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YOL. 1.
THE CABIVEC
Is published every Saturday. by P. L
ROBINSOJW Warrentan Geo. at
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time of subscribing.
O ii■■■■■ - “|-,iY.T -ini?
ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS.
From the Saturday Evening Post .
The interest with \vhi h one or* two
articles on the American and Eng
Llsh newspaper press have been gen
erally read, has induced one of the
editors of the New York Daily \.o
YERTISER to give a very entertaining
act ount of the manner in which the
London papers are distributed. The
materials are derived from the wri
ters observations when in London,
three years ago. The proprietors he
says, deal themselves with none but
regular agents, who employ sub a
gents or carriers, in proportion to
the extent of their business. These
last purchase the paper at the publi
cation office, as soon as it comes from
the press; receiving, sometimes, a
limited credit when the agent's credit
is undoubted. They take the paper
at the original price of seven pence,
receiving tweny seven papers to the
quire—the three extra papers to fnr
msh their profit.
AH these Carriers have their routs
for each daily as well as semi-weekly
and weekly paper marked out, and
beyond those limits they consider
themselves as having no right to pass,
each confining himself to his own dis
tri t.
The moment the Carriers obtain
their papers, they go >ff at full speed
for the various public places in their
respective districts, from whence the
hundreds of public coaches, morning
aril evening, depart fur all parts of
the Kingdom. Here they beset the
passengers with, ‘Buy the Times,
Sir,’ ‘Buy the Chronicle, Sir,’ ‘Buy
the Sun, Sir,’ *Buy the World, Ma
dam,’ ‘Buy ‘Life in London,’ Miss,’
&(\ &c. in all keys, from the coarse,
dissonant note of the old man, to the
firm voice of the middle aged, and the
treble tones of the youth. Others are
besetting the strangers in other quar
ters, who are about to leave the me
tropolis by packets and steam boats.
These Carriers, by way of induce
ment for persons to purchase, often
give a brief summary of the most in
teresting contents of their respective
papers, all claiming that their journal
contains the most authentic accounts,
the very latest news, the fullest par
ticulars—no matter whether it be a
battle in Turkey in which 50,000 men
have been slain, a most diabolical
conspiracy discovered in Cato-street
in the West End, or a trial in a court
of law.
Other Carriers are trudging their
round among their customers, who
pay for the peper on delivery; or, if
they be well known and well estab
lished, receive a limited credit.
The Carriers purchase a greater
number of papers than they have cus
tomers for,* and as the sales vary al
most daily, it may be asked, in case
of a poor sab*, what is to be done with
the papers left in their hands; and, as
this is of frequent occurrence, how
are they to be for their
time and from whence arise their
pr fits? To show how the carrier
manages, it will be necessary to go
into some partir ulars. The carriers
daily assemble at their *Hall ,’ which
is the public place of resort similar
to an Ex< hange for Merchants,
bringing with them such papers as
are left upon their hands, with a mem-
VVarreiiton, January 24, 1829.
Ul illliiU .ii itl tin.’ uj iU ra to>il-ii
have to purchase others: someone pa
per ami some another, an account of
it containing an interesting story in
detail, or perhaps an advertisement
in which their customers have some
interest. At the appointed time the
ex hange business begins, the carri
ers, passing rapidly uy each other,
crossing and rc-cr>ssing, until the
whole assemblage get in motion, some
with papers in their hands, ami others
without any, making known their or
ders by a loud outcry, suincwhut m
the following manner Who has a
Times to sell? Who has a Courier to
sell? Who bets a Morning Cbcoui ie
for the Globe? Who will ex hange
a ‘John Bull* for an ‘Englishman?
Who wants to buy the Nwv Times?
The Globe and Traveller! The Star!
The Public Ledger! Toe News! Tin*
Watchman! The Agt! . Ac.;. Pons
they run through the long catalogue
of daily , semi-weekly and weekly pa
pers. The buyer and seller meet and
exchange and sell, up n i .ebest terms
they can make with ech otner, until
their business is concluded, when they
separate, each to bis respective office,
to commence tin ir respective routes
for the evening papers. It is not <t
little amusing to see this assemblage,
to bear their jokes anti gibes, tfiv.ii
repartees, quaint phrases, and ple
bian wit; to see the oddity of pmz,
dress and disparity of age, ad to oh
serve the tact with who n they man
age their exchanges and sales, wuen
in full meeting and motion.
