 | OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1 |  |
OF THE TALLY PACKMAN.
The pedlar tallyman is a hawker who supplies
his customers with goods, receiving payment by
weekly instalments, and derives his name from
the tally or score he keeps with his customers.
Linen drapery — or at least the general routine
of linen-draper's stock, as silk-mercery, hosiery,
woollen cloths, &c. — is the most prevalent trade
of the tallyman. There are a few shoemakers and
some household furniture dealers who do business
in the tally or "score" system; but the great
majority are linen-drapers, though some of them
sell household furniture as well. The system is
generally condemned as a bad one; as leading
to improvidence in the buyer and rapacity in the
seller. There are many who have incurred a tally
debt, and have never been able to "get a-head of
it," but have been kept poor by it all their lives.
Some few, however, may have been benefited by
the system, and as an outfit for a young man or
woman entering service is necessary — when the
parties are too poor to pay ready money — it is an
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tallyman's customers express an opinion upon the
subject, other than that they wish they had done
with the tallyman, or could do without him.
The system does not prevail to so great an
extent as it did some years back. The pedlar or
hawking tallyman travels for orders, and conse-
quently is said not to require a hawker's licence.
The great majority of the tally-packmen are
Scotchmen. The children who are set to watch
the arrival of the tallyman, and apprise the mother
of his approach, when not convenient to pay,
whisper instead of "Mother, here's the Tallyman,"
"Mother, here's the Scotchman." These men live
in private houses, which they term their ware-
house; they are many of them proprietors them-
selves in a small way, and conduct the whole of
their business unassisted. Their mode of doing
business is as follows: — they seldom knock at a
door except they have a customer upon whom
they call for the weekly instalment, but if a re-
spectable-looking female happens to be standing at
her door, she, in all probability, is accosted by the
Scotchman, "Do you require anything in my
way to-day, ma'am?" This is often spoken in
broad Scotch, the speaker trying to make it sound
as much like English as possible. Without waiting
for a reply, he then runs over a programme of the
treasures he has to dispose of, emphasising all those
articles which he considers likely to suit the taste of
the person he addresses. She doesn't want perhaps
any — she has no money to spare then. "She may
want something in his way another day, may-be,"
says the tallyman. "Will she grant him permis-
sion to exhibit some beautiful shawls — the last new
fashion? or some new style of dress, just out, and
an extraordinary bargain?" The man's impor-
tunities, and the curiosity of the lady, introduces
him into the apartment, — an acquaintance is called
in to pass her opinion upon the tallyman's stock.
Should she still demur, he says, "O, I'm sure
your husband cannot object — he will not be so
unreasonable; besides, consider the easy mode of
payment, you'll only have to pay 1s. 6d. a week
for every pound's worth of goods you take; why
it's like nothing; you possess yourself of respecta-
ble clothing and pay for them in such an easy
manner that you never miss it; well, I'll call next
week. I shall leave you this paper." The paper
left is a blank form to be filled up by the husband,
and runs thus: — "I agree on behalf of my wife
to pay, by weekly instalments of 1s. 6d. upon
every pound's worth of good she may purchase."
This proceeding is considered necessary by the
tallymen, as the judges in the Court of Requests
now so frequently decide against him, where the
husband is not cognisant of the transaction.
These preliminaries being settled, and the
question having been asked what business the
husband is — where he works — and (if it can be
done without offence) what are his wages? The
Scotchman takes stock of the furniture, &c.; the
value of what the room contains gives him a suffi-
ciently correct estimate of the circumstances of his
customers. His next visit is to the nearest chandler's
shop, and there as blandly as possible he inquires
into the credit, &c., of Mr. — . If he deal, how-
ever, with the chandler, the tallyman accounts it
a bad omen, as people in easy circumstances sel-
dom resort to such places. "It is unpleasant to
me," he says to the chandler, "making these in-
quiries; "but Mrs. — wishes to open an ac-
count with me, and I should like to oblige them
if I thought my money was safe." "Do you
trust them, and what sort of payers are they?"
According to the reply — the tallyman determines
upon his course. But he rarely stops here; he
makes inquiries also at the greengrocer's, the beer
shop, &c.
The persons who connect themselves with the
tallyman, little know the inquisition they subject
themselves to.
When the tallyman obtains a customer who
pays regularly, he is as importunate for her
to recommend him another customer, as he
originally was to obtain her custom. Some tal-
lymen who keep shops have "travellers" in
their employ, some of whom have salaries, while
others receive a percentage upon all payments,
and do not suffer any loss upon bad debts. Not-
withstanding the caution of the tallyman, he is
frequently "victimised." Many pawn the goods
directly they have obtained them, and in some
instances spend the money in drink. Their many
losses, as a matter of course, somebody must
make good. It therefore becomes necessary for
them to charge a higher price for their commo-
dities than the regular trader.
