Of the Capital and Income of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles

Before giving a Summary of the Capital and Income of the above-mentioned class, I shall endeavour to arrive at some notion as to the number of persons belonging to this division of the London Street-sellers.

As far as I am able to ascertain, the following estimate may be taken as an approximation to the truth. There are in the metropolis 100 hardware-sellers, 6 cheap Johns, 30 sellers of cutlery, 6 sellers of tailors’ needles, 20 sellers of metal spoons, 500 sellers of jewellery, 2 sellers of card counters, 15 sellers of medals, 6 sellers of rings and sovereigns for a wager, 25 sellers of children’s gilt watches, 100 sellers of tin-ware, 100 swag-barrowmen, 12 sellers of dog-collars, &c., 40 sellers of tools, 380 sellers of crockery and glass-wares, 12 sellers of spar-ornaments, 30 sellers of China-ornaments, 6 sellers of stone-fruit, 120 packmen and duffers or hawkers of soft wares, 500 sellers of tapes, cottons, &c., 100 sellers of lace, 15 sellers of japanned table covers, 500 brace and belt-sellers, 50 sellers of hose, 3 sellers of waistcoats, 230 sellers of blacking, 125 sellers of black-lead, 5 sellers of French polish, 7 sellers of grease-removing composition, 4 sellers of plating-balls, 8 sellers of corn-salve, 4 sellers of China and glass cement, 6 sellers of razor paste, 55 sellers of crackers and detonating-balls, 200 sellers of Lucifer matches, 100 sellers of cigar-lights, 30 sellers of gutta-percha heads, 50 sellers of fly-papers and beetle-wafers, 25 sellers of poison for rats, 35 sellers of walking-sticks, 30 sellers of whips, 4 sellers of clay and Meerschaum pipes, 15 sellers of tobacco-boxes, snuff-boxes, and cigar-cases, 100 sellers of cigars, 50 sellers of sponge, 200 sellers of wash-leathers, 35 sellers of spectacles, and eye-glasses, 50 sellers of dolls, 50 lot-sellers, 2 sellers of Roulette tables, 4 sellers of rhubarb, 100 rat-catchers, 50 sellers of combs, 50 sellers of money-bags, 70 sellers of coat-studs; making altogether a total of 4272.

Some few of the above trades are, however, of only a temporary character; as, for instance, such as are engaged in the street-sale of crackers and detonating-balls—the month of November and the Christmas week being the only regular periods, with the exception of fairs and races, for the vending of those articles. The fly-papers and beetle-wafers are other instances of the same kind—summer being the only season in which there is a demand for such things. Making due allowance therefore for the temporary character of some of the callings, as well as for the itinerancy and unsettledness of other trades or traders, we may, I think, safely assume that the street-sellers connected with this class are about 4000 in number.

Concerning the amount of capital invested in this branch of the street-traffic as well as the income derived therefrom, the following tables are given as being somewhat near the truth.

Metal.

Street-Sellers of Hardware.

£ s. d.

Stock-money for 100 vendors at 10s. each 50 0 0

Cheap Johns.

6 carts 30l. each, and stock-money for the same, 50l. each 480 0 0

Street-Sellers of Cutlery.

Stock-money for 30 vendors at 1s. 6d. each 2 5 0

Blind Street-Sellers of Tailors’ Needles.

6 boxes at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 6 vendors at 2s. each 1 1 0

Street-Sellers of Metal Spoons, &c., at Public-Houses.

Stock-money for 20 vendors at 2s. 6d. each 2 10 0

Street-Sellers of Jewellery.

500 boxes at 3s. 6d. each; stock-money for 500 vendors at 15s. each 462 10 0

Street-Sellers of Card-Counters, Medals, &c.

17 boxes at 3s. each; stock-money for 17 vendors at 2s. 6d. each 4 13 6

Street-Sellers of Rings and Sovereigns for Wagers.

Stock-money for 6 vendors at 2s. 6d. each 0 15 0

Street-Sellers of Children’s Gilt Watches.

Stock-money for 25 vendors at 5s. each 6 5 0

Street-Sellers of Tin-Ware.

50 stalls, at 3s. each; stock-money for 100 vendors, averaging 6s. each 37 10 0

Street Swag-barrowmen.

100 barrows, at 1l. each; stock-money for 150 swag-barrowmen, at 10s. each 175 0 0

Street-Sellers of Dog-collars, Key-rings, &c.

6 stalls, at 3s. each; stock-money for 12 vendors, at 5s. each 3 18 0

Street-Sellers of Tools.

6 stalls, at 3s. each; stock-money for 40 vendors, at 10s. each 20 18 0

Crockery and Glass.

Street-Sellers of Crockery and Glass-Wares.

100 barrows, at 1l. each; 280 baskets, at 2s. 6d. each; 280 linen bags, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 380 vendors, at 10s. each 346 0 0

Street-Sellers of Spar and China-Ornaments, and Stone-Fruit.

16 barrows, at 1l. each; stock-money for 12 vendors of spar-ornaments, at 15s. each; 16 baskets, at 2s. 6d. each; 16 stalls, at 3s. each; stock-money for 6 vendors of stone-fruit, at 10s. each; and 20 roulette tables, at 2s. 6d. each; stock-money for 30 sellers of China-ornaments, at 5s. each 42 8 0

Textile.

