The sun., 1890-11-23
NEW YORK'S ARAB COLONY.
IN rNCROWNED KIM rules us
DESjINIfcN tui iIl,

| There fs colony OF foreigners In this city
| that has neither increased nor decreased In
numbers In fvo years, yet not one-fourth OF
/ the men who were member, of it i've years
ago live here now. The three -fourths who
have gone away are now living practically In
allluence In their native land. They came
hero to America 10 get money; they succeeded.
| and went away. They are called Arabs, though
really they are Syiians. Armenians. Turks.
and Corts. Monsieur Shrabcl is President or
| King OF the colony. Ito is so called because he
has been hero longer than any other member OF
/ the colony. and he Intends to stay hero. lie Is
| rich FOR an Arab. He probably has as much
money as half the other Arabs put together.
| The colony is in Washington and Greenwich
streets, about two blocks from the Battery.
There are not more than 800 men. women. aud
| children altogether, and as mono Of them cNn
| vote they don get much attention from the
| outside world. They live In the little old two
| story. and-hasement houses that Rre a-pleotv
| In that part OF tho city, and they crowd each
| other almostas much as the Hunparnns or the
| Chinese. Every family keers boarders. Every
family lives In dirt. Every boarler is dirty.
| As soon as an Arab arrives in New York ~
goes direct to tho colony. There is n hearty
welcome there. lie tells how much money he
has. and then, after single day to learn the
| customs of the people in America he is taken
| 10 one Of the merchants and told how 10 invest
! mis- money in pack of tiinkets Thon he is
| taught the value Of each Article aud is told TO
| ask any would be purchaser at least en- times
| as much as il l. worth, and gradually to reduce
| his price. when the would DO rurchase or objects
| to une-half what he originally asked. or eN-
| actiy five lines what the thing j. worth. Next
| card is given him on which is written his ad-
dress in New York He is then taken to n ferry
| leading 10 Jersey "r Brooklyn and is told to go
and sell his wares and if h. gets lost, 20 show
| his card to anyb body and lie will be directed 10
| his home.
| OF course he has got t. know a little Eng
| lish. He has usually picked up enough to en-
able him to get along before he gets here. If
| he hasn't. his stay in New York is heightened
enough for him to max" up for his deficiency.
| That only requires a few days. If he is slow t.
| learn enough to enable him TO travel i'll safety
reddlers license may be procured for him
here, aud he viii be started up Broadway with
a stock of shoe strings. matches, and The like
| first having been supplied with IL suit of Amer
Jean clothes Or he may be permitted 10 wear
his Oriental costume. In that case his stock
In trade consists OF cruciiixes, rosares. glove
boxes. card Eases made Of wood or shell. per-
fumery. brass jcwclry soap. and fig paste.
Most of the Arabs who 80 to New Jer-
scy to pedde wear tho Oriental costume
There is something about it that attracts
York children, and size parts with her
money for some one or two OF the valueless
trinkets and thinks she has a bargain because
she has succeeded in purchasing the article for
maybe n little more than half what thu Arab
asked for il mt the start. The Arab is a success
| full peddler. because he will not take a refusal
| to purchase ns final. He will argue and hagGle
| and talk Arabic and English combined for an
| hour to sell an article that Will not net him
L.,
face no coo,ly knocks again and seeks another
| hearing. He is so polite about it all, and bows
and apologies SO profusely that he escapes
physical punishment that would most surely
be inflicted on man OF any other nationality.
10 sarl IN hs op hss h
| started on the road By some one Of the Arabian
He nna a On is
receives for his employers wares. HIs em,
Lloyer can afford to pay that and good deal
him all he receives; To make him turn over ali
he receives he makes him believe that he. is
average Arab long to lind ont that he isn't be- e.
| least ten per cent. OF the amount he takes in
besides the ten per cent. that is en- pIoyer pays
tune to an Arab. and when he manages to col
!ect that much he almost always returns to his
home. With Cooi luck he can save the fortune
Arabs down in the colony are q peaceful lot
OF citizens. Tn"y live practically at pence with
! each other. They are wise enough to keep out
of trouble, with others, They nre simply
money gathe, ers, aud 50 long as they are not
teriere with no one else. They seldom spend
any money except with men OF their own race
is cooked and served. A Sun reporter visited
one OF these lust before dinner time tho other
dirty; There were four plan wool tables in it:
in va ne the COOK The Ea Of
two SlStultS. One was mt work bAnph
wHrking like c.Earmaker, There was
PILE OF GiNcsg SGW neat Ghosn nely Dd on his
or two other vcceta bles were being miXei
with it by tn. second assistant. On. the. left
boiled sufficiently to take the erispness out OF
them I'd mnke them soft and i!exlb BILE; One OF
1ss si %G % 's s"S TSsn
small ha3IIul OF Tho rhopped meat an vegeta.
cigar. Alter that it was put. in the cabbage
leafand roIIel, ltwas ready for bo ing then.
the Ne New York Arabs. They " had he.n M taught
how TO make it. by mis;-i"nHres i;,. before they
name name 10 ior T IT, It was sold Tor H i've eats @ piate
and each plate consisted OF two rolls, On tho
tw1 'oHI oI IN % H. wR Rch @ taerr IN Mers oG ron
which meat formed a conside eratle par.' in
the ovens were four pans OF food roasting;
beef and and tho fourth h, of r9ta,oes and turnips
five cents. The !ilpor in which tho meat and
Vegetables We're 10 10 costs three cents howl.
| \ double ulate OF anything costs seven cents.
| Be'ore Inner was ready dozen customers
were in ne restnur9nt. They all walked back
to s nhn unS G Of Fpe o ,nEI c9os os
OF bread. The. bread cost 3 cents. 1T was a
round fiat Ionf baked to crisp. There was
The bread was torn to pieces and eaten dry.
| and the rest OF tho meal WAS eaten with q
! spoon. Some uf the customers topped the
/ meal of with drink II something called wine.
| There was only II thimhletul in q glass. 1t
/ Tu r., a Alsintha
| 1t cost cents Il ink.
| On an average this restaurant has hfty-nve
| customers day. Each customer eats two
| meals II day, and gets II loaf OF bread for lunch.
| The prico OF all the food eaten By each man i'll
! not average 30 cents u day. md of this tho
| keeprr OF The restaurant makes IA r profit.
| Boa, ding honsr inrn Is cheaper and not So
| good. The same di-h is served at every meal.
| 1t cost 81 n week in some boarding places, 81
in others. aud So in others There ara a few
| mechanics in the colony ard one on two
| pen'ers who earn the union scale of wages.
| They save money lnster thNn tho Loldlers aud