However charitably inclined the tallyman may
be at first, he soon becomes, I am told, inured to
scenes of misery, while the sole feeling in his mind
at length is, "I will have my money;" for he is
often tricked, and in some cases most impudently
victimised. I am told by a tallyman that he once
supplied goods to the amount of 2l., and when
he called for the first instalment, the woman said
she didn't intend to pay, the goods didn't suit her,
and she would return them. The tallyman ex-
pressed his willingness to receive them back,
whereupon she presented him a pawnbroker's
duplicate. She had pledged them an hour after
obtaining them. This was done in a court in the
presence of a dozen women, who all chuckled
with delight at the joke.
The principal portion of the tallyman's cus-
tomers are poor mechanics. When the appearance
of the house, and the inquiries out of doors are
approved of, no security is required; but the tal-
lyman would at all times rather add a security,
when attainable. Servant-girls who deal with
tallymen must find the security of a housekeeper;
and when such housekeeper agrees to be respon-
sible for the payments, the same inquisitorial pro-
ceedings are adopted, in order to ascertain the
circumstances of the surety. There are about
fifty drapery shops in London where the tally-
trade is carried on; and about 200 Scotchmen,
besides fifty others (part English, part Irish), are
engaged in the trade. A clerk of a tally-shop, at
the West-end, informs me that there are ten col-
lectors and canvassers for customers, out each day,
from that one establishment; and that, until
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Sundays. Some collect as much as 12l. or 14l. a
day; and some not more than 2l. or 3l. The
average sum collected may be about 5l. each, or
50l. per day by the whole. The profits are 30
per cent., the bad debts 10 per cent., thus leaving
20 per cent. net.
The Scotchman who does not choose to extend
his business beyond his own cautious superin-
tendence, is content with smaller profits, perhaps
20 per cent., and his bad debts may be estimated
at 2½ per cent. One of the body informed me
that he had been in the tally-trade about five
years; that he commenced with a capital of only
10l., and that now his collections average 30l. per
week. He never bought, he said, on credit; and
his stock on hand is worth nearly 200l. cost price,
while his outstanding debts are nearly 200l. also.
"This is a flourishing state of affairs," he re-
marked; "I do not owe a penny in the world,
and I have accomplished all this in little less than
five years." This man had served his apprentice-
ship to a draper in Glasgow, and had originally
arrived in London with 20l. in his pocket. After
some weeks' fruitless endeavour to obtain a situ-
ation, his money dwindling away the while, he
was advised, by a fellow-countryman, who was a
tallyman, to try the tally-trade. For a few days
previous to adopting the business, he went the
"rounds" with his friend, for the purpose of get-
ting initiated, and the week after started on
his own account. Notwithstanding his having no
hawker's licence, he tried to effect sales for ready
money, and, to a trifling extent, succeeded. The
first week he obtained three tally customers. He
could have got, he said, a dozen; but he selected
three whom he considered good, and he was not
deceived, for they continued to be customers of his
to this day. The amount of goods that each of
these took of him was 20s.; and the three instal-
ments of 1s. 6d. each (4s. 6d. per week) the tally-
man determined to subsist upon, though his lodg-
ing and washing cost him 2s. per week. He
lived principally upon "parritch" and skim milk,
indulging now and then in the luxury of a herring
and a few potatoes. In twelve weeks he had
added only one more credit customer to his books.
He had hawked for ready money, and had suc-
ceeded so far as to increase his stock to 15l. in
value. His first three customers had, by this
time, paid their accounts, and again patronized him.
In the course of a little time his fourth customer
had also paid up, and had another supply of
goods; he then added two more tally customers,
and commenced indulging (though very seldom) in a
mutton chop. He progressed slowly, and is now
in flourishing circumstances. He states that he
has met with only one loss during his connection
with the tally-trade, and that but a trifling one.
It is those who wish to drive a very extensive
business, he says, who are principally victimised.
The most industrious of the packmen tallymen
seldom travel less than twenty miles a day, car-
rying a burthen upon their backs of from 100
to 120 lbs. They used to carry merely patterns
to their customers, but they find that the full-
length article is more likely to secure purchasers
and customers. Those who keep shops do not
carry goods with them; the would-be customer is
invited to the shop.
The best day for business in the tally-trade is
Monday, and most of these shops upon that day
are crowded. Sometimes an unsolicited customer
(mostly a female) presents herself, and wishes to
be supplied with goods on tally. "Who recom-
mended you?" inquires the tallyman. "Oh,
Mrs. — , sir, a customer of yours." "Ah!
indeed, very much obliged to Mrs. — ," is the
answer. The articles required are shown, selected,
and cut. The new customer is treated most civilly
by the tallyman, who further inquires her name
and abode. The purchaser, of course, expects the
next process will be to deliver up the parcel to
her, when she is informed that they "will send it
home for her." "Oh," she replies, "I won't
trouble you, I can carry it myself." "Our rule,
ma'am," returns the tallyman, "is always to send
parcels home. We certainly cannot doubt your
respectability, but we never deviate from our prac-
tice." The disappointed female departs, and if
the inquiries do not prove satisfactory, she never
hears further from the tallyman. The goods which
she selected, and which were cut expressly for her,
find their way to the shelves of the establishment.
