New-York tribune., 1895-12-22
STREET SALES OF ODD TOYS.
THE HOLIDAY WARES OF SIDEWALK
NENDERS.

o,,>,rpprsrxcF, OF THE CAI.LoPE PEDLER-
HANGING MAIDS AND MINIATURE CIRCUS.
..,,,h.--~-r---,, Wh-r-r-r-tr' That indicates the
sort of sound I'D and once down the untempered
scale of his instrument. produced by the young
nedler NJ a new thing under an old name-tne
"cailions He was answered by another grlmy-
looking son of the street near by. Across four
teenth-st. there a response DOWN 'o"aiu a
siv,bave q rroup OF half dozen or more cnimed
in II was in the early hours OF the mcrhlhg'
shortly after o'clock, in fact, and even at tnat
hour the street was bustling with activity Hol-
dov shoppers were everywhere. but. however apun-
dant they might be. every one of them had 10 race
sooner oi la er the calllope boys II was interest,"
ing 10 watch the latter. Let one secure customer
let any person stop 70 examine mis- wares ana III
stantlv there would be stampede in MS drecton'
and ,he unfortunate purchaser in prospective would
no hadged about with clamoring mob OF the SIDE
walk venders taking many jarsons and reacning
ont hands innocent Of soap and water each mana
containing one OF the toys. Every one OF the
pedlers OF the calliope was blessed too Win a
democratic freedom from conventionality' he
yonId first draw the Instrument along the rim OF
his unvashed mouth. and then unbushngly oher
II for the vocal consideration of the customer
Hundreds Of the things were sold. as they took
swift hold upon the affections Of the small folk all
of whom dearly love a noise 1t is not worth
while TO inquire where they came from. They are
vents which have come and gone with preceding
Christmas seasons 1t is surprising, though 10
look back upon the manner in which they De-
came scattered all over the city. From Wall and
Broad SITS. to One-hundred-and twenty-fifth-st.,
through the length Of Broadway and almost all the
averu ues but particularly in Fourteenth and Twen-
ty-tnird sts and in Sxth-ave. below the last
named thoroughfare, where the shoppers most do
congregate. the CaliOpe pedlers are seen
As the mists of morning cleared away with the
approach Of 10 o'clock the pedlers thickened In
Fourteenth-st favorite camping ground. The
Tribune reporter, wishing to whether any good
thing could out of the calope, bought one.
He turned away only to be confronted with one
OF those horribly grotesque masks of rubber which
remind one OF his boyhood days and tales Of COB
Inns The smile upon the face OF the vendor and
the smlrk he had managed to convey by finger
pressure to the mask were so much alike as to be
startlingly suggestive of common origin mask
was purchased and from that time on the victim
was marked man. BY magic Of the trade
every peder seemed TO mark him Tor conquest
Have a little dancing maid"' shouted one as he
drew three or four manikins from basket, gave
a twist to a crank in each, and set them down 10
turn about upon the pavement In fashon that
was all the more laughable because of the pre-
ternatural so.emnity os the images They reminded
the observer of the old saying concerning English
men. that they take their pleasures seriously. Inc
things jigged about on their IRON legs WIN
little maids indeed-but whether m.kmaids, bar
maids serving maids II was dircut 70 guess.
The proprietor had a model employment bureau
for maids for he did not have TO answer disagree
able questions as to temper character or previous &
cond ton OF servtude, did the maids tnem-
selves have 10 carry credentials, and last employ
ers they had -,
The reporter evaded the Establishments OF these
automatons by holding close 70 the curostone;
only to run plump into muscular purVeyor o.
sponges. who had paused IN the march or trade
to confer with his brother-trader, the sleigh-
bells seller, on the state OF the country ana the
Venezuelan issue. The sponge merchant had big
basket on his left arm, and about his neck was a
string of sponges which streamed down over rs
rounded front and swayed in the breeze AS fol
the sleighbeils man-who has not both seen and
hea him as he goes about like the lady or ban
bury Cross who had rings on her fingers ana bells