St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-11
A CURIOUS CLASS.
Eva Gay Visits a Community,
of Northtown Rag
Pickers.
An Occupation and a People.
Few Citizens Know
OF.
Little Tots Who Poke Through
Ash Heaps at
Dawn.
Depravity in the Lowest Form
Known to Mime
apolis.

EThe boarding mistress was so cross
the other morning that we girls all ate
our breakfast in fear and trembling.
saying not word. supposed that the
dOmestics must have left without Civ
ing notice and slid out to the kitchen to
offer myself as substitute. But the
girls were all there just as usual. See
ing that l had made mistake, retreat
was in order. The landlady spied me.
however, and said in those cold, clear
tones which make one SILVER: EVA,
where are you going today"
''Nowhere." was my non-committal
reply.
''Well, I'll tell you of something
that's worth looking up. just go and
find out where the rag-pickers live and
how much they steal. Let your grown
up working girls rest while and look
after those little imps. You needn't
come back telling any pitiful stories
about the rag -pickers, because they are
thieves every one of them" Here the
landlady paused for want of breath. l
didn't know that rag-picking was a
trade, and had never seen one of that
class: but wondered what made our
kind-hearted landlady so ill-tempered
and positive in her assertions.
"Where will | find them?" | Yentured
to ask.
"Just get up early enough any morn
ing and you will see them pOking
about and stealing everything that
they can lay their hands upon" she re-
piled. Ibid they steal anything from
you?" questioned. II should say they
did. There were fifty pounds OF carpet
rags in the shed all sewed, waiting to
be woven. and the rag-pickers carried
away every shred. Is it any wonder
that I'd feel out of sorts about it?'' said
the landlady with pathetic sigh.
| retreated in haste for fear of dis
grazing myself by laughing outright.
Our landlady is New England woman
and, in accordance with the custom that
prevails in that section of the country,
she tears old dresses OF coats into strips,
seWs them totether and has them woven
into what she calls shit or miss rag
carpet" The name is appropriate,
that's just the way it looks. But those
carpet rags were dear to'the good wO-
mans heart and to satisfy her | must
look UP the rag pickers. Next morning
/ arose at half-past four. AS Mark
Twain says, that's a sinfully early
hour" Iagree with him. Our land
lady is economical. so there was no fire
in the room. Shivering and yawning,
amused myself by watching the few
people who were on their way to
work even at the early hour
of five o'clock. Judging from
their appearance they were in perfect
sympathy with my ideas in regard to
early rising. But where were the rag
when suddenly l heard shrill cry, re-
sembling that of the street peddlers.
Looking down the street, spied two
little girls searching in the cutters. AS
they CAME nearer | saw that they were
apparently not over ten years of age.
They wore neither shoes nor stockings,
and their tattered wooden dresses were
only all apology for that garment. Their
hair hung matted and unkempt about
the face and shoulders. They had
gunny-sackS strung over their shoulders
and a long, crooked stick in one hand.
l thought they must be cold, but they
seemed used to running about Oh No
vember mornings barefOoted and hat
less.
1t was amusing to watch them prod
every ash-heap with that long stick end
examine every stray heap of rubbish
with the glance of cOnnOisseur. They
weren't at all critical as to the quality
of articles collected; rags, crusts of
bread, bits of tin, old hats, shoes and
nails were among the objects selected.
Occasionally they would find an article
of some little value which had acct
IDENTIFY been thrown away, over which
they rejoiced with that shrill cry which
had first attracted my attention. The
children seemed Industrious, and per-
haps as we'll contented as those in
higher walks of life, and l was just
wondering if there was any earthly
reason why should ask them questions
and ferret out their abiding place,
a neighboring yard and shortly return
arm. / concluded to go down to the
sidewalk and read that child lecture
on the depravity of her ways, not
having the slightest doubt but
that she would listen respect
fully and say ''Yes'm' when
it was finished. just as the bad
children always do in story books.
These gamins must be of different
sort. As soon as l put in appearance
they ran away as fast as they could.
Running is good exercise on chilly
so l ran too. | never before
realized how many alleys and rail
fences can be packed into an ordinary
block. After long chase | succeeded
in cornering one victim. When escape
was impossible she sat on the ground
and whimpered. She couldn't speak
much English, her language being a
sort of Hebrew dialect. When She
found that I didn't want to beat her
and also that had few stray pennies
in my hand, she became quite sociabIe
and allowed me to go home with her.
Her innate propensity for sliding
through alleys and byways was rather
but after what seemed an in
journey we reached point
near Washington and Sixth avenues
north. just back of Washington avenue
was whole Jewish settlement. | had
passed the locality many times, but
never noticed it before.
None of the houses were more that a
story and half in height. Each house
two or three rooms. The |
front door opened directly into the liv-.
ing room. | only visited a few, but my |
curiosity was fully satisfied. That little |
ocCtlou VI Vic Ci0y Htto lHO iol SOot POpu-
ation to the square yard of any place |
which | have ever seen. In one house |
the floor was bare and black with dirt. |
Jhe castings of the doors and windows |
in the same fashion. A table |
stood in one corner, containing the |
of plentiful meal, but the !
dishes seemed not to have been washed |
since they were first purchased. A |
rusty stove, an old stuffed sofa and |
some common wooden chairs completed |
the furniture, as near as | could judge.
Several slovenly and brutal looking !