Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-08-07
A CITY'S STREET TRAFFIC.
NEW YoRK's VAST ARMY OF PED.
oilers AND HUCKSTERs.
Venders of Innumerable Articles,
and How They Work-FloweT
Girls and Ncwsboys.

venders of InnumerabIe Articles,
and How They Work-Flower
Girls and Ncwsboys.
A vast plodding army of people in this
city live by peddling all sorts of mer-
ch ndise in the streets and by keeping
stands at the street corners. The battle
of life constantly being fought in these
strange trafficking communities is full Of
hardship, suffering and privation. Thou
sands of people thus engaged live from
hand to mouth, and a stormy Saturday
often means to them dinnerless Sunday,
and week back in their rent.
Most of the hucksters of the city start
on their perambulations early in the
morning and are untiring in the prosecu-
tion OF schemes to make living. They
may be divided into four classes-those
who have horses, those who have hand
carts, those who have to hire hand carts
and those who have baskets. Early in the
morning, and before sunrise, appears the
milkman, who leads the vanguard of the
hucksters.
Next CONS the dealers who live by
hawking all sorts of vegetables, fish and
fruit for the breakfast and dinner table.
They are numerous and hard working.
Their trade is one of constant labor and
full of those discomforts and risks which
arise from the inclemency of the weather
and the losses resulting from the perish
able nature of much of their stock in
trade. They attend the early markets
morning, while others have to travel
from distant suburbs. Yet they are
regularly on their beats, going their
rounds in every part of mighty New
York, some even before the breakfast
hour.
You cannot fail to notice that those
who announce articles in season only for
short time are more ineligible in their
promulgation than those who peddle the
same article all the year round. The
hucksters who sell vegetables, flowers,
and summer fruit have not time to be-
come indistinct. One day they offer
rhubarb and asparagus, then strawber-
ries, gooseberries, and the short-lived
cherry; whereas fish, clans, oysters, and
potatoes last longer, some being always
in the market.
The fish business is both the most reg.
ular and the most profitable branch Of
the trading industry of the street ped
dlers. But whether they deal in fish,
vegetables, or fruit, they are benefactors
to the great body of the working people.
They not only serve the people with what
they require at their own doors, but they
supply them at prices below what the ar.
ticles can be purchased for in the stores
The voices of some of the hucksters
can be heard all day long in the thor
oughfares of New York, in winter, in
summer, in fair weather and in foul.
Some of them confine their peregrina-
tions to certain districts, while others go
where they think to succeed best. Oys-
ters, clans, and fruit employ a goodly
number of people, both young and old,
who hawk these articles about in hand
carts and baskets. From the ups and
downs of fortune among them, not few,
instead of having horses of their own,
are obliged to hire them, and, as a con.
sequence, the profits are reduced very
considerably by the sum paid for the
horse and cart.
Other peddlers trade tin and iron ware
for old clothes. A very good cooking
pot may be had for pair of old trousers.
The articulation of a man who frequents
the upper part of the city is admirable.
His respect for the consonants is very
great. "Any old-d clothes-es or boots.
es; any umbrellas, however old-dl"
He drawls the invitation out, but is al
ways distinct, walking slowly in the
middle of the street, and addressing the
upper windows of the houses on either
side.
The neighborhood of lower Brodway,
Fourteenth street, Grand street, and Bow
cry swarms daily with a heterogeneous
tribe who deal in a variety of miscella-
neous articles. Many of the things of,
fered for sale are neatly gotten up, and
some are of ingenious construction. Few
of these, however, range above five cents
apiece, but how they can be made for the
money must seem mystery to most per-
sons.
The poor people who struggle for
living by attending the fruit stands in
the streets have in most cases hard bat
tie to fight to enable them to keep theiI
souls and bodies together They are
obliged to attend to their business daily
in all weathers from year to year, until
they fall like withered leaves.
The traffic in buttonhole bouquets and
flowers is not solely in the hands Of
women and girls, though many are en-
ployed in it. Those among the latter
who are neat, clean, and good looking
command the best sale. The flower girls
who have taste for judicious arrange
ment of colors have their little Hat
baskets very prettily decorated. Most
New Workers have love for flowers, and
it is pleasant to see the value put upon
few feet of ground which can be turned
into a miniature garden by its holder.
The army of fnewsboys and newsdealers
may be classed as street peddlers. The
New York newsboys have the reputation
of being the smartest in the world. They
are brought up to no trade, and little
capital is needed in their business. They
are often drawn from respectable circles,
many Of the little fellows belonging to
families in which it is deemed the duty
Of every member, however young, to earn
something. The remainder are usually
the orphans of laborers or mechanics,