I've hawked, sir—well, perhaps for
fifteen
years. My father was a journeyman butcher, and I helped him, and so grew up to it. I never had to call regular work, and made it out with hawking. Perhaps I've hawked, take it altogether, nearly
three
quarters of every year. The other times I've had a turn at slaughtering. But I haven't slaughtered for these
three
or
four
years; I've had turns as a butcher's porter, and wish I had more, as it's sure browns, if it's only
1
s.
6
d.
a day; but there's often a bit of cuttings. I sell most pork of anything in autumn and winter, and most mutton in summer; but the summer isn't much more than half as good as the winter for my trade. When I slaughtered I had
3
s.
for an ox,
4
d.
for a sheep, and
1
s.
for a pig. Calves is slaughtered by the master's people generally. Well, I dare say it
is
cruel the way they slaughter calves; you would think it so, no doubt. I believe they slaughter cheaper now. If I buy cheap—and on a very hot day and a slow market, I have bought a fore, aye, and a hind, quarter of mutton, about
two
and a half stone each (
8
lbs. to the stone), at
2
d.
a pound; but that's only very, very seldom—when I buy cheap sir, I aim at
2
d.
a pound over what I give, if not so cheap at
1
d.
, and then its low to my customers. But I cut up the meat, you see, myself, and I carry it. I sell
eight
times as much to public-houses and eating-houses as anywhere else; most to the publics if they've ordinaries, and a deal for the publics' families' eating, 'cause a landlord knows I wouldn't deceive
him
,—and there's a part of it taken out in drink, of course, and landlords is good judges. Trade was far better years back. I've heard my father and his pals talk about a hawking butcher that
twenty
years ago was imprisoned falsely, and got a honest lawyer to bring his haction, and had
150
l.
damages for false imprisonment. It was in the Lord Mayor's Court of Equity, I've heard. It was a wrong arrest. I don't understand the particulars of it, but it's true; and the damages was for loss of time and trade. I'm no lawyer myself; not a bit. I have sold the like of a loin of mutton, when it was small, in a tap-room, to make chops for the people there. They'll cook chops and steaks for a pint of beer, at a public; that is, you must order a pint—but I've sold it very seldom. When mutton was dearer it was easier to sell it that way, for I sold cheap; and at
one
public the mechanics— I hardly know just what they was, something about building—used to gather there at
one
o'clock and wait for Giblets'; so they called me there. I live a good bit on the cuttings of the meat I hawk, or I chop a meal off if I can manage or afford it, or my wife—(I've only a wife and she earns never less than
2
s.
a week in washing for a master butcher—I wish I was a master butcher,—and that covers the rent)—
my wife makes it into broth. Take it all the year round, I s'pose I sell
three
stun a day (
24
lb.), and at
1
d.
a pound profit. Not a farthing more go round and round. I don't think the others, altogether, do as much, for I'm known to a many landlords. But some make
3
s.
and
4
s.
a day oft enough. I've made as much myself sometimes. We all aim at
1
d.
a pound profit, but have to take less in hot weather sometimes. Last year
4
d.
the pound has been a haverage price to me for all sorts.
