New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-16
A PEST OF TIN MONKEYS AND LIZARDS.
THE PROTEST OF SUFFERER FROM STREET
vcNDERS OF QUEER TOYS.

VENDERS OF QUEER TOYS.
TO the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Some time ago | ventured to address COM
munIcation The Tribune protesting against inc now
danger which seemed to menace New WORKERS, III tn'
shape OF babies falling from fourth story windows upon
innocent passersby, and am encouraged TO ask room
to record another protest. / am not new conner In
New-York I was born in this city and bave always
lived here The who drove cows to pasture whero
Grandst. now is, and shot woodchucks on the SH
OF Washington Square, Is my uncle myseil can
remember when Fifthave was residence street.
mention these facts to show that life 10 New-York
is no experience for me.
OF late however have found the streets OF uptown
and downtown business districts annoyngly crowded
with hawkers and hucksers OF small and foolish tribes
that feel moved to protest against the continuance OF
this row Of men and boys along the sidewalk, nasgns
the patient throngs Who pass to purchase senseiess un
nothngs. In the popular mind, Mr.. Editor Boston II
literary, and Chicago Is pOrky, but what Is Newforks
if considerable part Of her population stands on the
curb and offers for sale tin lizards on wheels, TN
monkeys climbing palm trees, pewter Mary ana
Johns" and balloons that squeak automatically IL
these dealers In thes catering to the infant popu'
ation of NewYork the youngsters must be liberal pur.
chasers to support such throng.
Last Sunday evening listened to an eloquent dis
on the dawn OF new century, glowing picture
of the marvellous advancement OF humanity In religion.
literature, thought, government invention and art
and now standing the threshold OF still crander
So fired was / with enthusiasm that hardly slept
that night and Monday found me the street still
pondering the grand theme. l Ind not gone two
blocks when Of those palmtree monstrosttes WINS
thrust beneath my nose and heard " Buy monkai
shova tail and upe goes Between that spot and the
elevated station there were nineteen vendors OF un
concelts in all stages Of whzzing, whrng and crawl
ing.
Arrived downtown, found the curb still populous.
The gentlemen who usually gather before ST. Pauls,
equipped with shoestrngs about their necks and those
other gentlemen who continually strike matches to
prove that they burn seemed to have abandoned these
lucrative professions, and gone into the toy business
At Dey-st. there q connection and l learned
that q tin lizard had been wound up 10 run on the
sidewalk for display, and Instead OF circng around
mOdesty. il started up the dress OF an old lady who
had Just arrived from NewJersey and she had tainted
with horror. While gathering these details
heard say {" Hey. de old bloke has squashed
de dorg." and then noticed that had stepped .
Mary and john that wretched little tin man. woman
and dog propelled by SPRING which had been
launched across the sidewalk, and had smashed the
woman and dog completely.
gave the q quarter and threading my way
among wilderness OF tin marvels, reached my Office
tired and tardy Hasn't this gone far enough Mr.
Editor According to the the population
Of New-iork is increasing SO fast that this sort o.
lizards and pewter monkeys, Manhattan Island, nk,
the Manhattan Elevated, will offer standing only
therefore protest most vigorously against this new
aggression upon the long suffering public Let the
man who sells shOestrings remain; we can stand the
match boy, the garter seller the Old gentleman who
works off needle threafers the guieess public: tn
host Of banana, peanut, orange and candy men, give
them all chance but away with the tin animals and
quicksilver tumbleovers who have seized our side
walks.
the streets filed with selling Mc(nntys !:
they have vanished. In the words which Andrew
Carnage applied to that foolish and absurd relic Of
the past the college man in business ~ have searched
everywhere and found not trace of him. The ven
ders OF glass McGintys' spraDg up in swarms like
seventeen-ye locusts. and gone Let us hops
that the tin monkeys. the lizards the tumble-oven
and the " Mary and Johns, will vanish as completely.
SELF-PROTECTION.
New York. April 4, 1892.