THE ham-sandwich-seller carries his sandwiches on a tray or flat basket, covered with a clean white cloth; he also wears a white apron, and white sleeves. His usual stand is at the doors of the theatres.

The trade was unknown until years ago, when a man who had been unsuccessful in keeping a coffee-shop in , found it necessary to look out for some mode of living, and he hit upon the plan of vending sandwiches, precisely in the present style, at the theatre doors. The attempt was successful; the man soon took a night, half of which was profit. He "attended" both the great theatres, and was "doing well;" but at or weeks' end, competitors appeared in the field, and increased rapidly, and so his sale was affected, people being regardless of his urging that he "was the original ham-sandwich." The capital required to start in the trade was small; a few pounds of ham, a proportion of loaves, and a little mustard was all that was required, and for this was ample. That sum, however, could not be commanded by many who were anxious to deal in sandwiches; and the man who commenced the trade supplied them at a dozen, the charge to the public being a-piece. Some of the men, however, murmured, because they thought that what they thus bought were not equal to those the wholesale sandwich-man offered for sale himself; and his wholesale trade fell off, until now, I am told, he has only customers among street-sellers.

Ham sandwiches are made from any part of the bacon which may be sufficiently lean, such as "the gammon," which now costs and the pound. It is sometimes, but very rarely, picked up at When the trade was started, a pound was paid for the ham, but the sandwiches are now much larger. To make dozen a pound of meat is required, and quartern loaves. The "ham" may cost , the bread or , and the mustard The proceeds for this would be , but the trade is very precarious: little can be done in wet weather. If unsold, the sandwiches spoil, for the bread gets dry, and the ham loses its fresh colour; so that those who depend upon this trade are wretchedly poor. A -rate week is to clear ; a good week is put at ; and a bad week at On some nights they do not sell a dozen sandwiches. There are halfpenny sandwiches, but these are only half the size of those at a penny.

The persons carrying on this trade have been, for the most part, in some kind of service— errand-boys, pot-boys, foot-boys (or pages), or lads engaged about inns. Some few have been mechanics. Their average weekly earnings hardly exceed , but some "get odd jobs" at other things.

"There are now, sir, at the theatres this () side the water, and at Ashley's, the Surrey, and the Vic., dozen and sandwiches." So said of the trade, who counted up his brethren for me. This man calculated also that at the Standard, the saloons, the concert-rooms, and at , Mile-end, Bethnal-green-road, and elsewhere, there might be more than as many again as those "working" the theatres—or in all. They are nearly all men, and no boys or girls are now in the trade. The number of these people, when the large theatres were open with the others, was about double what it is now.

The information collected shows that the expenditure in ham-sandwiches, supplied by street-sellers, is yearly, and a consumption of sandwiches.

To start in the ham-sandwich street-trade requires for a basket, for kettle to boil ham in, for knife and fork, for mustardpot and spoon, for cwt. of coals, for ham, for bread, for mustard, for basket, cloth, and apron, for over-sleeves— or a capital of