The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-02-27
IN BAXTER STREET.
Walking Under Arcades OF Clothes
and Dodging "Pullers-in."

II the author OF "The SAINTS Rest'
could rise from his grave and come
over to New York to see the dingy
thoroughfare that bears his name, and
observe the inhabitants thereof, it is
probable that he would be trifle dis.
gusted-as Lord Chatham might be il
he took walk up the street named in
his honor. Baxter Street is given over
exclusively to tenement houses, dirt
and the clothing business, particularly
the latter. The west side of the mar.
row thoroughfare is one gloomy bower
of trousers and coats from Canal to
Leonard Street, for the Baxter Street
merchant extends his business over and
above the sidewalks, and even into the
cutters. 1t is impossible to walk
through the street without knocking
ones head against the garments hang
ing from above, shouldering those upon
the dummy figures below, and stepping
upon the shoes that line the cutters;
for Baxter Street sells complete out
fit from head to heels.
The Baxter Street merchant is not
particular as to his methods either.
Escobar is said to have collected
twenty-four crimes, including murder,
which the casuists among the Jesuits
did not consider criminal when CON-
mitted to further the interests of their
order, and although it is not on record
that Baxter Street clothing dealer
ever killed q man to sell him coat,
yet each merchant will assert that his
neighbor is capable of such an action,
and also of committing the other twen-
ty-three crimes to obtain his money
from the dead mans estate. In Baxter
Street may be found the typical Jews of
fiction, the direct descendants of Shy
lock and Isaac of New York. 1t was
q Baxter Street Jew who was killed in
the crush at the synagogue, caused by
an unprincipled persons cry Of LOB
lots!" in the vestibule. One of these
clothing dealers will haggle all day
over dollar, and spend an hour upon
the difference of a penny in sale Of a
paper collar. A bargain with him is a
sacrament.
Baxter Street rises early and retires
late. At six O'Clock in the morning
sleepy young clerks may be seen taking
down the shutters and beginning to
hang the contents of the stores in the
street toeatch any chance workman
who may pass; and as the family of the
merchant always lives over or in the
store, the establishments are kept open
well On to midnight to secure any pos
sible straggler. The entire family take
a deep and holy interest in the BUSH
ness, from pater and mater families
down to the toddIers of five and six
years. Solomon, the father; Rebecca,
the mother; Moses, the son, and Rachel,
the daughter, are alike welded to the
cause, and may all be found in the
street from morn till noon and noon to
dewy eve, endeavoring, syren-like, to
seduce the unwary within. OF course,
there is always bitter feud between
each merchant and his nextdoor neigh
Dor, and occasionally, when business
is slack, animated combats, in which
every member of each family takes an
active part, vary the monotony.
One of the features of Baxter Street
clothing house is the ''puller-in." Alb
surd as it may seem, each establish
ment actually has at least one vigorous
employee, whose duty it is to forcibIy
drag any possible customer who passes
into the store. Woe to the countryman
who ventures into the thoroughfare.
1t may take him all day to get through
it, for he will certainly visit
every store in the street, unless
he possesses remarkable strength
and resolutions; and if he gets out with
out buying something he may consider
himself prodigy. One puller-in after
another will seize him. No sooner
would he get past one store than the
puller-in of the next would have him,
and thus he would be passed along the
line. The puller-in becomes a neces-
sity in Baxter Street by reason of the
contiguity of the clothing houses; for if
Mr.. Moses should follow man with
whom he was endeavoring to make
bargain upon Mr.. Solomon's sidewalk
there would be bad quarter of an hour
for Mr.. Moses, unless his family were
quick to the rescue. Hence it is neces-
sary to hold the victim while talking
business, lest he get into rivals terri
tory.
So ardent is the zeal of Baxter Street
In this direction that only last week
policeman in citizens clothes, who was
taking a prisoner through marlborough
fare to the Tombs, was pulled in,"
and his prisoner escaped. The officer
vainly endeavored to assert his iden-
tity. The entire family all held him at
once, took of his coat, put another ON
him, showed him all the latest Baxter
Street fashions, and were Offering him
an extraordinary bargain in suspenders.
when uniformed police officer, who
had been informed of the affair by one
of the dealers rivals, came to his
rescue. As soon as the officer had been
hauled into the store the prisoner, who
knew that his chances for escape would
be hampered by the clothes men.
dodred the next puller-in and ran out
into the street. But in trying to avoid