The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-28
THE ORGAN GRINDER.
THE BUSINESS is NOT WHAT IT USED
TO De AND Is OvERDQNE.

The hand organ business is not what 1t
used to bc---say 10 years ago. There have
been cycles in the calling. so to speak.
There was the time, for illustration, when
the "old soldier" played the street music
just after the war. He was pitiful spec
tacle, was tho grim, war SCARED veteran,
and in those merry and ancient days it
was no uncommon feat for him to make e10
or SEQ day. "Here Is dollar for the old
soldierl" the good citizen would exclaim
as he passed tho bill into the one legged
mans hand. But that was long ago, and,
alasl the drawing powers of the veteran
who wore the blue have long since given
way before the upward and onward march
of civilization.
Then came the period of the German or
gan grinder. Who does not recall the days
when Unser Fritz, that patient drudge,
wheeled his instrument along and had ka-
treena at his side tunefully tapping on the
tambourine? He made the thing pay. too,
and many prominent citizen in German
affairs today, many successful grocer,
owes his start in life TO the dimes and
quarters he collected while plodding the
streets playing "Oh, Kaiser, Don't You
Want to Buy Togs"
Rocco, the Italian, faces life under diff
erent circumstances. The organ business,
he tells me sadly ns drop into his mis-
erable rooms in Elizabeth street, is not
what it used to be in the old soldier days,
for example. 81 was out all day yester-
day. he rays in his broken fashion, "and
all l made was-how much, do you
thinkin
"A dollarr'
"No; 75 cents"
In short, Rocco wishes he had back the
$3.50 he paid for his piano organ. He
would, he says, go in the fruit business
and get rich after n long time.
Rocco plays long and industriously for
12 hours day. He was over on Sixth
avenue this morning. by invitation
Joined him. Hc was playing in front OF \
lager beer saloon. The people paid not
the slightest attention. 1t was 0 O'Clock,
and the women who were early out shop
ping eyed him with indifference The tunes
followed rapidly one after another. There
would be jolly one, then a sad one. Aft
er playing very, very sad tune, along
came an elderly gentleman, who, FUN
bling in his pocket, handed out cent.
went out and got it in my hat, Rocco
bowed and smiled till his brown skin fair
ly cracked. Well, that is a good begin
ming. We were Just starting in on third
tuno when the saloon keepers boy came
out and said:
"See 'ere, dago, git out Of this"
Rocco stopped playing, and seizing the
heavy strap on the spring truck motioned
TO me to grasp one of the handles, and to-
gether we pulled the numbering instru-
mcnt up toward Eighteenth street. Here
Rocco played a merry air. A couple OF
men having their boots blacked in street
chairs looked up from their morning pa
pers with some little interest. rsA
/ went mp and passed the hat. One man
gave cent; the next, with grim show
of being humorous, pulled a beer check
,out Of his pocket end said:
"Here; this is for your nibs; go after
ball"
At this the gentlemen in boot stands all
laughed. bowed, handed the coins over
To Rocco, who smiled, as usual, and pre-
pared to trudge further alony, when up
came the policeman on the beat, who came
down 20 where we were standing and said
in very snappish fashion,:
"Dago, don't you think you had better
move on? None OF those organ grinders
will stay in one place ON my beat Is min
utes if i can help itp'
4 kOl Il 10. Sdlu tnt 1I1Kuttutu ItOCCO.
J "There; don't give me any of your lipI
And, by the way, where is your license,
,eh?"
: Rocco produced his card. It certified
that he had paid 81 into the public treas
ury, and that, in return, he was to be al
lowed TO play in the streets of New York
from o o'clock in the morning until 0
O'Clock in the evening" daily, except Sun
days, for one year from date.
The officer scowled furiously, grunted
softly TO himself and permitted us to move
on.
We haunte.; theshopping district for the
next hour and won for Rocco just centsl
An hour later we were playing under
window on West Nineteenth street. A
woman in a third story fat wrapped
nickel in piece OF paper and threw it on
the ringing pavement. Thus encouraged,
Rocco played on and on. Suddenly an
angry face appeared at the same window
and voice exclaimed, "Get out of this,
you blackguard, or I'll have you run imp
The man threw alump of coal at us! l
readily concluded that he was some night
worker who had been disturbed by our
music. So we went over in another street.
1t now began TO rain, but for the hand
organ man and myself there was no haven
OF refnge The cold, drizzling downfall
struck through our thin clothing, until
j, at least, shivered and shookl Still, that
music must be continued had heard
"After the Ball' until was fairly mad;
"Bow-wow, "Ta-ra-ra" and oil the
rest made fIe stark crazy; yet Rocco was
not in the least disturbed. Indeed doubt
very much il he heard the music Mt all.
His eyes were directed all that day toward
the upper story windows of tho tall fiat
houses, looking for some one who might
Throw down n cent. II he did not have
trick in his neck, il was because his neck
was past all possibilities of the crick.
At noon we chanced to be on quiet
street, and near a livery stable, we saw
number Of unused trucks drawn up at the
curb. Rocco wheeled his organ near by,
and crawling under one Of the wagons
rat down on Il stone to eat. He had tin
dinner pail fastened 90 tho instrument,
which, being opened, was found TO contain
somo Italian sticks of bread, a piece of
meat and slice of cheese. This frugal
meal the patient organ grinder offered TO
divide with me. After he had disposed OF
a. L.. t.1 IL ...l