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London Labour and the London Poor, volume 2

Mayhew, Henry

1851

Of the Old Wood Gatherers.


	ALL that has been said of the cigar-end finders may, in a great measure, apply to the woodgatherers. No can make a living exclusively by the gathering of wood, and those who gather it, gather as well rags, bones, and bits of metal. They gather it, indeed, as an adjunct to their other findings, on the principle that "every little helps." Those, however, who most frequently look for wood are the very old and feeble, and the very young, who are both unable to travel far, or to carry a heavy burden, and they may occasionally be seen crawling about in the neighbourhood of any new buildings in the course of construction, or old ones in the course of demolition, and picking up small odds and ends of wood and chips swept out amongst dirt and shavings; these they deposit in a bag or basket which they carry for that purpose. Should there happen to be what they call "pulling-down work," that is, taking down old houses, or palings, the place is immediately beset by a number of wood-gatherers, young and old, and in general all the poor people of the locality join with them, to obtain their share of the spoil. What the poor get they take home and burn, but the wood-gatherers sell all they procure for some small trifle.
	Some short time ago a portion of the woodpave- ment in the city was being removed; a large number of the old blocks, which were much worn and of no further use, were thrown aside, and became the perquisite of the wood-gatherers. During the repair of the street, the spot was constantly besieged by a motley mob of men, women, and children, who, in many instances, struggled and fought for the wood rejected as worthless. This wood they either sold for a trifle as they got it, or took home and split, and made into bundles for sale as firewood.
	All the mudlarks (of whom I shall treat specially) pick up wood and chips on the bank of the river; these they sell to poor people in their own neighbourhood. They sometimes "find" large pieces of a greater weight than they can carry; in such cases they get some other mudlark to help them with the load, and the "go halves" in the produce. The only parties among the street-finders who do not pick up wood are the Pure-collectors and the sewer-hunters, or, as they call themselves, shore-workers, both of whom pass it by as of no value.
	It is impossible to estimate the quantity of wood which is thus gathered, or what the amount may be which the collector realizes in the course of the year.

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Edwin C. Bolles papers

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1851

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http://hdl.handle.net/10427/14951

