Evening journal., 1888-08-08
.peeIaI corresnondencnl

NEW York, Aug Some astounding
facts concerning the treatment Of italian i'm
migrants recently brought to light by con
gre6sional investigation, have served to di-
rect attention TO class Of our population AZ
peculiar and distinct as are the Chimes.
among us One thing is specially noticeable
about the Italians Wherever they live in.
any considerable numbers there are few Of
no other residents. Thus, Mulberry Bend.
which is the location OF the largest group 8.
Italians IN New York, was at one time occu
pied BY the houses Of well TO do Americans
These were driven out, when the neighbor
hood became very crowded, by mixed
population, mostly Irish. The Irish in turn
vacated as tho Italians became numerous
and now none but Italians live there.
Mulberry Bendn is one block Of q narrow
crooked street. beginning at Worth street
ana running northerly and westerly 10
Bayard. The population of tho colony Is IN.
known, one estimate Of the board Of health
liking tho number at 1900, and another.
made by Inspector Williams, being 1900.
The ground Is made land, over an ancient
marsh; wherefore, in digging foundations
there, water and decayed organic matter are
! found Mt depth of very few feet The
! woodwork of the lower floors in the older
| houses Is decayed and covered with mold
ana other fungoid growths. Houses varying
IRON two to five stories in height I'll both
sides OF the street. Behind these houses are
Two other rows, older and more dnapidated
lhan those fronting the street The court
yards between the rows are filled with sheds
and outhouses which, despite the vigilance
OF the police and the board Of health. are
largely used, contrary to law, for living
apartments The scanty yard room left i
all used, as we'll as the roofs. for a dlyin,
ground where are spread out to dry rags gath.
cred by the pickers and apples, peaches and
tish IN enormous quantities The odoi that
constantly arises is unpleasant. Other adj.
lectiyes could be used, but all are inadequate
In the entire block not more than four houses
are really fit, aside from prevailing stenches.
Tor human habitation. SO great is the fith
that the board Of health is almost constantly
at work raiding some Of the'hotses and fairly
flooding them with disinfectants and anti
septics.
The population averages about four men To
one woman Among the women the ma.
jority are outeasts of Irish, German or other
nationality, but there arc considerable
number of italian women, many of whom
are young, and are fair types Of the Italian
PEASANTS beauty. They wear bright colored
clothing and snowy gold jewelry, but
though many of them nre gorgeous, after d
barbaric fashion, none Of them look neat
none can possibly be clearly
Living in the Italian quarter is very simple
In its lowest form it is the existence enioyed
by the tomato can hends. These delightful
individuals lack the energy requisite for be- |
coming tramps, and sleeping only on barn
boards or paving stones, gather refuse for |
their food, their drink and their clothing |
Drink being their chief necessity. they gather
IN old tomato cans, the Stops and dregs Of /
beer kegs from which saloon keepers have |
drawn all that is salable There are some |
1--we hundred Of these in Mulberry Bend when
they are not on Blackwelrs Island.
There must needs be, however, people bet.
ter to do in order that these may live. The
Italians who earn a living pay their wav
They pay for bed in the more decent places
I'VE or ten cents night but they share il
with one, two or three companions. IN one
room about six by eight feet in size Capt
McLoughlin found one night three men sleep
ins on tho bed, three under the bed, two on a
largo bench, two under the bench and ono on
a chair To supply the eleven with air there
was small window looking on a narrow al
ley 1t was closed, but three panes were
hrokon. In another room of the same dimen-
sions were four men, three women and three
children.
The Easements Of nearly all the houses are
occupied by cheap restaurants and bake
shops. The restaurants are all wine shops. at
which is sold so called "Chiantin This
used to be decoction Of bad cider. aniline
and alcohol, but is now made by dilutine the
cheapest California wine and adding fuchsin
and some alum or other astringent to give il
"bito.n This is sold at ten cents a Quart or
two cents glass
Tho other articles served are on n pai. with
the wine The coffee is made from the cheap-
est Brazilian beans and favored with cara.
way, TO meet the demands Of a weird and
wonderful taste. II costs one or two cents
cup according 70 its strength and the tone Of
tho place. Stale bread, which sells at two
and three cents loaf, is served, two large
slices for cent Beef stew is the standard
uish at nearly all the restaurants Itismadc
IL fairly decent way Of the cheapest scraps
from the slaughter house, potatoes ana
bread, but in the poorest places il is often
composed OF decayed meat, and the scraps
which the large restaurants ana hotels FOR
merly sent TO the garbage barrel The stnfI
is sold for five cents plate. 1t is not worth
while to speak Of the cleanliness of the
restaurants, but as TO their odor it Is easy ~
form notion by reading that they are com.
monty festooned with strings Of Garlic
strong onions and red peppers, hung from the
ceiling
Other favorite dishes are imitation Bologna
sausages of the ranlest sort, and macaroni
made somewhere in the Bowery Of the Door
est material inspid in flavor and often col
ored with chrome yellow. This sells for five
cents portion.
The average Italian workman has for his
breakfast, coffee, stale beer and two larre
slices Of bread, with sometimes a plato Of
stew or macaroni. Ii win cost. saw ten
cents. His dinner is more pretentious. he
will have half bottle Of Wine with the
same dishes, and the meal will cost fifteen
cents For dessert he win buy one or two
cents worth of fruit (often half de-
cayedl from the stands or the wagons which
are always numerous around the neighbor
hood.
OF the inhabitants Of this quarter. about
two-thirds Of the men are regularly EN-.
ployed, chiefly in street cleaning, Excavation
or some similar labor They earn from
seventy-hve cents 10 a dollar and half
day, averaging, perhaps, a dollar and
quarter. OF this they seldom spend more
than fifty cents, for they are a frugal race
and there is hardly one among them who has
been here considerable time who has not
saved hundred dollars, or two or three hun.
dred- This, since they have learned by ex.
perience to distrust the Italian bankers, thew
commonly carry on their person, concealed
IN belt or sewn into their clothing. Few
OF them come 70 stay, and they hoard their