Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-02
MARKET OF ALL NATIONS.
a COSMOPOLITAN SCENE ON LUDLOW
STREET, NEW YORK.

STREET, NEW YORK.
a Pie,ar-.aa. Gathering sf Cur,oas People.
tIow the Othedos Hebrews select rhsir
sabbath reod-Ths n-sbis rh., Alw.,.
Follow. q Cr.vd.
Have you ever been In the vicinity u
the Ludlow Street market ON a Friday
morning. Well. N YOU have not you
have missed n sight. Ludlow Street
market comprises that portion of the
city bounded by Hester and Canal and
by Esscx and Orchard strrcts Every
Friday. from sunrise TO sunset. IL Is tho
livcliest neighborhooi In this city.
Tho yells and whoops of an army Of
comanche- OF Donnybrook fair it-elf
never furnished the noise found here
every market day. a. Friday Is called
Tho sons and daughters u Israel hock
from all portions % the city, aud minglo
with the denitcns ~ the down town dis
,rictA IIobokcn and jersey City send
their delegations rcady Tor bargains, and
before noon the street u impassablc.
Ragged jackets and scant wraps rninglC
with scalskins and silks while white
bearded patriarchs jostle elbows with
the bright eyed and TIL lppcd Jewish
maidens AMI their swarihy. stalwart
bruthers and fathers. all Keen Tor lar.
gain and totally unconscious ~ the pict.
urcsque feature they make In tho middle
% Gotham.
TIE uNtEAyTSED BEEAD.
Every man. woman and child bcars
basket. and they arc out for material for
their Sunday dinner. the kosher" food
Tor the "shabcs- table. killed and cured
according 90 rites prescribed when the
nco was young Notwithstanding the
somi.roligious ernnds 10 the marketcrs,
tho traditional shrcwdnc,s Of the race l.
tho chief feature Of the bargaining
Tho first places visited by every one of
tho market men and women arv the
stands where tho larchcs. or unleavcnod
bread. l. sold. The loavc. are first given
thorough inspection. and then the
price Is asked This is followed by an
oifer of a cent or two lower. and. after
haggling a few minutes. purchase l.
made Thcru h r,a-on for the haggling
AMI the clo.c inspection.
The harches loavss. Ike other pro
ductions. are subjected 10 q roiuvenating
treatment before bcing offered for sale,
when they arc stale. and knowing ones
can tell this by looking them over care
fully When not frrsh the loavos are
squeezed and handled - ~ to make
them soii. then scented 10 prevent the
souncss from being detected. and then
put on the stands.
The purchaser fccl. of tho loaf. smells
IL. and then balances u In his hand o.
sec that IL l. not under weight Then Il
is turned over. a. though Il were some
precious metal instead - i've cent
loaf. aud then tho driving commences
Tho dealer j. toll that be- Il nothing
short of a highwayman-that tho same
article could H. purchased somewhere
el.s Tor half the money.
Tho fish stands arc highly important,
for every orthodox Hebrew must have
dsh with his meat on SHADES. Here,
also, the bargains are tightly driven and
the inspection thorough and searching.
lIko the bread. the hsh. too. arc some
times dcctorcL They are perfumcd. the
gills painted red aud plenty of saltcd loo
water thrown over them a. make them
fr,sh aud iirm. and IL takes a goOd Judge
to detect the deception
SELLING TRiNgErs AND PRAYER BOOKS.
Thc.c. with most stands and notion
stands ami the Thousand and one fakiv,
take up every available inch ~ ground,
sidewalks and even the middle u the
street. vonders' wagons are strung along
the CUTTERS and display vegetables, AL
ads. potatoes and all other articles of
food. including garlic sausage. that meat
~ dear % tho Kosher palate. Not alone
DO the yondcrs conilne themselves tO eat
ablcS Every thing from a turtle back
comb 10 a dishpan Is on sale, and its
merits are hawkcd In half dozen
languages Tor this l. cosmopolitan
gathering There are Polish and Ger
man Hebrews. Germans. liungarians.
French and Italian housewives oui Tor a
bargain. besides the keen bat dirty rab-
bio that always gather from no one
knows where. wherever there l. n crowd.
Small boys. with tattcrcd trousers and
torn cuais. but eyes keen as a hawks,
dodge In s.nd out selling collar buttons
and matches Toitering old fellows Send
second hand clothes. old cloaks and an.
Gent hats. altogether forming a scene Of
indcscrihable confusion.
One Of the old time characters Is an
ancient and wrrtchcd looking woman,
who usually sits on an old ash barrel and
In cracked tones invites the shoppers 10
buy some "Shatcs lights. the wax can.
dies used In their religious obseryanccs.
Another character Is a venerable old
man, who parades Essex street on a
market day with never more than four
brooms on his shoulder. family crying
out his goods
But there Is another class Of wares on
sale They arc supposed to furnish sus
tenance for the spiritual nature. as the
other does for the physical On every
side on small stands arc prayer books,
te gsllim. OF prayer belts; cloaks OF tails,
for the rabbis; prayer ribbons. misrachs,
channaka lights, Talmuds, etc. One
thing In particular Is noticeable - far
as the religious articles are concerned,
and that Is that the buyer pays bis prices
for them withouta mumur. New York
Star
4 Pretty Action.
A newsboy took the Sixth avenue ele-
vata.l nj, PARK ulac. al noon Yesterday.