Such a variety of sounds and ( alls
and names, with their bustle to get
through their business, is not les no
vei than amusing. Notwithstanding
the daily selling of papers is more or
less precarious, yet these agents not
unfr quently grow rich by their busi
ness, and to show how they a quire
their wealth, we must be permitted
to tell the story. For instance, tin
paper is sold on Monday, to Mr.
Goodfellow, the proprietor ot toe
Goose and Gridiron, in Si. Paul's
Church yard, for seven pence; in
wants it hut a day,* and on Tins
day he sells it to the carrier for tou<
pence—the carrier, by contract, fur
nishes it to a second <r third-rate
house, at the price of six pence; buys
it again on Wednesday, for tbi*ee
pence, and, furnishes it to some smali
victualling house the same day, for
four pence—buys it again on Tiiurs
day for two pence, and sells it on
Friday for three pence, to some low
place of entertainment—on Saturday
he gets it for a penny half penny, and
then dispatches it to the country at
half the original price of the paper,
where it is read by dozens, and paid
for by club-reckoning, or what is
sometimes called in New York, a
Tappan muster. Jt is in this way
only tiiat thousands of persons in
England get the reading, which they
could not other ‘ ise enjoy, were they
under the necessity of paying full
price. For, be it remembered, the
habit is not there as it is here, we
mean the habit of borrowing; nor can
a man go into a public house, and
read a dozen papers,- occupying a
light for two or three hours in an eve
ning, and paying for light, lire and
room, by calling for a small glass of
beer, two or three crack
ers, with cheese or codfish for a rel
ish—hut worse than this, often pock
eting the latest paper, or cutting out
the leading article of interest. There
are blit few places in London where
the different Journals are taken,* and
in these bouses (Coffee Houses) they
are generally kept in drawers, and
“ ,lt “• ** y ~i.oe, and tney aiv lur
nishcd by waiters. As these arc gen
leel establishments, maintained at a
great expense, |x*rsons visiting them
are expected to call lor refreshments,
and to p y the waiters, which ex
♦dudes all persons from these rooms
except that < lass who can afford not
only to pay lor these luxuries, but
who assemble for other purposes, such
as to meet friends, to take advantage
of Ihe conversation of men of busi
ness, Ate.
In the old in ary public bouses, but
on< , and in others, better supported,
two of the daily, and perhaps one
weekly paper are taken; and it is not
ommou for the proprietors to ad
| vertise it on a sign m front of t.lieir
bouses—such, for instance, as •The
rimes taken in here,’ or ‘The M >r
ntng Dost and British Traveller ta
ken in here. As most of the English
papers differ in the matter they serve
oj> io then readers, some being cade
brhled tor tin* most authentic foreign
intelligence, others for full reports of
trials, criminal <ascs. Aj* .; others for
sports of die ring, ra: i ,g, fashionable
arrivals, police reports, ( bit chat in
hign life, orfu wing or tory princi
|>! s, tne admirers of all these subjects
ar> in the habit of paying their regu
-1 <r visits to places where they may
read their favourite journals. At
these houses, to prevent any dilli< ui
the nicest eliq *ette is observed.
Whoever first, makes his appearance,
asks lor ibe paper, and to him H be
lhiigs (or the first reading; the per
son who asks tor it nex 1 , receives it
in his turn; the p qier being handed to
the waiter by the person who first
red it the moment he has fi isneU:
and in this way it p ,ss*-s from one to
the oilier in regular sues ession.
Although tins is tin* only plan that
can be ad pt<d to prevent ( m.fusion,
yet it has its perplexities, as some
readers det in i f so lung that others.
Iter iiai i ig waited lor h ur > for then
(urn, and drank their pint of porter,
a <d got dry ag tin for another, ar
compelled to go tw.iy without a sigh
and it. This, however, is only tin
case occasionally, as when persons
are in the habit of daily visiting tin
>ame houses, hey become a< qu tinted.
ml, should the paper contain any
tnuig usually interesting, one of the
company will read the article aloud.
R garding the routes or districts
win h each carrier has for selling pa
pers, it may not be amiss here to
state, that such a district is consider
ed as much his property, as though
he possessed a fee simple right in if.
