The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-01-15
For the VIRGINIAN.
MEMORIALS OF NATURE AND ART.
Rambling "Reminiscences of Foreign Lands,
ETC., etc.
BY
j. LEWIS PEYTON,
Author OF "IHe american Crisis, &c. "Orer the
Aueohanies, &c." ETC.. etc.

wv
Alle0hamies. &c.." ETC.. etc.
Continuation Of Chapter IL.
Charity, curiosity and philanthropy have
united to portray with uniform accuracy all
the incidents in the life OF the London
poor. Home missionary societies, newspa-
per reporters, adventurous philanthrop lists,
and the intelligent foreigner have pene-
trated into their retreats and have brought
to light innumerable details, curious, sad
and revolving. The darkest recesses of their
social state have been revealed to us. An
elaborate inventory has been made of their
defects, physical, moral and spiritual. We
know what their dwellings are, how they
live; the amount of their incomes and how
they spend them, what they save or rather
what they do not save, how they are taxed
and what usury they pay; how many can
read and write, what they eat, drink and
wear, how many live in one house and sleep
In one bed, and finally how much sooner
they sink into graves than the comfortable
classes. All has been investigated and
lies exposed to the public gaze. The ply
stefan has inspected their sores, and the
magistrate their vices. The Divine knows
how many do not attend church, and the
teetotaler how many frequent the gin
shop.
1t was highly desirable that such informa-
ton should be obtained. Having procured
it, those who are willing and able to aid the
poorer classes in their efforts to elevate
themselves, now know what measures to
take and how the existing evil may be rem
edied.
tbs not our purpose to enter into these
grave questions. We shall conflne ourselves
to giving some Of the details of the daily
life of the $4,000 providers of the streets.
The people and authorities of London will
doubtless know how to grapple with the
subject in its practical bearings.
The nomadic population of London, the
yagabonds or Metropolitan Gypsies, or those
who live upon the settled classes at large, is
composed pretty much as follows Beggars
OF all kinds, bone grubbers, mud larks, pat
terers, costermongers. fruit-and-fish sellers,
dogsellers, hawkers Ct all kinds, finders, sift-
ers, street artists, musicians and showmen,
acrobats; in short, the entire loose and wan
dering population. The ':linders" are a
leading class and live by picking up in the
public thoroughfares, bits of coal, ends of
halfsmoked cigars, bones rags, and such
like odds and ends, which they manage to
sell for money.
In addition to the acaifs, 10 the way Of
lost articles, picked up by these Finders, they
in the course of their trade of living in the
thoroughfares, occasionally find the way
into the pockets of the inexperienced and
unwary. Indeed it is believed that the
larger part OF the findings" of these light
fingered gentry, are OF small articles which
have never been lost. The largest and most
influential division of the street Bohemians
goes by the name OF the costermongers and
this class includes fish-sellers, retailers OF
vegetables, oranges, ginger beer, pop.cock,
fruit and such like articles. These wander
ing traders, people who carry their stock
upon their backs or in hand barrow, are
the hucksters and green.grocers Of the
streets, aud supply a large portion Of the
working population with food, little COM
forts, and the lighter articles OF dress. The
s'upper ten'' of these occasionally own q
donkey and cart. Many women and even
children belong to this rowing body of
tradesmen and scarcely any Of them can
read or write. Amongst these the percent
age of Irish is very large and they are said
to assume place among the lowest strata of
society in other great provincial cities, as
we'll as in London. A fact, il true, strangely
in contrast with che settled position the Irish
win in America By their steady industry
and many noble qualities.
Leaving the class OF itinerant hucksters
we next come to the patterers, or distribu :
tors Of wayside lite nature, the street mnsi.
clans, or organ grinders, the sellers of water
crosses, the keepers Of coffee stalls, where a
black mixture, one half chickory and the
other half possibly catsup-it tastes like it's
sold at half penny per cup; the cats meat
retailers, whose stock consists of the carcass
es Of defunct horses and dogs, ballad singers
who parade in front OF the best houses, about
eleven O'Clock p. m. making right hideous
with their shrieks; play bill sellers and
purveyors OF dubious news; bone grubbers
and mud larks; crossing sweepers, street
performers and show men; travelling mend
ers OF chairs, umbrellas, clocks and pots and
the professional tinkers; sellers of bonnet
boxes, toys, stationary, plaster statuary,
songs, ditties and last dying speeches; ven
doris OF tubs, pals, mats crockery and
backing; OF lucifer matches, which won t
light, corn salves, clothes pegs, brooms,
sweet meats, commonly called ''cholera
pIzen,'' razors, which like those immortal
lied by Peter Pindar, were not meant to
shave, but sell; dog stealers and vendors of
dogs, Cog collars, birds, Goals and sand:
scaVengers, dust-men and many others.
tits believed that not fewer than 60. 900
individuals belong to this class, and like the
$4,000 mentioned previously, find their Twin o
in the streets.
AS the wine and spirit business is the final
resort of old army and navy officers, who
wish to add to their pensions; of broken do wn
gentlemen, and Of prodigal sons, who are
indeed their own best customers, SO the cos
termonger's trade is taken up by SPECTATORS
OF lower grade when all other ayocations
fail. 1t often happens that you will find
among the patterers, those who have been
clergyman in the established church. and
among the orange and herring sellers. those
VINO have been at one time in their lives
mechanics, or labourers. AS general rule
however, the costers are distinct neonlo
Inc children of the costers grow up costers
as gypsies' children grow up gypsies. Thew
acquire the slang, the wandering habits. ana