New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-22
Biilingsgate.

The great bulk OF nat nsh ana nadoOcKs
comes to London market in wooden boxes
only partially covered at the top, and
marked with the name of the consignee,
fish salesman and licensed auctioneer Each
full box contains from hundred weight and
a quarter to hundredweight and half OF
fish. Here and there turns up what is
called "slack" box, imperfectly filled, but
this is of no consequence, as buyers can ex-
anime it for themselves, and, indeed, must
be their own Judges, as neither weight nor
freshness is guaranteed. but character only.
be the same prime" mixed OF "offal."
Mixed is q term requiring no explanation.
but the others are incomprehensible at the
frat hearing. prime denotes neither
quality nor condition, but simply kind.
Az the fish are caught aod packed in
boxes with pounded ice, they are divided
into two classes; turbot, brill. soles and red
mullet are prime and the three trst
especially are not packed separately, but
piled into box together. Thus box OF
half q dozen brill and twenty or thirty
pairs of solee, or may be made up entirely
of the latter always marketable fish. 1t is
the business Of the buyer to look and bid
accordingly. "OffaV consists not, as might
be supposed, of refuse, or broken odds and
ends, but. with the exception OF specla!
kinds, OF all fish not prime. Thus box OF
"otfal" may hold large plaice and small
plaice, haddocka, codling, gurnet, and the
pate-to wit, skate, old maids and thorn
dacks. Goldfish is either "prime' or "ofal,"
as it is live" or dead" and when of fair
size is sold by itself in lots Of four fish each.
While have been discoursing on these
odd points of the fish trade, the crowd has
thickened with buyers to an extent which
justities the sellers in beginning business:
In old times market was opened by bell
at five O'Clock, but the bell has gone the
wav of the fish-fag, and is heard NO more.
There is . certain tact in selecting the right
moment for business; but, as rule, sellers
like to be early, as they thus secure the
best prices. Under the laring gaslights are
ranged the salesmen's desks. Behind each
of these stands the partner and his assist
ant, or alter ego of the auctioneer proder,
who stands at his ''form," or place where
the boxes of fish are deposited by the por-
tiers, clad in white emock-fr0cks and mar.
and padded, as is needful enough, for your
Billingsgate porter disdains to carry fish
otherwise than on his head. The "boss"
auctiOneers, deskmen and ealesmen affect
no peculiarity Of costume beyond an apron
and pair Of clogs-the latter very neces.
sary on the slippery pavement:
The auctioneers are waited upon by
form man, q very uSclul AonOw no
knows his business well. This functionary
takes charge of each box as it arrives, and
sees to it's delivery when sold. Before we
proceed to watch an actual sale, let me pre-
mise that fish is not, as is generally sup.
posed, sold at Billingsgate by Dutch auc-
ton. The latter form Of selling is, or was,
common enough ON the sea beach, and is q
reversal of the ordinary method of pro-
cedure. In q Dutch auction the seller
stands before the lot and begins: "What
shall we say for thisa Two pound, two
pound, two pound" No bidders. We'll,
fvel" Not a sound is heard. ''What will
you give thens-twenty -four, three, two
twenty-five; you're very slow this morning"
q guinea-wiu nobody give q guineas Well,
then" in intense desperation, "a pound. a
pound. 3 pound, nineteen shilling, eight
een-thank you, sir" and the lot is sold,
the first bidder being the buyer. This Gus
tom is peculiar to certain ports, and is en-
tirely unknown at Billingsgste, where fish
are sold by ordinary auction with greater
rapidity than other produce.-AH As Year
Round. ...