Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-01-28
THE GQSTERM0NGER
( RoUaH AND READY CHARACTER OF. .THE BRITISH METROPOLIS.

HIS 1tliaalc-lne ONtTHO
 Idle Svarms in tho Streets. ,ssS.~
 The London costermouger generally
 wears a fixed kind of dress. His hat is
 always a black derby, rusty from rain and
 weather, His coat ls generally a rusty
 black frOck. -Ile rarely wears a vaistcoat
 His trousers may De. corduroy or any Kind of She cheaper wOOlen patterns His shoes
 are thick sOled and hObnaiied. He always
 wears Q co!Ured-handkerchiG tied around his neck in place Os q cOilar.s These hsnd-
 kerchiefs are always dirtyAexceptsupDn
 rare- SuudAy and holiday OccasiOuSS when
 new ties ore GOnned These fAlndkerchiefl
 are always of q fancitul color, light blue and red being ths' favorites.- They flrs
 worn high up on the neck, leaving 6NCOuple
 of inches of dirty neckAlOwing between
 the handkerchief and the greasy collar ot the shamtIing frOck coat. The hnndker- chief Is really the badge gf theQrder. This handkerchief about the neck rlesignqtes the character and standing Tof a man ip
 England as completely and thoroughly aS if he wore a uniform prescribed by 0ct of parliament. The cOsternOhgcrs ale men engaged fn street traffic of all kindsS They are generally dealers iu vegetables. They he1ins with push carts, and fl they are
 prosperous and reach the-cliurlX of their ambition they become the owners of small two wheeled waSuns, drawn by lttie don keys OF ponies. The strength and endur- ance of these small animals are phenome- nal l have seen from six Co eight grown people on a cOsteTmOnger's cart being crawn Ot a furious pace by pony not
 much, larger than a Newfoundland dog.
 Tho costernlOnger never gives His pony any rest. He works, him during the week In his business md uses tSe wretched lit-
 .le animal on Sunday tG give his friends a
 treat in the shape Cf @ rida t0 some cock Eey resort iu the sEbuSbs. The c0ster- tnCnSers, live. in the street They arg Bever indoors except fur eating and sleep inr A very severe. driving storm will sOmetimcs force them into the house, but they generally take refuze under an avn ing or some gateway. They are @ hardy, tCugh, coarse hbered people They, are noisy, and have PerfectFpassiOn fGy scenes Of upruar aul eXcitement Ycfi rarely keaf of coSlerInQ1Ser. murderiug any of their associates Or -Of theirrusiug knives or pistols in tbeir quarrels. They have n way Of pouud.ug and kicking each other when engaged in' disputes, but are rarely arrested, as they neyer seem to cIrry malice, and their fights generally edd .u2 in 0 gn0d uaturej wuy. Toe c,ScerIOnscr and his female arc.a ofteu the chief 2cturs iD a street brawl When once a ClsterIGOlEer has begun co keep company with a c0sterILCu-eT-S female then she is considcret his prCterty. She sueJks Ot h'L as her man and she i5 spoken of as his "lal."
 It was sunday morning The two had started out evidently for a holiday He was iu his lest. He was a suIly. heavy lawed fellow, with black eyes, a shoCt nose and brawny, hairy fists. He wore e htsie blaCk derby hat about three sizes tuc small for his great, round head. His handkerchief was the Gyhtest OS sky blues She was buzon, burly, .Uf medi- ufl height, dressed in true costermOn.er style. Their dispute grew out of dif- ference Of opinion as tO where they should spend the day She insisted on going one way and he the other They disputed for half a m0iheut and then he ! turned around and deliberately gave her a kick which lifted her about six inches ! from the sidewalk tu convince her that his way was the Lest. She turned quickly and began kicking him fin return. The way she brought her number ten boots around against his shins very soon con vlnceCs him that she was aS strong at that kind of argument as he. They kicked at each other for about live minutes, the center Of a delighted and cheering crowd, and then the costermOngsr female by her skill in kicking carried the day. Ina mo meut or two mOre7he~ gave up, grinned gOOl paturedly and the two walked of together for a happy Sabbath
 The way domestic braWls are caFried~On In the streets Oi London caunot bs matched. l am certain, in anJ othe4citylf tl tde world The cJmuOn' people WhtY walk the streets regard these guaErpls as their own private tAeatTicals and sterply reseat any interference Of the police AS | 8 general thing the police GO not toCchS The braWlers unless they make too much | ef a disturbance and block up the streets. The police then simply order thcmFtO | move Ou, ard make arrests only where the disturbing party resisrs. During my stay in London I have seen more street lights than had ever Seen before in my life. The actors in thesestreet fights 'or domestic brawis appear t6 take great pride in the parts which they ,aresca1led upon Co play. They are stimulated by, the eheers and roars of approval from the au- ticnce and do their best tO maiuta1n their reputation for courage. ferOcity and skin n retoEt.
 The women are especially excitable and active ia a street fight. The man geneT- ally look- sulky sud shecpish wben en- gageI in a fight vitL his female in public. But the women never give them a chance tO back out. They ure much more win I ilctiye and active than thc men. After ,he man has been kicked three 6r four times and has had his face scratched up to. a apr0pc- state Ol .rawness. be be- comes excited and then strikes out brutally and cruelty. unless a police nan happens tD be too near The women are generally Che victOrs in these street fights The fighting women generally have babies in their arms have seen a number of costermOnCer virBgoS bound inc from the ground like hyeuus. rushing up and down with great leaps. bowling Insults and cpitheJs, then sweeping down toward the hated object of their wrath ! for a blow Or kick. and when the man strikes U:l- thc baby never. seems to be re- carle,- gs faly thing more than uSbUfTer. Thee C0stCr.IouZer female Gses her baby se a shield. The pGo-. wre,cLed baby 1. generally philosopher and rarely. # ever, howls Or cries. .have never heard a ce>te-.HOugcr baby even peep dur.nI the most exciting phgses Cf a street fight. t-t t-'''--. t--- 444e'i'S. 4-.lAA Hc A'"Lll8 ilke s panther in her rage and sXC.Gmcut-
 I- is this class of people that makes 1 sven the bestVa-ts ot London disagreea- -lc When their work Is done they crowd -Ie streets and Gu the pUbirs, drinking, swearing and qUarTeliuC They wander u great Idle swarus up and down the ! best streets, never turning Co the rikht pr lcit for any one. do not know when they sleep. have rcVer been out sO Iata an hour that have not found any num- Der Oi them marching about hOoting and : bowling and without the slightest cheek l 1- EiEdrauce from the authorities-T. C. l -Eaw lords London Letter tn New York . World
 Reorganization Of the Old DOmin-
 Icu Counar Gnu.psu,-