The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-28
ALL NIGHT At THE DOORS.
gTRiNGE SIGHTS ~ PIRK ROW ~
NM EARLY MORNING HOIRS.

lay close to the big iron door ut the northeast
corner of the Post Ofirn building \ thin black
shawl covered her head and shoulders. and shc
had found the easiest position size could IN tho
corner formed by the iron and the stone. She
appeared to I've asleep. Next to her was girl
wearing "A thin straw hat and faded shawl.
once bright plaid She was nesting close to
the woman. who was her mother. Next was
woman apparently about forty-two years old
She had evidently been asleep. and she was
brushing the grnyish hair from before her
eyes 50 that she could see the face OF the flu
minated clock in the City Hall tower Beyond
her were other women and girls crouchcd un-
der the high wall forming line that extended
around tic corner Of the building and part way
down the east side. A chilling breeze blew from
the northwest. sprnkling with coarse dust the
garments Of the women. Tutoring the corners Of
their wraps. and lifting tho thin shawls from
the faces Of those that were doing. Bclated
pnssers by stopped and looked at the PROSTATE
line. cast their eyes toward the top Of the wall,
and made puzzled ordinations. Not all OF
those who came along were sober. One intoNi-
Gated man. with decent clothes but a silly look
ing face. gave his moro sober companion some
considerable trouble by conceiving sudden
desire 10 stir 'om up"
A pair Of handsome black eyes looked out
from the folds Of n worn black shawl that was
the covering OF what appeared TO he n bundle Of
clothing lying on the broad stone step in front
Of the iron Aoor. 1t was plain that they were
not sleeping. The writer said to those eyes:
Are YOU No in the line?'
The black shawl was thrown back. revealing
al attractive head. poised gracefully on slcn-
der figure. The young woman was about 20
year, Old. She looked at her dust-covered
clothes and appeared to be considerably con-
fused.
No but was yesterday. and when got in
thero were about 300 women ahead Of me" she
replied in marked German accent u told
mother that II | found so many there this morn
ing | would not come any more" Then she
Sail Sail 'apoioseticaiiy: We don't wear our good
clothes here. YOU know
How long have you been here"
didn't get here till IL. This woman
pointing to the one that was sleeping in tho cor
ner. has been here since 9. Isn't that so.
Eight-o- Clock - mschieVousy nudging the
see%gins woman Tli. T!h her eo, arm; hor hoovv
breathing long enough to say. Yaw:" and then
she shifted her position us though in search OF
the iron door for her head TO rest against.
How did they get in-the 200 women that
You found inside when the doors were opened
Tho men 1T them in when they went TO the
other doors quarter q an hour before they
began selling. and after.
Why did they let them in ~
:. They were paid. of course"
How much p
"Oh. half dollar"
The conversation aroused several Of the wo-
after having an explicit understanding with
their neglbors that their places should be kept
for them-and grouped themselves around the
reporter. shiverinE in the cold wind.
4 Young girl in a brown cashmere dress said
that she was within half a dozen Of the first on
the previous morning and that she was down
below 200 when she got TO the place where the
certificates were sold.
H. fhaf rl ln ghn a
the policemen put others IN the line ahead OF
US, They would bring up lady in nice clothes
ot Us said ANYTHING they ,Otne ,poIcej W,null
threaten 80 put US at the end OF the line; Then
they would wink TO t9e man az the desk. ,,s.o r,
morning and had pocketed the premium on
several hundred-dollsr purchases. had been
listening to the conversation. She yawned. anu
said with unmistakable Irish accent; " It's aw-
ful-the way they docs. sure. amt thin bonds
But" continued the girl who had been
speaking. there was big. fat. tall man inside,
and when he was around the policemen stopped
there was a little red-nos"d man. and when be
was looking they didn't wink much. and were
pretty shy. But when these were not looking
the policemen put some women in the line two
or three times and winked 10 the man at the
All OF the women in the group made bitter
complaints about being cheated out OF theiI
places IN the line.
A. o'clock the waiting line had lengthened
hut little; but tho women had become chilled
and were moving about. Mnen they arose II
was revealed that they had part of the time been
sitting On paving stones that they had taken
from the heap piled up at tho edge OF the side
wax. The younger girls raced each other ~
AMI down the sidewalk the length Of the build
iug % warm the blood in their chilled bodies
keepins watch that their GGes + the ii9e wqr
looked at the City Hall tower and saw that sh,
bad been waiting seven hours Then she pulled
her shawl around her and pressed close 10 th'
corner lest she should lose her first place In
consequence q some thin person slipping be-
tween her and the iron ~ the door.
As the hour for opening the doors drew near
little knots ~ women began 10 gather in the
park and to lolter in the dOorways OF the Pos
You watch them. ." said a dark-eyed Jewess
you Will see that when we get inside they viii
:" But they are not in line at al3" said THE
Sun reporter.
Never mind; you will see how they get in.
was the reply.
The reporter carefully noted stout woman
with an oid-iashioned light Grape shaw of
peculiar drab color. young girl with bacl
straw hat and blue velvet trimmings; anotle
with sacque having brown velvet trimmings
another in blue striped shawl; another viii
light CATERS another with purple dress
another with check dress and peculiar ear
rings; pair OF young girls with lght hats
stout woman with neat white lace choker ana I
bunch Of gay flowers in her nat; and Il yOunl
girl with gay blue sacque. All these wer'
lettering carclcssly about, not even trying Z
get places in line. The reasOn Tor their indli
ference was soon apparent
Al 9:2O there We're about hundred women II
the line The reporter noted who was lirst
twentieth. hitieth. and so on. Then he wen
up stairs and found that somehow q little kno
OF women had collected about the window
where the certificates were 70 be given out
Some We're standing in the hallway and Others
Were seated alongside the stairs that lead dowr
from Mr. Davcnport's Office. Chairs had beer
furnished them and they were very comfort
able.
Before tho doors were opened guards wor'
placed at tho various stairways and halls. ant
then the order WAS given about ga TO " let then
in" Custodian McAfee went down ana escort
ed up stairs the woman VINO had been NJ th'
head OF the line outside the building, and th'
rest followed in some haste and confusion. Bu
AT the side door. AS the line passed. some o
those who had been lettering In the Park slipped
slyy in and got good places. tho post onlc'
clerk At the door Offering no opposition. Noefor
was made to remove the fourteen women wh'
were already at the window, and they kept thci
places al the head of the line, The girl whC
was Ht the head Of the line outside Of the build
lux took her first inside position as No. 10 nj ih
window. In very few minutes, and before IN
paving out of the certificates began. enOugl
were slipped in before her to make her No. ~
BY the time they began 70 pay out tho certn
Gates, at lO1. others had ncon put in ahead o
nor 30 that she was No AZ. The same misfor
tune happened 20 others who had stood d
erouched in the outside line for weary hours
The one who had been No. 50 outside became
NJ II inside The one who had been No. 9(
t.tal. a.. q, A L.. NJ.