Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-23

PAYING THE LICENSE TAx-TRICKS OF THE
MARKET SHARKS.
The region about the Washington Market on
market day, affords in its narrow limits a wide
field for artistic observation. There is not q
square rod of space that would not immortalize
painter, If he could convey the bits of color to
canvas, and truthfully portray the picturesque
groups. The people found there form small
community in themselves, with all the laws Of
barter and trade in active operation. The pro.
ducer, the middleman and the consumer iostle
one another on the pavement, and all the condi-
tons and exigences of commerce are illustrated
To the person who has yet to make his first essay
at marketing" there are pleasant revelations In
store.
SATURDAY MORNING.
Such busting place on Saturday morning.
Women with market-baskets crowding along the
aisles between the well-filled stands; round
faced butchers whose rotund figures testify to
the good. quality of their beef: country people.
bringing with them the scent Of new-mown hay,
their fresh faces calling up visions of beautiful
buc0llc existence; street arabs, who infest the
market in the hope OF finding a job of carrying a
basket; and crowds of people of different sorts
engaged in buying or selling, dckering over
prices. examining goods by smelling, tasting,
feeling, or some of the other numerous methods
known to the expert ''marketer.'
THE PURLIEus OF THE MARKET
look quite as busy as the interior. The market.
using the word in general sense, now extends
from 9TH to 18th streets, along street and
Louisiana avenue. The limits are being gTadu-
ally widened. Along B street. on the south
side, backed up against the sidewalk. next to
tile Smithsonian park. is a row Of wagons eX-
tending from 9TH to nth streets. These are the
establishments OF small farmers and gardeners,
who come here to dispose of their produce.
Their wares-fresh from the sOil-are displayed
In baskets boxes and barrels on the sidewalk.
These people come from the country within a
circle OF ten miles radius, around the city. They
make their appearance during the even
ing and night before the market opens
They hope to be able to sell out in bulk to some
mddleman but will sell at retail. Many hotel
restaurant and boarding housekeepers deal
directly with these country people. They occupy
spaces next to the Smithsonian grounds free of
charge, and las producers, are exempted from the
license tax. The market people encourage them
to come. The producer and consumer are
brought face to face, but the producer, rather
than be bothered with doing his stuff out in
small lots by retail or taking the risk of having
his stock left on his hands, is willing to give the
middleman chance to make fair profit.
NOCTURNAL SCENES.
These truck farmers keep arriving during the
night, and the scenes around the place are very
lively. The blackness Of night is spotted here
and there with patches of yellow light from
naring, smoking torches which enable one to
descry weird, shadOwy forms moving about. The
tramping and struggling Of horses, the grating
OF wheels, and the shouting of men, all add to the
CONFUSION and excitement. The law ''of first
come, first served, is strictly enforced the earl
lest arrival having his choice of location Having
backed his wagon up to the curb, the proprietor
a oEpl Tor hic
there until the hustle about the market begins
with the dawn Of day. Then can be seen the
long line of wagons, of every style, from the old
fashioned Virginia wagon, with bowed canvas
top, to tine modern road wagon. with smartly
painted sides, stretching along for quarter OF a
II, and some having whole family.
THE sQUATTERs.
Next to the countrymen in point of interest
are the ''squatters." The ''squatters" are small
dealers, who go from market to market, spread
ing their wares out On the sidewalk and COM
peting with the stall-Owners. No dealers or
huckSters are permitted to occupy places on 7th
and 9th streets. Those who back I'D their
wagons and sell under the awnings on the south
size Oh the market pay the market company
small fee for the privilege. Under this awning.
OF market day. there is long line of vegeta-
bic dealers. herb and flower women, and
butter and egg vendors, who keep
up continual chatter as the visitor
slowly works his way through the crowd In the
court, enclosed by the market buildings, are
gathered groups Of these small dealers, who
likewise pay for the privilege of selling there
There Is an active competition among these peo-
pie to get the best places. Most of them go from
market to market. and so ''stand." as they term
1t, SIX days out of the seven. The ''squatters''
are those outside Of tho limits Of the market.
who escape the license tax and also any tax by
the market company The market authorities
and the stall owners cOmplainNthat they are un-
Justly treated because the city officials permit
these sqaatters to trade in the vicinity. The
squafters can be found scattered along LOuisi-
ana avenue, b street and 10th street. Fresh
country produce brings with it a suggestion of
rustic
SIMPLICITY AND HONESTY
One feels quite shocked to learn that anv on
can practice fraud and deception in the midst of
sucn surroundings. Yet it is matter of record
that among the squatters and those who ''stand"
against the wall OF the market. people have been
badly cozened. Picked eggs have been palmed
OIL as the product Of the latest effort of the hen.
ana made over butter has been sold for the
best gilt edged article. 1t would require a long
chapter to describe fully the tricks in trade"
employed BY some of these small dealers Ac-
cording to law, country people who sell
tner own produce are exempted from
the usual hueksters' license. There are
can gull the public and the officials into the be-
lief that they are country gardeners. selling their
own produce they can not only avoid the license
tax but can also get reader sale for their wares
No one ever imagines that he is buying bad eggs
or ''veneered" butter when he is buying direct
from hOrny-handed son of the SOIL Alas! some
OF the owners OF "fresh country faces" and the
boards full of hay seed" seen about the market
never swung scythe or saw the lowing herd
wind slowly DER the lea.
BUCOI.IC FRAUDS.
There" said one of the market officers d.
recting The STAR man to a sharp-featured
busy-looking woman who was spreading out her
''truck" under the awning. ''she SAYS she is
from the country. The butter she sells she gets
for almost nothing in the commission houses
and makes it over into prints. Then she buys a
half pound print of good butter. This is her
faster The prints are wrapped up with lust
one little corner showing. This little corner is
made of good butter. A lady comes along and
wants to try it. She takes little stick lifts off
this piece of good butter, tastes it ard s1iys
rot. wnen she gets home she finds she has
bought q lot of bad butter"
do not the genuine country people object to
this?" inquired The STAR
'They do, but they can't help it. In order to
have person fined for selling without license
you have to prove both the buying and selling
or goods. They get around II in some wav