The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-09-21
POLISH JEWS.
HOW AND WHERE THEY LIVE
IN NEW YORK.
Interesting I'ecu!iarities of a Unique
Pcoplc-A World by Themselves
busy Scenes in a Swarm
ing Community.

SAA| cS"o III Illlo S1IN,
many Of their characteristics have never
been described. There are between 3d.
600 and 90, 900 Jews in New York, two
thirds of whom are probably Poles, they
having no less than 1856 Congregations
of their own.
Although they can be found IN many
other localities, their great centre is on
the east side of the city, where, just
north Of East Broadway, in Ludlow,
Hester, Essex, Norfolk, Forsyth and
Broomc streets, they manage somehow
to pack the greatest number Of living
souls within the smallest given space. A
thrifty Pole rents a room in q tenement
on Broome street, which in dimensions is
about six feet by fifteen. He determines
to take boardcrs and make money. The
inconvenience to his family is a small
consideration when weighed with the
profits Of his undertaking. He takes,
therefore, from eight to ten boardcrs, as
the case may be, furnishing them with
mattresses to sleep upon, and a bowl of
coffee every morning for one dollar per
head a week. II they wish milk and
sugar in their coffee, and a roll to eat
with it they must supply that them
selves. This is no ~exaggcration. Three
rooms arc often occupied by thirty. eight
persons.
The Polish Jew has the economy of
living down to an exact science. Some
times the boarders club together to OBJ
tain for q small consideration the priv
lege of cooking upon the premises of
their host. Imagine eight or ten men,
congrcgated around an oven or stove, in
a room which is used as kitchen, parlor
and general bcdchamber, each cooking
in his private saucepan fish, potatoes,
garlic, turnips md various other edibles
and you will have the quintessence of
the odor peculiar to the Polish Jews.
The streets in the Polish quarter are
at all times crowded. Licensed vcnder
wagons occupy the corners. Men with
old clothing for sale, peddiers of notions
and lemonade vendors walk in the mid
die Of the street crying their wares. The
sidewalks arc INSTRUCTED by tailors look
ing for work. East and west of Ludlow
street: Hester street is q busy scene. The
shops are mostly sidewalk affairs, tended
by old men or women, and in some in
stances young girls.
1t is n common thing to see two ven
cradle Hebrews accentuatlng their speech
with bony fingers in the vain hope of
gaining an advantage over each other in
the trading of commodities. It is OF
Friday and Saturday nights that this
n~eighborhood puts on its busiest aspect.
Tho streets arc then so crowded with
swarming life that the pedestrian has
great difficulty in threading his way
through them. The Jews are out in holi-
day attire. Every man, even the poor
est, sports q huge watch and chain. The
women are dccked with necklaces, lock-
cts, breastpins and fashy rings. One
would think they had despoilcd all the
jcwclry shops in the city, in imitation of
the feat Of their folcfathers in dcsnoil-
ing the Egyptians. The Pole must have
chicken upon holy days. He is content
to live upon dried herring and scraps all
the rest of the week. knowing this
propensity, some cunning Hebrews buy
up chickens at cheap wholesale prices,
and sell them ut a great advance.
The traits described are the dark char
acteristic Of the Pole. Let us look q
: little into his better nature. The writer
CHANGED to be passing down Broome
street when his attention was attracted
by a large crowd in front Of the tenc-
ment No. 2o3. A hearse and two car.
riagcs stood in front. The windows on
both sides of the street were thronged
with Jewish faces. On the sidewalk nm
old Jewess, bent with age, was walking
back and forth, jngling a little tin box
in her hand. Into this the bystanders
were unsparingly throwing small coin,
although some, from their appearance,
could hardly afford the charity. This is
a custom of the Jews, who at every flu.
neral solicit aid in this manner for the
poor, in order that they may bury their
dead. A small pine coffin was carried
out by two bearded men and placed in
the bearsc. Presently a woman appeared
in the doorway of the tenement with o
shawl thrown over her shoulders and
wearing a dirty calico gown. She wore
no hat to cover the dishevelled hair,
which fell in disorder upon her
shoulders. She was a widow,
and her only son, q boy of twelve,