Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-26
LONDON tCOSTER FOLK.
Pen Picture of the Most Character
istic Lowly Class There.
LIFE, HAUNTs AND DIVERSIONS.
Where visi tors to the Great Metropolis Can
Zee Them in Their Glory.
oUTLANDIsH DERBY DAY oAvALcADEs
fconRrspoSpENcr OF THE prspArcH.,

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE prsPArcH.,
LONDON, Aug. 15-There are between
30, 600 and $4,000 costermongers in the city
of London. Their vocation is the same as
| that of the street hawkers Of American
| cities; but those who have made the most
careful study of the latter, can form no
proper idea of the characteristics of the
former without personal acquaintance.
There is good reason for this Our street
venders of fish, fruits and vegetables COM
prise an ever changing host of widely vary
ing and uncongenial nationalities A
hawker in our country, from whatever race
he has sprung never remains a hawker
longer than necessity compels If he is not
successful in his ventures between markets
and customers, he shortly drops out of the
brayIng throng and engages vigorously in
another calling. If his voice, his swayback
steed and mis- ramshackle wagon bring him
profit, he will make the best bargain possi-
BILE to another aspisant for his belongings,
route and "good will, is shortly found in
possession of market stall or grocery. and
ever after scorns the vocation and associa-
tion which gave him prosperity.
The entire life and conditions of the Lon
don costermonger are different, and, this
fact, as we'll as his strange pers onality and
whimsical trade and social eth les, make
him most unusual and interesting charac-
ter. Besides, he is curious and integral
part of this great and ever wonderful Babel
OF London.
Distinct City Race.
The great distinguishing difference be-
tween American hawkers and London
costermongers, out of which the interesting
peculiarities of the latter have grown, is
the extreme antiquity of costermongers as
q distinct class or race. Indeed they may
with propriety be considered as race; and
I am not SO sure but that in a more thor
ough acquaintance with them than I have
gained, it would be found that they possess
the ancient Romany or Gipsy strain of
blood. have certainly noticed in them
many race characteristics of the Gipsies;
and their origin, historically considered,
almost exactly corresponds with the period
in which Gipsies were first noticed in Eng
land.
Some of the marked characteristics and
customs I have found common to both
Gipsies and costermongers are noteworthy.
Both races are bitterly opposed to book
knowledge, and not per cent of either, in
England, can read or write. Both aresthe
most honorable and honest people who live
in all dealings among themselves, but hold
it the height of wisdom and morality to
''do" all others not of their ilk.
So far as can be traced in history and lit
erature these folks were precisely the same
in mode of life, vocation and characteristics
hundreds of years ago as at the present
time. Like the fishermen 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 of to-day form
almost little realm of their own, ever
changing in confines, yet changeless in char
acter and antiquity; with a purer strain of
blood, of its Kind, than that of half of the
English nobility; and with ancient customs
guidance to themselves; all to more
marked degree than is true of any equal
number of people in any corner OF Europe.
A Distinguishing Costume.
At his daily labors the coster will have on
with the visor either pointed to the sky
or saving one side of his neck. He is
never without his black or hashily col
ored silk "kingsman". or heavy, loosely
gathered neckerchief, always tied in a sail
or's knot and the ends tucked in the folds
OF his gray woolen shirt; the whole expos
ing fine, well corded and often hairy
neck and chest His waistcoat is long,
like ajockey's. with capacious pockets and
huge tabs, and always of corduroy or vel
veteen. His trousers are half Mexican in
cut, of corduroy or coarse ducking, and
their wide bottoms flap over the best shoes
worn by any lowly men in London. Added |
to this are pearl or polished metal buttons
In the matter of buttons their 'best togs"
for Sunday and holidays are truly startling
Whether Of metal or pearl, they are from
a halt inch to an inch in diameter, 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 J