The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-02-06
MISCELLANY.
irLIANs IN NEW, YORK.


Cruel Wrongs Done to Poor Iaborers.
There is no buster spot in all New York
these winter afternoons then in the Italian
colony on Mulberry, Worth, and Bayard
streets, and it is very doubtful if there is
anywhere filthier one. 1t is q beehive,
and the bees are lazzaroni. 1t is rag fair,
and the rags are walking about. 1t is q
garbage heap, and the garbage is for sale as
food. 1t is convention of people who swore
in youth never to wash themselves, and have
kept their vow II is Il bedlam in which all
are jabbering, gesticulating, jostling, and in
which at times there are the Hastings of
knives, the imprecations of rage, the shrieks
of fear or angony, and the groans of the
dying. 1t is all these. according to the
visitors capacity and opportunity for OBJ
servation in it. Yet there are here also fru-
gality, industry, and other humble virtues
not compatible with Ignorance, poverty, and
dirt
There are in this colony about Is, 900
Italians. II is the largest Italian colony in
the city. The next in size is on Crosby
street, and the smallest is scattered along
from 10th 10 l17th street on the east side
of town. Altogether, there are about 40, 900
of these Italians in New York. Five years
ago this section was almost entirely inhabit-
ed by Irish. The few Chinese, Jews, and
negroes mixed in among them were scarcely
noticeable. The Italians came in swarm.
One day, there was only man, monkey,
and hand organ to represent Italy. The
next, Italy seemed to have come over to re-
present herself
The most of these,Italians are lazzaroni,
that is, poor people who come to this coun-
try because they have nothing to lose and
everything to gain by any change in the
conditions of their existence. II an Italian
has enough to live ON at home he is not likely
TO come away except in exceptional cases.
Don't imagine that the lazzaroni are all bri-
gands, assassins, or thieves. No, they are
simply very poor peopls, mostly industrious,
frugal, supplemented, honest rs their neigh
bors, and very ignorant Most of those who
have come over in the past two years did
not bring penny into the United States,
bnt they brought willing hands for work.
They are good laborers, especially for rail
road construction, and are steady in their
habits, very seldom getting drunk, and
rarely gambling, even for the smallest sums.
Having made an agreement to work for a
stipulated price, they stick to it, never
striking for more wages, and they are con-
tent with the simplest and scnntiest food
and clothing They are abominably cheated
by those who control their labor in vast
number of instances, and then, sometimes,
they REBEL MS any men might, and in the
heat Of passion do violent deeds. The con.
tractors generally employ foremen over the
Italians, and those foremen are in league
with the boarding masters to rob them.
Sometimes, too. the companies or contractors
at least wink at these practices. Here is an
instance. About 1000 Italians we're work
ing on the West Shore and Buffalo Railroad,
between West Point ana Newburgh. The
company gave the contract to man, who
put his bills in every month to the company
and when the Italian laborers were paid the
company took out the amount they owed for
board. know men who worked there for
six months, and came back at the end o.
that time with only five-dollar note, hay
ing been robbed of all the rest. One of the
men showed me wooden pipe which the
boarding master sold to him for five cents,
as he was told at the time of its purchase,
but for which he was charged IS in bis
account. And that is but one illustration
&c hvndrado I oould otto Thara 10 a nom