The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-27
WAkEMANS TRAVELS.
The Most Characteristic Lowry
Folk in An England Are
THE LONDON COSTERMONGERS
Their Daily Life. Haunts and Amusc.
Incnts..-Thcy Mate But scOrn to
olarry.-outlandish Derby Day Co.'S
tor Observation-Disclosures Fifty and
Sixty Thousand Of These People.

LONDON, August l5.-Ihere arc De-
tween $4,000 and 10000 costermongers
in tho city Of London. Their vocation
IL the same as that of tho street hawk
ers Of American cities; but those who
have made the most careful study of tho
latter, can form no proper idea of tho
characteristics OF the former without
personal acquaintance.
There is good reason for this. Our
street vendors Of fish, fruits and vege.
tables comprise IN ever changing host
Of widely varying and uncongenial ma.
tionalities. A hawker in our country,
from whatever race he hassprung, never
remains q hawlIer longer than necessity
compels. II he is not successful in his
ventures between markets aud customs
ers, he shortly drops out Of the braying
throng and engages vigorously in an-
other calling. II his voice, his sway
back steed and his ramshackle wagon
bring him profit, he will mako the best
bargain possible to another aspirant
Tor lis belongings, route and good
WILL" is shortly found in possession OF
a market stall or grocery, and ever after
scorns the vocation and associations
which gave him prosperity.
The entire life and conditions OF the
London costermonger are different, and
this fact, as we'll as his strange PERSONAL:
ty and whimsical trade and social
ethics, makes him most unusual and
interesting character. Besides, he is q
curious and integral part OF this great
and ever wonderful Babel of London.
The great distinguishing difference
between American hawkers and London
costermongers, out of which the inter-
esting peculiarities OF the latter have
grown, is the extreme antiquity Of
costermongers as a distinct class or
race. Indeed they may with propriety
be considered as race; and am not
go sure but that in more thorough
acquaintance with them than have
gained, it would be found that they
possess the ancient Romany or Gypsy
strain Of blood. / have certainly
noticed in them many race character
istics OF the Gipsies; and their origin,
historically considered, almost exactly
corresponds with the period in which
Gipsies were first noticed in England.
MARKED CHARACTERISTICS.
Some of the marked characteristics
and customs have found common to
both Gipsies and costermongers are
noteworthy. Both races are bitterly
opposed to book knowledge, and not
five per cent OF either, in England can
read or write. Both are hereditarily
rowing in nature, and would pine and
die II forced for any length OF time into
indoor labor. Both mate rather than
marry; and while remarkable for their
fidelity in this relation, they hold in
deep contempt religious or civil mar
riage rites.
Both are the most honorable and
honest people who live in all dealings
among themselves, but hold 1t the
height OF wisdom and morality to ''do"
all others not OF their ilk. Both, how
ever meek, humble and actually law
abiding in their daily lives, are heredit-
arily the enemies Of all law and law
officers though both will make the
most desperate Of sacrifice to avoid be-
coming involved in any complications
of the law. And both are, religiously,
Agnostics OF such luminousness and
density as by comparison would put all
the Hamiltons, Mansels and Spencersto
feryent blush and shame.
The earliest record Of London coster.
mongers' cries is said to be in Lydgate's
poem OF "London Lyckpeny" in the
time Of Henry ". about 475 years ago.
Shakespeare refers contemptuously to
these coster-monger times" Ben jon
SON makes his MoroSe swoon II hears
costermongers' cry; and DR.. Johnson
gives the derivation OF "costard-mon.
GER as originating in the street sale Of
apples or costards "round and bulky
like the head"
So far as can be traced in history
and literature these folk were precisely
the same in mode Of life, vocation and
characteristics hundreds of years ago,
as at the present time. Like the fisher.
men Of New Haven and Galway, and
still like the Gipsies, they have scarcely
ever been known to intermarry with
other classes. The result is that the
costermongers OF the London oil to-day
form almost a little realm OF their own,
ever changing in confines yet change
less in character and antiquity; with o
purer strain Of blood, OF It's kind, than
that Of half Of the English nobility; and
with ancient customs and traditions re-
manning memorable laws Of guidance to
themselves; all to moro marked de.
greo than is true Of any equal number
ofpeople In any corner OF Europe.
il all this were not true Of the London
costermonger he would still be found q
picturesque object by the casual OBJ
server. In the first place his dress is
picturesque. You will otfind at Catania,
Messina or Palermo, in Sicily, more odd
or colorful groupings than these crowds
5of costera at the markets or at their
evening and holiday resorts. Indeed
there Is dash of tho Gypsy in the
dress Of these folk that constantly re.
calls the Romany people.
WORK DAYS AND SUNDAYS.
At his daily labors the coster will
have on his head small cloth cap vol
to one side, with the visor eithcr
pointed to the sky or sawing one side
OF his mock. IIo Is never without his
black or fiashily colored silk "ltines.
man. or heavy, loosely gathered mock.
erchioi, always tied in sailors knot
and tho ends tucked in the folds OF his
gay wooden shirt; the who.o exposing
fino, we'll corded and often hairy nook
and chest. Ills walstcoat Is long, hkoa
Jockeys, with capncious pockets and
huge tabs, and always Of corduroy or
yeiyeteen. His troaicts are half Moxi-
can In cut, OF corduroy or coarse duck
ing, aud their wide bottoms Hap over
the bost shoes worn by any lowly men
h London. Added 70 this are pearl or
----ii-.L. !. 4 t.,.lAn.,n innr,.nAsnhln