The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-31
CHOLERA PICKERS?
Hordes of Italians Scrap
ing Over the Montgom-
cry Street Filling
Refuse.

this summer, and scientists say it will
no better channel for it's breeding and
dissemination will be found than through
the Italian ragpickers and chiffoniers in
general, who are, in all probability. al
though innocently, the best-or worst
disseminators of any disease which may
be prevalent. just how the possibility oil
spreading of disease in Jersey City,
may be increased, was proven this
morning. by the Investigations OF
a NEWS reporter, who discovered
great PROBABILITIES in he range OF
the spread of disease, whether typhus or
cholera, or. for that matter. any contag-
ious or infectious disease.
Recently the Street and Water board
ordered the opening of Colgate street. ana
| the various contractors for the removal
| CT the ashes and debris of the Jersey City
householders, ave used the lots over
which the new street will be bullt, TO
| empty the contents of their carts.
When a reporter of the JERSEY CITY
NEWS visited the scene this morning,
there was a gang Of Italians. seventeen III
number, of which eve were women, in
| dustriousiy engaged in gathering the
paper, rags, metal, and glass from the
| dust heaps. At one side of the dump was
! a heap of rags which was piled up, gath
| cred from the heap In another spot was
a pile of glass bottles, embracing every
| thing from a champagne bottle down to a
two-ounce phial. Another heap contained
| pieces of metal. including broken ire
| CRATES, iron pots and various other metal
substances. The picture presented oy
| the Italians was anything but an inviting
one.
DIDN'T KNOW HIS BOSS.
yUhap tho News raDOrLer asked one OF
the group who his employer was, the de-
| scendant of the CBsars, who was busliy
| engaged in brushing the dirt off a dis
reputable looking nat, which he had
| picked out of the heap, answered.
"Gota no boss"
"Well, who buys all this stuff that you
are picking out'" asked the reporter.
s..Jake.n was the lucid answer.
"Who is Jake?" asked the reporter.
"Ob. he buya de stuff" was the vague
| answer. We sella de rags in Jersey City,
| and de bottles in Brooklyn, and de iron
| in New York. Mike Campano. he buys
de rags"
While THE dustman was talking. a
cart drove up. and the driver, an Italian.
| loked with the group on the dust heap.
lie had no sooner emptied his loa OF
| ashes, paper, rags and dirt, than the
group on the neap were into 1t. delving
| with an industry worthy OF a greater
| cause, Up on the street, the trolley cars
whistIed by. and over on the Hill, the
City Hospital loomed prominently. It's
windows, like SO many eyes. giarlng
down upon the Industrious human ants
on the dust heap. were tne
Meadows with The salt grass Of last
YEARS growth, brown and faded, and over
ali was the ef1uvia BORN of decaying
| refuse in the dust heap. and the black
loan of the Meadows with an odor. all
its own.
Subsequently the reporter paid a Visit
to the establishment over which Mike
Campano is the presiding genius on Rail-
road avenue, between Washington and
Warren streets. That gentleman, who
is a low-sized, sharp looking Italian.
g~raciously greeted the reporter, but took
refuge behind his son, who had a greater
his sire. Tit place was notable Tor two
things. immense bags filed with a
and a gigantic scale for weighing the
same. Incidentally there was enough
dust to fill some of the waste land for
which Jersey City is more or less noted.
Mr.. Campano, peie. nao very littie
knowledge regarding the business 10
which he is engaged, nor could MI. Cam
paro. fits, furnish any information of a
more tangible nature.
..It's deesa way" said the former. 81
buya de rags from de Italian ra%gplcker.
and send them TO new 1OIk. Oomc uiuIc
/ buya them from newark men, but most
| of a de rag l buya in Jersey CITY,"
Young Mr.. Campano could not, or
wouId not furnish any further details
regarding the business, and the reporter
| was forced to be content with the meagre
| statement that business was good, and
the firm 0f firm it Beg had all it could do.
ANOTE OF WARNING.
In conversation with a physician on the
| question, the doctor sounded a note of
warning which swould be we'll for most
Jersey CitYites to bear In mind.
s.There is no necessity" said the doctor.
ssfor the existence of such establishments
as.Campano's. Why it is that SO much
paper, rags and the like are daily dumped
in the vacant lots and MP in the Meadows
I cannot understand, in view of the fact
that most of the stuff is OF a ~perishable
nature. and every h~ousekeeper and every
office, | suppose, has the means at hand for
the DESTROYING of refuse of that kind. 1t
should be burned in the kitchen stove or
the office. and not be allowed to be taken
to the dumps. There can be no doubt out
| that those heaps are disease-breeders of
the worst kind. Ordinary refuse. such as
ashes, and the like, is almost in
nocuous, but when one stops to
think of the great possibilities for
breeding disease which those heaps
of household refuse contain, one is
forced to the conclusion that either the
city-and the powers that De-are sadly
negligent, or that the citizens themselves
dc not take enough interest In the health
of the city to look out for 1t. 1t Is a nuis-
ance that should be apated, and that
right quickly"