The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-11
LONDON'S FISH MARKET.
AN INTERESTING MORNING VISIT
TO 8ILLINGsGATE.
T., 4. ~ot the Old Place where Bad Ian
guage Used to BE the Main Claim
to Prominence.

all rights. Billingsgate ought 10 be thor-
oughly demoralized. 1t ought to indulge
I'm prohibited epithets, and women ought
TO be seen wing with each other In
strong expressions.
Look at your Century Dictionary, and
YOU will ind this. "BillingsSdte tine
name OF one OF the ancient gates OF the
city of London, ana OF nsh ni s ~
near in. noted for the foulness OF the
language used there). Profane or sour
rilous language or abuse, olacksuard-
ISM " 49,.
one thing about London is that the
historical places do not live up 10 theil
regulations You go to the marDle-maIh-
ed spots where the heads OF the rev us-
cent people OF their time were cut or
and you naturally expect something solS
But the worst YOU md is a hFerled ~
tendant who talks 20 you IN a serNlie
way until he gets his fee, ana VINO ~ ~,
d!sm.sses you with a lordly air leiuS-
ing to notice you further. ,,,,,
Early one morning came 10 iHs,t
gate only 70 discover that IL Is q respect
able establishment. that tnert - 80
women who say uncharitaple nus ,rhts
one another; that there are no iree libnta,
and ttat business Is transacted WIN ~.
most mOnotonous regularity anu ~
prOsiost sort Of order. OF course; ,,,,,, liz -
not right. Billingsgate Is nor ,5 Is
gate II 10 uses good language anu %
tends to be reputable. .....4,,, %
And yet il fully repaid the attentlot ~. 81
the morning. You lrave the stIe.l -
apprOaches London Bridge, ana take -
marrow way that leads past many stalls
10 a red brick building, with si0ne ,,,,.,
ing. about fifty yards below ~.
the SaN0ns came fish have Deeh laiirc,' 81" ~
This place. The first market was itet,..t,
as FAR back as 1872. and IL remained untii
1919. when Il was extended ana lmproEeu-
q new market was built In 30, ana IN
1877 the buildings, covering "tpvV rect
were opened. AT > o'clock every morn
ing the business begins, and the scene IN
sn7te of the absence of the old things for
which it was noted. Is well worth behold
The American correspondent was for
ruuate i'm meeting the man who sells more
oysters than any man in London. Ills
average is from l5WD,rD 10 ZVW","w an
nually the oysters mere neins so'd py
1t a dinner the previous evening two
Englishmcn were raly.ng two Americans
ON the superiority Of English food in gem
oral THE only good roast beet is Eng
FISH roast beef they said. 1T comes
from America" replied the Americans.
certainly our mutton is better they
urged. Every ship that arrives brings
American sheep" was the response. And
thus 10 went on until the suggestion was
made that American oysters were the
finest i'm the world. At this they laughed
IN great glee. They declared that Amer
can oysters were not worth eating, tnat
they were habby and tastcless and alto
gethcr unequal 10 the English natives.
II was 10 get an expert opinion as well
as 10 see the fish of this great country
that l went 20 Billingsgate when most
of London was asleep. Ii was crowded
and interesting scene. Wagons were
there IN a confusion which seemed mex
tricable. but they were as much az home
as II they each had a ten-acre lot for
fancy driving.
.'If you'll stand by me. sir" said the
big. good-uatured policeman. I'm sure
you'll bee safer, and | think ! may explain
IL all 10 YOU. Those small boxes you see
I'm the wagons are the kippered herring
or hppers. as we call them FOR snort
They come in here by the thousand boxes,
ana more OF them are eaten than or any
other fish. They come from Ireland and
Scotland and from different points along
the coast. You'll find them for sale every
where
There were many men with push carts.
There were fully fifty men with huge
collars that rested upon their shoulders
and came even with their heads. There
were still more men with curious hats:
Tao FIRST explained the officer, served
the lshmOngers. the second moved pack
ages 20 wagons and the third-their hats
having cork resting places-carried nun
greatest ease. Some Of the burdens seem
ed enough 10 crush them. but when the
idea was suggested the policeman laugh
ed cordially and said. Lord bless you,
sir. YOU couldn't KIN ore OF them. They've
been doing 10 all their lives, ana sudden
ly d1rfiug of he exclaimed. Look out,
there. now Don't you do that again"
we have 10 bee a little harsh with
them sometimes" ne explained, dpolcget-
icaliy, but We don't have much trou-
BILE"
And this was the thick Of Bshopsgate
go Temporal. Morse"
He called 10 one OF his men and told
him 10 take care Of the street. as he had
an American friend whom he wanted 10
conduct through the market We we're
treated with much consideration, and the
dealers volunteered interesting iufOrma-
ton. I'm the basement was the shellhsh
market There were not many oysters
as this is the closed season The only
biValVes that can be sold are those from
the Continent or those trausplanted I'm
English waters. But there were many
bags and barrels Of the wrinkles and
mussels and such things which are sold
10 the poorest classes Of the city, and
which, when shucked. look Ike a lot OF
worms. UNFIT for human food. But you
viii find thousand of them on the carts
Of the cOstcrmOnser and the street vie
tualers. So you Will also. OF oysters
which seem 20 have outlived their useful
ness.
The wet fish market is on the ground
floor on a level with the Thames. from
which the fish are directly landed every
morning. They are in boxes or on mar
Bile slabs. The dealers have long white
aprons. and while the dampncss is gem
cral. the cleanliness is very noticeable.
Salmon Of splendid size are the hand
soonest fish, and they bring the best
prices.
But Of all the fish i'm London the best
is the sole IL Is a beautiful white. with
meat OF delicious flavor and tenderness.
The fish is very fiat, from ten 10 twenty
inches long, aud weighing about one or
two pounds We saw n I'm all its fresh
ness i'm the market. and IL was bringing
a handsome price-that is about twice
the price Of the ordinary varieties The
sole almost approaches our hog fish in
qualities IL comes mainly from the
North Sea.
Almost equal 20 the sole, but far cheap
er I'm price. Is the whiting. which you
Will nnd on all bills-of-fare in London.
Ii weighs from one 10 two pounds and
Is very delicate and easily digested. In
popularity il corresponds 10 our perch.
There were tons Of whiting IN the mar
ket. and ~ was explained that the cheap
ness was due 10 the quantities that were
caught Cod. mackerel and other varle-
tics were 10 be mad. but the principal
kinds were the salmon. the sole and
whiting and plalce. the last a fine fish
The fshmOngers are among the richest
people i'm London They have an associa-
ton enormously wealthy. The fishermen
have their own floating hospitals, their
own clergymen-and both OF these are
generally attached TO each of the two
great fleets. One OF these fleets consists
OF a hundred smacks. forty or nifty tons
each. and fishing trip extends over
eight weeks. Sometimes these companies
land al Billingsgate FIVE thousand pack
ingsgate receives over $4,000 tons Of fish.
The catch OF herring alone I'm Scotland
and England is about twelve hundred
million nsh a year. To this market also
come 10000 gallons OF shrimp. 30eJ
pounds OF prawn and a few hundred