The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-27

IA
mon. IL adorned with flashy silk neck
erchief, while o small WOODEN PLAID OF
silk shawl covers the shoulders, It's ENDS
crossed upon the breast, where u Is al
ways fastened with O breach oil huge
Dimensions.
most distinctive. From these alone
coster girl is anywhere recognizable.
The hat Is Of straw or felt, and always
as large as a coster's cartwheel. 1t pro-
trudes alarmingly in front, and above
this canopy waves forest Of ostrich
plumes. Coster girls belong to clubs
fos tho purchase OF these prize feathers,
and there ia no ordinary sacrifice they
will not make to possess the largest
plumes that can DO bought. The hair
Is bestowed behind in large braid.
A "part extends from this over each
ear, and a heavy, straight tab lies
nrainst either cheek. Above the fore
head the hair falls straight almost to
the brows, but is then frizzled and curled
until it stands upward aud outward ike
monstrous matted ctedGur de .trlSe. AS
q coster proudly remarked to me: Our
domains girls, s&eethearts, women) as
style Us is all their OWL"
The costormonger's outfit comprises
either handbarrow, spring cart on
two wheels, on which he will load from
500 to 1000 pounds of fruit or vege-
tables, and with the help Of boy or
his "donah," push the same a dozen
miles in a day;or donkey and cart,
possessed by the more well.to-do. /
have seen the latter loaded with from
1900 to 1900 pounds weight at Coyent
Garden market. The women when
hawking alone are sometimes provided
with donkey carts or barrows, but
oftener with 'shallows," or shallow
baskets, which with their heavy con-
tents are carried on their heads.
CURIOUS CUSTOM.
A curious sort of business has always
been in vogue owing to the improve
dence Of the costermongers as class.
This is the hiring out to them OF bas-
kets, barrows and carts. Out OF the
$4,000 or 10000 coEtermonger popula-
ton OF London fully 5000 are actually
engaged in daily hawking, the remain
der being old folks or children unable
to work save at odd times. Fully one
half Of the daily workers own their own
shadows, barrows and carts. The other
half hire them at ruinously usurious
rates. The donkey and cart are seldom
hired, nearly all OF these outfits being
owned by the costers. But the hand
carts or barrows arc usually hired at
three pence per day or ono shilling for
the week. for a barrow originally cost
ing less than two pounds. More than
10000, or Sl00, 900, is annually paid in
barrow and Shallow hire by the Lon
don costers.
Quite recently coster proyident clubs
have been formed. These by a trifing
weekly payment from members insure
the opportunity ofhiring borrows at re-
duced rates and Of purchasing donkeys
and carts on the installment plan. But
as rule they like the old way best.
The old way with London costers is a
rule, after nights dissipation at drink
or gambling, for all costers without ex-
ception are hard drinkers and inveter-
ate gamblers in a small way, to borrow
the days 'stock money" at sixpence
or shilling interest, secure the hand
barrow at threepence hire, the scales or
measures at another outlay of twopence,
and trust to heavy pushing, loud calling
and gullible customers to retrieve their
fallen fortunes. They are scrupulously
honest in repayment OF loans, and
harder working people do not live.
But they are irredeemable in their
thriftlessness, and with oil their good
Qualities and traits, considering their
associations and Ignorance, are hope
less slaves OF the usurers and tap
rooms.
Anyone desiring superficial OBJ
seryation OF this class can find ample
studies OF costers at the chief London
markets, Daily 5000 come to Covent
Garden market; about 1000 secure fish
Mt Billingsgate; fully 1000 are at spital.
fields; perhaps 800 each will be found
at Borough and Leadenhall, and fully
5000 are distributed among the lesser
city and suburban markets. Coyent
Garden market is the most interesting
place to visit, not only for its historic
associations, but for its greatest throngs
OF costers. From the opening, at 2
o'clock in the morning, until 8 or 8
o'clock from 5000 to 1000 coster carts
will have come and gone. The remain
der in attendance wait until afternoon
to dicker with the "hagglers," or specu-
lators, who have bought unsold loads
from farmers "in the lump"
In these morning hours interest will
not only center in the costers, but in
their donkeys and carts. Hundreds
upon hundreds arc packed in corner
OF the open market waiting to load, for
which privilege they are taxed one
penny each. Every manner OF rude in.
genuity has been exercised in the patch
ing up Of donkey carts and the con-
struction Of donkey harness. Rope,
rushes and rags are good enough for
some. Neckerchiefs and corduroys are
transformed into saddle pads for Others.
Many are respondent in brass orna-
ments all together OF half the donkey's
weight. And still others have seen
nobler uses and disclose bits OF old car
riage harness bedecked with coronets
in gold and silver plate.
NO HOME LIFE.
would write OF the coster's home
life, but he has none. The Gipsy,
even the poor London Gipsy OF the
loathsome van, is vastly his superior in
this respect. In the past three years
have visited moro than thousand cos
tors haunts and habitations. In them
all I have not found dozen genuine
homes. The nearest approach to the
homo is where tho coster is fairly we'll
to.do, and owns.a donkey and cart or a
couple or three. In these extremely
rare instances you will often find the
coster, his wife or mato, their children
and the donkovg in one basement room