Wichita eagle., 1890-01-01
BilllNGSGATE.
Row Fresh Fish Are Sold at the Cels
6rated London Market.

How Fresh Fish Are Sold at the Cels-
brated London Market.
The great gong striking the hour Of in
the morning announces that the statesmen Of
the market are TO begin business, says the
bulletin of the United States fish commits
sion, and with hurry-scurrying rush they
reach their desks, surrounding which are q
number of low benches or tables, upon which
are placed the fish that are put pat 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 Billingsgate,
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 cannot i'm
agine more novel sight than can be wit
messed here in the early morning when bust
ness is at its full swing, the porters rushing
hither and thither with packages of fish on
their heads. quite regardless OF whom they
may loStle or bedaub, for no one stands on
ceremony, and politeness cannot be observed
in the midst of pushing, Surging crowd,
every individual of which seems to think
only OF the business that he is intent upon.
The only comparison" says Sala, Il can
the place is-a rush-a rush hither and thtIher
at helter SHELTER speed. apparently blindly,
apparently without motive, but really With
a business like and engrossing preoccuparion
for fish and eli things fishy. Baskets borne
on the shoulders of the facchini of the place
skim through tie air with such rspidity that
you might take them to be flying fish. Out Of
the wayl 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 gem
eral din the stentorian tones of the loud
voiced statesmen, who, perched ON their stands
snd 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 buyers, sole buyers, sole buy
ers, who'll have this fine trunk of solesin
while q rival calls out: This way, We bad
dock buyers, come on, paddock buyers, give
US an offer for this lot OF fine haddocls.n
Others call out for ''cod buyers" ''plaice
buyers" etc, through the whole list,
perhaps, Of edible fishes, until the con-
fusion of sounds is so great that a stran-
ger can scarcely comprehend how business
can be conducted under such circumstances,
and it would be impossible for one who has
not seen il 10 form any conception OF such
scene as may be witnessed on any weekday
morning at Billingsgate.
One thing Is more remarkable, perhaps,
than anything else, namely, the method of
bidding, which seems peculiar to the place,
for, though We tried hard to catch the sound
Of buyers voice or to detect sound by
which ne indicated his bid, We ingloricusly
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 ish are sold they are removed
by porters, and the vacant places flied by
new material until tho sales end for the day.
While fish are sold at auction in Blllmgsgate,
the system OF selling By Dutch auctions gem
orally prevails in the markets OF the smaller
portswhere there are no licensed auctioneerS.
Chicago Tunes