Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-13
THE RUSSIAN JEW.
HIS PROGRESS IN LANCASTER.
He Tatss To Observation-Disclosures Cus
toms of the StrnDger-Thetr Habi-


about year ago there was ycry large
immigration of Russian Jews INTO this
country They had fled from the terrible
prosecutions to which they were subjected
by the ignorant and b;goted adherents of
the Greek church, who charged them,
without the slightest evidence, of being
the authors of all tiio crimes with which
that unhappy country has for years
been afflicted. Those immigrants arrived
in New York and Philadelphia in the most
pitiable condtiOn-ragged, frieudless and
penDiless. They were kindly received by
their Hebrew brethren, who organized
relief committees, supplied their immed,
ate wants, and took effective measures to
distribute them among other towns aud
cities, and to impress upon them the duty
and necessity of their becoming self
supporting. In pursuance of these meas
ures colony of. about thirty or fOity Of
them were sent to Lancaster and for
almost year they have been living in
attention, except in the immediate neigh
bOrhood in which they reside.
Where They 1.-Two.
Nearly all of them are men, and they
are now quartcred in three or four small
houses on Middle street near Rockaud
They are hardy looking, rather untidy in
appearance, and are coarsely but warmly
clad. They came here without capital,
without the slightest acquaintance with
the manners and customs of our people,
without Il knowledge Of the English, and
Only very imperfect knowledge of the
German language. The local Hebrew re-
lief committee furnished the most needy
of them with a little money and with !.
small supply of goods, and almost every
man of them became petidler. They
have not attempted to do any business in
Lancaster, bat every Monday mornin" they
may he seen leaving the city, iii almost
every direction, with immense packs
strapped upon their backs, heavy enough,
one would think, to bear them to the
earth. These packs contain most Won
derful variety OF cheap merchandise. aud
each of the Ieddlers is u veritable SaIn'l
of Posen." They trudge through the
country from farm house t, farm house,
expose their wares to the admir-
ing gaze of our country cousins
and rarely fail to make a sale of some
sort-whetlier it be pins, needles, tapes,
combs. brushes, thimbles, cutlery, gloves,
hose, boots, shoes, calicoes, muslinS, jew
elry, underwear, coats, pants, stationery,
glassware, tin-ware or something else
among the thousand and one notions with
which their packs are laden. They seldom
retirn to the city before Friday, unless
they have been lucky and sold out their
stock before that time. They frequently
travel by rail, getting off at tho way sta
tions along the Pennsylvania and
Reading railroads, and thence striking cut
into tho country. On leaving home they
never take with them Il cent more than
will pay their way from Lancaster to the
station at which they propose to leave the
cars. The ticket agents never have Occa
sion to make change for them they al
ways lay down exactly the price of the
ticket, and no more. They depend on
their prospective sales to see them safe
home again, and they generally come back
with We'll filled wallets.
Their Religious Observances.
On their return to Lancaster on Friday
evening at sundown, the Israelitish Sab
bath commences" the evening and the
morning is the seventh day." and in ac-
cordauee with tine law, as given from the
holy mountain, they rest from their labors
and worship the God ofAbraLam. They
do not attend the Jewish synagogue, but
have service of their Owu, partly in
Hebrew and partly in their native tongue.
There service is much more orthodox I"
than tbat of our Lancaster ISraelites, with
whom they have neither religious nor
social affiliations.
On Sunday they don't have much to do
outdoors. Our Sunday laws prevent them
from openly plying their avocations Oh
that day; but it is said they utilize the
day in buying goods. and making prepara-
tions for their Mondays .jaun.s to the
country, which sometimes extend far be-
yond the county limits-occl lsionaIly as far
as the coal regions of Schuylkiil, Carbon
and LuZcrEe counties. q
Establishing Wholesale Houses.
So successful have these Industrious
peddlerS been in selling their wares that it
became necessary for them to have y
wholesale storehouse from which they
could replenish their packs. Accordingly,
some months ago one was opened by
Weiner & Brenner. in Middle street, and
did quite a thriving business. Wener,
however, thought he could do better in
Steelt2n, Dauphin county, and 50 he sold
out, and Brenner Went to peddling. Vein
er was succeeded in business here by an.
N
who is still! in business. Some time after
wards there was another wholesale estab
lishment opened next door to Peters gro
Gerry store by NJ. Lurio and L. B. Inner
man. These houses supply the ped
dlers with all or nearly all the goods
they sell. They are packed from top to
bottom with all sorts Of notions and some
staples, most of which come from New
nrl nd dol,
q day passes that the express wagons do
stores on Middle street, and unload boxes
bales and packages of goods, TO keep up
the supply which is constantly being
drained by the peddlsrs.
Social CustOms.
Their Gentle neighbors say they are
orderly and we'll behaved sober, indus.
Irious and frugal albeit rather untidy
i'll matters ofdress they keep themselves
to themselves and meddle not in other
peoples affairs. Their manner of prepar-
ing their meats before cooking has led
some OF their inquisitive neighbors to sup
pose that they were careless as to it's quail
ty but this is not so. Not only do they
reject pork and all other meats forbidden
oy the Mosaic law, but SO particular are they
N the selection and preparation of their
beef and other clean meats, that they have |
appointed one OF their own number to |
daughter the animals, so that the slightest |
;aint of uncleanness may be avoided. |
And even after their meat has been pro
lounced KOSHER" that is, clean and |
wholesome, they are careful to
lave every drop of blood removed |
rom it before cooking it. To this
nd it is carefully salted and laid for
time on clean board or wrapped in |
10th that the blood NAV ha drained from |