THE XMAS MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 5

THE XMAS MARKETS.

:: •' ;"!JOJEiN.'V : -RULES ' ; - / ; 'CHRISTMAS : IS,-GboD v iTOn^LimEr .-. , ;,;:MARY.'^; ;: . >^yv-;:':'.'^:-\ • lt^ould^ be • if.tlie '■were' not-;particu)arly ■buoyaiit,.just i 'nqwi a v whon young,» middle-aged, and,;old v consider.they-have -a i-perfect - rieht iwfikal\':mc^lianisin?;.!iTliere\a'rp;:.thMe ; -whp' kpe^9n'-'j^e/.evm,t9nor::bf:th'«r!way,jas--f(ir-as;"vLittlo;Mary.,'.' is concerned/ at.Christmas time^—drea'dfuily ,sensible;peoplei-that are .to bfticonimiserated- with,.;but many ■' will-'say ffiW/tne^hibTilo^s^ir.Toby : :Bdich:— :V -- ■,',..■.'.'. ; " Dost.'; r tiipu -th'ink- Kccaiise."tHou,';>rt:';.];' ; ■'''.v'irtuous'-that- 1 , there' shall , be no'.-.more' . ( .;'cakc6vand';.ale?";. u : ,-'••. :..::',-.■;; .'. \.-/. .<- ; i And-it;is such ? people who .liave.been sperid-ingta-g'oo'ddoal?6f;timo( during-the: past day ,tiroo~whon.;tho. good man -of.-the-;hdnso.shall. throw s down 'the ; pen br;pjck,.and;^say.:';"-This isi;,C}iristrnaJ3' —.-let us;eat,' drink,; ;arid;;6o me'rryP ■'•"'■"..'■'.:.■;• ■','■. ■■'.'■ \: V ;'" ,- ;.'■■■'■■■ '■;.':■,'. ■'• 'Thero-: r are' .at" present janywhere jbptweeh 70,000.'W.SO.OOOiiriouths to feed -to-morrow, 9?.'p6r'cenV::of- : -;whom.: will-be looking-for " sbmephing "extra ■ to ' make -vtho,- day- ,a gastroribmical ; v'airiant -from'- other days, and tfib; wonder 'of it all .is, that there aro twenty ohanoos 'tp; bile•• (sorry wo 'cannot/really-lay thes t oi..odds);.tha.t'.^that'; something^extra- will. be;provided. .■■Whero'doe's it all pome froni? Tho'-.ayefageiXVcllihgtohVcitizeiv,, doesn't .know anythmgabbut the big food markets of Wellington;.— ' fchatilively. qirarter■ .in. v -parti6ular that ,'lios .between the easteni end it Victoria Street.'and .(Jourtenay/Pla'66.//: ; 6raphy'is.-shaky/j'-.venture.'any 'mprnihgValojig slOTneTs^:Street.;';eastV;:and'' : 'foll6wAtho Chinaman. ; .ybn.-[see.V. He ".will out of ..ten:bo' b'ciuhd to, the friiit and ipr'oduco markotsV^'fofV',''^ y^tta^\liusinass' ! .6f!:th'is;'.-citjr-.:in--'Kis;vgrii>! Like nipst other; tradesmen, 'JJohn'"-.benefits at, ilChristmas'-Himo'. v; -The\, festival '--'and. -, tho wji'rm.'.' weath'er.-idera-ancl -,'cpolihg -salad -"stuff fto.m'".theys'uburbari "/market , ; garde<n3,;'/ .'.and fnift; from ibalf'tho'.world.'-. :';■,:■;..;.■■',:■..:" : -..'. ■•■

