The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-08
BILLINCSCATE,
How Fish are Sold in the Celebrated Lon
don Market.

The great gong striking the hour OF
3 in the morning announces that the
statesmen of the market are to begin
business says the bulletin of the United
States fish commission, and with
hurry-scurrying rush they reach theiI
desks, surrounding which are a num-
ber 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 repeated over
and over again until the sale closes.
AS fast as the fish arrive in Billings.
gate, after the days sales begin, they
are rapidly disposed of at auction, the
statesmen using their long account
books instead of a hammer to knock
down the goods. One can not imagine
a more novel sight than can be wit
messed 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 re-
gardless of whom they may jostle or
| bedaub, for no one stands on cere
mony, and politeness can not be OBJ
! served in the midst of pushing, surg
! ing crowd, every individual of which
] seems to think only of the business
that he is intent upon. The only
! comparison" SAYS Sala. II can find
for the aspect, the sights and sounds of
the place is-a rush-a rush hither and
thither at helter-skelter speed, appar-
emily blindly, apparently without mo-
tive, but really with business-like and
engrossing preoccupation for fish and
all things fishy 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 flying
fish. Out of the way! Here is an ami
mated salmon leap. Stand on one
sidei a 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 sales
men, who, perched on their stands and
raised somewhat above the heads ot
the hurrying crowd shout their calls
to attract buyers. From one we heal
the cry: Here, We sole buyers, sole
buyers, sole buyers, who'll have this
. fine trunk of soles?" while rival CALI
out: This way We haddock buyers
come on, haddock buyers, give us al
offer for this fine lot of haddocks.
Others call out for ''cod buyers,
''plaice buyers" etc., through th'
whole list, perhaps, OF edlDle nsneS
until the confusion of sounds is 81
: great that a stranger can scarcely com
prehend how business can be conduct
ed under such circumstances, and
would be impossible for one who ha
not seen it to form any conception o
such a scene as may be witnessed ol
, any weekday morning at Billingsgate
One thing is more remarkable, per
haps, than anything else, namely, tn
method of bidding. which seems peculia
to the place, for though we tried hard t
catch the sound of a buyers voice or t
detect sign by which he indicated hi
bid, we ingloriously failed in every il
stance, which was rather mortifyin
when we were made aware that th
sharp-eyed or keen-eared statesmen ha
received dozens of offers from person
i in the crowd almost at our elbow. A
fast as the fish are sold they are II
moved by porters and the vacar
places filled by new material until til
sales end for the day. While fish al
sold at auction in Billingsgate the sy
tenn of selling by Dutch auctions gel
Il orally prevails in the markets of tt
smaller ports where there are L
licensed auctioneers.