The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-11-24
"GOOSET0WN'S' P0LAKS.
THE HEBREW CITY WHICH LIES
WITHIN THE METROPOLIS.

riblc-Iiving Upon the Cheapest and
Poorest Food In the ,Iarket-Thc To-
Iaks characteristics.
Home life among the PolHks is hor-
ror \ family will occupy an apartment
of three rooms and in the largest VIII
boaqd and lodge from Gyc TO ton guests.
These are supplied with a heavy padded
coverlet for mattress and wooden
footrest for bolster Tie pillow is the
guests coat and vest rolled up. In the
morning he receives bowl of coffee
made from coffee refuse and chunk of
coarse rye bread. For these accommodate
lions he pays 81 week. If he desires
milk. sugar and butter he pays extra or
supplies himself The latter course is
pursued by tailors and cobhlcrs who
keep these food accessories in battered
tin cans or cracked jars, beneath their
bolster and coverlet.
An aristocratic boarding mouse in
Goosetown consists OF n fiat of four
rooms. In one the landlords family
sleep: a second is kitchen, dining room
and sitting room combined; the third and
fourth are guests rooms and accommo-
date from ten to twenty boarders. The
rates arc So week For this sum the
guest hns n princely bed, consisting of n
thin straw mattress, coverlet and n
footrest pillow His breakfast is coffee
and either bread or roll. His dinner,
soup, boiled beef and potatoes bread and
stewcd dried apples or stewed spoiled
fruit When the Polaks are new corners
the rooms are generally filthy and foul
smelling When they have been here u
number Of years they generally learn the
beauty Of cleanliness and keep their
apartments rs neat and clean as the
average tenement householder.
OTHER MODES OF LIVING.
Another mode of living might be styled
club life. A number of Polaks hire q
room from householder, who acts as
landlord, janitor and Waterman. They
supply their own sleeping conveniences,
n second hand stove and few kitchen
utensils When night comes each MEM
Der of the club cooks his meal in his own
pan. The odors that arise from the mix
ture Of fish, chicken fat, beef, goose
grease, onion, garlic and L,imburger
cheese may be imagined but can not be
described
In their eating the Mosaic law is obeyed
| to the very letter. The eel, clam, oyster,
scallop, crab and lobster are anathema.
| So is the hog in every shape. The taboo
| chowder in which bacon is used as a
| flavor, and even to pies and pastry where
| lard has been used to tighten the dough.
| As substitute for lard they use chicken
fat, goose grease, beef drippings and
oleomargarine. The last named article
had grown unpopular since the best but
ter substitutes contained neutral lard. "
The foods are the cheapest and poorest
that can be bought in the market. The
shank and neck Of the animal are favor
| ties These are boiled till the bones are
ready to drop out The latter are re-
moved, cracked and thrown back into
the pot The meat is removed, put under
heavy stone to be compressed and al
lowed to cool. When cold it becomes
solid and is cut and served in long slices.
| Freshness is matter Of little account,
cheapness is everything. Spoiled meat
and putrid fish find multitudes of buyers
| in Goosetown when offered for sale at
less than 5 cents pound. The board OF
health makes seizures of these foods
every week, but the supply continues
| nevertheless.
| DESTRUCTIVE OF DECEECY
The crowding is utterly destructive OF
modesty, decency and the family ties.
| The boarders dress and undress before
each other and before the landlords fam
| lily. 1t is not uncommon for half dozen
families to occupy one apartment and to
herd together, married and single, young
| and old. As result vice is very preva
lent Young men learn how easy it is to
| get along alone, and start lives of de-
bauchery.
| Capt Williams, OF the New York police,
estimates that in the past ten years Goose
| hnu nd IN ha 90
| roll of lost women.
The ayarce of the Polak is monument
tai He will make his family herd like
beasts work with him sixteen hours OF
| the twenty-four, live upon the cheapest
| fare and dress in the poorest cast of
clothing long after he has accumulated q
| fortune. No greater surprise can be eX
! perienced than to see the wife and daugh
tiers of one of them issue from their vile
tenement on holiday. The night pre-
vious they were u n rags, slipshod and
frowsy. Now they are attired in the
heaviest Lyons silk and sparkling with
jewelry and diamonds. There are proba
bly, 1000 wives in Goosetown who OWL
more than S., 900 worth Of jewelry apiece
This is regarded not as luxury or as os
tentation, but as wise and safe invest
ment OF SO much money.
Ihe POlak is MUCOUS anu VlnQlcllVe
When his wrath is once aroused he dis
plays power of deviltry trky surpass
ing. The records Of the police courts show
such curious freaks OF malice as squirt
ing vitriol from housetop upon liner
hanging out to dry, putting live cells in &
devout Jews bedroom, filing a lock ant
keyhole with tinfoil when the occupant
was in bed, painting the head of a sleep
ing foe with pitch or red paint, setting
fire to mans apartments and having
him arrested for arson, and issuing card!
advertising an enemy's home as n houst
of i'll fame. Incidents like these are o.
daily occurrence and swell the bushes!
of the To;nbs and other tribunals to {
great extent.
The Polak is grateful. lie remembers
friend or an act Of friendship through
his life. He is also hospitable. To frient
or stranger who enters his gates he /!
courteous and offers what he has. They
are aiFectionate, and within their religion
charitable. E. S. Fales in kansa!
City Times