shilling for lodging, and one for paste. Town work is five
shillings a day, including paste.’
‘Town work must be rather hot work,’ said I, ‘if there be many of
those fighting scenes that beggar description, among the billstickers?’
‘Well,’ replied the King, ‘I an’t a stranger, I assure you, to
black eyes; a bill-sticker ought to know how to handle his fists a
bit. As to that row I have mentioned, that grew out of
competition, conducted in an uncompromising spirit. Besides a man
in a horse-and-shay continually following us about, the company had
a watchman on duty, night and day, to prevent us sticking bills
upon the hoarding in Trafalgar Square. We went there, early one
morning, to stick bills and to black-wash their bills if we were
interfered with. We WERE interfered with, and I gave the word for
laying on the wash. It WAS laid on – pretty brisk – and we were
all taken to Queen Square: but they couldn’t fine ME. I knew
that,’ – with a bright smile – ‘I’d only give directions – I was
only the General.’ Charmed with this monarch’s affability, I
inquired if he had ever hired a hoarding himself.
‘Hired a large one,’ he replied, ‘opposite the Lyceum Theatre, when
the buildings was there. Paid thirty pound for it; let out places
on it, and called it “The External Paper-Hanging Station.” But it
didn’t answer. Ah!’ said His Majesty thoughtfully, as he filled
the glass, ‘Bill-stickers have a deal to contend with. The billsticking
clause was got into the Police Act by a member of
Parliament that employed me at his election. The clause is pretty
stiff respecting where bills go; but HE didn’t mind where HIS bills
went. It was all right enough, so long as they was HIS bills!’
Fearful that I observed a shadow of misanthropy on the King’s
cheerful face, I asked whose ingenious invention that was, which I
greatly admired, of sticking bills under the arches of the bridges.
Page 34
Dickens, Charles – Reprinted Pieces
‘Mine!’ said His Majesty. ‘I was the first that ever stuck a bill
under a bridge! Imitators soon rose up, of course. – When don’t
they? But they stuck ’em at low-water, and the tide came and swept
the bills clean away. I knew that!’ The King laughed.
‘What may be the name of that instrument, like an immense fishingrod,’
I inquired, ‘with which bills are posted on high places?’
‘The joints,’ returned His Majesty. ‘Now, we use the joints where
formerly we used ladders – as they do still in country places.
Once, when Madame’ (Vestris, understood) ‘was playing in Liverpool,
another bill-sticker and me were at it together on the wall outside
the Clarence Dock – me with the joints – him on a ladder. Lord! I
had my bill up, right over his head, yards above him, ladder and
all, while he was crawling to his work. The people going in and
out of the docks, stood and laughed! – It’s about thirty years
since the joints come in.’
‘Are there any bill-stickers who can’t read?’ I took the liberty of
inquiring.
‘Some,’ said the King. ‘But they know which is the right side
up’ards of their work. They keep it as it’s given out to ’em. I
have seen a bill or so stuck wrong side up’ards. But it’s very
rare.’
Our discourse sustained some interruption at this point, by the
procession of cars occasioning a stoppage of about three-quarters
of a mile in length, as nearly as I could judge. His Majesty,
however, entreating me not to be discomposed by the contingent
uproar, smoked with great placidity, and surveyed the firmament.
When we were again in motion, I begged to be informed what was the
largest poster His Majesty had ever seen. The King replied, ‘A
thirty-six sheet poster.’ I gathered, also, that there were about
a hundred and fifty bill-stickers in London, and that His Majesty
considered an average hand equal to the posting of one hundred
bills (single sheets) in a day. The King was of opinion, that,
although posters had much increased in size, they had not increased
in number; as the abolition of the State Lotteries had occasioned a