If, however, a good customer accompanies a friend
whom she wishes to recommend, the parcels are
delivered when purchased, if required. The tally-
man (to good customers) often extends his civili-
ties to a glass of wine; or, if the "Ladies" prefer
it (which it must be confessed they mostly do), a
glass of gin.
There is another class of tallymen who sell
clocks, receiving payment by weekly instalments.
These are content with an instalment of 1s. in
the pound per week. They are principally
Germans who can speak English. Their pro-
ceedings altogether are similar to the tally linen-
draper.
I have given the rise and progress of a Scotch
tallyman, and will now relate the downfall of
another — an Englishman. He commenced a tally-
shop in the neighbourhood of — , and was
carrying on a prosperous and daily increasing
trade. At one time, a bill in the shop window
announced that an errand boy was wanted — an
applicant soon presented himself — was engaged,
and proved a steady lad. In the course of a few
weeks, this youth was promoted to the office of
serving in the shop, and afterwards became col-
lecting clerk. "George," said his master one day,
"we have three days in the week unemployed;
suppose you try and form a connection around
Finchley, Highgate, Hampstead, and that neigh-
bourhood." George was quite willing to make
the experiment, and succeeded beyond expecta-
tion. The country connection soon surpassed the
town trade; and George, the errand boy, became
a man of some consequence in the establishment.
The principal of the firm was what is termed
"gay." He was particularly fond of attending
public entertainments. He sported a little as
well, and delighted in horse-racing. His business,
[Description: 915EAF. Page 383.]
books got out of order; and he became in-
volved in difficulties. An examination of his
affairs took place; and a Mr. R — was engaged
from a wholesale house in the city to assist in
making up the accounts, &c. During this per-
son's sojourn in the shop, he saw that George (the
quondam errand boy) was the chief support of the
concern. The country customers had never seen
any other person, and a partnership was proposed.
The proposal was accepted, and the firm R —
and W — became one of the most prosperous
tally-shops in the neighbourhood of Tottenham-
court-road. George's master was made bankrupt,
and is now a street-seller in Fitzroy-market —
vending sandwiches, &c.
The cases are not a few where ruin has followed
a connection with the tallymen. I will par-
ticularize one instance related to me on good
authority. A lawyer's clerk married, when young,
a milliner; his salary was a guinea per week, and
he and his wife had agreed to "get on in the
world." They occupied furnished lodgings at
first, but soon accumulated furniture of their own,
and every week added some little useful article
towards their household stock. "At the end of
a year," said the individual in question, "I had
as comfortable a little home as any man would
wish to possess; I was fond of it too, and would
rather have been there than anywhere else. My
wife frequently wished to obtain credit; `it would
be so easy,' said she, `to pay a trifling instal-
ment, and then we could obtain immediately what-
ever we might want.' I objected, and preferred
supplying our wants gradually, knowing that for
ready money I could purchase to much better ad-
vantage. Consequently we still kept progressing,
and I was really happy. Judge my astonishment
one day, when I came home, and found an execu-
tion was in the house. My wife had run in debt
with the tallyman unknown to me. Summonses
had been served, which by some means she had
concealed from me. The goods which I had taken
so much pains to procure were seized and sold.
But this was not all. My wife grew so much
alarmed at the misery she had caused that she
fled from me, and I have never seen her but once
since. This occurred seven years ago, and she
has been for some time the companion of those
who hold their virtue of little worth. For some
time after this I cared not what became of me; I
lost my situation, and sunk to be a supernumerary
for 1s. a night at one of the theatres. Here,
after being entrusted with a line to speak, I
eventually rose to a `general utility man,' at 12s.
per week. With this and some copying, that I
occasionally obtain from the law-stationers, I
manage to live, but far from comfortably, for I
never think of saving now, and only look out for
copying when I stand in need of more money.
I am always poor, and scarcely ever have a shil-
ling to call my own."
Some of the principal establishments, "doing
laŕgely" in the tally-trade, are in or about Red
Lion-square and street, the higher part of High
Holborn, the vicinity of Tottenham-court-road,
the Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster, St.
George's, Walworth, New Kent, and Dover
roads.
At some of these tally-shops horses and carts
are kept to carry out the goods ordered of the
"travellers," especially when furniture is supplied
as well as drapery; while in others the "travel-
lers" are resident on the premises, and are occa-
sionally shopmen, for a "large" tally-master not
unfrequently carries on a retail trade in addition
to his tally-business.
The tallymen not concerned with these large
establishments, but carrying on trade on their own
account, reside generally in the quieter streets in
the neighbourhood of the thoroughfares I have
mentioned, and occupy perhaps the ground-floor,
letting (for the house is generally their own) the
other apartments. Sometimes a piece of cotton-
print is placed in their parlour-window, and some-
times there is no indication whatever of any
business being carried on within, for the hawking
tallymen do not depend in any measure upon
situation or display, but solely on travelling and
personal solicitations at people's own residences.
| OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1 | |