Criers were not always men, many town criers were women. They rented the courtrooms and jail space, and hired the bailiffs, criers, and janitors. The latter started with a contest for criers and buglers. The designers conceived the Tallboys as town criers. "Pleureurs" (criers), generally women, feigned tears, by holding their handkerchiefs to their eyes. Margaret and June Allyson were known as "The Town Criers" of MGM. Members of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Australian Town Criers competed for champion titles. Town criers were a common means of conveying information to citydwellers. By 1964, Balin was leading a folk music quartet called The Town Criers. There are records throughout the 16th century of town criers in Mexico, Peru, and Panama. Some town criers could be paid to include advertising along with news. Mariemont has one of the few elected town criers remaining in North America. Balin then joined a folk group called the Town Criers from 1963 to 1964. The Town Criers, covering songs like "Louie Louie", began gaining a steady following. Criers were sent out with an alert, preventing further injury.