The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-03-01
The Street Arabs of New York.


about seventy five cents to a dollar a day
But, as it only takes few minutes to black
pair OF boots, the greater part of their day
is necessarily unemployed. They pass the
time in tossing for pennies, and other juve
nile forms of gambling, and in cheating one
another, fighting and quarreling. A good
many OF them practice gymnastics, tumblng
and contortion. in the City Hall Park feats
at which some of them become toleraby ex-
pert. Last summer | was present at one oil
the childrens S picnics, which were organized
| by the New York Times An immense
crowd of visitors was present. numbering
two or three thousand ladies and gentlemen.
Two bootblacks went through really sur
prising performance in an improvised ring
and, when one of them went round with a
hat, he collected over four dollars But he
could not be honest. found that he had
stuffed two twenty five cent stamps into his
mouth while pretending to wipe the perspi-
ration from his face. compelled him, lit
orally, to disgorge, and then divided the
money equally between them. l am glad to
be able to say that they both spent their
little fortune in clothes, of which they both
stood greatly in need. l was Obliged to pin
them all over before they could perform with
decency. Their feats were 30 clever that |
asked them why they did not leave the
streets and perform in public, at the same
time recommending them to apply to some
travelling cIrcus-not very high walk in
lite, but they were both orphans, and it is
better than life in the streets At all
events, they would have no opportunity OF
stealing. One of them took my advice. and
obtained an engagement in circus as boy
contortionist: the other preferred to stick
to his Arab life
One very touching incident came under
my notice at this same picnic A pale fac
ed, undersized little glrf, who did not appear
to be more than eight years of age though
she told me that she was nearly twelve, ask
ed me if all the country looks like this. -
She informed me that she had never seen
any trees except those in the City Hall
| Park, and no water save the East River.
| What voluminous commentary on tene-
ment-house life A laughable incident oc-
CURED before starting on the picnic. A boy
asked me for ticket, and on my referring
him to the manager of the picnic he told
me that he had refused to give him one.
because he was bad boy. I said, Then 1
can do nothing for you."
! lie laid his hand on my arm in a conf
dental way, and said, with the coolest ef-
irontry, Say, boss, just you give me a
ticket, and the next time write an article
IN your paper I'll give you a ID good
puff"
These street Arabs lose no opportunity
OF stealing. If gentleman buys paper
or has his boots blacked, and is rash enough
to tender twenty-five cent stamp in pay
ment, they always profess that they have no
change, but that they will get it in a mo-
ment. Away they rush, through one en-
trance OF hotel and out at the other. or
down the narrowest street or nearest alley.
always forgetting to come back Two years
ago one of their number fellin an epieptic fit
in the City Hall Park Before the passers-
by could reach him. the other BOYS had
gone through his pockets. On the poor
the poor little fellows recovering his senses
he said that he had number oflittle knick
knacks, such as boys of his class love to col
iect, in one pocket, and knife and twenty.
two pennies in the other. They were all
gone. Last summer, while gentleman was
having his boots blacked in the Park, sew
eral of the blackibs fraternity crowded
around. as is their wont, and stole parcel
rom his coat-pocket. 1t only contained
solle samples of cloth, but he said its loss
would occasion him great inconvenience and
loss OF time. Boys have been known to be
very officious in brushing mud-spIashes oE
their customers coats after backing their
boots, and, while so doing. to steal their un-
suspicious patrons handkerchief. At night.
when they are sleeping on stoops, in entry
ways, in coal-bOxes, ora favorite resort in
winter-over the gratings of the engine
rooms of the printing. Offices, they ruthless
y rob one another if they get chance.
Occasionally you meet boys who are pals. +"
they look alter one another's interests, and
are scrupulously correct in the settlement Of
their partnership transactions. If one has
not earned much, the other will stand him a
ten-cent supper, on the understanding that
the favor is to be reciprocated on some fu-
ture occasion, in case of need. | once met
boy who had often BACKED nv boots. He
told me, with tears in his eyes. that he had
lost his pal" when bathing off the docks.
He was more like brother to me-" he
said, lever since mother died two years ago."
And he added, with touch of true pathos.
(" Dye hear the wind, boss? l guess it is
mighty bad az sea. 1 think o. going to sea.
But the great oshin amt nigh so wide as
the line atwixt Jim an me now"
That boy had heart somewhere about
him. What pity that it could not be
brought into full and healthy working order.
One OF the most striking peculiarites OF
the street Arab is his language. You might
listen to the conversation of a group of them
for half an hour without being able to form
the slightest idea OF the subject of their con-
versatlon. They have slang name for ev-
erybody and everything, and even entire
sentences of slang. The names they 90 by.
too, are often ridiculous. Mickety, ""Pro-
fessor," "O'Neil the Great" Round
Hearts, Wandering jew" Horace
Greeley" Fat jack" Dodge-me-J ohm, /"
= Pickle Nose" Tickle-my foot" Cranky
Jim.' Know-nothing Nike" and "Gari-
baldi," all well known, and occupy high po-
sitions in the boot-blacking and newspaper
selling business. The last is an Italian
boot-blacking being very favorite occupa-
tion with poor boys of that nationality. 1t
suits their idle ldzzdroni nature better than
more active life.
The street Arabs of New York are indeed
study. But, at the same time, they are
great stain on the escutcheon of the Amer
lcan metropolis. Much might might be done
to improve them. especially by multiplying
such institutions as the Newsboys' Lodging
House.-Appleton's Journal