Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-28
THE BANANA MAN.
Curbstone Fruit Vendors and Their
Many Trials.

Italian john sat with one leg thrown
over the handle Of his push cart. "Ba.
nan, banan; ple-orange-an- banan ~ he
cried, ard all the while looked up and
down the street and IN all directions
uervously. "Apple-orang-an- banan."
The little smoky oil torch swinging at the
front end of his cart fllckered and twisted
itself into all sorts of shapes, trying to
dodge the wind. Half a dozen other
smoky torches at regular intervals uu
the street signaled and winked at each
other, keeping up community of purpose
and sort of secret fellowship.
John swung his leg iaZily over the ham
die of the cart lettering it up and down
across it's two wheels and showing his
white teeth every now and then as he
smiled to himself. On the board with a
little rail around it laid across the top Of
the cart was spread out about a dozen
punches of little bananas, shriveled up
and black, as many bags ofpeanuts, half
peck of apples and three or tour dozen
oranges.
Occasionally he whstled some snatch OF
tune as he leaned over to put partic.
ularly large orange on top or to arrange
the bananas to appear more tempting.
There was 3 jolly pirate air about him as
he lazily swung his leg over the bar and
cried:
"Appl--orang-an-b Banan. ten
cents Dozen"
THE SMALL BOY
Presently little boy stopped to get "a
CENTS worth of bananas" and stood with
open-mouthed wonder at the pirate as he
picked out the latest ofhis store of num-
my bananas. AS the boy devoured the
mummy with juvenile delight, one of the
Pickering lights away of In the distance
gave sudden jerk and began to move.
Then all the other little lights gave sig
niicant wink and began to move, and the
pirate unswung his leg from the bar and
began pushing his cart lazily down the
street, while he whistled an outlaw tune.
Presently policeman came along, the
other lights began to back, and the pirate
backed also to where the boy stood with
an appetite for another banana. AS he
settled his cart back under the lamp post
again a look of contentment passed over
his face and he watched the row of wink
ing torches. conscious that his light was
winking back at them.
He had outwitted the law and
knew the law had several squares
to go before its brass buttons
could come along again. Mean
while his "outlaw trader could go undls-
turbed. But the trade did not go on very
prosperously. Even the little boy who
stood by admiring the picturesque out
law could not stand more than two
bananas. Either his appetite had fed, or
his finances had sank too low to warrant
any further outlay. All the other chill
dren hurried by to see the gay things in
the shop window, and the poor pirate
was becoming downhearted when the
Star reporter stopped by his cart.
THE PIRATE TALKS.
He offered to sell anything and every
thing he had at ''half price," and wound
up by offering him the whole wagon load
for "lour dolla." When he found that the
reporter had no appetite for fruit or pea
nuts, and did not want to buy out his
business with good will and fixtures, but
was merely disposed to have a little cnat,
be seized very quickly hold of the bust
ness end Of the opportunity and was very
communicative. He confessed confden-
TALLY that there was very little money in
the business and that the reporter was
wise TO keep out of it. There were thirty
or forty wagons at 1t already. aud be-
tween the constant annoyance of the
police and the small sales, it was hard
for them to make living. Even Christ
mas times, he said. did not improve
trade. In tact quite the contrary was the
case. Children, who were their princ-
pal customers, were 80 taken up with the
bright things in the windows, and had
other people to buy them so much more
from the large stores, that poor John was
business was the police. who kept the
carts always on the move. 1--WE pay
twenty-five dolla' license" he said, ''but
must movey; all the time must movey."
If they stopped, he said, they had to
watch out for the police or they would be
arrested and fined So or be sent to the
workhouse. "But they no ah catch me.
Me always movey. For five yeah me sell
ah banan and no pay tine."
D11tf hn nhd w q Vg q q
very hard to put his younger brother in
the business. Every "week or three' he
got arrested and had to pay a fine. He
scarcely made enough to pay fines. He
was so young that he got TO playing and
did not notice the other lights. Lighter
Oh, when one light moved it meant that
1t was moving out OF the way of a police
man, and they all got into motion until
the policeman passed. But, oh, the little
fellow was too small to dodge the law
yet. He get older, maybe! The carts?
Oh, no; they did not all belong to one
man. Sometimes one man owned SIX or
eight and hired men to sell. Sometimes
the men themselves owned the ones they
wheeled. Some owned only the goods
and hired the wagon.
Bananas? No, they never get out OF
season. They are In all winter, only they
are cheaper when most scarce. In season
they sold for 81 80 bunch. Now with
shrug of the shou ldefs) they sold Tor only
50c., and he could afford sometimes TO
sell them for DC. dozen.
How much did he maker Not much.
Enough TO live on (another shrug), but
no sell much no live much. Family? Not
him; most of the men had though.
NOT INA HURRY.
Oh, the reporter need not hurry. He
had plenty oftime to talk, would tell him
all about it. Others were stopping to
listen. John had hold OF the business
end and did not want to let go. he
other lights began TO wink violently and to
move, but John did not bulge. He was
not afraid OF the police under the circum-
stances. he had stopped merely to talk
with a gentleman. He had struck q
streak of luck. Soon the people would
begin to buy!
But the reporter had acted as advertis-
ing agent long enough. All along
Seventh street and then down the avenue
he saw the smoky lights winking at each
other as their owners carried on their out
law trade. Some carts were well stocked
with MALARIA grapes, oranges, nuts ana
candles, seeming quite prosperous, whlle
others had only the mummllied bananas
and little knotty oranges. One man Win
cart load OF candy said that be mad
eight carts on the street, and offered 10
sell the reporter all the contents OF one OF
them for $25. He was not aware That one