Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-04
THE MUSIC GRINDERS AMBITION.
He Wants to Earn Enough to Enable
Him to Live In ItalY.

He Wants to Earn Enough to Enable
Him to Live In Italy.
There are hfty-fve stIeet pianos and
two or three large hand organs on the
streets Of Washington each day. and it is
estimated. so Star rerbrter was told,
that about $720 is paid eaehweek by resi-
dents of the city for the privilege of being
entertained. All the instruEents are owned
and managed by Italians, %1o travel as a
general rule in pairs. These people reside
in two portions of the city, One small col
ony is situated south of the Capitol, and
the other. which is the larger, on D be-
tween 18th and 10Th streets. 1t is at these
places that the genuine low class Italian
life can be seen. The latter locality has
been named Little Italy" There are only
eight or ten habitable houses on the
square. but in these live at least one hun
dred Italians. Many Of them are engaged
in pursuits other than that of "grindin' de
Org" and few sell fruit and perform
manual labor on the streets.
The business of an Italian street piano
player is remunerative. 1t Is bad man
ager, indeed. who is unable to CLEAN at
least $50 day, and the receipts often
aggregate So and 81 a day. This, when
taking into consideration the fact that the
low price-s145-and that it is necessary to
purchase new one only once each year.
is very profitable especially to class Of
persons who ill their native country con-
slider themselves well to do if they are able
to earn 40 or so cents a day.
The Italian organ grinder is an interest
ing being. He is industrious, enterprisiEs.
frugal, and, above all, law-abiding His
life is simple to a remarkable degree, but
does not reach the point of self-denial. He
is very little given to dissipation, and mis-
earnings, for the most part, are placed
away safely, where they may be used in
the future to bring him comfort in his la
tive land He is at all times looking for
the main chance" and never loses an OPP
portunity to earn the small boys and little
girls penny.
Germany, Switzerland and France, owing
to their close proximity to Italy, are the
most attractive countries to emigrants
from Italy, but the United States by no
means loses its share of them.
A remarkably large number CT them land
on the shores CT this country, but 80 per
cent of them do not remain. Their Interior
object Is to amass a sufficiently large
amount of money to enable them to re-
turn to Italy and spend the remainder of
their lives in comfort and without labor
This is especially the case with the street
piano players. 1t is seldom that any one
of them remains mere longer than six or
seven years.
Their mode of living here Is very cheap.
Their dress IS neglected almost to the point
of responsiveness, and their table is meager.
Macaroni and spaghetti, it is true, have
their charms for them, but 1t Is seldom,
indeed, that these two products of the
sunny country are found on their tables.
The expense is too great, they say, and it
is only on special occasions that the two
dishes are eaten. Their main means OF
srstenance consists of boiled beef and
bread. with small quantity of beer oc
casionally. Any one who visits an Italian
pianlSts house can find at any time
huge pot on the stove, containing guam
uty Of beef. which boils necessarily. This
forms a dish somewhat in the nature of
broth, and together with a small portion
of the beef, is eaten with n great deal of
satisfaction. The expense is somewhere in
the neighborhood of 10 cents day, and
the cost of living after this fashion does
not exceed % cents day.
The musicians labors begin quite early
and end late. At o'clock they are upon
the street, all travelling in different drec-
lions. The Instruments are not housed
until > at night, when the time limit pre-
scribed by law expires. During this period
there is very little rest. Not little time
is consumed in wheeling the pianos from
place to place, which is no easy task.
There is an agreeman between The organ
grinders as to the route to De pursued by
each one. To each piano is allotted a GER
tain territory, and the pianist is warned
not to trespaSS upon the precincts of his
fellow-"musician.' OCCASIONALLY an iEfrac-
ton of this understanding occurs. The
down town districts, however. are free
from restriction, and each piano player is
allowed full swing on any street he de-
scent piece generally warrants the playing
selections.