Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-11-09

lingsgate. As the market "a CITY nronertv
the officials for this purpose. four In nun.
Der. are appointed by the Court of the Fish.
mongcrs' Company, one Of thenucicnt but |
still thoroughly active Guilds or Trades |
Computes Of London It hasa fine Fish
mongerE HHll near London Bridge aud |
eNpends mFny thousands yearly In prevent. |
ing the saln Of ducayed fish. All nsh con.
drmncd 10y Its inspectors arc Immediately |
conveyed to waiting barge, treated wish |
carboic acid and sent to fertlllslnp worls |
ut Iiainhnm, where after being baked dry |
they are ground to powder and sold at |
about five pounds per ton to the strnwbor. |
ry and hop farmers OF Kent for fertilizing
purposes,
The fish steamers arrive alongside the |
market at all hours Of the night and early |
morning. Al precisely o'clock In the
morning the market opens Long lines of
plank arc laid from the market quay over
bnrgcs and pontoouz TO the steamers
decks, and every ounce OF fish Il brought
over these In baskets and bugs on porter-'
heads and backs. Al the same time the
railway vans are unloading on the land.
ward side. But six can DO cared for at
the same time The confusion and en-.
tanrlcment aro Undesirable.
One who witnesses the scene for the first
time Is filed with nmhzoment that the
largos, and most civilized capital In the
world will tolerate such Anticipated meth.
dds. But the porter, are wonderfully deft.
alert and carry incredible loads have
seen many laden with from 200 10 200
pounds weight. They will positively frisk
under barrel OF hcfrings which weighs
90 pounds. and there "a no question that
many OF these fellows can easily get about
the market with upward Of 900 pounds
properly distributed upon head and back.
These Billingsgato porter- are regarded
A. the strongest. quickest and most nth-
lrlic men In London. They live 10 every
respect like the water rats Of the Thames
mud tho nristocracy Of the Whitechapel
district Their only earthly ambitions are
to eat. drink. visit penny gaHs," rat aud
dog fights and excel IN pugilism They
are licensed, aud the strictcst regulations
exist regarding their conduct, even TO
the character NJ language. To lose their
license 80 worse than Imprisonment as
criminal. Their "rcputations" among their
fellows the costgrs, and the East End
sums ARE gained by their prowoss aud
strength here IL Is their world, their
highest, broadcast outlook, aud they are
really euriosities In social or literary study.
They delight especially In odd sounding
nickname. In my few visits to Billings
gate have already come 10 know and BE-
iavorably known by "Fishy jim" "Cooky
jim Black Prince Jack the Float -
"lIRppy ,fncL,n Johnny Shocblack,n
Jimmy Fingers" tine latter because Of
his thicving propensitics; "Bluu Nose
Mike" Gross Eyed joe and -Four Ale
Jim" Tho latter IN nUyor quite ~ his
best unless he has drunk six or seven
quarts Of ale before breakfast Tho oath
Of all these Billiugsgate portegs, like that
OF the costers. to which class they have
marked ntiiuiiics Is Cor bli met aud its
! wickedncss Is too nbhorrcnt for trausln.
| ton. They comprise two classes In their
daily market wOrk-those who bring the
| lsh FROM the steamers Into the market,
| WHO are called "shorers, and those who
remove the FISH TO the stallmcns wagons
or the costcrs' carts, who are called "mob.
bers.n
The pugilists Of London chiefly have
their origin among the Billingsgate por.
| tcrs. They have their regular champions
at seven stone six. - eight stone six and
eleven stone" and Officer 40 Policeman
H. Wade, informed me that there is not a
man among them who has not Mt some
time or another appeared In Whitcohapel
ring. Bill GOOde, who fought Slnyin, Is
/
curious characters Is one Cornelius Gala,
han, known as "Alike the Tipster" lie /.
u nc'crdo-well and a privileged person
lie makes great ostentRtion Of his knowl
edge OF the state of the market Getting
up at . o'clock ia the morning. he prowl,
about the fishing steamers, aud then just
before the mnrke, opens he slips about
among buyers and sellers aud whispers
1.-THE Tip o. the day In their ears. III,
ha'penny Is always forthcoming. On
Saturday afternoon, iust before the mar
ket Is closed for the week, they "hRve q
game with Nike lie regularly appear,
for his hudeting. and often IN the rougl
play that cnsues poor Mike isncnrly killed
Then the hat is passed. aud from slX to ter
shillimgs nre always paid che willing victim
All Billingsgate fish are sold by auction
and veritablo Babel the place is from
10 s or 0 O'Clock, There are two classes o
sellers. One comprises the regular com
mission men 20 whom the fishermen con
sign their catches, aud the other Il u thor
oughly hated but most prosperous class
known TO Dillingsgate from time immc
mortal as "bummarecs." These are really
middle men. who practice all possible art,
to combine aud force the regular commits
zion men, who have but short limit o
time IN which TO sell to dispose Of lots ri
ruinous prices, and through similar com
binntion often compel retailers TO purchase
nj cXorbitant rates. But however interest
ing may be- the interior OF Billingsgat
TO the casual visitor, the adjacent thor
oughfarcs from midnight, when tho ilrs
retail buyers begin coming, until the clos
Of the market Mt o'clock, provide IN
more strange and curious pictures ant
groupings. Upper aud Lower Thame
Street, Eastchcap and Great Tower Streets
Tower Hill, Fish Street llill 81, MaryRt
Hill. st. DustAn's Hill, King william
Street, Arthur Streets, east and west, Gtau
Court aud Love Lane, ARE apparently In
cNtricnbly TANNED with hundreds Of rail
way fish vans, green groccrs wagons ant
eosters' donkey carts and hundbarrows.
There is 10 other place IN London whor
such vast and so odd - tumble OF vehicle
aud folk may Mt any one time bc seen
= over 900 vehicles for the bringing or tai,
ing away Of fish are here. with them IN
10000 coster men and women and au un
, namnble, indescrlbablc host Of petty stree
vendors and hangers ON. II you Gun nrriS
here ON u foggy morning early, when Tn
first rays OF the sun are Offering through
tho fleece folds of mist napplngup with tn
tide along the Thames, you will then knoy
old Blllingsgate as Dickens and Ihackefa
knew Il, and will long for power and spac
IN which to paint with pen or pencil one 0
the strangest, oldest scenes to bo found Il
this mighty London town.
y EDGAR Il. WAKENAE.