View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Volume 2: Of the Street-Jews.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Mayhew say all blind musicians had in common?
(a) They were all the best musicians.
(b) They were all poor musicians.
(c) They were all religious.
(d) They were all blind at birth.

2. How did Mike manage to live?
(a) By joining a crossing sweep gang.
(b) By selling bits and pieces he'd find on the street.
(c) By pilfering from the marketplace.
(d) His master with whom he apprenticed gave him room and board.

3. What were the low end lodging houses like?
(a) They were typical dwellings for lower middle class.
(b) In terrible condition with no heat and leaky roofs.
(c) They were usually clean with decent food.
(d) They were just adequate, a little heat and a roof.

4. What did some of the boys do to earn tips while serving as crossing sweeps?
(a) Run alongside buses and entertain the passengers.
(b) Hang out wash.
(c) Help a chimney sweep take his equipment up on the roof.
(d) Saddle horses.

5. What did some of the bolder boys do?
(a) Ran errands to nobles who often would have them arrested.
(b) Protected some of the more timid vendors.
(c) Took the leavings out of the empty coal barges.
(d) Collected the leavings out of the empty grain bins.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of low lodging house segregated the renters by sex?

2. What happened to many coster children if their parents thought they did not bring enough money home at night?

3. What kind of education did most costermongers have?

4. What was a huckster who sold hardware at a fair called?

5. What did the crossing sweep who Mayhew interviewed work at before finding an open intersection?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 347 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample