The sun., 1883-12-16
ITALY IN NEW YORK.
sCEyEs AND INCIDENTS IN THE SIXTH
WARD ITALIAN COLONY.
II. Tkronns Upon the streets-ThrowinR
R,uxs for Knives-"Ln Coionis Itaiinun"
-Cruel Wrongs Done to Poor Inborers.


and il is very doubtful IL there is anywhere a
fthier one. 1t Is a beehive and the bees are
lazzaroni. 1t is rag fair and the rags are walk
ing about 1t is q garbage heap and the gar
Gage Is for sale us food. 1t Is convention OF
people who sworo in youth never to wash them
selves. and have kept their vow. 1t is q
tcdIam in which all are iabbering. gcstculat-
ing. josting. and in which at times there arc
the hashings Of knives. the imprecations Of
rage. tho shrieks OF fear or agony. and the
groans OF the dying. 1t is all these. according
to tho visitors capacity and opportunity for
observation in II. Yet there are here also fru-
Eality. industry. and other humble virtues not
compatible with ignorance. poverty. and dirt
There arc In this colony about 10 900 Italians.
1t Is the largest Italian colony in the city. The
next in size is on Crosby street. and the small
est is scattered along from 10Th to llth
street on the east side OF town. Altogether.
there are about 10000 OF these Italians In NOW
York. Five years ago this section was almost
entirely inhabited by Irish. Tho Few Chinesc.
Jews and negroes mixed in among them were
scarcely noticeable. The Italians came in
swarm. Ono day. there was only man, a mon
key. and a hand organ to represent, Italy.
The next Italy seemed to have come over to
represent herself
Near Chatham street. on the west side OF
Mulberry. is the first characteristic outpost OF
Italian civilization. 1t is n small shop. not well
lighted. with red stcncied placards in possibly
good Italian but astounding English. on zach
side OF the door and upon the walls. purporting
10 be- Rules for Throwing" In the back OF
the shop is groat sloping table full OF vertical
iron rods each with ball OF iron on its top.
Beside each rod knife is stuck in the table.
There are huge. murdcrous-looking bowies:
slender. Keen pointed StilottoS; big curved
carving knives. long, enough to, 80 clear
through a man and LOT, you hank, your
that shut up. and. when open, lock fast in
that position with u snap; knives of all
sos ana sizes; lies, eESeept tnnf there n is dnd not
The great prizes are revolvers and cheap silver
handles of the knives. Before this fascinating
exhibit stand about twenty eager Italians.
blades. and ali talking AT once. A narrow coun.
ter rail keeps them away from tho coveted
weapons. and behind 1t stands young man.
who may be u most vrtuous and Respectable
ought to bo the galleys" somewhere in En-
tors that for five cents each they can have
the privilege Of each throwing four iron rings
the thrower is entitled to waIcvsr prze is stuck
beside the rod or tied to it. They gaze at the
knives admiringly, lovingly, yearningly. hpt
before they will yield to the temptation. At
length one of them nibbles at the bait. He
j u.
He is made to see that it will. Hc doubts the
y.nuinene,s;s Of @ a revolver which Is the great
biz bull"ts He doubts if he will not be
iwindIed in tho count of the, rings for his five
cents. He is allowed to select four rings tor
himself. to MAKE doubly. sure that there are
four of them. and he holds them in one hand
length he seems satisfied. and assumes de,
termined look. HIS nineteen friends have all
helped him doubt each time loudly. Now in
n SOIemn huSh u SuDnraSspt aN
misses. A choral howl Of blended lnmentu-
up from the nineteen. and he tries to an;
swer them individually with louder sound
three minutes OF these exercises, hs throws
another ring-and misses again. Tho air is
by 0ss the
above the knives. -, =" iro u prscisone"' tThrow
io,. as,onshment Of the still unsentence.l one
behind the rail. rebounds from tho wall and
an air of reuctnnce and sadness lie withdraws
the prize & from the ab. ana hi hands it oyer over IT.
straight carver. There. is wild delight among
the twenty. From nand to hand they pass the
murder2ns tool. feeling its edge. gloatinG
lhrusting and downward stabbing gesticu!a-
tions with 1t. When It is finally returned to its
rlousiy absorbed somewhere among his rags
Eneouraged by MS success he buys % four more
rings ann resumes throwing IN nope Oh getting
the much desired revolver.
Tie sidewalks are crowded with men. Many
Of them look rs il thav had but Just arrived in
the country but the majority snunter and
swngGer along with an air Of familiarity with
their surroundings. Shors with Italian signs
wilted soup vegetables find place. along tho
eurbstone. AT corner great heaps OF second ,
sand so'hng M are stacked up on sSemporHed
bers OF them CARRYING babies done up in the
strange mummy-like, fashion Of their people.
nj nri tTaf tl,a of
Interiors Of the buildings and the blocks show
sy Suns wh drynr Mm & tShes sonE and
swing swing in the courtyard' be,weep opposite,
tISs tho houses he 'nsi %
% and are the sources of riyulets that crawl
nSsshy ,S ont to the xo,d
but there isn't Q real bank Of deposit IN The
whole colony. Those places arc simply Offices
Italy, and Tho saio OF sioerage tickets on steam
sTs IPying between this port and LAZY Mhnn
money to do so Ole he send sends to italy for his family
A. e he has ono. II he has none he waits to get Il
n19.nre h.,le more money. enouGl, 70 support nm IN
and and then fe goes home, But these Offices are
called banks in the usual habit OF southern OK
Italian, Italia calls himself a merchant. The men
royment agents. gotting work for newly ar.
rived immigrants from contractors for rail
rough labor
There are a number OF cheap restaurants
some OF them SO small that they do not seem
hois 10 iced more than three or four persons al
ume, anu fayorite sign At their doors is the
anhnuncement in Italian that they supply food
a. nys cents portion. What tho food Is an
hmerieah Is quite content to leave to con-
wo ee,uIc, nr there are numerous beer shops. and
ssWp OF tnree more Dretentious places assuming
10 Dc hotels. that profrer Italian wines
greater density In the crowd on the side
VAIN at ono point and the fact that the reople
IN me crowd are all starin. In silent open.
Mouthed wonder. into coupls of windows.
lraw tLat q ss',ent"n Ten % to printing esabfhmsnt
The door Of the office has to bokspt Licked t"
stSeuae me curious thousands who wish
70 behold the mystery of printing. 1t Il
emtrring that little office crowds it. so thor.
0y 0ughly is every available inch OF space already
riinhsu Ior type cases. job presses. and busy
printers Visitors on business are received
W,,n courtesy and m intelligent. good-looknu
;pung man shows with Just pride tho neat work
NJ, fre establishment is doing and exhibits the
three .rm three Issues OF tho paper Each copy has
o. t,gr handsome pictnre. u woodcut reprint
Sn ,is irst page. makes liberal show OF AL
nerising and devoteS "A good space IN original
nteuenr nmtne.er aHcrting the interests OF tho colony