The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-25


while their salesnen are shouting forth their
| descriptions of wares, and the wonderful
cheapness of their prices. Here are the rem
nants Oh stocks of oranges, lemons, ETC., left
| over from the days business in the down.
| .'"A markets, closing out at sacrifices alarm
= e"ousu' III view of the fact that few of
."o" would keep safely till Monday; and
mere are eloquent perpatetic soap and patent
| wonder Vehders, each with his little knot of
| curious customers hold up their morley faces
| in the glare of the kerosene.
But before Bowery does anything extensive
in the way of prom nenading, or otherwise en-
oying Itself, it will make its purchases of
supplies, aud otherwise settle its commissary
department for over Sunday. Let us begin al
TompkinS market, an Institution which is
largely patronized by the Bowery, though not
the only source of its supplies, by any means.
IL is building of very respectable size, the
upper part OF which is occupied as an armory
of the famous seventh regiment, and it is To-
Gated just where the BOwery is split by thu
Cooper institute and the Bible house into
Third and Fourth avenues. 1t will at once
appear that both education" and "piety"
were required to effect any material change in
the prevailing characteristics OF the greas
thOroughfare.
The butchers and other dealers of Tomp-
klns market have brought down from other
days an excellent reputation for their wares;
and they have aristocratic customers who
come from far, but not the most prosperous
of them disdains to cater for the humble needs
and limited purchases OF their nearer neigh
bors. Everything is light and pleasant and
clean, nor is it difficult to assure ones self
that there must be good deal OF mild pleas
ure in the providing as well as in the con-
sumption of food.
The family party nearest us on the right is
one to gladden. the heart of dealer in solids
if not in liquids. Behold burgo-master
worthy the pencil of Rembrandt, aud pipe
worthy of its bearerl The boy, halt-grown as
to height-if middle aged atteal-wll one
day come here with a dame as keen and
sprightly, in spite Of her avoirdupois, as the
motheriy vrauw, whose fat forefnger is de-
Gliding which of the lordly cuts on the block
shall 90 into his spacious basket. Others may
weekly have their meat sent home for them;
but she prefers to take it, and Wilhelm is
content, for his round eyes testify that he will
dream of his burdens all the way home as be-
ing already tabled; for stabbed" it will be on
the morrow as surely as "peace petition" TO
Congress.
Hold your string tight, little girl; it is a re-
eion of but doubtful comfort for dogs with
well to cover close to your skimp little
skirts. 1t is your turn now.
"Vot you wants, eh?" d.
The reply is all but inaudible, but it is lis
tened to kindly enough.
"Shoost little liver? Veil"
And although we know the rates for liver
are low, we judge that something of Dutch
liberality went with the knife in separating
that generous "chunk"
can't dere's pone for de leetle tog"
That's thoughtful. Where is Mr.. Bergh,
We should have been apt to have forgotten a
dog so pretercaninely meek as that.
But Bowery has other types than these and
yonder, stridng wlstfully, if somewhat proud
y, past stall alter stall, is one who hardly
seems at home. Unmistakable, with his head
of long flaxen hair, he has ''student" written
all over him, and he has not been in America
long enough to have received any other su-
prescription. He may be a senator or COVER
nor yet, and he has faint look of Carl
Schurz about him, but now he has decided on
ten cents worth of Bologna sausage, imcom-
parable Wand, which demands no fire, and
has no tantazing waste of bones TO mock the
record of its purchased weight.
What pity Dickens had not been for a
few weeks Tompkins market butcher, or
at least, had been forced to do his marketing
here, until he had photographed the groups
around us! III he had gone out by the south
door, as we are doing, he would have seen at
the street side, a little lower down, that brok-
en- line OF empty 'truck wagons" and on the
last of them that queer-looking lot OF gem
uine Bowery "gutter-snipes" OF boys, brim-
| tull of mischief and all mirthtul antics now,
but destined to grow up into-who shall tell
what? And that other lot-our OF them
| dickering with the squat old cake-woInan Oh
the cnrb stone for their evening lunch OF cake
and fruit. That is Bowery "band," aud the
young genCleInen HoIn Iuaiy ulJlsLeI thrcc fd-
dies and harp. 1t can hardly be disadvan-
tage that the instruments are about as large
muscally speaking, as the brownfaced per-
formers. What tune from the banks of the
Styx or ArnO can that be? Oh, they are tun-
ing up, and no wonder the crowd are puzzled
| to catch the air! Let us move on.
"Cofees teas, wines, liquors, wholesale and
retail" You eau buy almost anything you
| want there, and a good many things you
| ought not to want, and the place is full, but
| it is worthy of note that the Germantc type
| is in a large minority among tho customers.
Can it be that lager has anything to do with
| that? Perhaps we shall see. "Exchangep'
| We have noticed several signs like that. mo
doubt the Germans bring with them heaps OF
| outlandish coin, and these small brokers are
| necessary provision"
Not bit of it! These are the pernicous
denS OF the lottery policy dealers, and they are
fewer here than elsewhere, in proportion to
the population. So are the faro hells, OF
which Bowery maintains a few ten-rate spec
| imens The Germans gamble, some of them;
but it is not national vice, and they are much
/ too shrevd to invest their hard earnings
largely where the investment if sure TO be so
sadly permanent"
There are other features, however, which
| offer powerful proof that the pawn-brokers
| ought not TO be the enemies of the poor; and
| if it were not for our miserable laws these
evidently lourishing establishments would be
| replaced by the MORte-de-Piete with which
| these people from the Rhine-land were famil-
lar beyond the sea. Saturday night is the
regular period for the redeemlng pledges. Ev-
en- If scant wages or vicious expenditure will
surely bring the household treasures here
| again before the week is out, still lingering
pride and hope of better things will carry
them hoEleward once more. 1t is sad to see
the shadowy doors open so frequently; but
there are more mOurnful testimonials in the
glaring windows yonder, where the "unre-
deemed pledges" are offered for sale Jewel
| ry OF every shape and device, medals oil merit,
| jeweled "orders,' musical instruements,w ,weap-
| ons, chess-men, battered plate, ahtiquated
time-pieces, bejr-looms of more frugal or
| more fortunate ancestry. Some how-who
shall guess how ?-for all these sad ccllater-
ais the appointed day went by, and there are
| each with its untold story. There is duh
| look on some of them, dscolored spots and
corrosioHs; tears will rust almost anything
Harpers Magazine.