The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-01-12
ON THE BIG BRIDGE,

ON THE BIG BRIDGE.
THE PEDDLERS AND BEGGARs WHO
TRADE BETWEEN TWO CITIES.
Tho Old Woman Who Grinds the Organ
and Trusts In Provideuco-Apples,
Matches and Nowspapers-A Kind
Hearted IndulGent Policeman.
Pcd,llers and fakrs have discovered new
grazing ground. Tired of browsing about
the approaches to tho big bridge they have
now taken to the promenade itself. and even
the cars and carriage ways at certain hours
OF the day and night are infested with these
perseverins people. Here and there can be
seen the vender of the far famed Egyptian
pure bono collar button, the rosy checked
apple woman, the decrcpit blind man with
his faithful dog, and the scamp with the
nearly obsolete doube sign, ono side describ-
ing Einl us paralyzed and the other notifying
tho public that on occasions he is blind.
Tho little old woman with the squeaky,
esthmatic hand organ may be stumbled over
at night as sho sits crouching in the shadow
OF tho big towers. Far Off arc the lights of
the two great cities, and tho patient little
woman grinds away at her organ, charitably
unobserved by a kind hearted policeman.
AS tho poor organ responds to her shriveled
touch with broken bars of MARTHA" pair
of pretty working girls stop and one of them
hesitatingly examines shabby, worn pocket
hook AS she dropped n penny that gave out
cavernous echo from the bottom Of the
little tin cup her companion asked in o
kindly voice and with CHEEKY smilo:
"How is it tonight, motherl'
"Oh, much tho same, deary It's hard
life, bub, sure, but God is good, and as long
rs get tho bit and tho sup and place to lie
in, why should complaint lave taken
five cents SO far and tho people arc good
people, so they are"
''Sooner than grind that wheezy old thing
for such pittance Id jump into the river"
said tho other little damsel, with flashing
eyes
"Ah, my dear,n said tho poor woman, as
from her uprascd eyes beamcd tho faith that
she felt, that would bo very wrong You
must never forget that tho good God has q
caro- for every ono of his creatures hero be-
low. | can look up in tho clear sky and from
beyond the stars can SEQ him watching me.
He is good, kind Cod my child, and he has
treated mo better than my deserts. | have
only few short years to lingcr till I'm with
him."
The old woman had forgotten her organ
and n beautiful smile ilumined tho
wrnklcd features Tho girls passed on, but
the sublime faith that shono from tho aged
eyes and the resignation of her tones left their
impress, for she, too, was in her way an
humble missionary.
RAISING HIS HAT TO THE FUNERAL.
Tho night wore on and tho morrow came,
with its changes. Tho great thoroughfare is
alive with humanity going and coming The
trains whisk by, crowded to their utmost
capacity. Tho carriage ways arc crowded
with trucks and vehicles Of every description.
here comes funeral, and u gray haired
Policeman reverently removes his helmet us
tho dead goes by. 1t Is an llnwonted salute,
but this particular policeman is said to have
always shown that humble respect whenever
q funeral crosses tho bridge.
Now is tho timo when tho merry little ap.
plo woman gets in her fine work. She does
not occupy ono Of the benches for the exhi-
bltlon of her wares, for tho simple reason
that tho bridge officers nro too numerous.
Perhaps she was not compelled to part with
tho customary penny to gain access to tho
bridge pathway. She had loitered about tho
entrance until the officer had accommodate
lnSly turned his back. when slle syly walked
III through Exit here" and is soon jogging
along with tho crowd. Perhaps the police
man did SEQ her, but ho wouldn't call her
back. "Shure tho pinny won't mako any,
body any tho richer" said ho to himself.
Give tho woman show"
And what a harvest tho apple woman
rcaps The officers can't arrest her for car
rylhS her uncovered basket on her arm
while on tho bridge, and if some pedestrian
helps himself to u nice rosy apple and drops
penny or two into her palm, why it's no
fault of hers And. when she walks across to
one entrance, isn't she at liberty to retraco
her steps nnd walk back to tho other en-
trancef Ofcourso she is, and she keeps this
up until her stock is disposed Of
Then, too, there is tho old newspaper
dealer llo formerly caught his trude ut tho
brooklyn entrance, until ho ingratiated him
self INTO tho good graces of somo of the con-
ductors on the cars, and although ho has to
produce tho necessary bridge car ticket, ho
enjoys q monopoly in tho sale of papers OH
tho trains, and rides back and forth every
evening and morning, as often rs he chooses.
The old man has only ono arm, and carries
his papers in u school bag strapped to his
side. He has suffered some injury to his
neck, which coinpcls him to carry his head
drawn to ono side and bent over on his chest.
llo has an aged wife to support, and he says
he would rather bo selling papers than doing
any other kind Of work.
THE wulsTLING NEGRO
AT about 10 O'Clock on any pleasant day n
Wh!stllnS negro dressed in q gaudy uniform.
with largo Lnapsack strapped to his back,
cnadc. He is an advertising novelty and
carries big supply Of handblls and illum-
mated cards, which he distributes to tho
crowds which gather around him. He is u
clever dancer and amuses bis bridge audi
cnccs with characteristic ''sole" stirring
breakdown, accompanying himself on
mouth harrnonica.
When crowd large enough to suit him
has gathered, he at once pulls out handful
of his advertisements from the knapsack and
distributes them among tho crowd This
fellow manages to cease his little side show
just before tho arrival of q bridge police
man.
The Italian match boy, with q stock of
matches that arc guaranteed not ito blow
out" is also to be seen on tho bridge promo
nado. He can always count on selling a
number Of boxes Of matches during the day
aud evening. Whilo walking across tho
bridge u smoker always is taken with a de-
sire to light cigar or cigarette, and If not
provided with matches he must either borrow
a light from some one else or patrouize the
match boy, which latter he generally does.-
New York Star