OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF RINGS AND
SOVEREIGNS FOR WAGERS.
This class is hardly known in the streets of
London at present. Country fairs and races are
a more fitting ground for the ring-seller's opera-
tions. One man of this class told me that he had
been selling rings, and occasionally medals, for
wagers for this last fifteen years. "It's only
a so-so game just now," he said; "the people get
so fly to it. A many hold out their penny for
a ring, and just as I suppose I'm a going to receive
it, they put the penny into their pockets, and their
thumb upon their nose. I wish I had some other
game, for this is a very dickey one. I gives 3d.
a-dozen for the rings at the swag shop; and some-
times sells a couple of dozen in a day, but seldom
more. Saturday is no better day than any other.
Country people are my best customers. I know
them by their appearance. Sometimes a person in
the crowd whispers to others that he bought one the
other day and went and pawned it for 5s., and he'd
buy another, but he's got no money. I don't ask for
such assistance; I suppose it's done for a lark, and
to laugh at others if they buy. Women buy more
frequently than any one else. Several times since
I have been on this dodge, women have come back
and abused me because the ring they bought for a
penny was not gold. Some had been to the pawn
shop, and was quite astonished that the pawn-
broker wouldn't take the ring in. I do best in
the summer at races: people think it more likely
that two sporting gents would lay an out of
the way wager (as you know I always make out)
then than at any other time. I have been inter-
fered with at races before now for being an
impostor, and yet at the same time the gamblers
was allowed to keep their tables; but of course
theirs was all fair — no imposition about them —
oh no! I am considered about one of the best
patterers among our lot. I dare say there may be
twenty on us all together, in town and country,
on rings and sovereigns. Sometimes, when tra-
velling on foot to a race or fair, I do a little in
the Fawney dropping line;" (fawneys are rings;)
"but that is a dangerous game, I never did it but
two or three times. There were some got lagged
for it, and that frightened me. In ring-dropping
we pretend to have found a ring, and ask some
simple-looking fellow if it's good gold, as it's only
just picked up. Sometimes it is immediately pro-
nounced gold: `Well it's no use to me,' we'll
say, `will you buy it?' Often they are foolish
enough to buy, and it's some satisfaction to one's
conscience to know that they think they are a
taking you in, for they give you only a shilling or
two for an article which if really gold would be
worth eight or ten. Some ring-droppers write out an
account and make a little parcel of jewellery, and
when they pick out their man, they say, `If you
please, sir, will you read this for me, and tell me
what I should do with these things, as I've just
found them?' Some people advise they should be
taken to the police office — but very few say that;
some, that they should be taken to the address;
others, that they should be sold, and the money
shared; others offer a price for them, stating that
they're not gold, they're only trumpery they
say, but they'll give half-a-crown for them. It's
pleasant to take such people in. Sometimes the
finder says he's in haste, and will sell them
for anything to attend to other business, and
he then transfers his interest at perhaps 200 per
cent profit. This game won't friz now, sir, it's
very dangerous. I've left it off long since. I
don't like the idea of quod. I've been there once."
Another plan of dropping rings is to write a letter.
This is the style: —
Letter
"I have sent you the ring, and hope it will fit. —
Excuse me not bringing it. John will leave it with you.
— You know I have so much to attend to. — I shall think
every minute a year until the happy day arrives.
"Yours devotedly,
"James Brown."
