Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-18
THE MARKETS AT NIGHT


Manhatten Island are like other human
beings, addicted to three square meals a
Gay, II Is by no means strange that sew.
eral great markets have sprung nm IN
supply their wants. Each OF these mar.
Eets is distinguished by peculiar features.
fu'ton is pre-eminently flsh market. and
any one who passes that way early In the
morning Will see State Fish Com
missioner Eugene Blackford, twice n
mllllonaire, In the very act OF dis
sectlng fish with knife in hand. sleeves
roiled up, and covered with scales from
mead TO loot Union market Is babel OF
tongues, where old clothes as well as ar.
ticles OF food are offered for sale Jeffer.
] son ana Center markets are merely local
depots OF supply. But Washington mar
ket stu remains 10 be mentioned, than
which there could perhaps be no more
completely perfect illustration of the
nany-sided activity of the American
metropolis. II Is par excellence, the
grand source Of food supply of the city
OF New York, both in the Wholesale
and the retail lines. Like the
city, its prototype and exemplar,
the market never sleeps, and
no sooner does one day close than aaoth-
er begins. Occupying space three
blocks square, between Fulton and Bar
clay streets, II has grown outward and
westward, until II extends into the North
river, and boats eau unload at the very
point where their cargoes are wanted
! Within this comparatively small space IL
crowded all that can satisfy the hunger of
the laborer or tempt tine appetite Of the
most tastldious epicure. Here is the
most democratic spot In the world, the
common point Of meeting OF all classes
whom motives of curiosity and business
draw together. Here, indeed, extremes
meet, and no extremes could be further
apart.
| Just before midnight profound ST.
lence relgns through the spacious quar-
tiers, silence broken ouly by the noises
OF the night, which Is the life OF things as
day is the life of beings. But even at
this hour the North and East river boats
have begun to bring over hundreds OF
wagons from Jersey and Long Island,
and these rumble along the streets as
they find their way to the common mart
to take their accustomed places Of wait.
ing for the marketmen to buy their loads.
All are soon there, and several hundred
wagons, each In charge OF silent and
sleepy driver, form line on Greenwich
street. A delusive calm prevails, and hc
who saw the loaded vehicles and motion
less teams for the first time would
imagine that the place was abandoned to
horses and vegetables. But let him act
on the idea, and attempt to help himself
from one of the wagons, aud instantly
the head off wakeful Waterman would
pop m to convince him OF his mistake.
While the market is thus on the verge
OF opening, and pending the cessation OF
its waiting mood, even its repose and
slumber are active, and its expectant rest
is but semi-torpor resembling the sleep
of soldiers under arms.
| Snch scene presents elements Of per-
ennial interest. On the stone steps at one
Of the entrances TO the market there sits
through the small hours of the night an
old woman of wlthered face and bent fig
ure, whom the chill, damp air of the May
night does not prevent from catching cat
maps while waiting for purchasers OF her
small stock of dandelions, gathered the
day before In Central park. She and her
| family, by working from am to in the
afternoon, can pick three baskets, which
| it takes till 10 O'Clock at night to clean.
| The days produce sells tor $l.50. Such
Wholesalers are the FIRST to buy their
| stocks, aud these are followed by the
hotel and restaurant men in quest OF their
days supplies Close upon their heels
come the retail butchers and grocers, also
u quest of stocks. AS 6 O'Clock APP
proaches the way is clear for the small
! purchasers in the retail line. Simultane-
ously bawling calves and bleatlng lambs
are being unloaded from boats and driven
| In wagons TO abattoirs for slaughter,
while in the inclosed spaces of the west
market hang hundreds OF beef and veal
cascasses ready for sale.
AS the retail customers come in, vege-
tables are temptlngly arranged on the
counters and the butter from the tubs
cut in quarters, and these again
| into thick slices. The meat man trims
| his roasts and addresses himself TO posi-
| BILE customers In voice characterized
| by ravishing cadepces attainablc only
| through the possession OF native genius,
supplemented by long and asslduous
practice. Like the street vendor OF the
city, the marketman is born artist, and
| like him, also, is doomed to waste his
sweetness on the dull ears OF fashy fe-
males in search OF roasis and "garden
sassn for dinner. Pride shines ia his
every feature and Ike the belle who Is
yaln of her beauty, he wonders that the
passing throng, composed OF both sexes
and ali ages aud conditions, do not adj
miro his skill in offering his top sirloins,
ane RIBS Of beef, brook trout, just
received from the wlds Of Canada,
Long Island, or the Adirondacks;
SKIN OF which he is himself 30 conscious.
His movements, too, thongl perhaps not
altogether graceful, touch the spot every
time, aud he quickly loads the seemingly
endless procession OF basket-caIriers.
The elderly female whom daily visits TO
the markets have hardened into sharpness
and cold calculation eyes the varmint be-
hind the counter with deep suspicion,
while she slowly makes her purchases.
Near her, perhaps, is maiden OF sixteen
summers, more or less, who, II not hand
some, Is at least pretty homely Unlike
her more insured sister, she dashes
about and tries to buy half dozen things
Al the same time. She succeeds, too, IN
the attempt, the principles OF mataemnt-
les to the contrary.
Eyerybody's attention Is attracted by
the tall. gaunt figure of an old man OF
perhaps seyenty-nye, who wears butch
rr,s Gown reaching to his feet, and
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