Packmen and Duffers, or Hawkers of Soft Wares.

120 wrappers, at 2s. each; stock-money for 120 hawkers, at 5l. each 612 0 0

Street-Sellers of Small Ware, or Tapes, Cottons, &c.

500 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 500 vendors, at 1s. each 62 10 0

Street-Sellers of Lace.

20 baskets, at 2s. 6d. each; 20 boxes, at 3s. each; 60 stalls, at 3s. each; stock-money for 100 vendors, averaging 2s. 6d. each 27 0 0

Street-Sellers of Japan Table-Covers.

Stock-money for 15 sellers, at 10s. each 7 10 0

Street-Sellers of Braces and Belts, Hose, Trowser-straps, and Waistcoats.

100 stalls, at 4s. each; 300 rods, with hooks to hang the braces upon, at 3d. each; stock-money for 500 brace-sellers, at 5s. each 148 15 0

Street-Sellers of Hose.

Stock-money for 50 vendors, at 10s. each 25 0 0

Street-Sellers of Waistcoats.

Stock-money for 3 vendors, at 15s. each 2 5 0

Chemicals.

Street-Sellers of Blacking.

200 boxes, at 6d. each; 30 bags, at 1s. each; stock-money for 230 vendors, averaging 2s. each 29 10 0

Street-Sellers of Black-Lead.

Stock-money for 125 vendors, at 1s. each 6 5 0

Street-Sellers of French Polish.

5 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 5 vendors, at 2s. 6d. each 1 0 0

Street-Sellers of Grease-removing Composition.

7 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 7 vendors, at 1s. 6d. each 1 1 0

Street-Sellers of Plating-Balls.

4 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 4 vendors, at 1s. each 0 10 0

Street-Sellers of Corn-Salve.

8 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 8 vendors, at 6d. each 0 16 0

Street-Sellers of Glass and China-Cement.

4 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 4 vendors, at 6d. each 0 8 0

Street-Sellers of Razor-Paste.

6 trays, at 2s. each; stock-money for 6 vendors, at 1s. each 0 18 0

Street-Sellers of Crackers and Detonating-Balls.

55 trays, at 2s. each; stock-money for 55 vendors, at 1s. 6d. each 9 12 6

Street-Sellers of Lucifer Matches.

200 boxes, at 6d. each; stock-money for 200 vendors, at 6d. each 10 0 0

Street-Sellers of Cigar-Lights.

Stock-money for 100 vendors, at 6d. each 2 10 0

Street-Sellers of Gutta-Percha Heads.

30 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 30 vendors, at 1s. each 3 15 0

Street-Sellers of Fly-Papers and Beetle-Wafers.

Stock-money for 50 vendors, at 1s. each 2 10 0

Street-Sellers of Poison for Rats.

Stock-money for 25 vendors, at 2s. 6d. each 3 2 6

Miscellaneous.

Street-Sellers of Walking-sticks.

Stock-money for 35 vendors, at 5s. each 8 15 0

Street-Sellers of Whips.

Stock-money for 30 vendors, at 15s. each 22 10 0

Street-Sellers of Pipes (Tobacco).

Stock-money for 4 vendors, at 5s. each 1 0 0

Street-Sellers of Snuff-Boxes, Tobacco-Boxes, &c.

15 stalls, at 4s. each; stock-money for 15 vendors, at 10s. each 10 10 0

Street-Sellers of Cigars.

Stock-money for 100 vendors, at 10s. each 50 0 0

Street-Sellers of Sponge.

50 baskets, at 1s. each; stock-money for 50 vendors, at 5s. each 15 0 0

Street-Sellers of Wash-Leathers.

Stock-money for 200 vendors, at 2s. 6d. each 25 0 0

Street-Sellers of Spectacles and Eye-Glasses.

Stock-money for 35 vendors, at 5s. each 8 15 0

Street-Sellers of Dolls.

20 stalls, at 4s. each; 30 baskets, at 3s. 6d. each; stock-money for 50 vendors, at 10s. each 34 5 0

Street Lot-Sellers.

50 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each; stock-money for 50 sellers, at 2s. 6d. each 10 0 0

Street-Sellers of Roulette Boxes.

2 baskets, at 3s. 6d.; stock-money for 2 vendors, at 1l. each 2 7 0

Street-Sellers of Rhubarb and Spice.

4 boxes, at 6s. each; stock-money for 4 vendors, at 10s. each 3 4 0

Rat-Catchers.

20 belts, at 3s. 6d. each; 25 cages, at 1s. each; 25 pair of ferrets, at 2s. 6d. per pair; keep for 25 pair of ferrets, at 4d. per pair weekly 8 5 10

Street-Sellers of Combs.

50 stalls, at 3s. each; 50 boxes, at 3s. 6d. each; stock-money for 50 vendors, at 2s. 6d. each 22 10 0

Street-Sellers of Money-Bags.

Stock-money for 50 vendors, at 2s. each 5 0 0

Street-Sellers of Coat-Studs.

70 boxes, at 1s. 6d. each, stock-money for 70 vendors, at 2s. 6d. each 14 0 0

Total amount of capital 2,833 13 4