The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25
POLISH JEWS.
HOW AND WHERE THEY LIVE
IN NEW YORK.
Interesting PeculiaritiesJo of q Unique
People-A World by Themselves
Busy Scenes in a Swarm
ing Community.

been described. There are between 80, :
900 and 80, 900 Jews in New York, two
thirds of whom are probably Poles, they
having no less than 1876 Congregations
of their own.
Although they can be found In m ny
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
Broome streets, they manage somehow
to pack the greatest number of living
souls within the smallest given space. A
thrifty Pole rents room in tenement
on Broome street, which in dimensions is
about six feet by fifteen. He determines
to take boarders and make money. The
inc convcnience to his family is a small
consideration when weighed with the
profits Of his undertaking. He takes,
therefore, from eight to ten boarders, as
the case may be, furnishing them with
mattresses to sleep upon, and bowl of
coffee every morning for one dollar per
head a week. 1t they wish milk and
sugar in their coffee, and roll to eat
with it they must supply that them
selves. This is no e1aggeration. Three
rooms are 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 small consideration the privi-
lege of cooking upon the premises of
their host. Imagine eight or ten men,
congregated around an oven or stove, in
room which is used as kitchen, parlor
and general bedchamber, each cooking
in his private saucepan fish, potatoes,
garlic, turnips and 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 vender
wagons occupy the corners. Men with
old clothing for sale, pedd!ers of notions
and lemonade venders walk in the mid
die of the street crying their wares. The
sidewalks are obstructed by tailors look
ing for work. East and west of Ludlow
street, Hester street is busy scene. The
shops are mostly sidewalk affairs, tended
by old men or women, and in some in
stances young girls.
1t is a common thing to see two ven-
erable Hebrews accentuatlng their speech
with bony fingers in the vain hope Of
gaining an advantage over each other in
the trading of commodities. 1t is on
Friday and Saturday nights that this
neighborhood puts on its busiest aspect.
The streets are 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 huge watch and chain. The
women are decked with necklaces, lock-
cts, breastpins and fashy rings. One
would think they had despoiled all the
jewelry shops in the city, in imitation of
the feat of their folefathers in despoil-
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 at great advance.
The traits described are the dark char
actcristic of the Pole. Let US look
little into his better nature. The writer
chanced to be passing down Broome
street when his attention was attracted
by large crowd in front of the tene-
ment No. 2O3. A hearse and two car
riages stood in front. The windows on
both sides of the street were thronged
with Jewish faces. On the sidewalk an
old Jewess, bent with age, was walking
back and forth, jingliug 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 fu-
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 hearse. Presently woman appeared
in the doorway of the tenement with a
shawl thrown over her shoulders and
wearing dirty calico gown. She wore
no hat to cover the dishevelled hair,
which fell in disorder upon her
shoulders. She was q widow,
and her only son, q boy OF twelve,
years, had been taken from her. She
was poor, pitiably so, but at her side, in
this hour of her trial, were many sympa-
thetic women, whose eyes were stream
ing with tears. lending her all the aid in
their power. Hatless she entered the
second carriage and followed her son to
the grave. It was an everyday occur
renee, but it showed how closely ties ,
poor Jews stand together in times of
aff1iction.
Another fine trait is their hospitality.
A man must be poor indeed, who has not
his demi ;ohn or bottle of brandy to offer
his visitor. The Polish Jew always
drinks first, offering his guest afterward
the same beverage from the same glass.
This is to show that the liquor is not
poisoned. -.
Veneration is still another fine quality.
The Jew always honors and respects his
parents and the parents struggle for the
welfare of their offspring. In this respect
no race on the earth surpasses them.
Many an old fellow going about driving
shrewd bargains has this for motive in
his dealings.
The Pole is also as quick in acquiring
languages as he is acute in making bar
gains. He can learn more of the Eng
iish language in three months than
German Jew can in three years. and he
speaks it without the obscure accent that
marks the speech of the latter. In Hes
ter and Ludlow streets there are book
s,lers who sell Hebrew books. Hebrew
is the language of the Polish Jew.