Morning journal and courier., 1892-08-27

e6r-mOnger tlmee; Den JOneOn makes Nil
Morose swoon If he hears costermonger'
Of "costard monger" as originating In tn,
street sale of apples or costards' s''round ani
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 char
acteristios hundreds of years ago, as al
the present time. Like the fishermen oi
New Haven and Galway, and still like the
Gipsies, they have scarcely ever beer
known to intermarry with other classes
The result Is that the costermongers oi
the London of to-day form almost little
realm of their own, ever changing in con.
fines yet changeless in character and an
tiquity; with purer strain of blood, oi
its kind, than that of half of the English
nobility; and with ancient customs and
traditions remaining inexorsble laws Of
guidance to themselves; all to q more
marked degree than is true of any equal
number of people in any corner of Eu
rope.
If all this were not true of the London
costermonger he would still be found 6
picturesque object by the casual observer
In the first place his dress Is picturesque.
You will not find at Catanis, Messina OF
Z dlu6EO, Ill olChI. hOEc ouo oE CO1OE1ul
groupings than these crowds of costers at
the markets or at their evening and holi-
day resorts. Indeed there is a dash OF
the Gipsy in the dress of these folk that
constantly recalls the Romsny people.
At his daily lsbors the coster will have on
his head small cloth cap well to one side,
with the visor either pointed to the sky
or saving one side of his neck. He il
never without his black or fsshily col
ored silk ''kipgsmsn" or heavy, loosely
gathered neckerchief, always tied In sail
or's knot and the ends tucked in the folds
of his gay wooden shirt; the whole expos
ing fine, well-corded and often hairy
neck and chest. His waistcoat is long
and huge tabs, and always of corduroy OIL
velveteen. His trousers are half Mexican
in cut, of corduroy or coarse ducking,
aud their wide bo toms flap over the best
shoes worn by any lowly men in London.
Added to this are pearl or polished metal
buttons innumerable.
In the matter of buttons their "best
togs" for Sundays and holidays are truly
startling. Whether of metal or pearl,
they are from half inch to an inch in di-
ameter, and are set as thickly as they can
be placed around the cap band and visor
edge, down the edge of the waistcoat from
throat to point, above every pocket, and
along the edges of all lspels, upon the
sleeves nearly from wrists to elbow, and
along the wide plush side stripes of the
trousers, from Just below the knees to the
very edge of the trousers leg, SO that tn,
last button clicks and pstters against tn,
pavement and the shoe.
The coster women are none the les
striking in their gsrb and appearance
Like the men they are all well shod, ant
wear short coarse serge petticosts show
ing their ankles and shapely feet. These
petticoats are as ample as Claddagh fish
wife's. Their waists are always low at, OF
are left open in, the neck, and usually thu
latter, as with the men, is adorned with .
lashy silk neckerchief, while q small
woolen plaid or silk shawl covers tn,
shoulders, it ends crossed upon the breas
where it Is always fastened with broact
of huge dimensions.
But the hair and the headgear are mos
distinctive. From these alone coste
girl is anywhere recognizable. The ha
| is of straw or felt, aud always as large a
| a coster's cartwheel. 1t protrudes alarm
| ingly in front, and above this canop,
| waves forest of ostrich plumes. Coste
| girls belong to clubs for the purchase o
these priced feathers, and there is no or
| dinary sacrifice they will not make to pos
sess the largest plumes that can b
bought. The hair is bestowed behind ii
a large braid. A "part" extends iron
this over each ear, and heavy straigh
tab lies against either cheek. Above tn
forehead the hair falls straight almost t
the brows, but is then friKzled and curle
| until it stands upward and outward lik
monstrous matted cheaux de frise. AS
coster proudly remarked to me: con
domains (girls, swsethearts, womep) 'as
style as is all their own"
The costermonger's outfit comprise
either handbarrow, a spring cart on tw
| wheels, on which he will load from 800
], 900 pounds of fruit or vegetables an
with the help of boy or his ''donah
push the same dozen miles in q day; G
donkey and cart, possessed by the moi
well-to-do. I have seen the latter loade
with from 1, 200 to ], 500 pounds weight 9
hawking alone are sometimes provide
with donkey carts or barrows, but oftene
with shadows" or shallow basket,
which with their heavy contents are carrie
on their heads.
| A curious sort of business has alwaJ
been in vogue owing to the improvidenc
of the costermongers as class. This
the hiring out TO them of baskets, bsl
rows and carts. Out of the SO, 900 {
10000 costermonger population of LoI
don fully 5000 are actually engaged
daily hawking, the remainder being ol
folk or children unable to work cave (
workers own their own shadows, barrow
and carts. The other half hire them {
ruinously usurious rates. The donkey an
cart are seldom hired, nearly all of the,
outfits being owned by the costers. Bl
the hand carts or bsrrows arc usual
hired at three pence per day or one shi
ling for the week, for q barrow original
costing less than two pounds. More tbs
ego, 900 or 800, 900, is annually paid
barrow and "shallow" hire by the Lol
don costers.
Quite recently coster providept clul
) have been formed. These by a trifir
, weekly payment from members insu
|. the opportunity of hiring barrows at r
duced rates, and of purchasing donke.
and carts on the instsllment plan. b
: as rule they like the old way best. IT
, old way with London costers is, as a rul
after q nights dissipation at drink ,
,, gambling, for all costers without exec
ton are hard drinkers and inveters
1 gamblers In q small way, to borrow Il
: days "stock money" at a sixpence or
shilling interest, secure the hand barro
at threepence hire, the scales or measur
. at another outlay of twopence, and tru
1 to heavy pushing, loud calling and gull
: BILE customers to retrieve their fallen fo
tunes. They are scrupulously honest
repayment of loans, and harder workil
3 people do not live. But they are
i redeemable in their thriftlessness, al
: with all their good qualities and trait
considering their associations and igno
ance, are hopeless slaves of the usure
and taprooms.
q Anyone desiring q superficial observ
: ton of this class can find ample studies
costers at the chief London markets. Dai
. 5000 come to Covent Garden mark,
/ about 1000 secure fish at Billingsga
d fully 1000 are at Spitalfelds; perhaps 8
9 each viii be found ct Borough and Les
/. enhall; and fully 5000 are distribut
among the lesser city and suburban maj
cts. Covent Garden market Ia the ms
It interesting place to visit, not only for
y historic associations but for its great
4 throngs of costers. From the opening
Q o'clock in the morning until 8 or o'clot
% from 5000 to 4 900 coster carts viii hs
l. come and gone. The remainder In after
b ance wait until afternoon to dicker vi
the sshagglers" or speculators, who hs
bought unsold loads from farmers 'fn
lump
d In these morning hours interest will I
h only center In the costers but In their d.
r keys and carts. Hundreds upon hundrt
ID are packed in . cornsr of the open mari