 | OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1 |  |
OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF GREASE-REMOVING
COMPOSITIONS.
The persons engaged in this trade carry it on
with a regular patter. One man's street announce-
ment is in the following words: "Here you have
a composition to remove stains from silks, muslins,
bombazeens, cords, or tabarets of any kind or
colour. It will never injure nor fade the finest
silk or satin, but restore it to its original colour.
For grease on silks, &c., only rub the composition
on dry, let it remain five minutes, then take a
clothes' brush and brush it off, and it will be found
to have removed the stains. For grease in woollen
cloths spread the composition on the place with a
piece of woollen cloth and cold water; when dry
rub it off, and it will remove the grease or stain.
For pitch or tar use hot water instead of cold, as
that prevents the nap coming off the cloth. Here
it is. Squares of grease-removing composition,
never known to fail, only 1d. each."
This street-traffic, I was informed, was far more
extensively carried on when silks and woollen
cloths, and textile manufactures generally, were
more costly and more durable than at present,
and when to dye, and scour, and "turn" a gar-
ment, was accounted good housewiveship. The
sellers then told wonders of their making old silk
gowns, or old coats, as good as new, by removing
every discolouration, no matter from what cause.
Now a silk dress is rarely, if ever, subjected to
the experiment of being renovated by the virtues
of grease-removing compositions sold in the streets.
The trade, at present, is almost confined to the
removing of the grease from coat-collars, or of
stains from contact with paint, &c., with which
boys (principally) have damaged their garments.
The grease-remover generally carries his wares
on a tray slung in front of him, and often illus-
trates the efficacy of his composition, by showing
its application to the very greasy collar of a boy's
old jacket, which is removed with admirable fa-
cility. The man patters as he carries on this
work. "You would have thought now that
jacket was done for, and only fit for the rag-bag,
or to go to make up a lot for a Jew; but with my
composition — only 1d. a cake — it has acquired a
new nap and a new gloss, and you've escaped a
tailor's bill for awhile for 1d. You can use your
own eyes. You've seen me do it, and here's the
very same stuff as I have proved to you is so
useful and was never known to fail. No mother,
or wife, or mistress, or maid, that wishes to be
careful and not waste money, should be without
it in the house. It removes stains from silks,
&c., &c."
Notwithstanding these many recommendations,
the street trade in grease-removing cakes is a very
poor one. It cannot be carried on in bad weather,
for an audience cannot then be collected, and to
clear 1s. 6d. in a day is accounted fair work. No
grease-remover confines his trade to that common-
dity. One of the best known sells also plate balls,
and occasionally works conundrums and comic
exhibitions. The two brothers, who were formerly
Grecians at the Blue Coat School, are also in this
line. There are now seven men who sell grease-
removing compositions, which they prepare them-
selves. The usual ingredients are pipe clay, two
pennyworth of which is beat up and "worked
with two colours," generally red lead and stone
blue. This gives the composition a streaky look,
and takes away the appearance of pipe clay.
The purchasers of this article are, I am told,
women and servants, but the trade is one which
is declining. One of the best localities for sale is
Ratcliff Highway and the purchasers there are
sailors. One man told me that he once made a
pound's worth for a sailor, who took it to sea with
him. The street-seller did not know for what
purpose, but he conjectured that it was as a matter
of speculation to a foreign country.
Calculating that the seven grease-removers carry
on the sale of the article 3 days each week, and
clear 1s. 6d. per day, we find 78 guineas yearly
[Description: 915EAF. Page 428.]
Nearly the whole is profit.
Plating Balls are generally sold by the grease-
removers, but sometimes they are proffered for
sale alone. There are four men whose prin-
cipal dependance is on the sale of plating
balls. One announces his wares as "making
plate as good as silver, and all inferior metals
equal to the best plated. No tarnish can stand
against my plate balls," he goes on, "and if, in
this respectable company, there should chance to
be any lady or genl'man that has no plate, then
let him make an old brass candlestick shine like
gold, or his tin candlestick, extinguisher and all,
shine like silver. Here are the balls that can do
it, and only 4 a penny. You have only to rub
the ball on your wash-leather, or dry woollen
cloth, and rub it on what has to be restored.
Four a penny!"
These balls, which are prepared by the street-
sellers, are usually made of a halfpennyworth of
whitening, a farthing'sworth of red-lead, and an
ounce of quicksilver, costing 7d. A gross of balls
costs 7¾d., as regards the materials. The receipts
of the plating ball sellers are the same as those of
the grease-removers, but with a somewhat smaller
profit.
| OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1 | |