The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-04
CLEARING THE MARKET.

Removal OF All the tsSquatters'' Around
the Market-A Lively Moving ON Satur-
dny-Mr. Devoe's Complaint to tho
Mayor and What Came of lt-ssTur.
key'' Declines Eight Cents I'm Two
Hours-Beef and Mutton at Genuine
Panic Prices.
The long threatened raid on the sidewalk stands
OF Washington Market was made yesterday after
noon by detachment of IL men, under Captain
Williamson and Sergeant Lonsdale. For some
reason best known to the Board OF Encumbrances
the busiest part OF the busiest day In the week
was selected for the raid. Confusion worse con-
founded" was never witnessed in the market, not
excepting the memorable night when the Board OF
Health made its first raid on the venerable stencil
hole.
At one O'Clock yesterday afternoon the platoon
OF policemen marched down vesey street and told
the pr0prietors OF "street" stands that they had
Just a quarter Of an hour to clear the walk, and
that II 1t was not done within that time they would
be assisted, or, in police parlance. bounced"
Many declared their intention OF accepting the
"bounce" rather than quietly submit to what they
considered an outrage. The police paid no atten-
ton to the declarations or defiance made by the
women, and continued their march down Vesey
street to West, where they divided. one detach
msnt gong up and the other down west street:
When the detachment that went down West street
had made detOur of the market they halted on the
corner OF Washington and Vesey streets TO await
the arrival Of the other division. The reappear-
ance OF the police seemed to stir the "squattcrs"
into action and they began to move. On the de-
voted head Of Mr.. Shafer, tho superintendent Of
maedictlons OF all the avenging saints and angels.
The horror OF their
was only equalled by their ingenuity and original
ity. These pOiSSOntereS seemed to desplse the
to the dominion ' Of Pluto So thew
clothed their vile abuse in many vulgar meta
phor. The genealogy OF MIR. Shaler Tor eight
generations pack was reprobated by these furious
women who, not content t0.abuse him, inveighed
against his prOgenitOrs and cursed his posterity
until the Day OF Judgment
Mr. Shaer submitted to the abuse of the women
with true Christian fortitude and forbearance; but
when the men began to blackguard him he
gave them to understand that he was carrying
out his orders and would put up with no
"gab" from any man In the market. As
this declaration was accompanied with manifesto
lions oil beligerent intentions the men thought it
wise to give the superintendent wide berth.
Realizing that alternate prayers and curses would
avail them nothing, the 'squatterSn decided to
vamose. This wise decision OF theirs saved the
police and themselves much trouble, and once the
work Of demoishing the stands began 1t continued
Mrs. Martha O,Donnell, the stout lady who for
years has kept the provision stand on the corner
OF Vesey and Washington streetS-the entrance OF
the market-eXpained
THE POLITICAL ASPECT OF THE RAID
HERALD reporter. ''Ths raid' said she, 'has been
tnstigated by Mr.. Dev0e, the superintendent or
Markets. We OF the Vesey street side are TO be
put out OF the way OF making an honest living,
while those on West street are provided Tor. When
Irving was superintendent OF Markets he at
tempted to remove Devoes stand at Jefferson
market. and Devoe said If he Knocked down his
he would knock him down. l told this to DevOe
to-day, and asked HIM how he would like to be
knocked down now for doing what he de1ed an
officer to do when he kept stand himself. He
denies that he made the charge; but he did, and is
the cause Of our being removed
THE CONFUSION AND CRUSH.
At about three O'CLOCK when the crowd In the
street was impossible, the CONFUSION was some
thing Unprecedented. People with baskets and
bags ebowed and edged their way through the pas
sageways, while the migrating marketmen hOwled
ana cursed In Satanic frenzy. The police vainly
tried 50 keep the crowd moving; but 1t was impOs-
Sble, as jam occurred every lew feet by reason of
some stand being athwart the sidewalk. The raid
not only afected pedestrians and purchasers, but
prices also. Prime turkeys, for which Is and 20
cents were asked in the morning. went down TO 10
and IL cents with lew takers. The "insde'' mar
ketmen offering $25 to $40 that the raid would
not take place yesterday and many were the jokes
cracked at their expense when their money was
won and the stands began to come down.
THE WORK FINISHED.
BY six O'Clock there was not a stand on the
street, although several enterprisIng persons
started trade on barrel tops, dispensing such deli
cacies as ''saiaryn at "three cents q bunch, /"
matches. shoe laCes, DC. Mr.. Shafer informed the
HERALD reporter that he had orders to remove the
shed that had been erected over the street since
the raid OF the Board OF Health, and would begin
work on Monday morning unless he received con.
trary orders IN the interim.