The morning call., 1890-05-06
FLOWER VENDORS.
The Varieties That Pay the
Street-Sellers Best.
Police Interference After Noon - Choice Of
Street Corners-Holidsys a Bonanza.
Violets the Favorite,

Who'll buy my fowers?" is a familiar
enough cry to be heard coming from the lips
of the fiOwer-girls in the streets of the Old
World. On the continent of Europe pretty
hower-girls are quite an institution. Paris
is famous Tor its daintily dressed soubrettes
with their saucy caps and charmingly chic
appearance.
The peasant sellers in the streets of Rome
and Naples invite more custom with their
glorious pleading eyes than with the beauty
OF their bouquets. In London, at the pres
ent moment, philanthropist has a scheme
on foot to deck the iower-girls In more pic
tureSque garb, by which to attract more
pennies from the passer-by.
For in the Old World the days gains are
counted by the modest brown centime or
penny; here in San Francisco by the pile of
silver dollars. Here. too. in this city the
business is entirely in the hands of men
and boys, and a nice thing they make out
OF 1t. too, when times are flush and the
weather fair.
VIoLETs PAY BEST.
oh" cried chorus of sellers congre-
gated around Lotta's fountain, "yolets pay
out and out the bestl All! if we only had
violets all the year round Still, we can't
growl They last anyway from September
to March, so we have a very fair show.
Everybody will always buy vioets, If only
for their scent, which really lasts longer
than the flowers. And then, they don't
wilt so soon as tenderer flowers, as pansies.
for instance. Obi they're just splendid to
sell. What's the next best? May roses by
a long way. They Just came in week or
Two since and give us lots of dollars, too
Pity though they wouldn't last longer.
These are what everybody calls the Pauline
roses-theSe bright deep red fellows
they are prime favorites. Yes, believe
you're right; the Jacqueminot is the swell
name for 'em. But we all call 'em Paul
ines. The pink season lasts through June
and July, but they're not much good to u.s.
People don't catch on to them as they do to
yiolets and roses. Lilacs amt bad-they're
Just ott-but they last too short a time
only two or three weeks, and there's not
much in them"
THE PET CORNERS.
Corner of Geary and Kearny Is nv cor
ner for choice" answered one moderate
sized youngster. What do you say. Jim Pr
-" My choice" said the one called Jim, "if
had that stand at the corner of Fourth
and Stevenson that that man has held so
long I'd make fortune in no time It's
simply bonanza"
Well" ehimed in man of about 25 or
so, IF had my pick I'd say I'd take in
more dollars at that place there on Suffer-.
near Dupont. But what's the use of talk
ingP They're none of them no good after
II. After that look out for the police Is
there a scattering? You Just betI They
wont let us stand anywhere after - O'clock
We've Just got to scoot. So we've to make
hay while the sun shines and try and sell
out before noon, then 20 home and come
down again maybe at or o'clock at night
with fresh lot and take our chance with
sAe folks going to the theaters."
LITTLE LOSS.
tNnt thanh
voiced reply as to whether losses cut any
hole In profits. mo, we scarcely lose any
thing. We know pretty well what we can
get away with each day, and il we sell out
oy III instead Oh II O'Clock all the better
were satisfied. And then a bigger profit
one day soon makes up for the loss on
pad day, such as windy or wet one But
mondays are our big show. Take Decora-
ION DAY, specially, or Fourth of July,
Mashlngton's birthday or Christmas or
Tor sure. Everybody wants flowers. and
wont haggle so closely for cent or two.
VI course, the big church decorations at
Easter don't help US bit; that's out of our
me; Inc I Wholesale florists who send up
their Gala lilies by the ACCOMPLISHMENTS
the ones for all that. It's only the greater
number of people on the streets on those
days that buy so freely from u.s.
HOW DO we keep them so fresh look
Ing Oh. just common watering not or
one of these bladder-shaped ru6her ar
engagements with nozzle does the trick and
Keeps them fresh all the time we've got
them in our baskets. No. it don't pay to do
up bouquets with ferns and such fancy fix.
lngs. PEOPLE wont pay any more for them
and we should be out of pocket that much
profit. 'A"' IL" eA
Il guess for the little we charge. 10 cents
for this bouquet of pansies. or Is for this
s small one OF roses, and 80 for the big one,
those who buy them done up with a border
OF natural leaves don't lose anything by
their bargain. Neither do we. So il works
fair enough both ways. don't you think SOP"