The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-10-23
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENT-wHERE IT LO-
GATES ITSELF, AND WHAT IT Is COM
POSED OF.
NEW YORK. Oct. u, 1871.
rIIE FOREIGN ELEMENT

GATES ITSELF, AND WHAT II IL COM
POSED OF.
NEW YORK. Oct q, 1874.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENT.
The population of the city of New
York is probably one-third foreign born.
The American population comes from
all the States and Territories, for bust
ness interests drive Just so many frcn
every locality to this common center.
The South is fully represented here.
The war ruined hundreds of thousands
of SoutIerners. who were compelled to
do some business that they might live,
and they drifted into New York, be-
cause. being Il cosmopolitan city, they
would stand Il better show of getting
something to do that they could live at.
There are thousands of eX-Captains,
CoIonels and Generals of the ex-Confed-
eracv in New York; in fact the number
is so great that, in the event of another
conflict between the sections, it would
be a question as to where New York
vouId stand. Take the strong Demo
cratic ma ajority, and add 10 it the enOrm-
GUS Southern element that has. settled
here since the war, and the great city
might be fairly counted on the side of
the South.
But it was not Of native foreigners
that | started TO write.
The foreign element proper has always
been immense, and of late years it has
sweIled beyond ones idea. 1t has grown
to that extent that each nationality has
made its own settlements, and has its
own communities. The
FRENCH
occupy the territory bounded by Canal,
Amity. Broadway and South Fifth ave
nue. Within the territory you never
hear a word of German and very little
English. You might as well be in Paris.
The occupations followed are peculiarly
French. There are French laundrys,
French boarding-hOuses, glove clean
ers, boat-makers, confectioners, artificial
flower makers. feather cleaners. and
occupations of these natures. The
French are by themselves, have their
own associations and amusements. and
fraternize with no other people. They
do not expect to stay in America-they
are here till they can accumulate enough
10 20 back 10 France This is their am
biticn. They are, however, IA sober, in
dustrious and useful people. Crime is
almost unknown among them, and
though they may be very poor they
manage somehow to support themselves.
They are terribly divided. for the politi-
cal animosities that rend the French
people at home are brought with them.
Their politics are all French, and they
take very little interest in the affairs OF
this country. They seldom are natural
lied, and very seldom are seen at the
polls. What they want is to get money
enough to give them a competency In
their own country The
JEWS
are scattered all over the city, but they
/ have their centre The district bounded
by Canal. Houston and the BOwary is
exclusively Jewish The butcher shops
have every one of them the mysterious
Hebriac character that Indicate the
killing of animals after the orthodox
fashion They follow all sorts of occu-
patton. They set glass, there are whole
streets OF them dealing in birds, they
rake the CUTTERS for rags and scraps OF
papers-they do anything that will turn
an honest penny They all start poor,
but very few of them stay so. When
few hundred dollars is accumulated,
little shop takes the place of the ped
dIer's basket, or "A small warehouse takes
the place of the bag and hook. Unlike
the French, they come to stay, for III no
country in the world are they given so
many privileges. They rise in life rap
idly, and adapt themselves to circum-
stances. as water seeks its level. When
the peddlers basket has grown to IA shop,
and the shop has swelled to a Broadway
store. tine Jew. whose industry has made
it. leaves his dingy quarters in the local
itv have named and blooms ont in a
fashionable house up town. He does
not quit being Jew, nor does he 90
back upon his race or their customs-he
simply reaches out for better broader
life, for more comforts, and for recogni-
ton in society. For the Jew, oppressed
as he has been in all the countries of the
world. wants nothing so much in this.
as an acknowledgement that he is a
man and good and useful one. The
elder Jews hold very closely to their re-
Iigion and customs, but the second ZEN
eration do not. You will see in the
clubs Young Jews who are living on the
wealth their fathers have accumulated.
who have abandoned entirely the faith
and the customs of the race. 4 fast
voupg Jew is the fastest man in the
world. Young Wash Nathan. whose
father was murdered some years ago. is
a tyne of the class. The Jewish element
is very large. and is one OF the most use
fuI in the city. There Is a prejudice
against it. but despite that prejudice,
thev are good. useful, orderly, quiet.
prosperous citizens. While they are in
a state of poverty, they are industrious
and Iaw-abiding When they become
rich. they are pushing and progressive
They have built the best buildings in
the city, and there is no great work in
the city in which Jewish names will not
be found profusely sprinkled.-
THE NEGROES
are not TO be clGssed as foreigners, but
they are a distinctive race. They have
selected the Eighth Ward as their grand
centre, though there are large colonies
of them in other parts of the city. There
is no class of people in the city more di-