The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-07


These contain "a few cones of butter, q
brace of fowls. may be a dozen or so OF
eggs, or any other product Of the holding
or their labor that may bring few
pence the day, but old or young they are
knitting away vigorously in time to stOr
and gossip, and all still, old or young
with their shoes slunC across their shout
dcrs. or hidden in the basket for they are
saving them until the edge of the village
is reached, where "A brush from a wisp OF
! dewy grass will make them seine from
their late greaSing. and their owners viii
1 walk proudly into the fair with their
/ shapelN feet hidden from the gaze of men
I in brOgaus that
Wud harm an iuSultcr.
Or bate deal table.
With murthcrin power
While their owners wOr able
1t is catch-as-catch-can at an Irish mar
ket, or fair. The first upon the ground is
! best served as TO location. a the village
! market there is no attempt at system or
| arrangement; and the market-placc itself
/ is never "a covered structure. but simply a
! large walled inclOsure along the principal
! street. with gates Ikea castle. with walls
! of enormous hight and thickness as
/ though attacks from gathering rams were
! apprchended. and usually is surrounded,
| at least on three sides, by the quaintest
| structures, village homes. inns, groggeries
| and shops furnishing picturesque scenes
! as the excited groups within the enclosure
/ From the market-gates there extend in
! every direction temporary avenues formed
| by carts ranged side by side with their
! backs to the way, and thecrowds coming
| and going with the large numbers belong
| ing to each cart, all engaged in heated
| arguments over values, make much good
naturcd squeezing and pushing a matter
of necessity. LTheTe are seldom inner in
closures Cattle are bearded against the
wall at one point; asses at another; pigs
on foot, kept gently moving in circles by
the sltillful use of their drivers long ash
pixies, will be masscd at another point /,
goats and sheep, both extraordinarily
CombatiVC by the enforced association at
still another; while all manner of lollipop
sellers and brave-vOiccd markct-amuse-
ment purvCyOrS are huddled together in
any extra space that may be found.
For the first hour or two of the morn
ing the sale of the small truck, such as
butter, eggs, poultry and vegetables pro
ceeds merrily enough but the attitude of
buyer and seller of whole carloads of
potatoes and of all animals is amusing in
deed. Bcvies of buyers for the Dublin
and London markets, men of gigantic
stature with red. puffy faces, and great
coats hanging over tOp-bOOts to their
heels, each carrying a whip of tremend-
Gus length, will saunter in, take hasty
run about the place, Struggling their
shoulders as if nothing worth their at
tentlOn had been seen, and finally hastily
depart. The while the Irish yeOmen
with folded arms, and nose in air EXPIRES
slve OF fine scOrn, bid them all a cheerful
defiance in ludiCrOus attempts to appear
unconscious of their presence.
These double pretenses may proceed
until noon with now and then bargain
struck on the sly; but the entire pOpulace
at the market are on the alert for the
seductive wiles of the buyer, and to pro-
tect each other valiantly from being car
rlcd away for fleeing singly to the entic-
ing groggeries near. This metaphOrical
throwing of dust in each others eyes is
carried on during the Belfast fair days,
on the first Wednesday of each month
with greater tiueSs and contempt between
buyer and seller, than have seen in any
other portion of Ireland This is par
ticularly true between the factors, or flax
buyers from the mills and the hard headed
peasantry in charge of their carloads of
flax
Scores of factors will make their APP
pearance; surround the carts; handle the
the sillzen ''stone" bundles as though il
were pity to bring such stuff to the at
tentlon of men whose time was valuable:
and condescendingly clap a counterfeit
price and order for payment on their re
spective houses in the sellers hands. as if
a disagreeable charity had been per
formed; whereupOn the sellers toss them
back disdainfully or light their pipes with
them in fine scOrn. Then the factors dis
appear. But that is not the last of them.
One by one in little groups they return
These stubborn people must be somehow
saved from their fatal ignorance. Then
follow protestatiOn and reioinder, blarney
and Safeguarding, as silvery and
fine as ever human ears overheard.
1t is of no avail. Away they all go again.
The Dyes" calmy resume their pipes and
their "gOthering' with the old women
and young. The next assault by these
sleek and rudy Belfast factors, who are
undoubtedly the canniest buyers in the
world, is on the confidential line. 1t is
getting late in the day. They come qin
droves. With military precision the
sellers are herded in squads. Palaver,
concession, sacrifice and Difference for
prices, plumber and division are already
unyieldingly agreed upon effect purchases
with marvellous rapidity, and in half an
hour the entire great market is completely
cleared of tiaX-The same old games hav-
ing been played in precisely the same
manner for the past hundred years.
In the average village market along
toward noon buying is likely to begin in
what might seem to a stranger as an
alarming riot. The big traders will make
an onslaught upon a willing subject
Bravely he apparently resists their efforts
to bully or deceive him If by main
strength he is taken from among his
friends, they will rally and set upon the
traders and rescue him. Some rough
tussling fellow may follow but nobody is
alarmed at this. 1t is a way they have of
lmpinging upon formahty. The ice once
broken, buying begins in earnest. and
higher and higher rise shriu voices, often
aided in pitch and intensity by John
Barleycorn, who is ever the real master
of ceremonies here, until one would think
murder must follow the excited dicker-
ings. Buyers thrash the air with their
whips, and pour fearful objurgations on
the poor animals and their owners: while
the latter, aided by their valiant wives.
pay back the fierce blackguarding with
rich interest. The "luck-penny," which
goes with each single beast or group of
animals sold is shricked ovel as though
1t were the value all the market holds
Babel has begun. The lesser sellers
crowd around and rise their voices"
lugubriOusly Every person has drunk
enough to be interested in every other
person S affairs.
Sales arc now rapidly made. "dirtying
the bastes' sold or rubbing mud on their
Launches TO so distinguish them. and
driving them from the grounds creates
constant commotion; carloads of pips
are dumped amid dpafpuiur ,,orl,o,.s,