Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-02
SATURDAY. NIGHT.
The Poor of the Metropolis at Cathar-
inc Market
New Works. Poverfy-Sericken People
-Endless Streams OF Women
Carrying Baskets-SOme
sad Scenes.

| Nv. NJ. Donmelly In Texas Siftings.I
| Once upon time, that is to say, twenty
or thirty years ago, the busiest spot in all
the busy city of New York on Saturday
night. was Catharine market The market i.
there s.ill-twc low wooden sheds running
down the middle of Cathariiie street for
about go feet, To South street, and facing
the East river ana Catharine ferTy--but time
and progress have carried the best part and
class OF trade uptown and across the
river to Brooklyn. Butchers and
poulterers' fshmongers and green
grocers' stores, too, have sprung up
all around the old market, laws 10 the con
haIy notwithstanding; and now the main.
stay Of the market is the custom of the hotels.
steamboats, and sailing vessels The neigh
borhood was an aIistocratic one at the middle
OF this century, but the old houses, many of
them fine residences, have either been swept
away to make room for storehouses or facto-
ries, or turned into sailors boarding houses
tenements for the poor, and Offices.
But on Saturday nights Catharine street
becomes galvanized into something resemb-
ling its former life and activity. From z
O'Clock until TO- endless streams of women.
all carrying baskets, are to be seen pouring
down the various streets that converge upon
the market Most of them have something
rolled up in-paper tightly clutched in one
hand. That is the coin they have earned. or
coaxed from the old man, or taken out of his
pockets as he lay drunk ON the bed in the
dirty little tenement room, and with which
they are going 10 purchase Sundays dinner,
and perhaps also the scanty supplies for the
rest of the coming week. Others have not
been SO fortunate, and these walk with hes
itating and timid step, for they will have TO
plead with the butcher and greengrocer for
trust until next week The excuses are
numerous. Himself is in bospifal
with broken ,'g, or lie is out of
a job, or he is dhrinkin' up his little
aiinins IN the corner shop bevant-may
the divil swalley him an it,-an She an the
childher dyin' wild the hunger Others. again.
are tmidiy pushing OPEN ust little way
the swing-doors of the salooi;s, and peeping in
to see if their husbands are inside: while
few march boldly in, demonstrate with theii
dissipated partners in very unfenlinine terms.
and If their lords are shamed into asserting
their iordship before their companions, take
them by the coat collars and actually run
them into the street.
The credit seeker unless she haprens TO he
a very old customer, is usually refused. aud
goes back to her cherries room, cold and sad.
eyed, hungry and down-hearted But the
poor-especiaily the Irish poor-are very gooc
10 one another. We saw miserably-clad
woman standing at the butchers stall the
other night. ''Ah. SIR she WAS saving MS |
we drew near, ''the child can't ate bite at
all. Its only lump iv leg beef want to |
make the tay the docther ordhered. |
Sure am ut / comm here this fonr
month back an never axed We wan cent |
iv thrust aforer' But the butcher shook his |
head, and the poor woman was turning hope
lessly away. when big red-faced Irish |
woman who had overheard the last appeal. |
thrust something into her hand, whispering: I
"Here y'oie, honey; buy yer mate. Sure
haven't childher myself tin i them. the
Lord be praised' Then she turned to the
butcher, her red face flaming bright scar.
let: ''An you. you stony hearted ould snow
ball, divil Il taste more III buy in your ould
shehang" And she walked Off TO the next
stall.
1t is amusing TO watch the little girls some
carrying baskets in which they might sleer
as they make their purchases.
What bargains they drive! how closely they
watch the scales to see that they are getting
good weight how they bully the butcher
into pairing off all superfluous fat and cutting
out excessive bonel How carefully thew
count their change, promptly returning any
looking coin; and with what shiin
indignation do they pipe out: "Alisther, !
want wan cent more, i We Place Sharp
eatured and slarp-eyed, sickly looking and
sale. 1t is very certain that they have never
had any childhood Mt all. They are KEEP;
from schcol 10 mind the baby and to take the
pitcher 10 the beershop in the daytime, and il
he evening they are sent to market. or &c /
eil papers and purchase rheumatism and
pneumonia, and knowledge ST every form OF !
-, IN iIn Il l-anf