CORNISH HUMOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 62, 6 December 1919, Page 13

CORNISH HUMOUR

DKOLL SIGNBOAEDS.

. Wandering in tho west of England during n welcome leavo (writes "11.D." in an English contemporary) I camo across another old curiosity shop (Burton's), in a narrow street in Falmouth, where a number of old signs, taken from various Cornish villages, wero exhibited for the entertainment of customers. Anyone unacquainted with the peculiar character of the Cornish people would be inclined to scoff at tho authenticity of some of the-boards, but'thoso who havo lived in Cornish communities such as exist in tho mining districts of Bendigo and Moontu (South Australia), know that the Cornishman Is a well of conscious and unconscious humour, from which.one can draw unceasing entortainmeni

Most of the 6igns in Burton's Old Curiosity Shop date back to tho late 18th and early I9th centuries. Even in those hard drinking days there wero apparently enough teetotallers to maintnin a "Tempuronco Hottel," beneath which sign the hostess poetically states-.—

"Ellen Tono cells here and rpn.gur beer. Cow hols and tripe every Friday, Sekond hand cloes to make to tidey. Crox and kittles, pans and all, And Godley bukes to save yer sole. Man-traps, gins and pattens likewise, And on Saturday nights Hot Mutton Pies."

_ "Crox," or crocks, are lrg three-legged iron pots, which aro still used in Cornwall for boiling the clothes on washing day; while a "gin" is tho common term for a rabbit, rat. or mouse trap. The gem of the collection is thnt of Boge.r Giles, who describes himself as "Surgin. Parish Clark, Skulemaster. G.roser, and Hundortaker." His various accomplishments, as displayed on the sign which previously adorned his residence, arc as follow:— *

"BOGKTt GTMDS respectably informs ladys and gentleman thnt he drors teef without wateing a minit, applies laches every hour, blisters-on tho lowest farms, and viziclcs for penny a peace. ]To sel.'s Godfather's frordales. kilts korns, bunyons, doctors' hosses, clips dunkies waneo a immth, and undertakes to look arter every bodies nayls by tho ear, ,Toeshari>!, penny wissels. brass kanel.iticks, fryin pnns at irately rcdooced figers. Young ladys and gentlemen larnes their graromur and laniridge in the tnirtim&t manna r, also grate caro taken off their morrels nnd spellin. zarm zinging, tnychiu the. base vial and all sortp of fancy wort- such as equndrils, .pokers, weazels, Perfflomcry, and snuff in all its 'branched. As times if cronl bad, I begs lo tell eo that i has just beginned to sell nl' sorts of s(ashon»v wyre. <"vc. hens, vonls/ n'cs, and all oHier k'-vlq of h'leVin br«h«i, he-rip.", celeo. eerubbi'i t»r'«hps. fraykel, nnd fodlev bukes and bih'es, mine frnns, wli'skc seeds, roorrel r-oV>-e,rankere'>ers, and f>'l ■wfa of A dil» of fruit, huts, zone's, hair orle, rvatHni, biiV'dtn, urindin stones. I has bid in a lnrrs assortment of trype. <ln?'< mate, lolinnn«, Hnne- beer, nn7,etra'\ Old nv borf nnrl sold here and nnd noTl-ved eirgs lrr me. Pore- G ; 'es. P,S. —T Tayehcs ewraphy, rithmetic, cowsticV*. iimn'nstiekfl, and other chynees tricks."

.Another trader carried on business ■ur»'<>r fbo -following sitrn :-—

"Bibles, Bellows 'and Boots, Godley Tinlr«. nnd Grinding Stones. Troiww. Tiyitwnent* and ICitlle.s. Even-thing !l'on<rlit and sold hor n except Treacle. nr'Ve (riven for Whalebone Stnrfl."

A Mirinirhonsp notice-board contains the follow!"? rules:—

pTTT.F-S Of Tin?! T.OP«T\G HOUSE. Vourpctice a nifrht for bed. Sixpence with supper. more than five to nicer) in one bed. V/, V(, r plloiit/] in the kitchen. Xo smo'Hng ivhen in hed. Ko clothes to be washed on Sunday. ■\ T o hoots to be worn in lied. .Dn<rs allowed upstairs. Vo rambling or •fiirlif'no' here. No extra. ehnrw for linage. >To razor irrinders token in. Organ OWndors to sl»on in the attic. Tzikiah O'Doniran, pronator. Donkor chaise, handcarts, end Gurrien let on Hire. Urnnjftin'jsf done here.

Why distinctions should be drawn betwon razor grinders and organ grinders cn<l other v-avfar»rs is not clear, but Mr. "WVah O'Doniran" no doubt had very [rood reason for doing so. \ "gurnc" is p. |:v,Tie of conveyance which resembles a wheelbarrow minus the leis and wheel. Tt. has handles back and front, so as *o be curried by two men. and is usually nued in carrying corn in the hens. The signboards nuoted above show that the Cornish wre among th« pioneer advertisers, and th«ir appeals fnr '■ custom, however imperfect in orthonraphv. were certainly not lacking in oripinnliJy. A very enjoyable concert was Riven at; the Austral ;u'i ('Hub's room?, Esperanto Ttn.ll, en ThiiTKlay evening, when tV're. was a full attendance of members. Tho following well-known Australia" and New '/•ii'ii'd •'•■ lists cent'l'mlo.!—-Mm. Treverdale, Mrs. and Mr. Melvin. Mr. Ml.,M!vti!;ui, • Afr. TI. F. Wood. Mr. 11. I'Mpir. Mr. Meal.es, Mr. Bamsay. Master Loith Iliddril. and Mi's ,T. Bailey, tvtiss Kntner and Mr. .T. K'sko were the nc(onipa!ii'sl.s. A large number of gifts were received from the nienibers towards the Australian stall for St. John Ain!v '-nee Dav.

The programme for the Victory Gal.l and Venetian f'nrnival, to be hold at Byall Bay on January 1, 2, and 3 is published' in another column of to-day's issuo,