New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-05
The Metropolitan Telephone & Telegraph COMPANY
Is CORTLANDT ST.
PREPARATIONS FOR PALM StNDif'
ACTIVITY ~ THE PALM LEAF MARNET-"oN-
DERFG-I. GROWTH OF \ CURIOUS TRADE
TIE COST OF LEAVES INCREASED,
BIT SELLING PRICES IN
CHANGED.


CHANGED.
Preparatons for the pous Observance OF ram
Sunday are going on The PAIN market Is as
oc,ive n. that for cvcrgreens AT Yueiiir To say
that the green goods" business is hourlshns might
be regarded as sacregious. That's what ue''er
in palms said yesterday, however, ana he nreVer-
emily added that there was lots Of 'come-ons'
meaning Clerpymcn, deacons ana oih'r Sood iok
who come on here 10 procure palms for use in rural
sanctuaries Palm Sunday will be the day aft"r TO-
morrow. so that only two days remain IN wh'ch 10
couplptc ARRANGEMENTS for celebrating that sacred
anniversary.
The distribution Of palm leaves from the metropo-
lis has marvellousy increased during the last TWO
decades Twenty years ago the New-York Catholic
Agency No. 81 Barclay-st., Thomas ID. Egan' mana
ger gave an experimental order for only 1900 leaves
but this year tens of thousands have been received
and are being distributed from this centre among all
Roman Catholic and many Protestant tpiscoiil ana
some other churches IN this city and brooklyn ana
others in various and remote regions Inc supply
OF palm leaves comes mainly from Florida ana
South Carolina. The harvest this season was de-
layed for fully three weeks by the unusual preva-
lence OF heavy frosts in the states mentioned In
countries where palm trees do not grow branches
and sprgs Of the fir. cedar and similar trees are
substituted for palm leaves in religious ceremonies
This was formerly extensively done In this country!
bu, now the supply OF leaves IS abundant that
said that the palms and palm leaves now used IN
81 Peters Cathedral in Rome are supplied by d.
rect descendants Of the same family VINO furnsh'i
them for Pope Six'us '.
Tho use OF the palm Is much more extensive III
Roman Catholic than in Protestant chur' mes IN
approximatc idea o: the number % consumers OF
palm leaves may be CLEANED from tn. statement
that There are in this country over 9.Golop Roman
Catholic COMMITMENTS OF whom about 500" are
In this city and $1,000 in Brooklyn. The leaves are
sol,uny blessed by the priests before theE are
distributed among the church congregations w men
the brstowal Is q liberal scale. on" lear ~ III
yidcd among PERSONS. but In many instances
the recipient must be content with a mere shred'
often lcss than two inches long and not over one,
quarter inch wide. Although the uupf"c"drntco
fflst. the Of supply this spring increased
the cost OF palm leaves. the current market prices
arc the sam. last year. Tho leaves come IN
bundles. each containing twenty-five folded leaves,
atl ar" sold for s. ~ hundred at wholesale.
F"si-clnss separate leaves sold at retail for -
cents apiece. Small bCnchcS OF narrow slips may b"
bought FOR 10 cents each Many curious and in
tricafcly constructed religious ana other embleins
~ palm leaves are ingeniousiy devised skiiuliy
wrought and sold at prices which vary with the
,oupl"Nlfy ~ thcir construction.
u H. estimate! that fully 10000 palm leaves
VII De divided AMI distributed next sunday among
members Of churches - different denominations
throughout the United states.