Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-16
THE ORGAN GRINDER,
THE BUSINESS Is NOT WHAT 1T USED
TO BE AND is OVERCOME.
Tile Financial Results of Hard DAYS
Work by New York Italian-A Reporter
Relates His Experience on Street Corners
Passing the Hat For Pennies.


used to be--say Is 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. lie was a pitiful spec
tacle, was the grim, war SCARED veteran,
and in those merry and ancient days it
was no uncommon feat for him to make $40
or $50 a day. Here is a dollar for the old
soldier the good citizen would exclaim
as he passed the bill into the one legged
mans hand. But that was long ago, and,
alas. 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
tambourine2 He made the thing pay, too.
and many prominent citizen in German
affairs today. many a successful grocer.
owes his start in life to the dimes and
quarters he collected while Flooding the
streets playing "Oh, Kaiser, Don't You
Want to Buy Tog:'
Rocco, the Italian, faces life under diff
tiit NtiiAl1ttilitfS NC Kan bttSIiltS>,
he tells ne sadly rs drop into his mis-
cradle rooms in Elizabeth street, is not
what it used to be in the old soldier days,
for example. II was out all day yester-
day" be says in his broken fashion. land
all | made WaS--hOw much, do you
think"
"A dollar
"No: - cents
7. L. l.. I 1, 3D. ~.
$50 he ipaid for his piano organ. He
would, lie says. go in the fruit business
and get rich after Il long time.
Rocco plays long and industriously for
y hours il day He was over on Sixth
avenue this morning. BY invitation |
Joined him. He was playing in front of a
lager beer saloon. The people paid not
the slightest attention. 1t was 0 O'Clock
and the women who We're early ont shop
ping eyed him with Indifference. The tunes
followed rapidly one after another. There
would be II jolly one, then Il sad one. Aft
er playing a very, very sad tune, along
came an elderly gentlemau. 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
" era cked Well, that is a good begin
ming. we were IltSb StdIlliSs III pii a. ihlit
tune when the saloon keepers boy came
out and said:
''See ere, dago, git out of this
Rocco stopped playing, and Selling 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 u merry air A couple of
b., hIopl-n 1 in utp
chairs looked up from their morning pa
pers with some little interest.
| went up and passed the hat. Ons man
gave a cent; the next, with grim show
of being humorous, pulled beer check
out of his pocket and 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 along, when mp
came the policeman on the beat. who came
down to where we We're standing and said
i'll very snappish fashion;
"Dago, don't you think you had better
move on? None of those organ grinders
viii stay in one place on my beat - min
utes if / can help it,
Il go. gor' said the frightened Rocco.
There: don't give me any of your lip
And by 4be way. where is Your license,
ehy''
Rocco producrd his card. 1t certified
flint he bal; paid 81 into the public treas
ury and that. in return, he WAS to he al
lowed to uIav in the streets of New York
from o o'clock in the morning until
o'cIocl in the evening. daily. except sun
DAYS. for one year from date.
The officer ecouIed furiuuslv, Grluted
softly 10 himself and permitted us to move
ON
We haunted the shopping district lcrt the
nevt hour cnd won for Rocco lust cents!
An bonr I,tar we were playiug under a
window ON West Nineteenth street \
woman in y third story flat wrapped Il
,iclnI in q, 7,:c,a of paucr and threw it on
tha ringing pavement. Thus encouraged.
Rocco ,Inyp,l on and ON. Suddenly an
angry face anpeared nj the same window
md , voice ryclaimed, ''Get out Of this.
vou hlockouard. or Iii have You run in.'
The man tbrew II lump of coal nj us,
re,dilv concluded that he was some night
worker who had been disturbed by our
music So we went over in another street.
II no,v began TO rain, but for the hand
oroan man and myself there was no haven
of raC,,ue The cold, drilling downfall
struck through orr thin clothing. until
nj lens. siiyered and shook! still, that