Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-22
A FORCIBLE REMOVAL.
An Episode of the Sidewalk in the Me.
tropoliS.
NEW YORK, Nov. 10

tropoliS.
| was walking with a friend en- joying the
soft sunshine one afternoon recently. We
were up in the Thir tieth streets some
where. and near Broadway. On turning
corner we found our path obstructed by
about 800 men and women standing on the
sidewalk. There was 40 distur bance, no
commotion, but something hal happened,
Or something was happening, rather
1t was the scene Oh a forcible removal,
which means that soma mans little stand
for small merchandise has been picked up,
root and branch, AID carried off before his
eyes, by thosa in authority. These things
occur when the small merchant gets in the
big ones way. A complaint is made, a
warning served, which, il not needed, is
followed by a wagon AMI two or three
stout men who lift the obstruction"
other wise the small merchants humble out
fl, either whole or in sections, and whisk
it away.
i In this instance the offending establish
ment was a newspaper and cigar stand, a
snei, or small house with roof and big
double doors. Bu5 it offended the eyes Of
the richer dealers, who had complained, and
1t had to go, and l saw it going.
1t wasn't a jolly spectacle. Neither did
the crowd idling there think it was. HUI
man nature of a miscellaneous order ISM t
perfection, but it is quick to recognize an
in justice when it bas no interest at stake
The men and women looked with compass
sion at the unhappy little man who was
thus ruthlessly robbed Of his daily business
He leaned against the wall in silent despair,
while his entire stock of goods and the roof
that covered them were tumbled into The
yawning wagon. His plaster of paris copy
Of Sweet Oranges" had its head, basket
and all, knocked of and lay prone upon the
earth, done to death by sudden misfortune.
Where his small store hal been was only
a square of dusty and Uttered pavement,
on which the body and fragments Of the
orange girl looked abs olu5ely pathetic. In
/ the morning he had been a prosperous mer-
chant, in his humble sphere; the morrow
would find him without employment,
and with all the dark birds OF
encouragement roosting in his mind.
/ And the humiliation Of i'll How could it be
/ less than painful to see himself stared al by
the curious crowd, and have them see MS
+ little possessions treated as so much dirt!
The man spoken of as "the superinten-
dent, no did the ordering, was a fine con.
trast to the despoiled little merchant He
wore the most modish of clothes, topped
off with an overcoat that was something
splendid Lined with silk, thrown open at
the neck, it made him look very opulent,
indeed and made the shabby little msr-
chant look still shabbier
But somshow it didn't win the crowd.
Every eye looked at the then silent figure
leaning az ainst the wall with sympathy,
and scowlei at the stout man in the silk
lined overcoat They spoke to each other
in low tones, and their opinions vera de
cidedly in favor of tha housele5s dealer
Tough" said one; "A shame" said
another; "They take from the poor man
that which he has, said third Ito give
to him who hath. Scripture is certainly
fulfilled"
Women fingered on the outskirts of the
throng, and hey, too, felt sorry for the
little merchant He got in some rich
mans way, Isuppose," said woman with
basket on her arm. The winters Just
coming on, too, poor fellowr' she continued,
in half solloquy.
Ths men who carried out the orders of
the silk lined overcoat mounted the wagon,
slapped he lines down on the horses shud-
d3ring cls, and the wagon ratified away.
carrying the poor ewsnan's goods into
limbo The people looked after it, AMI then
At the desplndont loser, sighed, and went
their several ways.
GEO. OLNEY MARVIN.
NEW YORK Nov ri