The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
CURBSTONE LIFE.
Something About the City
Street-Venders.
THE BALLOON MANS HOME.
How the Toys Are Made Some Char
aCteristicS of the Various
Purchasers.


In a kidnapped youth are rot held in
saintliest remembrance. Autoycus. the
Bohemian rascal. whom Shakespeare paints
in such penitentiary colors, sang the praises
of his ares and cut tie purses of his Gus
TONERS with equal readiness and then
soliloOuiZed enrapIured with his own ex-
PLOTS: "Ha, hal what fool honesty is"
Even In these modern DAYS many a good
and motherly housewl fe cherishes an I'M
shaken and almost unchrstian antipathy
against the entire race of peddlers, account
ing them intrusive, impairment and dis
honest. and laying many other failings to
their charge.
But the difference between the forest wall
and the village dog is scarcely greater than
between the Yagrant country peddler with
his pack and staff and the simple city ven
der with his stock Of fruits. candies, nuts
or cakes ranged in a basket or spread in a
stand and with but little choice left save 10
wait with honest patience fer the blinking
coins that the swift current Of passers-by
losses now and then into his little CONNER
eial bench.
The sidewalk dealers who make mer-
ehsndise OF toys, toothpicks, photographs
flowers, balloons or sleeve-butons find eX
tOrtiOn losing game, and can only hope To
secure an occasional purchaser by the eX-
tTa0TdlnarY cheapneSS OF their wares.
The dePp-yOiCed licensed vendors,
whose well-niled carts OF fruit or vegetables
stand along the cuTbStones or slowly
traverse the side streets. are compelled by
the keen rivalry Of the Chinese and fellow
vendors TO keep their CHARGES within rea-
sCnablG bounds, however susplclOusly small
their quart measures may sometimes p
pear. Even the newsboy. at once the least,
the shrillest aud the keenest of the street
vending race. is so he6ged about with l0dg-
inE-hOUse comforts and good Influences
that bis conduct brings no diScredit on his
older and staider cOnfTeres IN the picayune
traffic Of the Sidewalk.
Though the street-venders Of San Fran
cisco are doubtless by nature quite as de-
PRAYED as their fellow beings they have but
little chance or enticement to so astray.
They are often TO old. too ignorant or too
caIsw0rn too practice knayery watching
8 cent or stand FROM morning till long after
nightfsll in lazy work, but il leaves these
sentiBels CT the street very little scope for
sRtan's prOveTbial mischief.
The most picturesque OF city peddlers are
the balloon men and tie most gypsy-llke OF
the tribe is the old Italian who hRuntS the
vicinity of Market, Post aud kearny streets
and whose English vocabulary includes
little besides, Wanna one? Five centR; no
understan."
he has lean and wrinkled visage. black
eyes and an abundance Of black Whiskers.
tiuged with gray, which DISCUSSES the fact
that he wears no collar. Over his shoulder
Is strapped dirty canvas bag full OF mys-
ferrous odds and ends. In a siouch hat and
loose shoes be shutfies along at measured
pace, with q stoOp in MS shoulders and a
"squerleT" 70 his mouth, a crooked stick in
his right hand and bundle of stout threads
in his left. The threads are all tied TO one
end Of q stick, and TO each IS fastened
round red or white toy balloon, five or six
~-.ahn ~, in fffrrra
cluster like colossal bunch OF scarlet and
white grapes OF flock Of soap bubbles.
much 10 the delight of the children and
somewhat to the curiosity of the elders.
Half a dozen odd little shriyeled reddish
brown pouches are attached 10 the Italians
stick and these, with a little metallic mouth
piece, he blows up till it becomes balloon
full Of common air that speedily escapes
with a shrek as If aggTleved at being forced
into such uncomfortable quarters.
The yendeT Of these balloons lives over In
the italian quarter on Lombard street 10 a
dingy little sec0nd-st0ry front room about
ten ieet square. mis- contains table, BED,
4 stove and all the smaller paraphernalia OF
q household in addition 10 the simple APP
paratus Of balloon manufacture.
Mako balloon seventeen year in New
7 ork, an five year IN San Francisco. Maka
TWO, three hundred day. New York. No so
mucha here. y g0oda biz, explained the
balloon-maker's spouse as she busted of a
chair and handed 10 TO the visitor.
The Italian pulled a red wooden chest
from under the bed and lifted the lid. 1t
was full Of little rubber pouches.
Come from New York. Blow him up.
You see, said the woman az she picked one
up and Inflated the little sack into glossy
scarlet sphere, tied the mouth with a cotton
thread and let 1t go.
Fall On ground. you see; must put gas in
him."
Water, sulDhuFIc acid and strips Of zinc
are the materials used 10 make the gas.
The balloons are filed one at 4 time, long
thread IS wound around the mouth Of each
and securely fastened, and then they are
allowed 10 rise and bump themselves along
the ceiling, where they are safely out Of the
way in the cramped quarters. Three or
four score Of these ruby and white globes,
all floating gracefully in the air, lent a
picturesque charm to the fOTlOrn little room
aud its shabby occupants. A thin coat of
liquid isInglass IS applied with brush to
keep the gas from slowly escaping and when
this dries the balloons are ready for the
street.
There are many curious things to be wit
messed about the stands Of the street yen-
ders, and II a peer could be had behind the
curtains Of the lives OF their owners, many
pathetic tale could be told, but the street
lives and the private lives are as far distant
as tile sun from the earth.
Al the corner Of Post and Montgomery
streets is a fruitstaud, with nothing about
il 10 distinguish it from the rest. except the
Tosy-faced maid with brown hair and
smiling eyes, who watches II. When she
Is not busy attending 70 the customers. she
occupies her time brushing the fuZz off the
peaches with a dlapidated feather duster.
or wping the dust off the pears and
apples with a nice white rag. Every
now and then she makes a raid on
half dozen flies that are buz-
Zing impeTtinently about and strikes a
vicious blow at the biggest OF the winged
marauders. his eXeItl0n seems 20 be too
much, and, as customers are scarce, she
soon crouches down on the stone flags and
Desiles comfortably against the lampp0st
and crosses her legs like Turk or tailor
Suddenly she dives into a large pocket
under her apron and brings out a handful
Of coins, which she makes a feint OF count
Ing. At intervals she softly eXclaims, as If
afraid of making too much noise, "a nickel
Rpiece-oraDges and apples
Here comes a ebubby-fSted fellow and
graDples with the biggest orange IN the pile,
while bis bearded papa smiles and drops a
nickel in It's place The little girl jumps
quickly up, pockets the coin and hands out
an apple to an ofice-boy In his shirt sleeves.
who snatches it and thrusts 1t into his
mouth, and holds IL there while his fore
finger travels through the pockets of his
waistcOat IN search Of the necessary nickel.
ne He1t purchaser IS deliberate gentle
man, with a cane and a gray mustache.
Carefully extracting a two-blt piece from
his purse, he picks out four oranges and
couple OF the sUundest bananas, and places
the coin in the outstretched palm Of the
little seller whose eyes snap with delight
at such a wholesale transaction.
Then the crowd rushes by once more
without even glancing at the fruit, and the
girl promotes three oranges from the two
foT-fYe" basket 10 the "three-fOr-ten" and
TeaTTanges the apples with the stems up and
the rosy side out. and again drops down in
the shade by the lamppOst. ALE DIXON.
Licensed to Wed.