The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-13
~ BILLlNGSG TIE MARKET.
One of the Most Unique Sights to be W
messed Anywhere in the World.

One of the Most Unique Sights to be Wit.
messed Anywhere in the World.
The great gong striking the hour of
i've In the morning announces that the
statesmen of the market are to begin
business. and with hurry scurrying
rush they reach their desks. surround
ing which are number of low benches
or tables. upon which are placed the
fish that are put up at auction, sold
and speedily cleared away to give place
for new stock, this process being re-
peated over and over again until the
sale closes. AS fast as the fish arrive
in Billingsgate, after the days sales
begin, they are rapidly disposed of at
auction. the statesmen using their long
account books. instead of hammer, to
knock down the goods. One can not
imagine more novel sight than can
be witnessed here in the early morning
when business is at its full swing, the
porters rushing hither and thither
with packages of fish on their heads,
quite regardless of whom they may
jostle or bedaub. for no one stands on
ceremony. and politeness can not be
observed in the midst of a pushing.
surging crowd, every individual of
which seems to think only of the bust
ness that he is intent upon. s'The
only comparison" says Sala, Il can
find for the aspect, the sights and
sounds OF the place is-a rush. A rush
hither and thither at helter-skelter
speed, apparently blindly, apparently
without motive. but really with bust
ness-like and engrossing pre-occupation
for fish and all things fshy. Baskets
borne on the shoulders of the facchini
OF the place skim through the air with
such rapidity that you might take them
to be fying-fish. Out of the way! Here
is an animated salmon leap. Stand on
one side! shoal of fresh herring will
swallow you up else" On all sides
may be heard above the general din
the stentOrian tones of the loud-voiced
statesmen, who, perched on their stands.
and raised somewhat above the heads
OF the hurrying crowd around, shout
their calls to attract buyers. From one
we hear the cry: Here. We sole buy
ers, sole buyers, sole buyers, who'll
have this fine trunk of soles?" While
rival calls out: This way. We had
hook buyers, come on, paddock buyers,
give us an offer for this lot of fine had
docks" Others call for 'cod buyers"
''plaice buyers" etc. through the whole
list, perhaps, of edible fishes, until the
confusion of sounds is so great that
stranger can scarcely comprehend how
business can be conducted under such
circumstances, and it would be impos-
sible for one who has not seen it to
form any conception of such scene as
may be witnessed On any weekday
morning at Billingsgate. One thing is
more remarkable, perhaps, than any
thing else, namely, the method of bid
ding, which seems peculiar to the
place, for though we tried hard to
catch the sound of buyers voice, or
to detect a sign by which he indicated
his bid, We ingloriously failed in every
instance, which was rather Notifying
when we were made aware that the
sharp-eyed or keen cared salesman had
received dozens of offers from persons
in the crowd almost at our elbow. As
fast as the fish are sold they are re.
moved by porters and the vacant places
filed by new material until the sales
end for the day. While fish are sold
at auction in Billingsgate the system of
selling by Dutch auctions generally
prevails in the markets of the smaller
ports where there are no licensed
auctioneers. Bulletin United States
Fish Commission.