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	Title Page
	INTRODUCTION
	Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Metal Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Metal Trays, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Linen, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Curtains Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Carpeting, Flannels, Stocking-Legs, &c., &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Bed-Ticking, Sacking, Fringe, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Glass and Crockery Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Miscellaneous Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Musical Instruments Of the Music 'Duffers' Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Weapons Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Curiosities Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Telescopes and Pocket Glasses Of the Street-Sellers of Other Miscellaneous Second-Hand Articles Of Second-Hand Store Shops Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Apparel Of the Old Clothes Exchange Of the Wholesale Business at the Old Clothes Exchange Of the Uses of Second-Hand Garments Of the Street-Sellers of Petticoat and Rosemary-Lanes Rosemary-Lane Of the Street-Sellers of Men's Second-Hand Clothes Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Boots and Shoes Of the Street-Sellers of Old Hats Of the Street-Sellers of Women's Second-Hand Apparel Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Furs Of the Second-Hand Sellers of Smithfield- Market
	Of the Street-Sellers of Live Animals Of the Street-Sellers of Live Animals Of the Former Street-Sellers, 'Finders,' Stealers, and Restorers of Dogs Of a Dog-'Finder' -- A 'Lurker's' Career Of the Present Street-Sellers of Dogs. Of the Street-Sellers of Sporting Dogs Of the Street-Sellers of Live Birds Of the Bird-Catchers Who are Street- Sellers Of the Crippled Street Bird-Seller Of the Tricks of the Bird-Duffers Of the Street-Sellers of Foreign Birds Of the Street-Sellers of Birds'--Nests Of the Street-Sellers of Squirrels Of the Street-Sellers of Leverets, Wild Rabbits, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Gold and Silver Fish Of the Street-Sellers of Tortoises Of the Street-Sellers of Snails, Frogs, Worms, Snakes, Hedgehogs, Etc.
	Of the Street-Sellers of Mineral Productions and Natural Curiosities Of the Street-Sellers of Mineral Productions, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Coals Of the Street-Sellers of Coke Of the Street-Sellers of Tan-Turf Of the Street-Sellers of Salt Of the Street-Sellers of Sand Of the Street-Sellers of Shells Of the River Beer-Sellers, or Purl-Men Of the Numbers, Capital, and income of the Street- Sellers of Second-Hand Articles, Live Animals, Mineral Producions, Etc. Income, or 'Takinags' of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles
	Of the Street-Buyers Of the Street-Buyers Of the Street-Buyers of Rags, Broken Metal, Bottles, Glass, and Bones Of the 'Rag-and-Bottle,' and the 'Marine-Store' Shops Of the Buyers of Kitchen-Stuff, Grease, and Dripping Of the Street-Buyers of Hare and Rabbit Skins Of the Street-Buyers of Waste (Paper) Of the Street-Buyers of Umbrellas and Parasols
	Of the Street-Jews Of the Street-Jews Of the Trades and Localities of the Street-Jews Of the Jew Old-Clothes Men Of a Jew Street-Seller Of the Jew-Boy Street-Sellers Of the Pursuits, Dwellings, Traffic, Etc., of the Jew-Boy Street-Sellers Of the Street Jewesses and Street Jew-Girls Of the Synagogues and the Religion of the Street and Other Jews Of the Politics, Literature, and Amusements of the Jews Of the Charities, Schools, and Education of the Jews Of the Funeral Ceremonies, Fasts, and Customs of the Jews Of the Jew Street-Sellers of Accordions, and of their Street Musical Pursuits Of the Street-Buyers of Hogs'--Wash Of the Street-Buyers of Tea-Leaves
	Of the Street-Finders or Collectors Of the Street-Finders or Collectors Bone-Grubbers and Rag-Gatherers Of the 'Pure'-Finders Of the Cigar-End Finders Of the Old Wood Gatherers Of the Dredgers, or River Finders Of the Sewer-Hunters Of the Mud-Larks Of the London Dustmen, Nightmen, Sweeps, and Scavengers Of the Dustmen of London Of the London Sewerage and Scavengery
	Of the Streets of London Of the Streets of London Of the Traffic of London Of the Dust and Dirt of the Streets of London Of the Street-Dust of London, and the Loss and injury Occasioned by it Of the Horse-Dung of the Streets of London Of Street 'Mac' and Other Mud Of the Mud of the Streets Of the Surface-Water of the Streets of London Of the Master Scavengers in Former Times Of the Several Modes and Characteristics of Street-Cleansing Of the Contractors For Scavengery Cleansing Of the Contractors' (or Employers') Premises, &c. Of the Working Scavengers Under the Contractors Of the 'Casual Hands' Among the Scavagers Of the Influence of Free Trade on the Earnings of the Scavagers Of the Worse Paid Scavagers, or Those Working For Scurf Employers Of the Street-Sweeping Machine, and the Street-Sweepers Employed With it Of the Cleansing of the Streets by Pauper Labour Of the Street-Orderlies Street Orderlies -- City Surveyor's Report Of the 'Jet and Hose' System of Scavaging Of the Cost and Traffic of the Streets of London Of the Rubbish Carters Of Casual Labour in General, and That of the Rubbish-Carters in Particular Of the Casual Labourers among the Rubbish-Carters The Effects of Casual Labour in General Of the Scurf Trade Among the Rubbish- Carters
	Of the London Chimney-Sweepers Of the London Chimney-Sweepers Of the Sweepers of Old, and the Climbing Boys Of the Chimney-Sweepers of the Present Day Of the General Characteristics of the Working Chimney-Sweepers Sweeping of the Chimneys of Steam-Vessels Of the 'Ramoneur' Company Of the Brisk and Slack Seasons, and the Casual Trade among the Chimney- Sweepers Of the 'Leeks' Among the Chimney-Sweepers Of the Inferior Chimney-Sweepers -- the 'Knullers' and 'Queriers' Of the Fires of London Of the Sewermen and Nightmen of London Of the Wet House-Refuse of London Of the Means of Removing the Wet House-Refuse Of the Quantity of Metropolitan Sewage Of Ancient Sewers Of the Kinds and Characteristics of Sewers Of the Subterranean Character of the Sewers Of the House-Drainage of the Metropolis as Connected With the Sewers Of the London Street-Drains Of the Length of the London Sewers and Drains Of the Cost of Constructing the Sewers and Drains of the Metropolis Of the Uses of Sewers as a Means of Subsoil Drainage Of the City Sewerage Of the Outlets, Ramifications, Etc., of the Sewers Of the Qualities, Etc., of the Sewage Of the New Plan of Sewerage Of the Management of the Sewers and the Late Commissions Of the Powers and Authority of the Present Commissions of Sewers Of the Sewers Rate Of the Cleansing of the Sewers -- Ventilation Of 'Flushing' and 'Plonging,' and Other Modes of Washing the Sewers Of the Working Flushermen Of the Rats in the Sewers Of the Cesspoolage and Nightmen of the Metropolis Of the Cesspool System of London Of the Cesspool and Sewer System of Paris Of the Emptying of the London Cesspools by Pump and Hose Statement of a Cesspool-Sewerman Of the Present Disposal of the Night-Soil Of the Working Nightmen and the Mode of Work
	Crossing-Sweepers Crossing-Sweepers Of the Adult Crossing-Sweepers Juvenile Crossing-Sweepers

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