Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-05-15
THE PECULIARITIES OF PEOPLES.

Distinguishing Marks OF tit,zens From
Various Countries.
Perhaps the rarest sight to be met
with in some parts of New York is that
of a Hebrew bricklayer. They are al
most as rare as German l~aundrymen.
The two classes of people with whom
policemen on post ~(patrolmen) get
along best are Hebrew s~torekeepers
and Irish saloonkeepers.
At q political, patriotic, or social
gathering composed of men only. any
where in New York, Americans usually
come in singly, Irishmen two at a time,
and Germans four Or five together.
A hotelkeeper who expects to get
and to hold any Spanish, Cuban, or
South American patronage must have
q balcony or two. If he has a balcony,
front and rear for each floor, his for
tune may be almost regarded as made.
1t is the experience of most election
inspectors that the quickest and most
expeditions voting election day is done
in districts inhabited, wholly or chiefly,
by native Americans. And of these
those born in New England states are
quicker tnan the Others.
On New York thoroughfare the
nationality of the s%torekeepers is
shown as follows: Where kerosene
lamps are to be met with in the show
windows, Germans dominate the
neighborhood; where electric lights
are found, Hebrews predominant; the
Italians use gasoline, and the Irish and
Americans burn gas.
When an Irish-born workman in the
employ of the city, Or of a contractor,
is killed or disabled, leaving q depen-
dent family, his friends get up a bail
in his benefit, and it yields anywhere
from $50 to $3.50. The money to pay
the lawyers fee for defending a Grim
inal is often raised in the same way.
Such entertainments are almost en-
tirely unknown among Germans, near
ly all of whom belong, or have rela-
tives who belong, to some benevolent
social lodge.
When q legal paper is served upon q
Chinaman he smiles blandly and places
it within the folds of his blouse. When
a legal paper is served upon an Irish
man he does not hesitate, as a rule, to
denounee the plaintiff. A Hebrew de-
PENDANT usually makes some offer of
compromise to the server of the pro-
cess, and the average German calls his
friends and family together to deter
mine whether he shall keep the paper
after it has been handed to him.
When a New York locality becomes
so thoroughly notorious that its disre-
pute extends beyond the limits of the
city, and it is vacated, the first tenants
to nov in are invariably colored peo-
pie. When they leave the French fol-
low. To the French succeed the Ital-
ians, and when the Italians leave the
locality ceases to exist as q place of
residence. and stores OF warehouses are
built on the site.
The shrewdest criminals met with in
the police courts are the Chinese.
From the moment of arrest to the mo-
ment of trial they are non-committal.
They disclaim everything and admit
nothing. This silence prevents the
police from forming any clews or from
utilizing such confessions Or eXplana-
tons as most criminals or persons ac-
cused OF crime are accustomed to make.
Next to the Chinese the most reserved
and taciturn of the residents of New
York are the Bohemians.
The bravest, quickest and most
c~lear-headed persons at a fire in New
York are 1rish-Americans; the most
difficult persons to save o T to succor are
the Polish Hebrews, who become terri.
fed at the sight of flames and can only
be moved by force. They will neve,
jnmp.--Ner York san.