The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-02

Ia "a +St@SeA FAsL Ght5E Judu bFtI.
The varieties Of fish which are I'm their re-
speclve seasons delivered at Billingsgate
market number nearly 100. During this
month have noticed perch, peTiwinkles,
pike anchovies, roach. salmon, gurnets,
haddocks, behring's, founders, turbot,
sprets, JACK, ling, plaice, dorees, prawns,
catnsn, mulletS, whelks, cOalhsh, trout.
soles, Dilchards, cells and conger eels, dog
I hsh, cod, Dream, brill, make, shad, weavers,
skate. smells, whitebait, tenoh, sturgeon
ana perhaps dozen other varieties; and
the total weight Is from 1900 to IL, zoo tons
per mouth, or 10000 tons per year!
Of this vast quantity, fully two-third5
reaches London by railway. All the fish
from Ireland is sent across St. Georges
channel in fast steamers and thence by rail
Salmon and trout all come Oy rail; and
much of the northern North sea yield. taken
OF east Scottish shores, and even soms Of
the catches from above Yarmouth ard
scarborough are, for the sake of time
saving, thus transferred. Small wheeled,
lead-lined vans are provided by the
railways. These are dragged by horses
from fishing stations or Quays to rail
way stations. wheeled into railway vans
and thus brought 70 London without break.
ing bulk. On arrival here they are wheeled
to the street and dragged by horses through
the streets from various stations 10 Billings
gate. Fully 100000 tons Of fish annually
reach the market in this manner: and from 5
o'clock Of any weekday morning, hundreds
upon hundreds of these vans, choke up
every narrow avenue OF approach, wal ting
their turn to urload.
Over three-fourths of all the fish con-
sumed by London passes inspection at
Blliingsgate. AS the market is city prop
erty the officials for this purpose, four in
number, are appointed by the Court OF
tie Flshmo0gers Company, one of the
ancient but still thoroughly active Guilds,
of Trade Companies OF London. II has q
hne Ftshmongers' hall near London bridge,
and expends many thousands yearly in pre-
venting the sale OF decayed fish. All fish
condemned by its inspectors are Immediately
conveyed to waiting barge, treated with
carbolic acid, and sent to fertIizing works
at Rainham, where after being baked dry
they are ground to powder, and sold at
about IS per ton TO the stra berry aud hop
farmers Of Kent for fertilizIng purposes.
The fish steamers arrive alongside the
market at all hours of the night and early
morning. At precisely o'clock in the
morning the market opens. Long liues of
plank ara laid from the market quay. over
barges and pontoons to the steamers decks,
and every ounce of fish is brought over these
in baskets and bags on porters' heads and
backs. At the same time the railway vans
are unloading on the laldward side. But
six can be cared for at the same
time The confusion and entsngle-
ment are indesuribable. One who wit
nesses the scene for the first time is
filed with emazement that the largest and
most civilized capital IN the world will
tolerate such antiquated methods But the
porters are wonderfully deft, alert and
carry incredible loads. have seen many
laden with from 200 to 300 pounds weight.
They will positively frlsk under O barrel of
III, On
is no question that many of these fellows
can easily get about the market with up
ward OF 400 pounds properly distributed
upon head and back.
These Billingsgate porters are regarded
as the strongest, quickest and most athletic
men in London. They live in every re-
spect like the water rats of the Thames aud
the aristocracY Of the Whitechapel DISTRICT
Their only earthly ambitions are TO eat,
tights, and excel in puRilism. They are
big, brawny, hairy-chasted fellows of ap-
parent endless good nature, but are
brutes by heredity, instinct and
deepest yearning Whatever their
wat of character outside the market
q more demure and iamb-like sat Of
fellows was never seen than they are while
on duty here. They are licensed, and the
strictest regulations exist regarding their
To lose their license is worse than imprlson-
mont as g criminal Their regulations
among their fellows, the costers, and the
East End slums are gained by their proves
and strength here. IL is their world, their
highest, broadest outlook, and they are
really curiositiss in social or literary study.
They delight especially In odd-sounding
nicknames In my few visits to Billings
gate have already come to know, and be-
favorably known by "Fisby JIM" "Cocky
jim" "Black Prince Jack the Float"
Happy Jack" Johnny Shoe-blaok,"
Jimmy Fingers" the tlatter because of his
thisving propensities, "Bluse~No Nike"
"Cross-eyed Joe" aud "Four-ale Jim" The
latter Is never quite at his best I'M
quarts of Gle before breakfast
Toe oath of all these Billingsgate porters,
like that of the costers, TO which class they
have marked affinities, is ''GOr bli men and
its wickednes5 is too abhorrent for traGsla-
ton. They comprise two classes. in their
daily market work, those who bring the
fish from the steamers into the market,
who are called ''shorers," and those who
remove the fish to the stallmen's wagons,
or the costers' carts, who are called "mob-
bers."
The pugilists of London chiefly have their
origin among the Blllingsgate porters.
They have their regular champions at
seven stone SIX" EIGHT stone six" and
"e!even stone" and Officer 19J, Policeman
2. Wade informed me thai there is not u
man among them who has not ct some time
or another appeared in a Whitechapel rug.
Bill Goode. who fought Slavin, is still a
licensed porter here. AmoIg many curious
characters is one Cornelius Callahan, Known
as mike the Tipster." he ia a neer-do we'll
AID privileged person. He makes gre Os-
tentation Of bis knowledge of the state Of
the market. Getting no at 2 o'clock in the
morning he prowls about the fishing steam
ers and then, Just before the market opens,
he slips about among the buyers and sellers
aud whispers "the top o the day" in their
ears. The ha'pennyis always forthcoming.
On Saturday afternoon, just before the
market is closed for the week, they "haYe
a game with Mike" He regularly appears
for his butfeting, and often in the rough
play that ensues Door Nike is nearly killed.
Then the hat is passed and from to 10
shilling3 is always paid the willing victim,
All BiliingsRate fish are sold by auction,
and veritabie babel the place is from TO
8 or O'clock. There are two classes OF SELL
ers. One comprises the regular commission
men to whom the fishermen consign their
catches, and the other is a thoroughly hated
but most prosperous class, known to Bill
ingsgate from time immemorial as bum
marees." These are really middlemen, who
practice all possible arts to combine aud
force the regular commission men, who
have but a short limit of time in which TO