~There'-was. a ma-rkets ywterda"y v drop^d'.:in''t6--g ! ot-"an i.dea',ofitlie,mai)iie.r,in ' which jWellingtpn is- f«l;-' Iti, wasieaTly-rso early ,'th«t^,onjy.one .auctipiieer'iwas iselling;. H,ei hadi,a.-;. 10ud,. , ji'apl ;vpicp,V and-; f gabbl.«l soniie..unintelligible:pa'tt^T^that be. ...scattered'; -,gronp roundvhim, made, up ;of. sixyChinamen. 'to cjwry rwhite/vv-Het.had-cleared lawhyoaibig line fof ;pnions that'lvas 'arranged -in a rowiof. neat "heaps pti th'e-floor. • Shiftinghis a -'dissolute vlot,of .bulging sapks .'thatvhad.'-to':-support-'ojie.-janother ■ to matHtafe* 'something; resembliiig ppsitiph'.;.'These^wore.amipjunced'to be : white turnips; '-•••; turnip's-sell-tnchlo^o^ly/a-small-line.l! , : JTK'js , was'all'onp Had np.time for spacesThe -.-.'.' bids.' , •' did..inpt- : corae- : .with'' the. 1 . a*fius-tomed.:,-readiness, .'.so: ■ "sobtfed'' d6wii. "What's;-'.the■'; ..'white' j,turnips, '-you. give a- couple of ' bob a sack"?' , ;',".'.; -",There'e_v;n6 .-..deiiaiid, V: .said '"a' ybic^.v-;VVWpsdema^?-T7then'-giTre' , it l s-.O)instDi.aSj" said ithe aiictipno^r.-, , sold:.:pkl■/'potatoes,'atvis: , :a' sack, %pt'~ *eek that}!OTst^us:'lß^i : fOTthigh'f :-! : AVe.IIJ--'whit:' about -thesp -turn Vps —whCTe's'Wah; Kee? lie.'s': got ; Ui;(6ri: jl'l.l :.biet:",:he'll'; , .snap , .'emiy.'-arid'ifie , : Ittke'd'. round .".for''-t'thcvyellow '■■TEysntu'Mly.ir , Ws' l ,-!-E : eo'afd''-{jitil , lip\v:ani] ; Mm •ajt^l.s:/Bd.,'i-saclf , . ■'-.. Afte.'r;',thaf;', the 'auctioneer-' disposecl of "a 'bright! greeii" lot :of ;Ghilia/ 'that .lock's someitßiiig. .hetwlftn;; ■ lettiice■.- atfdv.'.'cabbage. 1 grafted, on to:a;celery stalk..sit-, is said .to',Be good' eating—hilt/all 'vegetables' , aVe : gobel! : '. After'.: a ..'stroll ■ round-,, the «TJt6r>'re''tufned to v ,the .'.auctioneer.. wjth' .'.the.'operatic, voice: He -was. in a ;bad wicket; ; ' Ol d - potdtpes ar.e a drug- in.the mafKet-j--can't : be :got -rid , of, -4nd^fip.;liU. , ai]me',pf l ':e'i^hteen''sabk' a "\ Hptr .m'uch^pjhe-QU-giVe's-bidTf, giy|-!n's-shi)ling-each.?,". : . N6'res|Vdrise; : :-."They.-. !ii^tifeb^6rtt- ; spmpiiin , g;- , ---)'Balf-p'f- , em. i Epo^- , Sixpaico,:-a.=saclf. wasi'-bwJ : -and accepi-ed ) - bil t; 'the; buyer, decided;- th at>. lie: 1 ' had; Aftfif" fearfyil; jfer'suasiori,.- they :were-knocked >t '4d;. a.- sack—potatoes, nt Id.,';a !.!>'acrd.- .The , auctioneer..'looked relieved', an'd^go^oif/to.^fresh'rstflff;'...,' "''■;: ■■: /;.;. : ■'•While, this 'had /been ;going on a:couple qf?;pther;.aubtipneers:. , had;-chlrpedc.itp'..'; OriS was ; ''heard : .'.'t-Qi announce'./the -sale of- "sliarig toyj"'and,, lobkihg. round ! to : see' i ; hat Iwas ineaht,-.'discovered lie was' selling- ..lettuce!. Auction sales :of, fruit and "produce: "in Chinese .is; merely ;'a -matter,:of tiine. ; ' Biiying is' ".John's" 'recreation; eelling his b'nsin'ess, He.; i : Js.-'fu|l 'of -jokes', at' the'auction sits. , ,qhj a/oasc.of ftuitlahi]/-'chaffs -his ■■mate:; throws.-;a pea.'•.at...a.'cbuiitryriian looluiig/anotnef., ;*ay,; and" tli'rpVs ,jn: a ''casual> bid =in an:*pfffHanfl ; laugfiirig.Vway , /'< ■' If^the■.■iiri'e:'is instß.'nt-/-;.-"knd-J':is- down/ .on/'the' floor .examinih|!;,the;difiereiit^'b'undle;s. here. ;an'd-,'there fT;'" sn 'PP'°S;• KDs\'slim .fingers ;into: ; the;fruit b'oies' ■, t tp:;t"estV'th'O;'ir:.uit. , :'"^h , e: anct'ipne^'fe . Know,;' every Chinaman • by ' h'am'e.faria when yesWrday/a;Jdt'."6f; , .!s|jan'gvt6y'V:wa r s--k>o6ked abwn-.t&phe>of them-.hp- announced : .tlie ,pur'-chas,'er-..as'..Gepjge : . Henry- , Wah,.-'liee:' .".';.■ -;...; :^W^H/ v ;s^dy'.persjs£e]ice. : ;'tJie:;;sl:ack!sVpf'' rhubarb;' >sacka ■'• of ;• peal's;', cafr'tits,"-' t-urnipsV'Tejr-tucoj.,-p6talb&i,,'!etC:-; ;;wejie: caVts , /.packed •;•'into /the "rpdm, received •■their l9Mj',:.4nd- r . : went. ..their' ways,-''whilst'- others backed, vitf; heavily .:]atlen,.iajid' were ; ,sta;ck'e"d Wherever --thorp.- : -was.; floor/ space;/'.' Through the .Ari/of.-it-all, !clieerful'clucking, of:w&is,' : imperi6us rdo'stbr. crows, nn.d the ■pf-Sbi&6boay , s-'.Chrjsi; , - '.S*.*/?i?^r'™™^-':from'".the' , 'directi6ii''-,bri ; ii nui HJWF; :of' poultry' pens." .'Theif.'=- dEceasad donates >y; about- intrude profusibn-;- tell-i?B'vthe:.-fate,--.tHe/.Jutiire :hel.dHs .not -'this of refined / cfuejfcy:? .Th'e'ii *^?. ; 1 :; a r e ,.''' S"". ■' hams -'showing- 1 eh'or'u'id'iis pHvsical doviiilopment'; .bacon' p-itting 'ahv ? m ,°?, nt ', tf , 51 - dfe "' °* :fruits" from'"'the Aw^. err | n .? an , ' --i n- -the :-■;■ meditative •■■ - and «atm€d ; .del]ghts.:frpm -c,'"/-:t