbow
room, and for sniety the butcher men carry
thelr knives, when not in use. in their mouths
All very well, but it must be confessed that
Newgate Market or Leadenhal are not, un-
doubtedly, the best places TO purchase the
prlmest and cheapest. Jones is in this re-
speet no weaker than his well to- do brother;
we are all alike, all anxious to fill our little
TN pots at Niagara. If want u pen 'orth of
plums l prefer them out of bushel; if
nave nifty pounds to bank, | lodge it with
the Grand Westminster and AIiddesex.
capital seventeen millions So it is with
Jones and his wife. They have ten shillings
10 spend IN butchers meat and they must
needs banker after the wholesale" ANY
wellconditioned bullock is capable of sup
plying four times more srlOin than they are
likely to want, but they prefer to pick their
slrloin out of the produce of hundred and
fifty bullocks There is no denying, Mrs.
Jones, that you are tolerable Judge of
meat, and may save II penny pound by
coming here, perhaps three hallpence, and
so you ought, considering that you have
trudged mile and n hnlf, had the crown Of
your bonnet stove in by collision with q
meat tray, and suffered agonies from the
trampling of hOb-nailed boots on your corns.
How much better now il would have been
to have gone quietly to Virgins, who is not
extensive IN trade, but invariably civil and
oDliglng, and given him your Christmas
custom. 1t would have been better for
various reasons
In the first place, you are well acquainted
with Virgins, and stand in no awe of him.
II he asked you tenpence n pound for srloin,
ana you. Thought that ninepence was plenty
for it, you would have no scruples about
telling him 80 to his hend and declining to
purchase unless he bated; but would you
dare to do as much by Silverside and Co ?
The meat-merchants who are in such ire
mendous way Of business make no more OF
your purchase Of sixteen pounds of beef than
Virgins would of your demand for two pen
'orth of suetl That in tho first place; and
then, pray, how abOnt your knowledge Of
the arithmetic Of Wholesale meat dealing?
You may readily enough comprehend what
a JOINT VIII cost, tho price per pound of
which IS ninepence or ninepence halfpenny,
but when the talk is of ''six and FOUR and
" five and eight" it is questionable if you
are not somewhat abroad. You may have
some inkling of the fact that the figures
mentioned represent the price required for
stone OF eight pounds of the joint you have
fixed on; still your batting tactics are thrown
altogether out of gear, and whether TO bid
" five and sevenpence y" or " five and two
pence you have not the least idea The
probability is that you will yield without
struggle, or allow the bargain to escape you,
while you turh away to reckon how many
eightpences there are in five and fOurpence
But flatter not thyself, good Jones, because
OF your scholarship in figures, that ltonly
requires you to undertake the meat buyinr
and all will go we'll. You know all about
"six and eight" and five and four" but
you don't know everything, Padon me,
Jones, II tell you that your great weakness
lies in your prodigious confidence OF your
strength OF mind in your sound and cool
judgment, and your complete inyincibiity
TO trade tricks and lodges of every manner
and kind.
II know, every one knows" say you,
"how women are gammOned and Wheedled
by shopkeepers; they should have men to
deal with; I'd like to see the butcher who
would come the old soldier over me'"
Take the market-basket, Jones' mix in the
crowd this blessed Christmas eve, and YOU
shall see all that you ask. You silly fellow :
do you imagine that you are tic first Jones
that ever came to Newgate Market. AS
there is one bait for roach, and another for
chub, and third for gudgeon, so are there
ways of angling for customers. The butcher
before whose shop you pause, my good Jones,
has already "taken your measure" as the
saying IS.
He sees the Independent manner in which
your hands are thrust into your trousers
pockets, and the determination not TO be
imposed on or wheedled visible in every line
of your expressive countenance, and, so far
from being intimidated thereat, he regards
you as one of the easiest of victims. lie
would rather deal with three of your sort
than with one OF your good lady's any day
in the week, but on Christmas eve espe.
cially. With the air of man who knows
what meat should be- you cast your eye along
the rows of ribs, and sirloins, and presently
he catches your eye He does MT rush out
on you, however; he preserves his calmness
and mods towards you as recognizing in you
an old and worthy customer. That is you
impression, and meanly ayaiing yourself o.
his apparent mistake-hc is in an extensive
way and highly respecable--you nod affa
bly, in return. He comes forward in friendly
way, and says,
"Good evening sir; selecting your Christ