New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-27


dnor being hanged 10 in the poor wOman's face.
The stock market is held in a different place from
all the above; generally outside the town. or i'll
thinly inhabited suburb IFS insignia are a ono
stored shed-hke building. for shelter, should ltran
and contiguous 70 Oh surrounding IT, q large space
inclosed by IRON hurdles. portion OF tins lncio.
sure is further subdivided INTO pens for sheep ana
pigs the remainder left open for the cattle. MosV
of all sorts are disposed OF by auction, the Iocal
auctloneers any Others having the carriage VI
SALE The commission charged IL at the usual rate
8 per cent or shilling in the pound" This docs
not include the market-toll. which must he paiu Oh
every animal that enters the Enclosure, whether
sold by auction or private SALE and whether soiu Vi
not The sheep are disposed OF first, because INC
lest TO suffer by prolonged absence nom thc'i
partners; after them the plgs ana lastN 'n0
cattle Among these fat beeves for the butcher VIII
be in the majority, and young stoch 10 10 ,oP'
over Mich cows are also brought 10 maIhet'
but rarely one without calf at foot anu ol'eh noV
her own calf though represented as being So Inc
creature she gave birth to SIX or elght weeks peole
since fatted and killed-may at the moment be
hanging ND In some butchers shop; while the
st.rgorioc Bob foundering and bawling by her
side is but foster calf which till that morning or
tbe eveninp before has never drawn milk from her
teats But why all this the innocents may ASK
Simply to make believe that the COW has but lately
calyed and SO is more valuable from having all her
milk yet to come Her largely distcnded udder Will
be confirmatory of this belief to those Ignorant OF
the fact that she has not been MIXED either on that
day CT the preceding. The morality, or rather I'M
morality of this transaction does not very forclbly
affect the ordinary English cattle-doaler; and,
am sorry to add, many farmers make light Of 1t
sumo having been even known to boast u" now
neatly they did the trick"
l. FL bald st IptOrp Christmas
there is always an unusually large Offering of fat
cattle; roast beef being universal viadd OF the
English Christmas Day dinner. On that day the
poorest people make an effort to have ioint of 1t
Oh their tables, and the butchers vie with one an
other in showing a well-filled shop; the meat beef
or mutton, Systematically arranged upon their
stalls and festooned over with eyergreens. Prize
cups, silver or plated, are awarded to those who
bring the latest and best beeves to this market;
the donors being either auctiOncers who have the
sale of them, or the purveyors of catte-foods and
condiments each by way of advertising his own
special commodity. and so obtaining other Gus
toners for it. All of these odd doinGs are duly
chronicled in the local papers. where two three
columns will be devoted to Il description of the
butchers shops, with details of how they are deco
rated: the animals slaughtered and hanging up III
them. with their weight condition. price and
pedigree not emitting who bred ana fed each and
every of them. For it is feather IN the butchers
cap to have it known that his beef has been
browsed on the pastures of some county magnate-
all the better if titled one,-and his mutton
fatted by some noted flock master.
About the same time, close preceding Christmas.
there occurs another speciality of market. known as
the Z" big poultry market also provlder Tor the
Christmas festivities. 1t is held either in the Town
Hall or Corn Exchange, over the floor of which
col Int in
restaurant, each groaning under load of turkeys,
geese ducks and barn-d fowls dead, of course,
and dressed in the most attractive styles. Presid-
inc over the tables mddle-aged DANES in their
Sunday attire. with many younger ones got up III
grand fig =; if not in the first fashion of young
ladies' very to it, They are the wives and
daughters of farmers big farmers. who on this
particular anniversary condescend to play the part
| of hucksters. Most OF them have pin money"
interest the proceeds of SALE and so do their best
! to obtain high prices. The gentry Of the neghbOr
hood visit the big poultry show as it is also
called and perambulate around the tables. inspect,
select ard purchase such bird or birds may seem
most suitable with price taken into account. They
are sold either by weight by hand y that Is at
| so much head; the finest turkeys fetchin g
| twenty-five shlings or over -, each. The picc
| however. is a good deal dependent on the time OF
| day. with The demand. In the morning hours, up
fill ~ or l. tie far saeswOnen carry their beads
| high and ask full value if not considerably more.
| Later on in the afternoon, should much OF the
| stock remain on hand, threatening an unsold sur
| plus their flag becomes low cred, and bargains
may be obtained from them. Then Is the oppor-
tunity for the economic householder, who. know
ing takes advantage of it, slips in and buys tur-
key for ten shillings, which n few hours earlier
! would have been refused him at twenty! For it
would never do TO take the dead poultry back home
again, and not much better would be the only
other notwithstanding at wholesale to the fowl
badgers"
! The English fair is only market on a more ex-
| tended scale. and with some extra characteristics
II is of course OF less frequent occurrence in most
towns held only semi-annuaily, though in some
quarterly And there is distinction between fairs
as regards popularity, with the articles bought and
sold at them; some having celebrity as horse fairs,
otl ers being more noted for horned CATTLE and still
Others where sheep OF pigs are the speciality In
all cases. however, there is much resemblance be-
| tween one and the Other-an unmstakable idiosyn-
| Grassy which besDeaks it to be tar For what
ever tie substantial commodities there exhibited,
| at each and all will be encountered Il complete
hbtiOn OF fry OItIcs and amdscnents SO attractive
to the rustic mind. wide street suburban road,
for tie length of half mile or more, will be
crowded with tents, booths covered vans and cara
vans their occupants beIng pfOpiletofS OF wax
works. and wild beast mcnageries. with giants,
aanteSses and dwarfs-in short, the whole frater-
nifty of travelling showmen. Likely q company of
stroing players, too, who perform the grandest
TRACED les" Macbeth" or Richard the Third ,"-on
a stage six feet by ten. "Aunt Sales and :" shoot
ing galleries take up portion OF the space while
here and there a bawling ballad-singer Il cheap
| jack " auctioneeT makes the surrounding noisy.
! The thlmble-rggers and performers Of card tricks
do theh work in qnetef way, now and then look
ing furtvely around make there is police
man near. Still more watchful and wary OF HIM in
| tha blne tpnic mad black helmet are tho nick