Gibers will not dare to interfere with
his rights; 4fid when he yields it, fr hi
whatever cause, it is sold for a stipo
lated sum, with as much ceremony as
the owner of a house and lot would
use in tranafering the property to a
purchaser.—These districts, if know n
to be goodones, often sell for a large
sum ot money. This, however, is not
so singular as it is a fact, which is
said to be well authenticated, that
beggars in London have frequently
been known to sell their right to beg
in particular districts. We have
know carriers of papers even in thi
city to sell their routes.
Having remarked that the sale of
papers vary almost daily, we know as
w< II as if we had heard the question
put, that some inquisitive printer will
ask—‘lf the sale vary daily, how d*
they know how many to strike off? I
should thick they would often ‘run
short ’ or • have a great many over
They manage in this way: Alter the
have worked off a certain number: I
they keep the outside form standing.
Having printed the same number on
th< inner form, the pressmen to use a
military term, ‘stand at ease,* and
wait lor the Word to print 50 more,
and so up to 500, remaining at their
posts to a certain hour for the enrri
cis to come in-for an ex f ra supply.
In case of an * extraordinary murder
particularly if the paper contains a
wood engraving or two, representing
tho villains dragging their victim to
flu* pond, a view o| Ihe cottage near
hv, and the little dog that alamo and
the old lady, who is seen at the gable
end window’ watching the movements,
many thousanl extra pipers are sold.
Sin h a (ircunist.afuc m L m/no u
---riches the printer, hut in New York,
(perhaps it is not so in Philadelphia 1 )
it a paper contains any thing wonder*
till, the printer notwithstanding tho
extra expense he may have incurred
to proi lire his story, is generally a
grea! loser, as on such a day his pa
pers will be stolen by wholesale, and
the subscriber will of course send to
the office for his paper, and ‘blow up*
the printer in the bargain, [Aside-
All this is independent of such calls
as—Sir your paper is very interesting
this morning—I have sent mine in
the country—l would thank you lor
another?]
From the Trenton Emporium.
EFFECTS OF FEAR.
Some years since while an American
vessel ol war was stationed at Norfi Ik.
V?.. Dr. 1) an amiable and intelli
gent man, who acted a-* physician and sur
geon to it, and frequently to lodge on
shore at the house of a respectable lady,
to whose only son, a child four o 1 five
yease old. the Doctor had been strongly
attach, and, from having discovered in Him
an < xtraoi dinar) degree ol precocity, and
an interesting disposition. After goine
mouths, the vessel was again ordered to
;sea, and Dr. D parted with great re
gret More than a year had elapsed,
when the same vessel returned to N
when the Dr. repaired to the house of his
tandl idy to see his little protegee. The
child flew to his emb aces delighted to
>e'* him. Alter the first cares tva over,
’ VVho, my dear boy, said Dr. D p;t
t;ng ds head as he spoke,'who has beeQ
powdering ur hair?’—Nobody,’ repli
ed the child, whose joy was changed to
the most extravagant grief, k bursting in
to a passion of tears, he quitted the apart
m**nt.—Dr. D— gat in silent amaze
ment, for the boy’s hair was as white as
the mountain snow. In a moment after
the mother entered, and when the first
gratulations were over, he enquired the
meaning of the late scene. Saying to her
‘what have you been doing to your son’s
hair.’ ‘Nothing sobbed she and following
the boy‘s example, she weeping left the
room.
The next time he called, she was bpt
ter able to account for the mystery; and
informed him that a short time before,
she had been amused at midnight by the
loud and piercing shrieks of her child;
and on hastening to his bed, found him
netting up in it; his countenance wild
with horror, and the whole surface of his
body dripping with cold perspiration.—
On being made sensible of her presence
in a confused and incoherent manner, he
told her he had been visited by a very
frightful dream. The next day it was
discovered that his hair was bleached as
though he had lived a century. ‘The
myctery for such it may certainly be con
sidered, was not perfectly understood,
till about three years since, when, by the
dying confession of a relation, who was
f < inherit the property of the child, at
is decease, it was confessed that on the
light which the boy imagined he had been
visited by a dream, he had himself made
an atieinpt to strangle him, but was de
eded fmm the commission by the terri
uc screams of the boy.
No. 34.